5 Shortstop Fantasy Baseball Breakout Candidates (2026)

February 28, 2026

Zach's shortstop (SS) fantasy baseball breakout candidates and draft sleepers for 2026. His upside shortstop picks include Colson Montgomery, Carson Williams, and JJ Wetherholt.

Shortstop is one of fantasy baseball's glamor positions. It's stocked with big-name superstars who go early in fantasy drafts and provide big-time production in multiple categories. The position is also a pretty deep one, with plenty of quality sleepers going later in drafts as depth pieces or potential breakout candidates with high upside. Whether you draft a superstar in the spot early or pass on it to grab thinner positions first, some strong late-round options deserve consideration as you look for emerging producers last in the draft. Some of the top shortstop prospects could debut this season, and several other options could take the next step in 2026.

Every year in fantasy baseball, exciting new talents have breakthrough seasons. Grabbing breakout candidates late in your draft or picking them up early in the season from the waiver wire is the path to success in whatever format you are playing fantasy baseball this season. Sometimes, the new producers are young players getting their first chance at the MLB level, but sometimes they are established players who find a way to take their game to the next level.

If you're shopping for a shortstop after the elite options are off the board for either a backup depth addition or a solid starter who can contribute, the five shortstops highlighted in this post have the potential to outperform their current price in auction and their ADP (average draft position) in snake drafts. In this piece, we are referencing NFBC ADP since February 15. With Opening Day coming up quickly, let's dive into five top shortstop breakout candidates to target in fantasy baseball drafts this season.

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Jacob Wilson, SS, Athletics

ADP - 176.4

Wilson was one of the Athletics' top prospects over the last several seasons, and he started his breakout last season. Despite some success and a premium lineup spot, he is still going after about 20 other shortstops have been taken in many drafts. At that level of investment, he still brings plenty of value to your team and is poised to take another step forward.

For the second straight season, the Athletics will play their home games in Sacramento at Sutter Health Park, which had the second-most hitter-friendly Park Factor in the majors last season. Wilson took advantage of the good environment last year and hit .311 with 13 homers, five stolen bases, and a .348 wOBA. He finished second in the Rookie of the Year voting behind his teammate Nick Kurtz.

Wilson signed a seven-year, $70 million contract extension in January, which also includes an eighth-year team option. The A's celebrated with this great highlight reel:

We got our guy 🙂‍↕️ pic.twitter.com/57LmHP55Ir

— Athletics (@Athletics) January 30, 2026

Wilson posted good numbers overall last season, but he was even better at the start of the year before injuries started to mount. In 81 games before July 1, he hit .339 with a .370 wOBA, nine homers, and five stolen bases. In his 44 games after July 1, he hit .257 with a .305 wOBA, four homers, and no stolen bases. He was dealing with a hamstring issue, fouled a ball off his knee, and then suffered a fractured forearm just before the All-Star break.

He never quitte found the same groove when he returned, but he has shown he has that higher ceiling with more power potential when healthy. His power metrics aren't great, and he isn't an exit-velocity monster, but he almost always puts the ball in play and brings high energy and great defense to the position.

If you draft Wilson late, any power or stolen bases are a bonus. His main fantasy baseball contributions are with his elite bat-to-ball skills and the fact that he should get on base and score plenty of runs if he hits near the top of the A's batting order.

Since Wilson is locked in as a key part of the Athletics core, he can be a great late pickup to boost your batting average and counting stats. He is one of my top breakout candidates at the position with a high floor and plenty of upside as one of the best breakout candidates on the board. If he can continue the trajectory he showed in the first half, he could flirt with a 20-HR season.

Colson Montgomery, SS, Chicago White Sox

ADP - 215.6

Another sophomore shortstop that brings lots of upside is White Sox lefty Colson Montgomery. He brings a totally different skill set than Wilson, so it's important that you understand your team's needs and league scoring system when determining which option to target later in drafts.

Montgomery will turn 24 before Opening Day and is expected to hit in a great spot in the White Sox batting order, after showcasing his upside in 71 MLB games last season. He crushed 21 homers in just 284 at-bats last season, posting an elite .290 ISO with a .355 wOBA. His 14.4% barrel rate and 44.3% hard-hit rate were both solid, and his excellent bat speed should allow him to continue to produce plenty of power.

Colson Montgomery. MERCY! pic.twitter.com/svDcu5MrXL

— Chicago White Sox (@whitesox) August 24, 2025

The downside with Montgomery is that he only hit .239 and had a 29.2% strikeout rate. His average was even lower and his strikeout rate even higher in Triple-A, so those issues probably aren't going away. He did finish strong last season, though, hitting .267 in September despite a 31.4% strikeout rate. In most formats, his power will make up for his low batting average, as long as you have other players on your team to carry that category (depending on scoring format).

He is going a few shortstops after Wilson in most drafts, based on ADP, and he's a little less of a "safe" pick, although he can be a great source of power. He should also offer strong run production numbers, since the White Sox have assembled a fun young top of the lineup, including Montgomery, and they added Japanese slugger Munetaka Murakami this offseason.

Murakami and Montgomery should help the Chicago offense be much better this season, and getting Montgomery as a power boost to your infield is a great option to consider.

JJ Wetherholt, SS, St. Louis Cardinals

ADP - 237.5

The first two breakout candidates are coming off their strong rookie seasons, while the next three options are about to start their rookie campaigns. Wetherholt has yet to make his MLB debut, but the 23-year-old looks ready to step into a sizable role if he can put together a strong spring.

The Cardinals drafted Wetherholt with the No. 7 overall pick in the 2024 MLB Draft out of West Virginia. After a strong first full season as a pro, MLB Pipeline ranked Wetherhold as the No. 5 prospect in baseball. He split his time last season between Double-A Springfield and Triple-A Memphis, slashing .306/.421/.510 with 17 homers and 23 stolen bases in 109 games.

👀 MLB's No. 5 overall JJ Wetherholt taking hacks at @Cardinals camp pic.twitter.com/q8TkYIpnog

— MLB Pipeline (@MLBPipeline) February 17, 2026

Wetherholt profiles as a 20/20 threat with the ability to produce solid batting average numbers as well. He doesn't match Montgomery's power upside or Wilson's contact skills, but he has the potential to be a more well-rounded producer if he can translate his production to the majors.

The Cardinals opened up playing time for Wetherholt by trading Nolan Arenado to Arizona and Brendan Donovan to Seattle this offseason. He could end up the primary option in either spot, although he played SS primarily in college and still has eligibility at that position in most formats.

Wetherholt isn't guaranteed an everyday spot, though, since the main area of improvement he needs to address is his persistent struggles against left-handed pitching. However, given St. Louis' current roster, the budding star appears poised to open the season in the majors.

With positional flexibility to slide to other positions with less depth, Wetherholt may not be a SS in your roster, but he definitely can be a great value right now at his ADP.

Kevin McGonigle, SS, Detroit Tigers

ADP - 288.5

McGonigle is another prospect on the verge of breaking through to the majors. He's going shortly after Wetherholt in most drafts and doesn't have quite as clear a path to playing time. He is more likely to start the season in the minors, but when he does arrive in the majors, he will have a better roster around him.

MLB pipeline ranked McGonigle as the No. 2 prospect in baseball, just ahead of Wetherholt, but McGonigle hasn't played any games yet in Triple-A, so he'd be facing a bigger jump even if he does make the roster out of camp. If you can stash him on your bench, he'll be worth snagging ahead of time since his call-up will come with plenty of hype, causing a dash to the waiver wire if he’s not already on a roster.

Carson Williams, SS, Tampa Bay Rays

ADP - 597.3

Williams has already made his MLB debut, technically putting him ahead of both Wetherhold and McGonigle in terms of development, but he was only given a short taste last season. His ADP is lower, though, and he can be a nice final-round sleeper at SS even in deep leagues. Williams is the No. 63 prospect in baseball this season, according to MLB Pipeline, but that places him outside the top 10 shortstops since there is so much stacked potential at the position down the road.

Williams kept his draft stock low last season by hitting only .172 with a 41.5% strikeout rate in his 32 games in the big leagues. He did have five homers and a 35.7% hard-hit rate, but he struggled to make contact. The righty did hit three of his six homers in just 30 at-bats against lefties, so he could end up on the short side of a platoon with the Rays, who love playing lefty-righty splits.

The big righty definitely comes loaded with raw power and plenty of potential.

WELCOME TO THE BIGS, CARSON WILLIAMS 🤯

He DEMOLISHES his 1st career home run in his Major League debut 👏 pic.twitter.com/ghJy9DGCsF

— MLB (@MLB) August 23, 2025

He has always had a lot of swing-and-miss in his game, but has also had huge power numbers at every level. He had 20 homers and 33 stolen bases in Double-A in 2024, 23 homers and 22 stolen bases in Triple-A in 2025 before his call-up, and he'll look to fully adjust to the MLB level this year.

He'll need to improve his plate discipline and win the job in spring training before he's a pick to reach for, but he has an incredibly high ceiling as one of the breakout candidates. Based on the buzz coming into spring training, he'll probably start the season in Triple-A, but he could change that narrative with a big spring.

If he does start in Triple-A, he'll be one of the mid-season call-ups to grab if available since he has big-time power potential in a growing young lineup in Tampa.

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