MLB's All-Breakout Team for 2026 Season
Pete Crow-Armstrong, Geraldo Perdomo, Tyler Soderstrom, and Gavin Williams were among the biggest breakout stories of the 2025 MLB season.
Who will follow in their footsteps this year to earn a spot on Bleacher Report's All-Breakout team?
The idea was to focus on players who have achieved a level of success they have not previously approached, so that could mean an up-and-comer taking a major step forward after a shaky debut, a role player becoming an All-Star, or a star becoming one of the best in baseball.
That means focusing on guys who have MLB experience prior to this year, so no rookies were eligible to be included in this article.
The preseason All-Breakout Team is made up of one player at each position, five starting pitchers, and one relief pitcher.
Catcher: Francisco Alvarez, New York Mets
1 of 14
Age: 24
2025 Stats: 76 G, 122 OPS+, .256/.339/.447, 24 XBH (11 HR), 32 RBI
WAR: 1.9
Francisco Alvarez began 2023 as a consensus top 10 prospect in baseball. That year, he slugged 25 home runs, the sixth-highest total in MLB history by a rookie catcher.
Since logging 423 plate appearances in his rookie campaign, he has managed just 342 and 277 the last two years while navigating injuries, and that has kept him from turning in a true breakout.
After posting a .921 OPS with eight home runs and 21 RBI in 41 games after the All-Star break, he looks primed to climb into baseball's upper echelon of catching talent in 2026.
First Base: Spencer Horwitz, Pittsburgh Pirates
2 of 14
Age: 28
Stats: 108 G, 118 OPS+, .272/.353/.434, 37 XBH (11 HR), 51 RBI
WAR: 1.6
Spencer Horwitz has legitimate next-step potential after quietly posting a .916 OPS over 230 plate appearances after the All-Star break last season.
Despite starting the 2025 season on the injured list while recovering from wrist surgery, he still finished in the top five on the team in hits, home runs, and RBI, and his 118 OPS+ made him the only regular above the 100 threshold.
There might be more power to come further removed from the wrist injury. He should also see better pitches to hit with an improved supporting cast that includes Brandon Lowe, Ryan O'Hearn, and Marcell Ozuna.
Second Base: Cole Young, Seattle Mariners
3 of 14
Age: 22
2025 Stats: 77 G, 78 OPS+, .211/.302/.305, 12 XBH (4 HR), 24 RBI
WAR: 0.5
Following a lackluster debut offensively, Cole Young entered spring training needing to earn a starting job. Adding to the sense of urgency, top prospect Colt Emerson was also given a long look, and he figures to debut at some point in 2026.
With a .273/.347/.614 line over 49 plate appearances, he has likely done just that, and the pedigree is there for him to take a significant step forward in his second season.
A first-round pick in 2022 out of high school, he hit .278/.388/.432 across 1,473 plate appearances in the minors. That level of offensive production and his steady glove give him All-Star upside.
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Third Base: Miguel Vargas, Chicago White Sox
4 of 14
Age: 26
Stats: 138 G, 100 OPS+, .234/.316/.401, 50 XBH (16 HR), 60 RBI
WAR: 1.9
A former top prospect in the Dodgers system, Miguel Vargas, ended up traded to the White Sox, not because he didn't have significant upside, but because there was simply no path to playing time. It's the same reason Michael Busch is now thriving as the Cubs' starting first baseman rather than backing up Freddie Freeman.
Vargas was one of the few bright spots in the South Siders' lineup before Kyle Teel, Colson Montgomery, and other up-and-comers were promoted from the minors. He now slots into the middle of a young offense on the rise.
The 26-year-old logged an .839 OPS with runners in scoring position last season, and he will again be counted on to serve as a primary run producer in an improving White Sox lineup.
Shortstop: Brooks Lee, Minnesota Twins
5 of 14
Age: 25
Stats: 139 G, 79 OPS+, .236/.285/.370, 32 XBH (16 HR), 64 RBI
WAR: -0.8
Brooks Lee had a productive 2025 season from a counting number standpoint, tallying 15 doubles, 16 home runs, and 64 RBI in 527 plate appearances. However, there were holes in his game that kept him from making a bigger impact.
His .285 on-base percentage and 5.9 percent walk rate severely undercut those solid power numbers, and his aggressive approach led to frequent low-quality contact.
An .836 OPS across 874 plate appearances in the minors and the raw offensive tools to be the No. 8 overall pick in the 2022 draft suggest there is ample room for improvement. With Carlos Correa gone, he now has a clear runway to settle in as the everyday shortstop. A 25-homer, 80-RBI campaign is within reach.
Outfielder: Roman Anthony, Boston Red Sox
6 of 14
Age: 21
2025 Stats: 71 G, 140 OPS+, .292/.396/.463, 27 XBH (8 HR), 32 RBI
WAR: 3.1
There's certainly a case to be made that he has already broken out following a 3.1-WAR debut with the Red Sox last season, but that's just the tip of the iceberg for a player capable of a superstar turn in 2026.
Despite only having 71 big league games under his belt, Anthony got the call to suit up for Team USA in the World Baseball Classic when Corbin Carroll went down with an injury. He finished 7-for-25 with two home runs and a team-high seven RBI in seven games.
He might already be the best player in the Red Sox lineup, and another turn starting alongside Judge in the 2026 All-Star Game is not out of the question if he picks up where he left off in his stellar rookie campaign.
Outfielder: Jac Caglianone, Kansas City Royals
7 of 14
Age: 23
2025 Stats: 62 G, 49 OPS+, .157/.237/.295, 14 XBH (7 HR), 18 RBI
WAR: -1.3
After a pair of 30-homer seasons at the University of Florida in 2023 and 2024, Jac Caglianone wasted no time showcasing his elite offensive upside during his first full season in the Royals organization.
He hit .337/.408/.617 with 20 home runs and 72 RBI in 66 games between Double-A and Triple-A last season before making his MLB debut in early June, and while he didn't find immediate success, he still checks all the boxes to be an impact slugger.
A solid run playing alongside teammate Vinnie Pasquantino for Team Italy in the WBC should give him a solid springboard in the 2026 season. A spike to 30 home runs is not out of the realm of possibility.
Outfielder: Denzel Clarke, Athletics
8 of 14
Age: 25
2025 Stats: 47 G, 78 OPS+, .230/.274/.372, 13 XBH (3 HR), 8 RBI
WAR: 1.0
Denzel Clarke needed just 383.2 innings in center field last season to rank among the position's leaders in Defensive Runs Saved (7, 10th) and Outs Above Average (13, 5th), and he has the tools to be a perennial Gold Glove candidate.
His offense lagged behind in his first exposure to big league pitching, but he has produced in the minors, including a 2024 season at Double-A, where he batted .269/.339/.445 with 21 doubles, 13 home runs, 53 RBI, and 36 steals in 116 games.
He has the offensive tools to be a 15-homer, 30-steal player, coupled with his elite defense, which could make him a 3-WAR player. That could be something akin to Pete Crow-Armstrong-lite for the Athletics.
Starting Pitcher: Jacob Misiorowski, Milwaukee Brewers
9 of 14
Age: 23
Stats: 15 G, 14 GS, 4.36 ERA, 1.24 WHIP, 31 BB, 87 K, 66.0 IP
WAR: 0.5
Armed with a high-octane fastball that averaged 99.3 mph and a pair of nasty breaking pitches, Jacob Misiorowski has some of the best pure stuff of any young pitcher in the game.
The towering 6'7" right-hander began his big league career with three straight scoreless outings last June. He found his way onto the NL All-Star team as a surprise injury replacement just five starts into his career.
He dealt with some control issues in the second half and ended up working out of Milwaukee's bullpen in the playoffs. After logging a 1.50 ERA with 16 strikeouts in 12 innings in October, he will be asked to help anchor the Milwaukee rotation alongside Brandon Woodruff. Misiorowski has the stuff to emerge as the clear ace in 2026.
Starting Pitcher: Shane Baz, Baltimore Orioles
10 of 14
Age: 26
Stats: 31 GS, 4.87 ERA, 1.34 WHIP, 64 BB, 176 K, 166.1 IP
WAR: 0.4
The Orioles paid a steep price to acquire Shane Baz and his three remaining years of club control from the division-rival Rays, sending four quality prospects the other way, including their top two selections from the 2025 draft.
After battling injuries throughout the early part of his pro career, he finally carved out a spot in the big league rotation in 2024 with a 3.06 ERA in 79.1 innings over 14 starts.
He worked a career-high 166.1 innings last year and proved he can handle a full season's workload. Now the next step is using his swing-and-miss stuff, which resulted in a 24.8 percent strikeout rate, to help elevate the rotation of an O's team eyeing a return to the postseason.
Starting Pitcher: Reid Detmers, Los Angeles Angels
11 of 14
Age: 26
Stats: 61 G, 13 HLD, 3.96 ERA, 1.30 WHIP, 25 BB, 80 K, 63.2 IP
WAR: 1.3
Reid Detmers looked like a long-term rotation piece for the Angels when he logged a 3.77 ERA in 129 innings over 25 starts as a rookie in 2022, even tossing a no-hitter along the way.
After posting similar numbers the following year, the wheels fell off in 2024. He was shelled to the tune of a 6.70 ERA in 87.1 innings and found himself relegated to the bullpen last year.
He took to the new role with aplomb, but new Angels manager Kurt Suzuki quickly committed to him returning to the rotation early this spring. With a more streamlined repertoire that leans on his fastball, slider, and curveball, he could now deliver on his pedigree as a top-10 pick and fill a top-of-the-rotation spot.
Starting Pitcher: RHP Braxton Ashcraft, Pittsburgh Pirates
12 of 14
Age: 26
Stats: 26 G, 8 GS, 2.71 ERA, 1.25 WHIP, 24 BB, 71 K, 69.2 IP
WAR: 2.0
Lurking in the shadow of NL Cy Young winner Paul Skenes and rising top prospect Bubba Chandler, the Pirates have another exciting young arm in right-hander Braxton Ashcraft.
The 26-year-old began his big league career in a relief role last season before moving into the rotation in August. He flashed over eight starts with a 2.16 ERA, 1.14 WHIP, and 35 strikeouts in 33.1 innings.
With a fastball that averaged 97.0 mph and a pair of breaking pitches that generated whiff rates north of 30 percent, he has swing-and-miss stuff. He also logged an elite 50.8 percent groundball rate. That combination gives him a high floor and impact potential in the middle of an exciting young Pittsburgh staff.
Starting Pitcher: Joey Cantillo, Cleveland Guardians
13 of 14
Age: 26
Stats: 34 G, 13 GS, 3.21 ERA, 1.26 WHIP, 42 BB, 108 K, 95.1 IP
WAR: 1.4
Joey Cantillo bounced between Triple-A, the big league bullpen, and the starting rotation for much of the 2025 season, but he hit his stride down the stretch for a Cleveland team battling for a postseason spot.
Over his final seven outings, he logged a 1.59 ERA, 1.01 WHIP, and 36 strikeouts in 39.2 innings, stabilizing the back of a rotation that had been shaky behind Gavin Williams and Tanner Bibee for much of the year.
He is capable of providing some much-needed stability to the No. 3 starter role in the Cleveland rotation, with the added upside of elite stretches like he had last September.
Relief Pitcher: Daniel Palencia, Chicago Cubs
14 of 14
Age: 26
Stats: 54 G, 22 SV, 2.91 ERA, 1.14 WHIP, 16 BB, 61 K, 52.2 IP
WAR: 0.6
Daniel Palencia was the relief pitcher pick for our 2025 All-Breakout Team that was chosen at the end of the season, so it's fair to say the hard-throwing reliever has already broken through.
However, he is still capable of another step forward, with the elite stuff to emerge as one of baseball's true lockdown closers during the upcoming season.
He flourished in the pressure cooker of the World Baseball Classic, closing out the championship game against Team USA with a 1-2-3 ninth inning. A 40-save season and All-Star selection could be the next step in 2026.
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