Every MLB Team's Biggest Breakout Player of 2026
There are different types of breakout seasons.
Traditionally, a breakout season is viewed as a player who has shown potential reaching their perceived potential. However, a player going from being an All-Star level player to an MVP or Cy Young candidate is having a breakout as well, even if it's not their first breakout.
With that acknowledged, here's every MLB team's biggest breakout player of 2026 thus far.
AL East
1 of 6
New York Yankees: Ben Rice and Cam Schlittler
This isn't a cop out—it wasn't fair to only pick one of Ben Rice and Cam Schlittler.
Per FanGraphs, Rice is fifth among all hitters in WAR at 2.8, having hit 18 home runs and driven in 45 runs. The most notable development for Rice is that after hitting .208 with a .752 OPS in 119 plate appearances against lefties last season, the 27-year-old is mashing southpaws, with a .288 batting average and .949 OPS in 75 plate appearances against left-handers.
Meanwhile, Schlittler has parlayed a 12-strikeout coming-out-party against the Boston Red Sox in Game 3 of the ALWCS last year into a breakout campaign in 2026. He's 7-3 with a 1.87 ERA across 14 starts this season, with a 3.1 WAR that leads all AL pitchers.
Baltimore Orioles: Samuel Basallo
After hitting just .165 in 109 at-bats as a 20-year-old a year ago, Samuel Basallo has had an impressive start to his first full MLB campaign.
In 55 games this season, Basallo has nine home runs, 26 RBI and a 128 OPS+ (100 is league average). He's done this while splitting time between catcher and DH, with some first base mixed in as well.
Even if the O's haven't had the start to the season they would have hoped for following an active offseason, they have to feel great about what Basallo has shown thus far.
Reliever Rico Garcia—who has a minuscule 1.00 ERA in 29 appearances—also is worth an honorable mention.
Tampa Bay Rays: Ryan Vilade
The Rays acquired Ryan Vilade in a trade with the Cincinnati Reds for cash last November. Thus far, it looks like one of the better moves of the offseason.
Between 2021 and 2025, Vilade hit .141 with a .388 OPS in 28 games split between the Reds, Colorado Rockies, Detroit Tigers and St. Louis Cardinals. In 93 at-bats for the Rays this year, Vilade is batting .290 with an .810 OPS. He's done this while playing mostly right field, and a bit of first base as well.
Even better for Eric Neander and the Rays is that they now have a player in Vilade who won't even become arbitration eligible until 2029, and can't become a free agent until after 2031.
Toronto Blue Jays: Brandon Valenzuela
For as vital as Alejandro Kirk was for the Blue Jays last October, they've been able to weather the storm without their starting catcher, who had left thumb surgery in April.
That's because Brandon Valenzuela has homered seven times and posted an .809 OPS in his first 44 career MLB games.
Additionally, Valenzuela has five defensive runs saved and a seven fielding run value—a stat that combines throwing, blocking, framing, arm and range—behind the dish.
Boston Red Sox: Payton Tolle
Payton Tolle was outpitched by the aforementioned Schlittler in ALWCS Game 3 last season, but he also is having a breakout campaign in 2026.
Across eight starts, Tolle has pitched to a 2.28 ERA, meaning he's been as effective as any arm in a rotation that includes Garrett Crochet (currently on the injured list), Sonny Gray and Ranger Suárez.
The encouraging thing is that some of the advanced metrics that were trending in a negative direction early in the year now suggest that what he's doing is sustainable. In addition to the 2.28 ERA, the 23-year-old now has a 2.32 expected ERA and 2.66 FIP.
AL Central
2 of 6
Cleveland Guardians: Colin Holderman
In the least shocking development in baseball, a Cleveland team that looked relatively undermanned entering the season is currently in first place in the AL Central. Two-time defending AL Manager of the Year Stephen Vogt just seems to have a magic touch.
Two years after Vogt had one of the greatest bullpens in MLB history at his disposal, Cleveland once again has an excellent mix in the arm barn. Cade Smith and Tim Herrin are two of the four arms that made the Guardians' bullpen so special in 2024, and they remain tremendous. But Colin Holderman—a 30-year-old who posted a 7.01 ERA in 24 appearances for the Pittsburgh Pirates last season—has been a revelation.
Signed after he cleared waivers following being designated for assignment by the Pirates, Holderman has a 1.88 ERA and 10.5 K/9 across 20 appearances this season. He's under control for two more arbitration years before he'll become eligible to be a free agent after the 2028 season, so the Guardians really seem to have found a diamond in the rough.
Chicago White Sox: Munetaka Murakami
Munetaka Murakami is currently on the injured list with a Grade 2 right hamstring strain, with the prognosis at the time of injury in late May being that he would miss four to six weeks.
It was an unfortunate speed bump during what had been an excellent rookie season. Across his first 200 MLB at-bats, he has clubbed 20 home runs and posted a .938 OPS, while also driving in 41 runs.
There were some concerns about how Murakami would handle velocity in the majors. He's been just fine, making the two-year, $34 million contract he signed this past offseason look like highway robbery for the White Sox. They would be wise to try to extend that deal sooner rather than later.
Minnesota Twins: Yoendrys Gómez
The thought process used to be that if the Rays couldn't figure out a pitcher, no one could.
In this case, though, the Twins reached a trade to acquire Yoendrys Gómez from the Rays in early May after he was designated for assignment. At the time of the trade, Gómez had a 6.23 ERA in nine appearances. But, he's already made 16 appearances with the Twins, and has a minuscule 0.64 ERA to show for it.
The 26-year-old—who also previously pitched for the Yankees, White Sox and Los Angeles Dodgers—won't even become arbitration eligible until 2029, so he could be an anchor in the Minnesota bullpen for the foreseeable future.
Kansas City Royals: Daniel Lynch IV
Daniel Lynch IV was pretty effective for the Royals last season, posting a 3.06 ERA across 57 appearances. However, his 4.76 FIP suggested he could see regression in 2026.
Instead, Lynch has taken another step forward, as he's pitching at a borderline All-Star caliber, as evidenced by his 1.71 ERA and 2.54 FIP over 26 appearances.
If the Royals don't get back in the race, contending teams will definitely reach out to president of baseball operations J.J. Picollo in regards to Lynch before the Aug. 3 trade deadline. He has two remaining years before free agency, so the Royals may be able to get a decent return for Lynch if he continues to pitch like this.
Detroit Tigers: Kevin McGonigle
Murakami missing time has arguably kept the door open for Kevin McGonigle in the AL Rookie of the Year race.
While McGonigle isn't going to sniff the power production of Murakami, he's doing just about everything else well. The former first-round pick is batting .291 with 14 doubles and an .820 OPS.
Perhaps most impressively, McGonigle has more walks (38) than strikeouts (36). He also has five defensive runs saved combined between shortstop and third base.
The eight-year, $150 million extension that the Tigers gave McGonigle in mid-April looks like it's going to be a very wise investment.
AL West
3 of 6
Seattle Mariners: Emerson Hancock
In a rotation where Luis Castillo and George Kirby have underperformed to varying degrees, Emerson Hancock is finally starting to look like the pitcher the Mariners hoped he would be when they selected him with the No. 6 overall pick in the 2020 MLB Draft.
Across his first three MLB seasons, Hancock posted a 4.81 ERA over 162.2 innings. But the right-hander has a 2.74 ERA in 13 starts this season, having been the best pitcher on what was arguably the best rotation in baseball on-paper entering the season.
Jose A. Ferrar—acquired in an offseason trade after posting a 4.48 ERA in 72 appearances for the Washington Nationals last season—also deserves a mention. The 26-year-old righty has a 1.55 ERA in his first campaign with the M's.
Texas Rangers: Ezequiel Durán
Ezequiel Durán has always provided tremendous defensive flexibility for the Rangers, but did so while being a below-average offensive player, as he posted an 89 OPS+ between 2022 and 2025.
However, this season, he's hitting .293 with an .803 OPS and 35 RBI this season. Durán's OPS+ is currently 135, 71 points higher than the 64 he finished last season with.
Even if Durán regresses to just being a league average offensive player, he's going to stick around the league a long time. The 27-year-old has seen time at second base, shortstop, third base, left field and right field this season.
Athletics: J.T. Ginn
A second-round pick by the Mets who was acquired in the March 2022 trade that sent Chris Bassitt to New York, J.T. Ginn posted a 4.85 ERA for the Athletics across 124.1 innings between 2024 and 2025.
He's been much more effective this season, though, with a 2.74 ERA and one complete game across 65.2 frames. Ginn has been particularly dominant away from the bandbox that is Sutter Health Park in Sacramento, as he has a 1.99 ERA in eight road outings this season.
The 27-year-old won't even become arbitration eligible until 2028, so there's a good chance he could still be in the rotation for the A's when they eventually move to Las Vegas.
Houston Astros: Spencer Arrighetti
There were some flashes of potential over Spencer Arrighetti's first two MLB seasons, but he ultimately posted a 4.69 ERA over 180.1 innings.
He's had a breakout season in 2026, as he's 7-1 with a 2.21 ERA through his first 10 starts of 2026. That's been particularly valuable when Framber Valdez departed in free agency in the offseason and Hunter Brown has been sidelined with a right shoulder strain since March.
One thing worth watching is that Arrighetti has a 4.75 expected ERA and 4.09 FIP this season, which suggests there could be some regression coming. Thus far, he's been tremendous, though.
Los Angeles Angels: Oswald Peraza
This isn't an exaggeration: Oswald Peraza hit .163 with an unsightly .473 OPS in 106 games split between the Yankees and Angels last season.
So it's rather shocking to look up in June and see that Peraza is hitting .269 with a .770 OPS. He's doing this while splitting time between second and third base. He's been particularly effective at second base, where he has four defensive runs saved.
Peraza is only 25 years old, and will be eligible for arbitration for the first time next season. There might be an argument for selling high on him if you're the Halos, but if not, he could be a piece in their infield for a few seasons.
NL East
4 of 6
Atlanta Braves: Bryce Elder
Bryce Elder was an All-Star in 2023, posting a 2.97 ERA across 18 first-half starts. But after the Midsummer Classic, Elder came crashing back down to Earth, with a 5.11 ERA in 13 outings.
Between 2024 and 2025, Elder pitched to a 5.59 ERA in 38 starts, looking very much like someone who might have just been a one-half wonder for the Braves.
Instead, he's returned with a vengeance in 2026, as he has a 2.66 ERA and 3.46 FIP across 84.2 innings pitched. Still only 27, it's entirely possible that Elder is an All-Star for the second time this summer, which would be quite the turn of events.
Philadelphia Phillies: Brandon Marsh
Brandon Marsh has always been able to mash right-handed pitching, a trend that's continued in 2026, as he is hitting .348 with a .914 OPS against righties.
What's changed for Marsh and has him in the All-Star Game discussion this year is that he's been playable against left-handed pitching. A year ago, Marsh hit .197 with 32 strikeouts and a .577 OPS in 88 plate appearances against southpaws. This year, Marsh is hitting .288 with a .776 OPS against lefties. He's still struck out 19 times in 57 plate appearances against left-handers, but is making contact enough to be in the lineup against most lefties.
The result is that Marsh is currently in the top five in the majors with a .332 batting average, quite the jump for a .269 career hitter.
Washington Nationals: Curtis Mead
Curtis Mead holds the unfortunate distinction of being the player that the Phillies traded to the Tampa Bay Rays for Cristopher Sánchez in November of 2019, which now appears to be one of the most lopsided trades in modern MLB history.
Still, Mead—now on his third MLB team after prior stints with the Rays and White Sox—is putting together a breakout season for the Nationals. In 52 games this season, Mead has homered nine times, driven in 28 runs and posted an .831 OPS. He's also shown defensive flexibility, spending time at first base, second base and third base.
There's nothing Mead can do about the fact that he was once traded for Sánchez, but he's still only 25 years old and under team control through the 2030 season. So the Nationals might have stumbled onto something with Mead.
Miami Marlins: Max Meyer
The No. 3 overall pick in the 2020 MLB Draft, Max Meyer appears to be a strong candidate to represent the Marlins at the All-Star Game this summer.
Meyer posted a 5.18 ERA between 2024 and 2025 after returning from Tommy John surgery, hardly looking like the star the Fish hoped he would be. But he's 6-0 with a 2.81 ERA across 13 starts this season, having recorded 81 strikeouts over that period.
Because Meyer has already had Tommy John surgery once and he's not big by the standards of a power pitcher—he's listed at 6-foot tall, 196 pounds–it's fair to wonder about his long-term durability. This season, though, has made clear why the Marlins liked him so much coming out of the University of Minnesota.
New York Mets: Christian Scott
It's been a woeful season for the Mets to this point, but Christian Scott has been a positive development.
After missing the entire 2025 season recovering from Tommy John surgery/an internal brace procedure, Scott has been tremendous for the Mets since being recalled on April 28. In eight starts, Scott is 2-0 with a 2.50 ERA, 3.11 FIP and 10.3 K/9.
Considering this is his first season back from major elbow surgery, the Mets will likely have to manage Scott's workload down the stretch of the season. Still, the 26-year-old has pitched his way into the long-term conversation with his first eight starts of 2026.
NL Central
5 of 6
Milwaukee Brewers: Kyle Harrison
There was some surprise when the Brewers traded Caleb Durbin to the Red Sox after he finished third in NL Rookie of the Year voting in 2025, but considering how well Kyle Harrison is pitching (and how much Durbin is struggling in Boston), this looks to have been a great trade by president of baseball operations Matt Arnold.
Durbin was a top prospect for the San Francisco Giants, and then traded to the Red Sox last summer in the Rafael Devers deal. The third stop appears to have been the charm for Harrison, who is 7-1 with a 2.72 ERA and 11.6 K/9.
For as long as it feels like Harrison has been around, he's still only 24 years old and won't become a free agent until after the 2030 season. Finding these types of pieces is how the low-budget Brewers continue to have success.
St. Louis Cardinals: Jordan Walker
After he posted a minus-1.9 WAR between 2024 and 2025, Jordan Walker appeared to be on his last shot in St. Louis entering the 2026 campaign.
He's responded with a monster season, as he's batting .303 with a career-high 16 homers, 47 RBI and a 2.5 WAR that's tied for 13th among all hitters, per FanGraphs.
Perhaps the most surprising development is that Walker has five defensive runs saved in right field this season. For reference, he entered the season with minus-24 DRS in his career.
Walker will almost certainly be an All-Star in 2026, and president of baseball operations Chaim Bloom might want to explore a long-term contract with the 24-year-old.
Pittsburgh Pirates: Evan Sisk
Evan Sisk posted a 3.57 ERA in 19 games between the Royals and Pirates last season as a 28-year-old rookie, so it's not as though there wasn't any evidence he could potentially stick in the majors.
Still, it's pretty surprising the degree to which he's been effective this year, as the left-hander has a 1.29 ERA and 2.54 FIP in 23 games in 2026.
Sisk isn't overpowering, as his fastball and cutter both sit around 91 mph. But he's found success against both left-handed and right-handed batters this year, largely because his delivery makes it very difficult to pick up his pitches.
Chicago Cubs: Ben Brown
Initially acquired by the Cubs in the August 2022 trade that sent David Robertson to the Phillies, Ben Brown has begun to come into his own in his third MLB season.
Brown has made 18 appearances this season, with 12 of them coming in relief and six as a starter. The results in both roles have been strong, as Brown has posted a 1.74 ERA and 2.25 FIP across 57 innings.
He does still have an MLB-worst six wild pitches, but there's reason to think that the Cubs have something in the 26-year-old righty.
Cincinnati Reds: Sal Stewart/JJ Bleday
This is another team where you can't just pick one guy.
Sal Stewart is an All-Star candidate as a rookie, as he's homered 12 times, drawn 35 walks and posted an .802 OPS. The former first-round pick looks like a long-term lineup cog for the Reds.
JJ Bleday was a little harder to see coming. While he did double 43 times for the A's in 2024, Bleday cleared waivers last winter after being designated for assignment. He didn't even make the Opening Day roster for the Reds. But since being promoted on April 25, Bleday has been one of the best hitters in baseball, with 10 homers and a .931 OPS.
Like many before him, Bleday has benefitted from playing his home games at Great American Ball Park, where he has a 1.130 OPS. Bleday has a .787 OPS on the road, though, too. There's a chance he could win up in the Midsummer Classic as well.
NL West
6 of 6
Los Angeles Dodgers: Andy Pages
Andy Pages made a game-saving catch in Game 7 of the World Series last October, but he was a non-factor at the plate, hitting just .078 in 51 at-bats.
A year later, Pages might end up as a starter in the All-Star Game because he's leading the sport with 53 RBI. He's also going to be a Platinum Glove candidate, because he already has 14 defensive runs saved and five outs above average in center field.
Justin Wrobleski also needs to be mentioned here, because the lefty is 7-2 with a 2.62 ERA across 68.2 innings for the two-time defending World Series Champions this season.
Arizona Diamondbacks: Taylor Clarke
At 33 years old and in his second go-round with the Diamondbacks, Taylor Clarke is putting together a career year.
Clarke was pretty effective for the Royals last season, posting a 3.25 ERA across 51 games for Kansas City. Still, he signed for a pretty modest $1.55 million this past offseason.
The righty has been tremendous for the Snakes, despite only posting a 4.7 K/9. Over 29 appearances, Clarke has a 1.67 ERA.
San Diego Padres: Bradgley Rodriguez
Despite what's been the worst offense in baseball to this point, the Padres find themselves above .500 thanks to the best bullpen the sport has to offer.
Obviously, Mason Miller gets most of the attention, while Jason Adam, Wandy Peralta and Yuki Matsui are other established names in Craig Stammen's bullpen. Outside of Miller, though, Bradgley Rodriguez has been San Diego's best reliever, as he's posted a 2.08 ERA in 17 appearances.
You never know what you'll get year-to-year from relievers, but, in theory, the 22-year-old could be an anchor in the bullpen for the Friars for a long time.
San Francisco Giants: Jung Hoo Lee
Jung Hoo Lee cooled over considerably after a red-hot start to the 2025 season, so keep that in mind. But thus far, the 27-year-old has given his fans—affectionally referred to as the "Jung Hooligans"—plenty to cheer about in what's otherwise been a miserable season for the Giants.
In the third season of a six-year, $113 million contract, Lee is hitting .333 with an .820 OPS in 59 games for Tony Vitello's squad.
Lee struggled mightily in center field a year ago, posting minus-18 defensive runs saved and minus-five outs above average while having the unenviable task of traversing the complicated outfield at Oracle Park. He's primarily played in right field this season, where he's been much less of a negative, with minus-one DRS and minus-one OAA.
Colorado Rockies: Mickey Moniak
Mickey Moniak—selected by the Phillies with the No. 1 overall pick in the 2016 MLB Draft—finally looks like a star.
While he's mostly faced right-handed pitchers and definitely has benefitted from playing his home games at Coors Field, Moniak has homered 12 times and posted a .942 OPS in 2026. He's also displayed defensive flexibility, having seen time at all three spots in the outfield for Warren Schaeffer's club.
It will be interesting to see whether the Rockies trade the 28-year-old before the Aug. 3 trade deadline. On one hand, he's having a career-year and with one more year of team control before free agency, this could be the time to maximize his return. On the other hand, Moniak has a 1.072 OPS at Coors Field, as opposed to a .771 mark on the road. So he might be more valuable to the Rockies than any other club.
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