Nolan McLean and 4 Other 2026 Elite-Level Fantasy Baseball Breakout Candidates
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Fantasy baseball is on the brink as many of your drafts are ready to occur over the next month. That means we must begin gearing up, doing our research, setting up our rankings, and finding the best possible picks. The common theme I like to use is risk versus reward. It transcends all fantasy sports and is the key to winning if you do it correctly. In doing so, we can find big breakouts, and I've identified six breakout candidates, as listed today.
Ben Rice, 1B (NYY)
Big power can deliver big results, and to find a player with that tremendous hitting upside, we look at the Yankees. Rice finished 2025 ranked 13th in barrel rate across all MLB hitters. This ranks higher than O'Neill Cruz, Junior Caminero, Austin Riley, and Bobby Witt Jr. His launch angle of 14.2 degrees is a bit low, but he can easily fix it. Rice is slotted to bat in the prime of the Yankees lineup, so opportunities should come by the many.
Kyle Stowers, OF (MIA)
Stowers is finally hoping to play a full schedule in 2026. He has yet to play more than 117 games in a season, but his metrics show that Stowers can be a premier fantasy baseball asset when healthy.
In barrel rate, Stowers ranked 5th in the MLB in 2025. That metric ranks higher than both Juan Soto and Cal Raleigh. He also achieved a +28.4 offensive rating per Fangraphs. In that limited sample of games played, Stowers paced the league in offensive rating. That metric clarifies itself with a .288 batting average and .812 OPS.
Nolan McLean, SP (NYM)
The Mets pitcher was lights out down the stretch. From August on, McLean ranked 13th in K-rate and 4th in ERA. 2026 will logically call on McLean to get even better with a full spring training and season to be played. His impressive movement is rarely matched, and if he can control the zone, he will be very difficult to hit.
Shane Baz, SP (BAL)
The 5th-year pitcher has the tools to reach success in Baltimore. He ranks in the 88th percentile of fastball velocity and 73rd in ground ball rate. His fastball operates up and right in the zone, moving more than many four-seam fastballs will. The fastball will be accompanied by a very consistent cutter and a curveball with much more drop than the MLB average. With control, Baz will be hard to hit and could trend above expectations as he enters his prime.
Raisel Iglesias, Closer (ATL)
The Braves signed Robert Suarez, but they have made it clear that Suarez will be the setup man while Iglesias will close. In 2025, he had 29 saves and did so with elite Statcast metrics across the board. Iglesias ranked in the 98th percentile of fastball run value, 91st in chase rate, 88th in whiff rate, 88th in hard hit rate, 85th in xERA, and 82nd in xBA. He will move the batters inside and do it very efficiently.
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Thomas Carelli is a sportswriter based on Northern New Jersey. He is a massive New York Jets and Mets fan, but that is not where is sports fandom stops. He loves to watch and play golf, all things football, baseball, and much more. If he can watch it, he will. Thomas graduated from William Paterson University in 2018 with a Bachelor's Degree in Sport Management. He spent 4 years working at a local golf course, volunteered past PGA events, and spent some part-time experience with the New York Jets events team. His passions for sport runs deep and his articles show for it.