Baltimore Orioles
Samuel Basallo
Samuel Basallo is the Orioles‘ top prospect in 2026 and a top prospect in baseball at that – across all major sites. He ranks as the number four prospect in some systems as well. Basallo had a cup of coffee with the big club last season, not what he wanted when making his debut. Basallo is blocked at the catcher position with Adley Rutschman getting the main bulk of the workload because of his defensive prowess, but new Orioles manager Craig Albernaz does not have any loyalty to Rutschman and may not hesitate to give Basallo more time behind the plate.
Basallo is definitely a bat-first catcher, but is no slouch behind the plate. His bat speed is part of what makes him so appealing to so many scouts, as it ranks inside the top of the major leagues at over 75 miles per hour. His Spring Training Performance has also been good. He hit two home runs in his first couple of at-bats the other day and looks ready to go for Opening Day. He has a .375 batting average and over a 1.200 OPS. I am excited to see what Basallo will bring to the middle third of the Orioles offense behind the other thump they brought in in Pete Alonso and Taylor Ward. Basallo is my pick to break out for the Baltimore Orioles in 2026.
Boston Red Sox
Wilyer Abreu
It may be a stretch to call Wilyer Abreu a breakout after his 2025 season and his World Baseball Classic performance at left field, but I do not believe he is quite a household name yet. Abreu is a great defensive player, but he really showed what he can do with the bat in 2025. His slugging and barrel percentage really stand out to most people when looking at the underlying numbers. This correlates with his actual numbers as well. Abreu hit 22 home runs in under 400 at-bats for the Red Sox last season. If he can play in a full 2026 season, he may be able to hit close to 35 home runs.
Abreu is not an all-or-nothing player either. He has had about a .250 batting average the last two seasons. And that, paired with more consistent playing time, will give Abreu the chance to be a potential star in the game for the Red Sox and provide the much-needed power in their lineup after the departure of Rafael Devers in the middle of the season last year and Alex Bregman to the Chicago Cubs in the offseason. He is my pick to break out for the Boston Red Sox in 2026.
New York Yankees
Carlos LaGrange / Ben Rice
Well, Ben Rice would have been my pick for the 2026 New York Yankees Breakout, but I already wrote an article about him a week and a half ago, linked here:
So Carlos LaGrange will be my pick. The flamethrowing starter was just optioned to the minors last night, but he will make an impact for the Yankees this year. Whether it is in the rotation or not, it doesn’t really matter because he will make an impact. The Yankees have Cam Schlittler pegged in their rotation this season and are very excited about him, and rightfully so, but he gained almost four miles per hour on his fastball when he made his major league debut this past season. For Context, LaGrange averaged 101.1 on his fastball this spring, which is significantly higher than Schlittler’s. To sit at 101 is a whole other level.
The Yankees’ management of his innings will be interesting to watch this season. He pitched 120 innings across multiple levels for the Yankees. His 6’7” frame should provide a decent body for him to use and not rely purely on arm talent. I think he will ultimately end up in the back of the bullpen as a real weapon down the stretch for the Yankees. He is my pick to break out for the New York Yankees in 2026.
Tampa Bay Rays
Carson Williams
Carson Williams is another one of those players who may have had a cup of coffee in the major leagues and did not perform that well, but his prospect status gives him a second chance this season to have a full run at being their starting shortstop. A position they have been trying to fill since the departure of Wander Franco. Williams only batted .172, and his expected was .169. His strikeouts were the real problem. He struck out 44 times in 99 at-bats last season. If he can cut this down to below 30%, that is the key to his success this season. His Spring Training has been much better than his 2026 season, but the OPS and slugares not there. He is getting on base at a much higher clip and has seen his strikeout percentage dip to 25%, which is a much-improved number. Of course, a very limited Sample. The most important aspect of Carson Williams’ game to watch is if he can keep those two numbers around the same and get the slugging % improved. This is a tool he has shown in the minor leagues, so we will have to wait to see if it comes in the major leagues this season. He is my pick to break out for the Tampa Bay Rays in 2026.
Toronto Blue Jays
Addison Barger
Addison Barger is a similar case to Wilyer Abreu. He had an unsuspecting and extremely successful 2025. He broke out in some ways with 23 home runs in just 500 plate appearances. He could absolutely hit close to 30 in 2026. His bat speed and hard hit percentage are just staggering. The numbers jump out at you on his baseball savant page.
With the addition of Kazuma Okamoto, Barger is expected to be the Blue Jays‘ everyday right fielder with a chance to get some reps in the infield as the season goes on. He has bounced around in the outfield corners and at third base, but the Blue Jays seem to think that Okamoto will serve them better when Barger grades out as an average to below-average fielder. However, no one is expecting a world-beating defense; he is in the lineup for his bat. He does not walk all that much and strikes out 24 percent of the time, but he hits the ball very hard and barrels it up quite often. I am excited to see what he can bring to the Blue Jays’ offense, as Bo Bichette is headed for Queens. He is my breakout for the Toronto Blue Jays in 2026.
