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Español2026 Fantasy Baseball Breakouts: Who's ready to make a splash at C, 1B, 2B, SS and 3B?
Drafting a team of safe, boring players is a great way to finish in third place. While those with a high floor have their place in a fantasy baseball draft, managers need to chase high ceilings at some point in the selection process if they want to build a truly special roster. The infielders listed below have a good chance to take a major step forward this year and are excellent targets in any draft.
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Please note that I omitted rookies, as any production from first-year players would constitute some degree of a breakout season.
Shea Langeliers, C, Athletics
Coming off a pair of productive seasons, Langeliers is a step away from a Cal Raleigh-esque campaign. The slugger was dominant in the second half of 2025, when he used improvements in fly ball rate and pull rate to hit .328 with 19 homers and 45 RBI in 57 games. He boosted his year-over-year batting average by more than 50 points, thanks to a vastly improved 19.7% strikeout rate. Langeliers barrels up the ball often, is part of a rapidly improving lineup and calls home to a hitter-friendly venue. He could produce 35-40 homers and 100 RBI.
Luke Keaschall, 2B, Minnesota Twins
Managers in categories leagues should be excited to draft Keaschall at his ADP (123.6), as he will be among the steals leaders this year. The 23-year-old has an exceptional ability to get his bat on the ball and maintains a strong line drive rate, which will ensure a high batting average. He also knows how to use his plate patience to reach base, as he posted elite walk rates in the minors and logged an impressive 9.2% mark as a rookie. Keaschall doesn’t hit the ball hard, but that is the case with several speedsters, and his 86.2 mph average exit velocity is similar to the mark Brice Turang posted when he stole 50 bases in 2024. The rebuilding Twins will let Keaschall run aggressively from a premium lineup spot, which will result in 40 steals and 85 runs.
Colson Montgomery, 3B/SS, Chicago White Sox
In some cases, breakout seasons are merely a repeat of skills shown in smaller sample sizes, but this time stretched over a full campaign. That will be the case with Montgomery this season, after he homered 21 times in 71 games as a rookie. Although he won’t stay on that 45-homer pace, the 24-year-old will use his penchant for pulled fly balls to go deep 35 times, and even in a weak White Sox lineup, he can drive in 85 runs. It’s also worth noting that although Montgomery could stand to lower his strikeout rate, he achieved his .239 average with a .263 BABIP, which means that his batted-ball luck could improve in Year 2.
Ezequiel Tovar, SS, Colorado Rockies
Several small changes could lead to a breakout season for Tovar, who has already had some solid campaigns and is still just 24 years old. The youngster will never be confused with Juan Soto or Bryce Harper when it comes to plate discipline, but he made minor improvements to his strikeout and walk rates last year. He also posted a career-best 89.4 mph average exit velocity, and his xBA, xSLG and xwOBA were career-high marks. Finally, his line drive improved to a lofty 27.8% last year, and he dealt with an unfortunate 9.0% HR/FB rate that held his home run total down.
Beyond his skill gains, Tovar should be helped by the fact that the Rockies offense is bound to improve. The team scored just 587 runs, which was the lowest total in a 162-game season in franchise history. Even in a down year, Colorado’s lineup uses the benefits of Coors Field to score roughly 700 runs. I’m not predicting the Rockies to make major strides as a team, but their offense should be significantly more productive this year.
Otto Lopez, 2B/SS, Miami Marlins
Think that we saw the Lopez breakout season last year? Think again. Through a consolidation of skills he has already shown, Lopez could take another step forward this year. Thanks to more playing time and an improved fly-ball rate, the infielder produced a career-high 15 homers, which is a repeatable total. This year’s improvements will come in the batting average category, as last year he was hampered by a .264 BABIP, which negated an improved 13.8% strikeout rate.
With better batted-ball luck, Lopez could hit .280 while using the increase in base knocks and his 81st percentile sprint speed to post career-high marks in steals and runs scored.
Miguel Vargas, 1B/3B, Chicago White Sox
For the deep-league crowd, I offer Vargas as a late-round breakout candidate. The 26-year-old who debuted way back in 2022 finally played a full season in 2025. The results were respectable but not impressive. Still, we saw some improvements, most notably major strides with a strikeout rate that was cut to 17.6%. Vargas has always produced many fly balls (career 50.3% rate) and respectable exit velocities but has been saddled by a lowly lifetime 7.3% HR/FB rate. That mark will finally push past 10% this year, which will give Vargas 25-homer potential.
Chelsea boss Rosenior urges review on set-piece defending
Chelsea boss Liam Rosenior has urged the Premier League to have a ‘review’ on how set-pieces are defended at the end of the season.
The comments come after Chelsea conceded twice from corners during the club’s 2-1 defeat at Arsenal on Sunday.
Set-piece goals are on the increase in the Premier League this season, with 17.6% of all goals scored via corners in 2025-26. According to Opta, that is the highest percentage in a season in Premier League history.
Arsenal have regularly crowded penalty boxes to make advantage of dead balls, but Rosenior believes that goalkeepers need better protection.
Asked about comments from Liverpool boss Arne Slot, which criticised the current trend of set-pieces, the Chelsea coach called for a review on players affecting the goalkeepers to gain an ‘unfair advantage’.
“I think that is the beauty of football, you can do it in so many different ways. There’s no right or wrong way to play football for me,” he said.
“I’m sure when we scored from a corner yesterday, our fans didn’t care what the goal looked like. I’m sure Arsenal’s fans didn’t care what their goals looked like either. The game is about winning.
“What I would say about corners is that there needs to be a review at the end of the season in terms of the way teams are affecting the goalkeepers and are holding on during defensive set plays. I think that’s something that gives an unfair advantage to certain teams.”
Read – Chelsea boss gives update on Cole Palmer fitness ahead of Aston Villa clash
See more – Every Chelsea player sent off this season as total reaches nine
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Eagles face tough decision on Moro Ojomo's future
As the 2023 offseason wore on and the Eagles navigated their offseason, there was a name floating around the aggressive Philadelphia media. The NFL's most loyal fan base chimed in, leading to some added buzz. Bijan Robinson was the subject of constant discussion.
A 2022 Unanimous All-American and the Doak Walker Award winner, an honor given to the top running back in college football, Robinson had closed a great career with the Texas Longhorns. He was a former Freshman All-American (2020) and a two-time First-Team All-Big 12 nod (2021-2022). He was expected to be among the first ten players taken in the 2023 NFL Draft.
That began a debate, mostly among Birds fans and on-air personalities on Philadelphia Sports radio channels. Why draft an offensive lineman or a defender when the Eagles had a shot at taking this guy?
The selection meeting arrived, and the Eagles indeed drafted a Longhorn. It just wasn't Robinson, and it came two days and 241 selections later.
The Eagles may be nearing a tough decision as Moro Ojomo has carved out a name for himself.
So, as it turns out, those Eagles scouts did indeed have their eyes on Texas football, and in the process, they found an undersized but extremely talented defensive lineman. The Atlanta Falcons wound up drafting Robinson with the eighth overall selection, eliminating any temptation that Philadelphia may have had. The Birds grabbed Jalen Carter two spots later at ten. They added another defensive lineman in Round 7.
Ojomo was the 249th player taken in the 2023 NFL Draft. That decision has turned out to be a great one. Some thought he might turn out to be a steal. He has been all of that and more.
He has appeared in 47 career games, including five postseason contests. He has notched ten starts, leading to 61 tackles, six sacks, and a pass breakup during the regular season. He has added another nine tackles and a sack during the playoffs. Philadelphia's 2025-26 campaign was his best to date. Stepping into a void left by some departed veterans, all of those afore-mentioned six sacks came last season.
That was the second-highest total posted by an Eagles defender. Only Jalyx Hunt (6.5) had more. It was recently announced that he hired a new agency to represent him, which raises an interesting conversation.
Ojomo is extension-eligible this offseason. He's signed through 2026, making him eligible for free agency in 2027. Another massive season could pose a conundrum for the Eagles.
Yes, they have two other defensive linemen whose extensions they need to discuss: Jalen Carter and Jordan Davis. Ojom, however, is becoming more important to this defense as time passes, and if you haven't learned anything else from the 2025 Eagles, you should have learned that finding good help, especially at defensive end, can be a difficult ask.
Howie Roseman and company won't bet against themselves. The Eagles never do, but it's becoming increasingly obvious that Moro Ojomo is someone may need to be considered for an extended stay on this roster.
This article originally appeared on Eagles Wire: Eagles' Moro Ojomo: Extension talks loom after breakout
Tottenham ban three fans over Nazi salutes during Champions League tie
Tottenham Hotspur has confirmed it has imposed indefinite bans on three supporters for making Nazi salutes during a Champions League fixture in Germany.
The offensive gestures were performed during Spurs’ 2-0 victory against Eintracht Frankfurt in late January.
Uefa sanctioned the London club for the behaviour, imposing a €30,000 (£26,212) fine and a suspended ban on selling away tickets for one match.
Tottenham had previously labelled the conduct as "utterly abhorrent conduct" and vowed to punish those responsible.
“The club has been informed of sanctions handed down to us by Uefa following the utterly abhorrent conduct of a small number of individuals at our recent Champions League away match in Frankfurt,” a statement read.
“The club has cooperated fully with Uefa’s investigation, as well as with German police on the night and, subsequently, the Met Police.
“We can confirm that all three individuals found to be making Nazi salutes towards Eintracht Frankfurt fans have been identified and have received indefinite bans under the club’s Sanctions and Banning Policy.
“The club stands firmly against all forms of discrimination and has therefore taken the strongest possible action. The disgusting behaviour of a minority of so-called fans on the night is in no way reflective of the values of our club and its supporters.”
Spurs received a further fine of €2,250 (£1,966) for the “throwing of objects” by fans at the match on 28 January.
The Uefa Control, Ethics and Disciplinary Board (CEDB) has brought the charges against Spurs, who are in a precarious position domestically after a record-equalling 10-match run without a win in the Premier League.
A statement read: “The CEDB has decided: To fine Tottenham Hotspur €30,000 and to ban Tottenham Hotspur from selling tickets to its away supporters for the next one (1) Uefa competition match, for the racist and/or discriminatory behaviour of its supporters.
“Said ban from selling tickets to its away supporters is suspended for a probationary period of one (1) year, starting from the date of the present decision.”
Tottenham’s next Champions League fixture is a last-16 tie away to Atletico Madrid on 10 March.