{"id":115758,"date":"2026-03-17T00:47:27","date_gmt":"2026-03-17T04:47:27","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/baseball\/?p=115758"},"modified":"2026-03-17T00:47:27","modified_gmt":"2026-03-17T04:47:27","slug":"im-breaking-out-in-2026-national-league-edition","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/baseball\/2026\/03\/17\/im-breaking-out-in-2026-national-league-edition\/","title":{"rendered":"I\u2019m Breaking Out in 2026: National League Edition"},"content":{"rendered":"

We\u2019re about 10 days from Opening Day in Major League Baseball<\/span><\/a>. Many fans are filled with optimism, while others have lots of skepticism. Wherever you stand, hopefully, you have some excitement for the upcoming 2026 season. Each year, some players end up putting up some impressive numbers who you have never heard of before. Sometimes it\u2019s a name you know that just hasn’t produced a fully impressive statistical season yet. That\u2019s when you get the term breakout season.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Here are some guys you may or may not know that could be on the brink of a breakout season this year in MLB. Let\u2019s examine the senior circuit. Who is breaking out in 2026 \u2026 National League Edition?<\/span><\/p>\n

Kyle Stowers<\/b><\/h2>\n

This guy broke out a bit in 2025, but <\/span>Kyle Stowers<\/span><\/a> seems set for a complete breakout season in 2026. A bit of a late bloomer, this 28-year-old outfielder was the <\/span>Miami Marlins<\/span><\/a> lone <\/span>All-Star<\/span><\/a> last season. In just 117 games, he produced a 3.6 WAR, 25 homers, 73 RBIs, and a .912 OPS. If Stowers can play 150+ games, those numbers should boost considerably. He is expected to be the linchpin in a <\/span>better-than-you-think<\/span><\/i> Marlins lineup. In addition to thongs in South Beach, expect a breakout season from Stowers this year.<\/span><\/p>\n

\"Kyle
Feb 26, 2026; Dunedin, Florida, USA; Florida Marlins left fielder Kyle Stowers (28) hits a single in the first inning against the Toronto Blue Jays during spring training at TD Ballpark. Mandatory Credit: Jonathan Dyer-Imagn Images<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

CJ Abrams<\/b><\/h2>\n

You probably first heard of <\/span>CJ Abrams<\/span><\/a> as part of the haul back to the <\/span>Washington Nationals<\/span><\/a> in <\/span>the Juan Soto trade of 2022<\/span><\/a>. This toolsy shortstop has had success the last three years in DC, but a true breakout season has thus far eluded him. He is pretty much good for 20 homers, 60 ribbies, 30 stolen bases, and 30 doubles per year. This lefty has been plagued by some defensive inconsistencies and long slumps. However, there is enough talent there for this guy to win a Gold Glove and a Silver Slugger. Along with <\/span>James Wood<\/span><\/a>, Washington hopes they have a franchise pillar in Abrams. There is no better time than 2026 for Abrams to have his <\/span>no-doubt-it<\/span><\/i> breakout season.<\/span><\/p>\n

\"There's
Sep 23, 2025; Cumberland, Georgia, USA; Washington Nationals shortstop CJ Abrams (5) hits a single to drive in a run against the Atlanta Braves during the third inning at Truist Park. Mandatory Credit: Dale Zanine-Imagn Images<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Andrew Vaughn<\/b><\/h2>\n

Once upon a Windy City time, <\/span>Andrew Vaughn<\/span><\/a> was a <\/span>can\u2019t-miss<\/span><\/i> prospect for the <\/span>Chicago White Sox<\/span><\/a>. <\/span>The third overall pick of the 2019 MLB Draft<\/span><\/a> hit 72 home runs for the South Siders from 2021 to 2024. Last June, the Sox sent Vaughn to <\/span>Milwaukee<\/span><\/a> after a rough start. The change of scenery helped this first baseman\/DH tremendously as he practically doubled his output in every offensive category for the Brewers. That includes a .308 batting average the last three months of 2025 and <\/span>two October long balls<\/span><\/a>. Now that Vaughn seems to be comfortable with his new town, a breakout season is brewing for 2026.<\/span><\/p>\n

\"Andrew
Los Angeles Dodgers second baseman Tommy Edman (25) grounds out to shallow right field Milwaukee Brewers second baseman Brice Turang (2) to Milwaukee Brewers first baseman Andrew Vaughn (28) during the second inning of the of their National League Championship Series game on Monday October 13, 2025 at American Family Field in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. Jovanny Hernandez \/ Milwaukee Journal Sentinel<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Sal Stewart<\/b><\/h2>\n

Last September the <\/span>Cincinnati Reds<\/span><\/a> called up <\/span>Sal Stewart<\/span><\/a>, and the rookie launched five dingers and had an .839 OPS in only 18 games. He even added two hits and four ribbies in <\/span>the Reds\u2019 short-lived playoff cameo<\/span><\/a>. Stewart will start at first base for a team that is expected to contend for the National League Central title. He is definitely on the short list of NL Rookie of the Year candidates. Before joining the big squad in 2025, Sal compiled a .309 batting average with 20 homers and 80 RBIs in 118 games in Double-A and Triple-A. Those numbers could be a harbinger for a breakout season by Stewart in 2026.<\/span><\/p>\n

\"Following
Mar 12, 2026; Phoenix, Arizona, USA; Cincinnati Reds first baseman Sal Stewart against the Los Angeles Dodgers during a spring training game at Camelback Ranch-Glendale. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Brandon Pfaadt<\/b><\/h2>\n

If you watch <\/span>Brandon Pfaadt<\/span><\/a> pitch, you immediately want this guy in your team\u2019s rotation. He has a nasty <\/span>six-pitch arsenal<\/span><\/a> and has made 32+ starts each of the last two years for the <\/span>Arizona Diamondbacks<\/span><\/a>. Then you look at his career ERA (5.13) and WHIP (1.310) and scratch your head. The durability and strikeout numbers are there, but he allows a lot of hits and homers. With his stuff, it seems to only be a matter of time before he figures it out. Here\u2019s betting that Pfaadt figures it out in 2026 and has a breakout season for the Snakes.<\/span><\/p>\n

\"Brandon
Mar 10, 2026; Phoenix, Arizona, USA; Arizona Diamondbacks pitcher Brandon Pfaadt against the Los Angeles Dodgers during a spring training game at Camelback Ranch-Glendale. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Mason Miller<\/b><\/h2>\n

I can already hear those protests \u2026 <\/span>Why is <\/span><\/i>Mason Miller<\/span><\/i><\/a> on this list? He is already an established star.<\/span><\/i> Yes, he is already an established star, but he really hasn’t had an elite breakout season from a saves perspective \u2026 a true benchmark for the pitcher relied on to get the 27th out. This closer for the <\/span>San Diego Padres<\/span><\/a> and Team USA regularly hits 103 on the gun and <\/span>sits down players faster than an irritable elementary school bus driver<\/span><\/a>, but he has never had more than 28 saves in a year. That is where he should truly break out in 2026. In his first full season as the closer for the Fathers, 40+ saves is very doable for Miller to go along with that insane career rate of 13.8 SO9.<\/span><\/p>\n

\"Mason
Oct 1, 2025; Chicago, Illinois, USA; San Diego Padres pitcher Mason Miller (22) delivers during the seventh inning against the Chicago Cubs during game two of the Wildcard round for the 2025 MLB playoffs at Wrigley Field. Mandatory Credit: Matt Marton-Imagn Images<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

 <\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Main Photo Credit: Brad Mills-Imagn Images<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

We\u2019re about 10 days from Opening Day in Major League Baseball. Many fans are filled with optimism, while others have lots of skepticism. Wherever you stand, hopefully, you have some excitement for the upcoming 2026 season. Each year, some players end up putting up some impressive numbers who you have never heard of before. Sometimes […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":5735,"featured_media":115783,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_lmt_disableupdate":"no","_lmt_disable":"","sfio_featured_image":false,"sfio_embed_code":"","_ef_editorial_meta_date_first-draft-date":"","_ef_editorial_meta_paragraph_assignment":"","_ef_editorial_meta_checkbox_needs-photo":"","_ef_editorial_meta_number_word-count":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[1071,35,1],"tags":[2598,3826,2671,4901,2133,28658,28481,28832],"class_list":["post-115758","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-mlb","category-news","category-uncategorized","tag-andrew-vaughn","tag-brandon-pfaadt","tag-cj-abrams","tag-james-wood","tag-juan-soto","tag-kyle-stowers","tag-mason-miller","tag-sal-stewart"],"modified_by":"Augustus Oswald, Site Editor","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/baseball\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/115758","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/baseball\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/baseball\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/baseball\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/5735"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/baseball\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=115758"}],"version-history":[{"count":4,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/baseball\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/115758\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":115784,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/baseball\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/115758\/revisions\/115784"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/baseball\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/115783"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/baseball\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=115758"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/baseball\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=115758"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/baseball\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=115758"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}