Beyond the Established Stars, New Names Are Rising

Just weeks into the 2026 MLB season, a group of under-the-radar players is capturing league-wide attention separate from proven names like Shohei Ohtani and Yordan Alvarez. Here's a look at five players — none with All-Star, MVP, or Cy Young Award history — who are making the strongest early cases for breakout status.

Rice (Yankees): 100th Percentile Across the Board

New York Yankees slugger Rice posted an .836 OPS and 26 home runs last season, but underlying metrics suggested he was underperforming his talent (.394 xwOBA vs. .358 actual wOBA). He's corrected that in 2026 with a 1.183 OPS and four home runs through 11 games. His xwOBA sits at .473 (100th percentile), hard-hit rate at 75.0 percent, barrel rate at 25 percent, and chase rate at the 90th percentile — all elite marks. Paired with Aaron Judge, Rice is making a case as one of baseball's best hitters.

Soriano (Angels): 1 Run in 20 Innings

Los Angeles Angels starter Soriano has been nearly untouchable in his first three outings, allowing just one run over 20 innings against the Astros, Cubs, and Braves. His most recent start — eight innings, one run, 10 strikeouts, zero walks against Atlanta — was a masterpiece. His fastball now averages 97.5 mph, his whiff rate is 33.8 percent, and he leads all qualified pitchers in ground-ball rate since 2025 at 66.0 percent. Long plagued by command issues, Soriano appears to have turned the corner.

Schlittler (Yankees): 22 Strikeouts, Zero Walks in Three Starts

After a dazzling rookie season (2.96 ERA, 84 K in 14 starts) capped by a playoff gem (12 K, 8 scoreless innings vs. Boston), Schlittler has elevated his game further in 2026. Through three starts: 1.62 ERA, 22 strikeouts, zero walks. His heavy fastball attack generates a 32.3 percent whiff rate, 54.1 percent zone rate, and a remarkable 37.7 percent chase rate — exceptional numbers for a pitcher leaning heavily on a four-seamer, sinker, and cutter combination.

Leiter: 17-to-2 Strikeout-to-Walk Ratio

A known commodity since his Vanderbilt days, Leiter has translated his college reputation into early big-league dominance. In two starts, he's allowed three runs with a 17:2 K/BB ratio. His whiff rate stands at 45.3 percent (98th percentile), walk rate has dropped nearly six percent, and chase rate is up almost 10 percent. With a six-pitch arsenal and improved command, Leiter looks like he's finally arrived.

Burns: 16 Strikeouts in 11 Innings

The No. 2 pick in the 2024 Draft showed his ceiling last year (67 K in 43⅓ innings, 4.57 ERA despite positive underlying metrics), and the payoff is arriving in 2026. In two starts, Burns has allowed one run in 11 innings with 16 strikeouts and a 44.4 percent whiff rate. His 98.5 mph four-seamer pairs with a devastating low-90s slider that already looks like one of the nastier offerings in the league.

Why This Matters

What unites these five players is that their early success is backed by advanced metrics — xwOBA, whiff rates, ground-ball rates — not just small-sample variance. While the season remains young, their trajectories suggest 2026 could be a defining year for each of them.