It’s hard to believe that we are over halfway through June. It’s been an outstanding year of baseball so far, with plenty of players playing their absolute best baseball. Several of the players that have been covered in this column have continued to dominate, such as Cam Schlittler, Jordan Walker, and Kevin McGonigle. Today, I have three more players who have been really hot lately that some of you might be uncertain about targeting in fantasy.
Jac Caglianone, 1B, OF, KCR
The Jac Caglianone breakout might finally be here.
In the month of June, Caglianone has been one of the best hitters in the Major Leagues. He’s currently sporting a slashline of .388/.483/.633, which is good for a wRC+ over 200. It’s a monster month, one that represents a great bounce back from a May stretch that felt straight out of his disappointing 2025. The June dominance and solid March/April round out his season-wide wRC+ mark to 114, which is definitely that of an above-average hitter.
Caglianone’s greatest strength is his power. In college, he was a two-way player with Florida, which, while impressive, was never going to stick. It was the sheer boom in his bat that made scouts excited about him and allowed him to go in the top 10 of the draft to the Royals. Caglianone rose through the minor league ranks quickly, dominating both Double-A and Triple-A. This is what earned him his aggressive promotion last season, one that cost many fantasy managers a lot of FAAB money. While he has only 8 home runs so far, he is hitting the ball ridiculously hard, while also keeping it off the ground and pulling it at an above-average rate. The home runs will come, and in the meantime, his quality of contact is helping his ratios. One of the concerns with Caglianone is that he does swing and miss quite a bit. He’s striking out more this year, with a higher whiff rate. He is chasing a bit less, though, which is an important improvement if he is to become a more well-rounded hitter.
Verdict: Possibly Legit. Caglianone has one of the highest offensive ceilings of any player in the Majors. Being such a young and inexperienced player also means he has a low floor. We’ve seen both sides of this in 2026, which is a step above 2025, which was all bad. The below-average decision-making and contact skills shown so far could mean that his ratios will take a hit as the season continues, though I think it’s not unfair to expect more home runs out of Caglianone, especially on the road.
Dillon Dingler, C, DET
This season for Dillon Dingler feels somewhat reminiscent of the breakout we saw for Cal Raleigh in his second season. Obviously, the ratios are looking better than those that Raleigh put up, but what we’re seeing is a really talented defensive backstop make full use of his raw offensive skills. Perhaps we will see Dingler get 60 in a few years? Of course, I kid, but he has some serious pop.
As of now, Dillon Dingler is putting up a slashline of .255/.329/.522 for a wRC+ of 133. What makes Dingler different from plenty of the other players we’ve covered in this series is that his expected stats are better than his actual stats. It’s usually the other way around for breakouts, but Dingler’s quality of contact has been so elite that he may get better as the season goes on. While the Tigers haven’t been a great squad this year, their offense is filled with high-potential players and a great balance of discipline-focused bats and power sluggers. It’s easy to see Dingler scoring many more runs and driving in more runners this season, on the basis that the Tigers are a team that should be on base a lot. There’s also no reason to think his home run pace would slow down, as it seems likely he finishes the season with around 30 homers. This could end as one of the great catcher seasons of the decade, and Dingler could also be on his way to receiving some MVP votes.
Verdict: Legit. If we were talking from a real-life value perspective, this wouldn’t even be a question. He’s excellent defensively and, if he remains healthy, is sure to put up a monster WAR season. Fantasy-wise, though, there’s no reason to believe he won’t continue this level of power production. He’s smoking the ball, all while hitting it with a good launch angle AND pulling it in the air. This is an amazing combination of everything you want to see from a breakout offensive season.
Cody Bellinger, OF, NYY
In today’s article, we have an all-world former top prospect looking to fully figure it out, a well-rounded elite defensive catcher who has found his offensive stroke, and… A former MVP?
It does feel like Cody Bellinger has one of these breakout stretches every year. He’s one of the bigger-name players in baseball who has been awesome for three different major baseball markets. While he may not be the superstar center fielder who won MVP in 2019, he’s been terrific for the Yankees, especially with Aaron Judge out for the foreseeable future. He currently has a 139 wRC+, his best mark since 2019.
The big difference for Bellinger this season? His plate discipline. He gets on base a lot more than he used to. He has a career-high walk rate so far in 2026, with a career-low strikeout rate. He’s one of the few players who has maintained a ratio like this while also being capable of doing serious damage with the bat when needed. He’s become a master of situational hitting, but he is also hitting home runs at a solid pace. The Yankees have a really well-rounded offense when everything is clicking, and Bellinger is a key part of that.
Verdict: Legit. This is the best version of Bellinger that we have seen since he left the Dodgers. He’s seeing the ball well and is making great swing decisions, something he hasn’t done consistently throughout his career. He’s the full package at the plate, even stealing a few bases to help your fantasy teams. The ceiling isn’t what it once was, but the improvements in discipline mean a higher floor. He’s a must-roster player.
