Each year, big names in the dynasty industry decide which performances are going to garner the most attention. We all know the names from 2025. Konnor Griffin, Eduardo Quintero, and Luis Pena are just a few of the names that were popular breakout stars from last season. The issue for dynasty managers is that everybody knows those names. With so many minor leaguers, there are plenty of breakout performances that went unnoticed. The four players listed below broke out in a large way in 2025 but are flying completely under the radar, making them perfect dynasty targets for 2026.
Unsung 2025 Prospect Breakouts
Zach Ehrhard – OF, LAD
The only part of the trade that everybody talks about is how the Dodgers somehow got James Tibbs III for Dustin May. The part nobody talks about is how they received Zach Ehrhard on top of Tibbs. Ehrhard was selected in the fourth round of the 2024 draft out of Oklahoma State. In his final season with the Cowboys, Ehrhard put everything together, hitting .330 with 14 home runs and more walks than strikeouts. His professional career got off to a strong start before the Red Sox seemingly gave up on his development out of nowhere. With so many big-name prospects in the Dodgers’ organization, Ehrhard’s second-half success barely garnered any attention. With more time to dive in this off-season, that deserves to change.
Whether it is more favorable hitter environments or just the stigma around the big-market team, the Dodgers always seem to be developing elite prospects. In 34 Double-A games with his new organization, Ehrhard (that name is seriously hard to type) flashed why he could be the next true breakout, slashing .282/.391/.466 with his new organization. In 123 total games last season, Ehrhard finished with 14 homers, 37 stolen bases, and a .272 batting average.
Sometimes, the prospects who are not flashy enough tend to slip under the radar. Ehrhard is not the toolsiest, fastest, or most projectable. However, he does have the makeup of a true and complete ball player. At the dish, Ehrhard’s approach is smooth and steady. He loads his hands early, relies on a leg-kick to generate power, and brings his quick hands through the zone in sync with the rest of his body. The result is great barrel control, a smooth and consistent swing, and a natural feel for getting to his pull side.
He posted a line drive rate of 25.3% last season, which bodes well for his ability to maintain high BABIPs. He pull-side power is tapped into consistently, thanks to a 45.5% pull rate. Finally, his contact rate sat up at 82.4% last season. Pair all of that with a patient and mature approach at the plate, and it is difficult not to fall in love with Ehrhard’s profile.
From a fantasy perspective, Ehrhard showed the tools necessary to generate hype. While he lacks any one elite tool, he is overwhelmingly solid at just about everything. He only hit 14 home runs, but his quick hands and pull side awareness pack enough punch to make a 20-25 home run ceiling feasible. He is not an elite runner, but he has great baseball instincts that could lead to 20+ stolen bases.
The contact skills that Ehrhard showed off in his first full professional season should change the scouting outlook on his hit tool as well. Dodger prospects always tend to rise quickly up prospect rankings. While all of the attention last season went to Eduardo Quintero, Zyhir Hope, and Josue De Paula, Ehrhard could find his name to be the next big riser in 2026.
Dillon Lewis – OF, NYY
On one hand, you have Zach Ehrhard who put up incredible numbers, but lacks the flashy star appeal of some other prospects. Then, on the other hand, you have a prospect flashing significant power/speed upside and getting very little attention. Even more baffling is that Dillon Lewis is part of the Yankees’ organization.
Typically, like the Dodgers, Yankee prospects see their value over-inflated due to the organization they play in. Lewis, however, is barely even being talked about in dynasty circles. Dynasty players need to pay more attention to the 2025 season that Lewis put together, and the future upside present in his profile.
During the draft process, Lewis flew under the radar, coming from Queens University in Charlotte, where he really only performed at an elite level his final collegiate season. To be fair, in that final year, he hit .371 with 22 homers and 20 stolen bases. Yankees’ scouts saw enough to take Lewis in the 13th round of the 2024 draft. In 122 games split between Low and High-A last season, Lewis hit an impressive 22 home runs with 26 stolen bases, finishing his first professional season with a 120 wRC+.
The power and speed combination is what should have dynasty managers excited. Standing at 6’3″, Lewis has effortless power and he gets to his pull side well, but has enough raw power to hit the ball out to any part of the ballpark. His swing can get a bit handsy at times, but this is easy plus power and could result in a 30+ homer season.
Lewis is also an excellent athlete with great instincts and plus speed, which should benefit him in the field and on the bases. His .237 batting average from last season is underwhelming, but Lewis posted strong contact rates and plate discipline and there is nothing overly concerning in his profile suggesting he will struggle to hit in future seasons.
Dynasty managers are always chasing the next big thing. Lewis is the exact profile that could fly up rankings with a hot start next season. He has a 30/30 ceiling and already showed flashes in his first professional season. He is a player worth buying this off-season and deserves more attention moving forward.
Tanner McDougal – SP, CHW
Rarely do you see a high school pitching prospect make his professional debut the same year he was drafted. Tanner McDougal was the exception and the White Sox almost definitely regretted their decision. McDougal made his professional debut in 2021 after being selected in the fifth round, but lasted just 9.1 innings before suffering an elbow injury that led to Tommy John surgery. McDougal missed the entirety of the 2022 season.
Once McDougal returned to the mound in 2023, he struggled with command as he worked to shake off the rust. Despite an impressive strikeout rate, McDougal struggled with command once again in 2024, keeping him off many dynasty radars.
Pitching in his age-22 season, everything seemed to click in 2025. McDougal made 28 starts split between High-A and Double-A, finishing the season with a 3.26 ERA. The 6’5″ righty lowered his walk rate down to a more manageable 10.2%, but the results were even better down the stretch. Over 17 starts from May 25 to August 29, McDougal pitched to a 1.97 ERA with just a seven percent walk rate. The best part was that with improved control, McDougal maintained his plus strikeout rate. He struck out 28.3% of batters on the season and 30% of the batters he faced over that 17-game stretch.
The stuff is what should have dynasty managers paying attention. McDougal features a deep five-pitch arsenal with multiple plus offerings. He has the big fastball that dynasty managers always pay attention to, which sits comfortably in the upper 90s, touching as high as 99. He gets good arm-side run on the pitch, although his command of it is far from consistent.
He relies heavily on both his cutter and slider which work well off of each other. They both sit in the upper 80s, with the slider getting more vertical depth. His changeup and curveball are used primarily to attack lefties. The curve has plus potential, but McDougal currently lacks a consistent feel for either offering.
McDougal is not a finished product, but his 2025 success and upside should be turning more heads. If he can develop more consistency with his four-seamer, he will find even more success in 2026. With the White Sox stuck in a long rebuild, the team is likely to give McDougal a chance at the major league level as early as next season. Dynasty managers would be wise to buy in now before his value increases even further.
Mitch Bratt– SP, ARI
Upside is what gets dynasty managers excited. While chasing floor should never be the goal, players with high floors are often undervalued in dynasty communities. Mitch Bratt is a perfect example of that. Similar to McDougal, Bratt was also a prep pitcher taken in the fifth round of the 2021 draft who wasted no time making his professional debut. The Rangers played it slow and steady with Bratt, who was finding success in the lower levels of the minor leagues. The lack of a dominant fastball, paired with struggles in Double-A, dampened the excitement around Bratt in 2024. However, Bratt responded in a big way in 2025.
Command of a deep arsenal has always been Bratt’s best attribute. He is comfortable throwing any one of his five pitches in any count for a strike. This was evident once again in 2025. After walking 4.3% of batters in 18 appearances with the Rangers’ Double-A affiliate, Bratt managed to somehow improve on that number once he was traded to Arizona in the deal that sent Merrill Kelly to Texas. What should have dynasty managers really excited about Bratt’s 2025 season was the bounce back to his strikeout rate. He finished the season with a 29.3% strikeout rate, a number that jumped over 31% in his six starts with the Diamondbacks’ organization.
Bratt flying under the radar has everything to do with his fastball. A four-seamer sitting 89-92 on the gun consistently is difficult to get excited about in today’s day and age. However, Bratt has excellent command of the pitch and gets good late life up in the zone. His effective location and 3/4 arm slot help create deception, allowing the pitch to play better than its velocity suggests.
Where Bratt really stands out is with his secondaries. In addition to his fastball, Bratt deploys a cutter, slider, changeup, and curveball. All four of his secondary offerings hover within about 10 mph of each other and play well off of one another. Bratt commands them all exceptionally well, locating them on, or just off, the corners with consistency.
Bratt has some of the best command in all of Minor League Baseball. Dynasty managers should expect that his strikeout rate will tick down at the major league level, but that does not mean he will not still hold value. He is going to post great walk rates with the potential to work deep into games. His secondary stuff should still generate plenty of whiffs, leading to a stable strikeout floor. Bratt’s 2025 season deserves more recognition heading into 2026, as he is certainly one of the bigger unsung prospect breakouts from last year.
Photos courtesy of respective owners | Adapted by Aaron Polcare (@abeardoesart on Bluesky and X)
