Five Young MLB Starting Pitchers Showing Breakout Potential and Major Improvements So Far in 2026

The early weeks of the 2026 MLB season have already given fans a glimpse of what could be the next wave of frontline starting pitching. Several young arms from around the league have shown notable improvements so far, whether it’s better command, increased velocity, or the addition of a new, effective pitch to their arsenals. It’s still very early in the season, but certain improvements have been hard to ignore for these five emerging starting pitchers.

Jack Leiter - Texas Rangers

The first name on this list is former top pitching prospect Jack Leiter. The 25-year-old looks like a much-improved pitcher so far this season for the Rangers. In his first two starts, he’s pitched to a 2.45 ERA while striking out 17 batters in 11 innings. The Vanderbilt product features a solid fastball that averages over 97 miles per hour and produced a .189 opposing batting average last season. His main weakness during his first full major league season last year was his breaking and off-speed pitches, which had a combined run value of minus-five. That was much worse compared to the plus-12 run value he had on his fastball. The former second overall pick finished last season with a 3.86 ERA over 29 starts. So far in 2026, the right-hander has completely revamped his profile, relying much more on his improved secondary pitches, which include a reworked changeup that he’s throwing 11% more this season. This new approach is working out much better for him in 2026, as it’s led to a 45.3% whiff rate that puts him in the 98th percentile amongst major league pitchers. That’s also a significant improvement from the 24.3% whiff rate he had last season. If his secondary arsenal continues to be this effective, the Rangers could have another frontline starter on their hands.

Emerson Hancock - Seattle Mariners 

Another pitcher who has looked completely different in 2026 is Mariners starting pitcher Emerson Hancock. The 26-year-old was the sixth overall pick in the 2020 draft, and he hadn’t been very effective at the major league level prior to this season. He posted a -0.6 bWAR throughout his first 31 starts in the majors for Seattle. Last season, he logged 90 innings mostly as a starting pitcher, posting a 4.90 ERA, along with a 1.38 WHIP and an extremely low strikeout rate with just a 6.4 K/9. The right-hander has looked significantly better through his first two starts in 2026. He’s pitched to a 0.71 ERA in 12.2 innings while striking out 14 batters so far. The University of Georgia product has done this behind a much-improved four-seam fastball that is producing much better results. He's also thrown it 17% more than he did last season. It’s been one of the best pitches in baseball so far, with a plus-five run value, which is tied for second in the majors. Additionally, his overall command seems to be much better so far, with a 2.3% walk rate that is in the 91st percentile. With a dominant fastball and far better command, he’s beginning to look like the version of himself Seattle envisioned when they used their sixth overall selection on him in 2020.

Chase Burns - Cincinnati Reds

Another former top pick that could break out this season is Reds right-hander Chase Burns. The 23-year-old showed a ton of potential during his rookie season last year, but he also showed that there were still some improvements to be made. During his rookie season, the former third overall pick logged a total of 43.1 innings, working mostly as a starting pitcher. It was clear that he had the stuff to pitch in the majors with a ridiculous 13.9 K/9 on the season. To put that number into perspective, the major league leader last season in strikeouts per nine innings among qualifiers was Dylan Cease, who had an 11.5 K/9 in 168 innings. Despite his extremely impressive strikeout rate, Burns still had a 4.57 ERA on the season. This was likely partially due to some bad luck, as he did have an expected ERA of 3.48. The Wake Forest product’s below-average ERA in 2025 was likely due to a high walk rate of almost nine percent, as well as far too many pitches thrown in hittable locations. Opposing batters had a 45.7% hard hit rate when facing him last season. These are two areas where the young starter has improved so far this season; through his first two starts, the Italian native has thrown 11 innings and pitched to a 0.82 ERA. He’s cut his hard-hit rate by nearly eight percent, and he’s also generating even more swings and misses. His 44.4 percent whiff rate is in the 97th percentile amongst major league pitchers so far this season. With this kind of swing-and-miss ability and improved control, he could be one of the most feared pitchers in the league in 2026.

Taj Bradley - Minnesota Twins 

The Twins acquired Taj Bradley from the Rays last season during their trade deadline fire sale in exchange for right-handed reliever Griffin Jax. Going into this season, he was supposed to be competing for a back-end rotation spot for Minnesota, but with a handful of injuries, including their ace, he’s now their second-ranked starter. Bradley has a decent amount of big league experience under his belt, making 73 career starts in the majors before this season. The 25-year-old still hasn’t quite pitched to expectations, as he had a career ERA of 4.90 in his first three seasons. The California native was one of baseball's top pitching prospects prior to his debut in 2023. So far in 2026, he’s off to an outstanding start for the Twins, making two starts and pitching to a 0.87 ERA. The former fifth-round pick has done this behind what looks to be a much-improved four-seam fastball, which is his most featured pitch. Last season, it was not a good pitch for him, with a minus-five run value on the season; opposing hitters also batted .292 against it. So far this season, he’s throwing it over a mile per hour faster on average and is generating significantly better results with a plus-two run value. With a more effective fastball leading the way, all signs are pointing toward a potential breakout season.

Jose Soriano - Los Angeles Angels 

This groundball machine is off to a great start as the ace of the Angels' staff in 2026. José Soriano had one of the most fascinating starting pitching profiles in the game last season. The 27-year-old had an elite groundball rate of 66%, which was the best in the majors in 2025. However, he was still below league average in most other categories. Soriano made 31 starts on the season and pitched to a 4.26 ERA along with a 1.40 WHIP and an 8.1 K/9. The right-hander also had a very high walk rate of 10.8% while allowing plenty of hard contact with a 48.2% hard hit rate, which put him in the fourth percentile amongst major league pitchers. Through his first three starts in 2026, he’s improved in nearly every category while still maintaining an elite groundball rate. The Dominican Republic native currently leads the majors in bWAR with a 1.2 mark so far. He’s also pitched to a 0.45 ERA to go along with a 0.65 WHIP. Surely there’s been some luck involved, as you can’t really have that low of an ERA without at least some luck on your side. Giving credit where credit is due, the Angels right-hander looks to have made some major improvements. Soriano increased his chase rate by 11.8 percent, and he’s reduced his hard-hit rate by over 10 percent. If these improvements stay true, he could go from a groundball specialist to one of the most effective starting pitchers in the league.