If you’re looking at sleepers at shortstop, you should have plenty of options. This is the most stacked position group ahead of the 2026 fantasy baseball season. Here are three players who should be able to significantly outperform their ADP ahead of the 2026 fantasy baseball season.
Jeremy Pena, Houston Astros
2026 Fantasy Baseball Outlook (ADP: 109)
Pena was a reliable shortstop in the first three years of his career, but he had a breakout season in 2025. The 28-year-old slashed a career-best .304/.363/.477 with 17 home runs, 20 stolen bases, 62 RBI, and 68 runs in 125 games for the Astros. Considering that Pena will hit at the top of Houston’s order in 2026, he’s going to have a lot of chances to get on base and rack up volume-based stats.
The ADP is a factor of 2025 being a breakout campaign for Pena, but if he’s able to show his stats from last season weren’t a fluke, he could end the 2026 fantasy baseball season as a top-100 player, which would merit being a starting-caliber shortstop across all formats.
Jacob Wilson, Athletics
2026 Fantasy Baseball Outlook (ADP: 187)
Wilson finished the 2025 season in second place in the AL Rookie of the Year race after hitting .311. Some regression might be due to opposing pitchers adjusting to him, but the talent is clearly there. There are some knocks on Wilson’s game, though, mainly his lack of power, so it remains to be seen if he’ll be able to maintain the pace of the 13 homers he smashed in 2025.
However, he’s one of the best contact hitters in the game, and he also has the advantage of playing in a hitters’ ballpark, as Sutter Health Park is among the top five in terms of being a favorable hitting environment in the majors.
If Wilson’s batting average hovers around the .290 mark or surpasses the .300 threshold, he should provide enough upside in other categories to potentially outperform his ADP. He has all the tools to become a starting-caliber shortstop in fantasy in 2026, even if the power and defense are lacking a bit.
Colson Montgomery, Chicago White Sox
2026 Fantasy Baseball Outlook (ADP: 220)
Montgomery enters the 2026 fantasy baseball season with an ADP below 220, which is basically a secondary option at the position and not considered a guaranteed starter. His ADP can be explained by the fact that he hit .239 in 71 regular-season appearances in 2025, but his .840 OPS suggests there’s value there when looking past the batting average.
A full season against big-league pitching should do wonders for Montgomery, who already showed promise in 2025 with 21 homers, 55 RBI, and 43 runs scored while posting a .290 ISO. If he can build over that 71-game stretch over the course of a full season, he should easily outperform his ADP, even if he struggles to hit for average due to the nature of his swing.
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