Five Non-Tendered Hitters Who Could Become 2026 Bounce-Back Players

[Matthew Nethercott]

Image courtesy of © Ken Blaze-Imagn Images

Friday was MLB’s non-tender deadline. Among the flurry of names non-tendered for roster non-factors or lack of roster sports, some interesting position players were non-tendered who could make an impact on another roster in 2026.

Adolis García

The falloff in Adolis García's performance needs to be studied. Once looking like one of baseball’s rising stars, García fell off hard after the Rangers’ 2023 World Series run. In 2024, his underlying metrics collapsed: his xwOBA dropped from .354 to .301, while his chase rate ballooned to a career-high 35.8%, which affected his contact quality. By 2025, the regression deepened as his hard-hit rate fell below 40% for the first time, and his barrel % plummeted nearly six points as pitchers exploited his expanding zone profile. García could be a candidate on a team looking for a backup outfielder, and maybe a different voice and team situation, in a hitters' ballpark, helps García turn around his career.

Jonah Heim

A switch-hitting catcher, Heim showed a lot of promise, both behind the plate and as a bat in 2022 and 2023. Since the start of 2024, Heim has regressed significantly. In 2024, Heim’s quality of contact cratered, posting a career-low 32.8% hard-hit rate and an xwOBA of just .279, both bottom-third among qualified catchers. His struggles continued in 2025, where his framing runs dropped to -3 and his blocking value declined for a second straight year, while his .301 xwOBA and 85 wRC+ underscored that the bat never fully rebounded. Still, Heim has potential and could be a nice change of scenery candidate for a team looking for a backup catcher.

Alexander Canario

A former top prospect, Alexander Canario, has underperformed to this point in his major league career.

Across his first 300 MLB at-bats, Canario has posted a below-average 88 wRC+, with a .296 xwOBA that suggests his contact quality hasn’t supported league-average production. His 32% strikeout rate and 28th-percentile whiff rate have limited his ability to tap into his raw power. At the same time, his .394 xSLG indicates that even his hardest contact hasn’t consistently translated into game power. Still, Canario has some potential and could be a good backup outfielder with a much higher ceiling.

Mike Tauchman

Mike Tauchman had a solid 2025 season for the White Sox, who are looking to get younger. The veteran outfielder quietly delivered strong underlying metrics, posting a 10.8% walk rate and a 22.4% chase rate, both among the best on the team, which helped stabilize a lineup light on on-base percentage. His quality-of-contact profile also ticked up, finishing the year with a .343 xwOBA and a 41% hard-hit rate, signaling that his production was backed by sustainable peripherals. Even entering his mid-30s, Tauchman’s plate discipline, defensive versatility, and improved batted-ball data give him sneaky upside as a high-floor fourth outfielder or low-cost everyday option for a rebuilding club.

JJ Bleday

JJ Bleday came into the 2025 season as the primary center fielder, looking to build off his solid 2024 campaign. His quality of contact fell off sharply, as his xwOBA dropped from .344 in 2024 to a below-average .303 in 2025, and his hard-hit rate dipped nearly eight percentage points. Bleday also struggled to elevate the ball with consistency—his average launch angle fell from 14.1° to 10.6°, contributing to a ground-ball rate that spiked to 47%. Defensively, his Outs Above Average slipped from +4 to -2, signaling a noticeable step back in both range and closing speed in center field. Bleday has potential, and maybe being in a different situation will help unlock it.

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[Coach Wheels]

Heim makes a lot of sense for the Twins out of this group. A switch hitting catcher and he'd most likely be affordable. Shelton, as a hitting coach, might just make Heim a gem for 2026.