MLB Season Predictions ’26

I did full writeups of the 5 teams in the NL East but obviously there are 25 other teams out there that need thinking about…I guess. How is the 2026 MLB season going to play out? [looks left, looks right, leans in] I’ll tell you…

Washington Nationals
Miami Marlins
Atlanta Braves
New York Mets
Philadelphia Phillies
NL East Previews ’26

NL East

The short version is that the Phillies and Mets are going to battle for supremacy all season and run away with the division together. Phillies will obviously pull it out in the final week with a 97-65 record. The Braves will lose early, pick up steam in late summer, but run out of gas finishing around .500. The Marlins will trade Pete Fairbanks, Sandy Alcantara, and anyone else making more than the minimum, but will be better for it next season. Despite this, they will finish far ahead of the Washington Nationals who will be one of the worst teams in baseball, sporting maybe the worst pitching staff you have ever seen.

NL East Preview ’26: Philadelphia Phillies

NL Central

The Brewers need to come down to Earth at some point, right? They can’t keep hemorrhaging elite pitching and getting away with it! This is the year they step back and possibly drop down as far as 3rd in the division (they’ll be back next year though, all their talent is in AA). Not that the Cubs are world beaters, this will just be a bad division again. Cubs finish first behind some very strong defense, but don’t pull away from the division because of spotty pitching. A team that does not have spotty pitching is the Cincinnati Reds who, once Hunter Greene and Nick Lodolo come back, will boast a fantastic 1-6 with Andrew Abbott, Chase Burns, Brady Singer, and Rhett Lowder. The Brewers finish 3rd, but surprisingly make it close with the Pittsburgh Pirates who will be this year’s Marlins and make a surprising run late in the season thanks to their debuting young elite talent in Bubba Chandler and Konnor Griffin. The Cardinals will be terrible, as is their plan. St. Louis wants one bad season this year for a final supplement to their burgeoning farm season. Super prospect JJ Wetherholt made the Opening Day roster, but most of their top prospects will start debuting in late summer and be regulars next year.

NL West

The Dodgers are the most talented team in baseball and even with father time and general complacency setting in, they are still the final boss of baseball. Injuries had long been the great equalizer for LA, but everyone got healthy just in time last year. Add Kyle Tucker and Edwin Diaz to this list and injuries might be the only thing to stop them again. I wanted to pick the Padres to finish 4th because they are VERY thin in both the lineup and the rotation, but the Giants and Diamondbacks are simply incomplete, mediocre teams. This division will be very boring after the Dodgers with the next three clubs slap fighting around .500 all year. Then, as per usual, the Rockies. Nothing really to say there.

Friday Fun: Expansion Tail of the Tape – Marlins vs Rockies

AL East

Everyone is always fast to overrate the AL East because of the Yankees and Red Sox, but it seems pretty warranted this year. The Yankees crush crappy pitching and with the return of Garrett Cole, might actually have a crazy good rotation this year with him, Carlos Rodon, Max Fried, Cam Schlitter, and Will Warren. Of course, the Red Sox and Blue Jays actually have GREAT pitching, so they have a good chance to make this a race throughout the summer. All 3 should make the playoffs. People are talking up the Orioles, but I do not understand why. Because they overpaid that dufus from the Mets? Their rotation is thin and ready to break down any second. I don’t see it. They will finish closer to the Rays than the Big 3.

AL Central

I don’t know what the hell happened last year in the Guardians catching the Tigers, but it shouldn’t happen again. The Tigers have great top end pitching, play in a crappy division, and have a fun young lineup led by super prospect Kevin McGonigle (I will forever think that’s a fake name). They have more guys ready to come up soon too like Max Clark and Max Anderson. The Guardians are a mystical team though that shouldn’t have enough pitching, but always seem to claw their way to the playoffs. If they do this year, it is because damn near all of their SIX Top 100 prospects either make the majors or get moved to improve the team. It is very possible. The Royals are not getting those reinforcements and despite the return of Cole Ragans, I don’t see them having enough pitching or consistent hitting to do any better than treading around .500. Of course, the Twins and White Sox WISH they were treading .500 and should be pretty awful again this year.

AL West

It’s easy to pick the Mariners for the same reason I picked the Phillies, tons of pitching and good enough offense lead by a single masher while the rest needs a boost. That SHOULD be enough, but that Arozerena-Raleigh thing from the WBC was very strange and the Mariners aren’t traditionally known for sticking together mentally as an organization. Still, there is no Mets in the AL West. The Rangers have some great pitching, but the hitting is an underachieving bunch outside of Corey Seager (Wyatt Langford and Evan Carter aren’t doing it for me) and even he is regularly hurt. The Athletics are just the opposite. They are going to be fun to watch hit but should give up around a million runs per game. What are the Astros this year? Yordan Alvarez is back, but for how long? If he goes down again, who do they expect will hit for any power? The pitching could be good, but a lot of that depends on Tatsuya Imai and his transition to the States. This might be low, but that offense is dreary. Then the Angels…sigh.

Happy Shane Victorino Day! I Think…

Playoffs

NL: Dodgers, Phillies, Cubs, Mets, Padres, Reds

AL: Yankees, Tigers, Mariners, Red Sox, Blue Jays, Rangers

Phillies over Tigers World Series…because.

Awards

MVP: Shohei Ohtani – I know this isn’t a surprise, but unless he gets hurt, the award is his to lose, he could win the next 5
Cy Young: Cristopher Sanchez – What he is doing on the mound isn’t just excellent, but it looks effortless even in big situations. Everyone loves Skenes, but he never has to pitch under pressure while Sanchez has to every 5 days. He may have leveled up again too.
ROY: Nolan McLean – I wanted to pick JJ Wetherholt because everything just always works out nicely for the Cardinals, but if it is even close between a pitcher and a hitter, the pitcher wins. McLean is nasty.

November 20, 2019: Phillies Trade Curtis Mead for Cristopher Sanchez

MVP: Bobby Witt Jr – I don’t think Aaron Judge’s shoulders hold up this season even if he is the best pure hitter in the world. If anything, it moves him to DH where he loses votes to the Gold Glover
Cy Young: Logan Gilbert or whoever is best from the Mariners – It is hard to pick against Tarik Skubal, but 3 in a row is tough even if it makes a good story. Things can’t go THAT perfect going into free agency, can they?
ROY: Trey Yesavage – He has huge sophomore slump potential despite still being a rookie, but I will bank on the guy who was the talk of the playoffs over Kevin McGonigle of Detroit or Walker Jenkins of Minny coming up and dominating for a nothing Twins team.

Prospect Rankings: MLB Pipeline

Photo: Eric Hartline – Imagn Images