The 2026 MLB season is right around the corner, with spring training beginning in February. It proved to be a relatively eventful offseason with some of the best MLB teams making moves to get even better. While Opening Day is still a few weeks away, we’re taking a look at all 30 teams entering February.
Let’s dive into our preliminary MLB power rankings ahead of spring training.
1. Los Angeles Dodgers
The Los Angeles Dodgers are the best team in baseball. On paper, the roster is even better than the one that won consecutive World Series titles. A Dodgers lineup that ended the regular season ranked second in OPS (.768) and runs scored now boasts Kyle Tucker, who is coming off a five-season stretch with an .878 OPS. Meanwhile, a bullpen that ranked 21st in ERA (4.27) now features All-Star closer Edwin Diaz and a healthy Brusdar Graterol, who carries a 2.78 career ERA. This is unquestionably the team to beat in 2026.
2. Toronto Blue Jays
After being one out away from winning the World Series in November, the Toronto Blue Jays did not rest on their proverbial laurels this offseason. Ownership signed off on increased spending, resulting in massive investments in the pitching staff with the additions of Dylan Cease, Tyler Rogers, and Cody Ponce. We also expect third baseman Kazuma Okamoto to hold his own after coming over from Japan, adding depth to the lineup following the departure of Bo Bichette. While depth remains a bit of a concern, a strengthened rotation and a top-five lineup position Toronto to make another World Series run in 2026.
3. Seattle Mariners
The Seattle Mariners have averaged nearly 89 wins per season over the last five years, but postseason success had proven elusive for the franchise until this past October. After coming a game shy of the World Series, Seattle upgraded its infield this offseason by replacing Eugenio Suarez (.682 OPS) with the remarkably versatile Brendan Donovan (.775 OPS), also improving defensively at the hot corner. Seattle will also have a full season of Victor Robles in 2026, and its rotation is healthy after being plagued by injuries a season ago. While the franchise’s history in October has been difficult, this is one of the best MLB teams entering 2026.
4. Atlanta Braves
In 2025, Austin Riley (102 games), Ronald Acuña Jr. (95 games), Jurickson Profar (80 games), Chris Sale (20 starts), and Spencer Strider (23 starts) all missed significant time due to injury or suspension. This explains how a club that averaged 95 wins per season from 2021 to 2024 finished with just a .469 winning percentage this past season. Health is never a given with Atlanta—as evidenced by Ha-Seong Kim’s hand surgery—but the Braves roster is in a much better position than it was at this time a year ago. Additionally, the club strengthened its bullpen by signing Robert Suarez while bolstering the lineup with Mike Yastrzemski. While we may be optimistic about the Braves’ ceiling, health appears to be on the club’s side now.
5. New York Mets
We will first focus on the positives with the New York Mets. By adding Freddy Peralta—who sports a 3.59 career ERA and 1.13 WHIP—the team acquired a desperately needed ace to pair with top prospect Nolan McLean. If healthy, a Mets rotation also featuring David Peterson, Clay Holmes, Sean Manaea, and Kodai Senga can be one of the most consistent in the National League. As for the lineup, the acquisitions of Bo Bichette, Jorge Polanco, and Luis Robert Jr. should ensure that this is a top-seven unit in baseball this season. However, there are significant questions regarding New York’s infield defense and whether its starting pitchers can stay healthy for even two-thirds of the season.
6. New York Yankees
After an ugly loss in the American League Division Series, the New York Yankees effectively decided to “run it back” in 2026, re-signing the likes of Paul Goldschmidt, Amed Rosario, Cody Bellinger, and Trent Grisham while losing several relievers to the open market. We have no doubt about the Yankees lineup producing outstanding numbers that allow the club to challenge for 86-plus wins this season. However, the failure to address the rotation, with the back end of the bullpen now relying on David Bednar, Camilo Doval, and Fernando Cruz, prevents New York from being in the top tier of our MLB power rankings.
7. Philadelphia Phillies
Will Bryce Harper getting one-third of his blood removed and filtered back in bring new life to the two-time NL MVP and the Philadelphia Phillies? Crazier things have happened in baseball. The Phillies’ offseason moves—Walker Buehler, Max Kepler, Adolis Garcia and Brad Keller—intended to improve the pitching and overall depth, could be described as adequate. With that said, moving from Ranger Suarez (3.20 ERA) to Buehler (4.83 ERA since 2022) is an obvious downgrade, and Garcia has a .278 OBP with a .675 OPS over the last two seasons. Consequently, the run production from the Phillies’ outfield seems suspect entering 2026, as do the potential shortcomings at the bottom of the lineup. Philadelphia will probably win 90-plus games again this season, but it will also likely fail to reach the National League Championship Series for the third consecutive year.
8. Chicago Cubs
The Chicago Cubs‘ offseason moves reflected a rare willingness from ownership to spend money, as demonstrated by the Alex Bregman signing. Adding the perennial All-Star third baseman should ensure that Chicago has one of the most productive lineups in the National League this year. Pair that with a rotation now featuring Edward Cabrera—an addition that should remain steady even before Justin Steele returns from elbow surgery this spring. This team, at least on paper, is better than last year’s 92-win roster.
9. Baltimore Orioles
Just about everything that could go wrong did for the Baltimore Orioles in 2025. This served as a wake-up call for ownership and the front office. Baltimore splurged in a big way, bringing in Silver Slugger Award winner Pete Alonso at first base and adding Ryan Helsley to the bullpen. The Orioles were just as aggressive on the trade market, fortifying the pitching staff with Shane Baz and Andrew Kittredge while adding Taylor Ward’s bat to the corner outfield. If Jackson Holliday and Gunnar Henderson can take big steps forward in 2026, or if Adley Rutschman can recapture his 2023 form (.809 OPS), Baltimore could win the AL East.
10. Boston Red Sox
The more things change around baseball, the more they stay the same with the Boston Red Sox. After going through the Rafael Devers fiasco, the club failed to re-sign Alex Bregman this offseason. Boston’s front office seems to be going all-in on the upgraded rotation, which is arguably the best staff in MLB. The team is also asking a lot of Roman Anthony, Marcelo Mayer, and at some point Kristian Campbell to make significant strides. Boston remains a very good team, but the quality of the lineup raises some questions.
Related: Boston Red Sox Exploring Trade Market for Significant Addition
11. Detroit Tigers
There will be plenty of trade rumors this season regarding two-time Cy Young Award winner Tarik Skubal. The Detroit Tigers probably will not be bad enough for him to be moved at the MLB trade deadline. With Skubal and Framber Valdez, Detroit has a pair of co-aces to pair with an above-average back-end rotation that has the upside to be even better. Plus, the Tigers’ bullpen (16th in ERA last season) should be improved as well. We are not as confident in the lineup, but great pitching and league-average run production in the AL will get the Tigers into the playoffs with 86-plus wins.
Related: Detroit Tigers Asking Price for Tarik Skubal Trade Pushed Two Teams Out
12. Houston Astros
The days of the Houston Astros being perennial World Series contenders are over. Yordan Alvarez has only played 120-plus games once in the last three years, Carlos Correa has a sub-.800 OPS in two of the last three seasons, and both Christian Walker (.717 OPS) and Jose Altuve (.771 OPS) have shown real decline with age. With that said, the Astros’ rotation can be above-average and even better with good health. We think there will be stretches where this looks like one of the best MLB teams in 2026, but Houston has enough problems to prevent it from reaching the ALCS.
13. San Diego Padres
The San Diego Padres feel like a franchise that is just trying to get by as a playoff contender. This follows a period where an all-in effort failed and the organization’s willingness to spend evaporated after the death of Peter Seidler. With the club up for sale this year, there will be even tighter financial constraints, and A.J. Preller is now operating with the worst farm system in baseball. All of that is to say the current Padres’ roster—a top-10 lineup in MLB with a volatile rotation and elite bullpen—puts this team in the mix for 84–90 wins without much postseason success. If the club is closer to .500 in July, we suspect San Diego will try to move some contracts to reduce costs ahead of a potential sale.
14. Milwaukee Brewers
We fully understand why the Milwaukee Brewers traded Freddy Peralta and Tobias Myers, especially given the franchise’s track record. However, it puts much more pressure on Brandon Woodruff to stay healthy and both Jacob Misiorowski and Quinn Priester to perform at a high level in elevated roles. As for the Brewers’ lineup, there is plenty riding on Joey Ortiz rebounding and Andrew Vaughn replicating his post-trade success (.869 OPS). Realistically, this Brewers’ roster is slightly above league average, and both the front office and skipper will elevate Milwaukee to 86–89 wins.
15. Texas Rangers
The Texas Rangers‘ rotation posted the lowest ERA (3.49) in MLB last season, supported by a bullpen that ranked fifth in the league with a 3.62 ERA. Thanks to a bottom-five lineup (.302 OBP and .683 OPS), the end result was an 81–81 record. We are not entirely confident that adding Brandon Nimmo (.775 OPS in 2025) and Danny Jansen (.685 career OPS) will help, but a healthy Corey Seager and a breakout year from either Wyatt Langford or Josh Jung would certainly do wonders for Texas. If the Rangers’ lineup can just be league-average, the pitching gives Texas an outside shot at winning the AL West. More likely, though, this team will challenge for the last Wild Card spot.
16. San Francisco Giants
Over the last four seasons, the San Francisco Giants have a 321–327 record (.495) with a –11 run differential across 648 games. It has been the definition of a .500 ball club. President of Baseball Operations Buster Posey seemed to be taking steps in the right direction with the Rafael Devers trade, but this winter’s additions—Harrison Bader, Luis Arraez, Tyler Mahle, and Adrian Houser—demonstrate the tight financial constraints one of the wealthiest ownership groups in MLB is putting on the front office. The Giants will be improved defensively in 2026, but this is just an adequate rotation and the lineup is not enough to overcome it. Maybe San Francisco wins 85 games this year, moving even closer to a .500 record over a five-year span.
17. Kansas City Royals
As expected, it was a relatively quiet offseason for the Kansas City Royals. Heading into spring training, the Royals’ payroll ($146 million) ranks 18th in baseball, and that investment into the club reflects the .519 winning percentage over the last two seasons. We anticipate a second-year leap from Jac Caglianone, and the new ballpark configurations should also help Jonathan India, Isaac Collins, and Carter Jensen be at least slightly above-average hitters in 2026. It will, however, impact the pitching staff enough to go from a top-six group (3.73 ERA) to more of a fringe top-10 staff. To make matters worse, Kansas City now has a mediocre farm system now that Jensen is in the majors.
18. Tampa Bay Rays
It does not matter who is on the Tampa Bay Rays‘ roster in any given season; they find a way to be competitive. With that said, it is worth noting that Tampa Bay had a 26–38 record after July 19 this past year. There is room for optimism in 2026, as Ben Williamson should provide excellent defense at third base. While replacing Brandon Lowe and Josh Lowe with Gavin Lux and Cedric Mullins could improve the Rays’ run production, pitching will do more of the heavy lifting for Tampa Bay in 2026. We like Yandy Diaz, Junior Caminero, and Jonathan Aranda to do enough for the Rays to challenge for 80–84 wins.
19. Arizona Diamondbacks
There is no doubt the Arizona Diamondbacks‘ lineup will be good enough for this team to at least challenge for a Wild Card spot. On top of that, the additions of Nolan Arenado and Carlos Santana should lead to real improvements in Arizona’s infield defense in 2026. The holdup, unsurprisingly, is a Diamondbacks’ pitching staff that will not have Corbin Burnes until the second half of the season and could once again have a bottom-10 bullpen. We will also be keeping an eye on a potential in-season Ketel Marte trade.
20. Sacramento Athletics
It is very fitting for John Fisher that he finally decides to invest money in the Athletics’ roster the moment they leave Oakland. Where the real credit is due for Sacramento’s bright future is the front office and development staff, with Nick Kurtz, Tyler Soderstrom, Brent Rooker, and Jacob Wilson all turning into cornerstone players. The Athletics’ lineup is already good, and it could be even better if Lawrence Butler and Max Muncy take further steps forward. In a best-case scenario, this might be a top-10 lineup in 2026, and that is a realistic outcome. Unfortunately, the pitching staff can be most favorably described as well below average, and that will keep the A’s from challenging for a playoff spot.
21. Cincinnati Reds
The Cincinnati Reds have been a fringe .500 team over the last three seasons, and their offseason moves suggest that reality will not change in 2026. Eugenio Suarez is a great addition to the Reds’ lineup, and outfielder JJ Bleday (who posted a .762 OPS in 2024) does offer some upside. What is particularly promising about Cincinnati is that, accounting for ballpark factors, this could be one of the better rotations in the National League this year. Unfortunately for Cincinnati, the NL is also quite stacked, and there are probably only two high-end hitters in the lineup right now.
22. Cleveland Guardians
Technically, the Cleveland Guardians brought in outside talent this offseason—Colin Holderman and Shawn Armstrong—but that is not saying much. It also checks out for the Dolan family, which has shown little interest in investing more into this club. The Guardians’ lineup is very top-heavy, and its run production outside of Steven Kwan, Kyle Manzardo, and Jose Ramirez will presumably be underwhelming in 2026. At the very least, it will not be good enough to overcome what looks like a bottom-10 pitching staff on paper.
23. Pittsburgh Pirates
It feels like the Pittsburgh Pirates have a chance to really exceed expectations this season. The additions of Ryan O’Hearn (.803 OPS) and Brandon Lowe (.785 OPS) should lead to noticeable improvements in the overall consistency of the Pirates’ lineup, even more so if top prospect Konnor Griffin forces his way to Pittsburgh ahead of schedule. Plus, if Bubba Chandler can build off his success in his first taste of the majors (0.93 WHIP), that would give Pittsburgh potentially three quality starters behind Cy Young Award winner Paul Skenes. There is a path to 80 wins for the Pirates in 2026.
24. Minnesota Twins
In 2025, Byron Buxton had 542 plate appearances—the first time he surpassed 500 since 2017—and the Minnesota Twins still only won 70 games. Bringing in Victor Caratini (101 OPS+) and Josh Bell will not change much of anything for a Twins’ lineup that ranked 17th in OPS (.708) this past season. On the pitching side, Joe Ryan and Pablo Lopez are a great tandem, but everything behind them feels much more in line with a league-average pitching staff. Plus, assuming Minnesota is on the fringe of the playoff hunt in July, one of Ryan or Lopez is probably getting dealt ahead of the MLB trade deadline.
25. St. Louis Cardinals
The St. Louis Cardinals finally hit the reset button, and we are genuinely optimistic about the future of this ballclub under executive Chaim Bloom. With that said, it is obviously going to be a rough viewing experience in 2026. St. Louis seemed to really whiff on the developments of Jordan Walker and Nolan Gorman, but the youngsters are not lost causes yet, and this is also a low-pressure situation for rookie JJ Wetherholt as well. At the very least, there is enough young talent on the Cardinals’ roster for fans to see flashes of promise for the organization’s future.
26. Los Angeles Angels
Because of injuries, 34-year-old Mike Trout (.230 BA and .811 OPS over the last two seasons) is now a shell of the former player he once was. The Los Angeles Angels officially wasted one of the best baseball players of the last 25 years. As for the current Angels’ roster, it feels like the club went for all upside with the additions of Grayson Rodriguez, Alek Manoah, and Drew Pomeranz, but their downside—which is far likelier—is just as massive. What you ultimately have in Los Angeles is a bottom-five lineup and a bottom-10 pitching staff.
27. Miami Marlins
The Miami Marlins will at least be interesting this offseason; we will give them that. There is real intrigue with Christopher Morel and Owen Caissie, especially if Kyle Stowers can come anywhere close to replicating his success from a year ago. Even if everything goes great with Caissie and Morel—which is a long shot—this is one of the worst lineups in the National League, and the pitching staff has some massive durability risks with a low floor. At least the Marlins farm system is impressive.
28. Chicago White Sox
Even if it was a bit forced due to the eventual salary floor, we at least have to give the Chicago White Sox some credit this offseason for splurging on Munetaka Murakami, Seranthony Dominguez, and Jordan Hicks. Even still, Chicago’s rotation outside of Shane Smith is abysmal, and there are going to be growing pains for every youngster in the White Sox lineup. On the bright side, maybe Chicago loses 95 games instead of 100-plus.
29. Washington Nationals
The never-ending rebuild continues for the Washington Nationals. On the surface level, we can understand trading MacKenzie Gore and would get why outfielder Lane Thomas and potentially infielder C.J. Abrams could be dealt this season. However, when does the rebuilding end? Washington has lost 90-plus games in five consecutive seasons and it’s destined to make it six consecutive years in 2026.
30. Colorado Rockies
The Colorado Rockies are the worst team in MLB. Quite frankly, there is not a close second. The decision-making at every level of the organization has been dumbfounding for years, and the end result is a team that has 323 losses in the last three seasons. There is not a single reason why anyone should show up to Coors Field this season, and we can imagine even die-hard Rockies fans could find something better to do for a few hours than pay money to watch this team on streaming.
