As always, if I feature betting lines/odds in my blog, they are coming from FanDuel Sportsbook.

Yordan Alvarez (-20000)

Why not start with the favorite in the field? Yordan Alvarez has been enjoying a massive rebound season coming back from an injury-plagued 2025. It has been such a good season for Alvarez that he could win the Triple Crown.

Alvarez is currently ranked 1st in Batting Average (.312), 2nd in Home Runs (38), and 2nd in RBI (96) among all American League qualified hitters. The numbers are just ridiculous. Batting over .300 in this day and age is a huge accomplishment. Let alone Alvarez is likely to hit over 40 home runs while being one of only six players in all of baseball to be hitting .300 at this point in the season. To put that in perspective, Yandy Diaz is the closest to Alvarez of those six hitters in the home run department, and he is sitting at 22. Alvarez is almost doubling him up.

Only 17 times in the history of baseball has a player hit for the Triple Crown. An even smaller number of players have accomplished this feat: 15 total. Only two players have done it twice, and both are Hall of Famers: Rogers Hornsby and Ted Williams.

The odds already show that Alvarez is essentially a lock to win the MVP award, but I don’t love it. The Astros are just two games above .500, and if they don’t end up making the postseason, I will have a sour taste in my mouth that an MVP is not on a winning team.

Junior Caminero (+1900)

Junior Caminero has to be considered a superstar by all at this point. He is just 23 years old and is one home run away from back-to-back 40-home-run seasons. Not to mention the first 7 bombs he had in his first 50 games, split between the 2023 and 2024 seasons.

Caminero has the Rays rolling right now. Tampa Bay is the top team in the American League and is coasting to a 3.5-game lead over the Yankees in the division. Caminero is ranked top-10 in Home Runs (39), RBI (93), OPS (.897), SLG (.530), Hits (156), and Total Bases (296) across all of MLB. Calling him incredible is an understatement.

Tampa isn’t used to paying players the big bucks, but they NEED to lock him up long-term. If it were up to me, Caminero would be the American League MVP this year.

Bobby Witt Jr. (+8000)

Might be a bad analogy, but I am going for it. Bobby Witt Jr. is the Cristopher Sanchez of American League hitters. What I mean by that is 100% meant as a compliment. If you haven’t looked recently at the National League Cy Young odds…Sanchez is at +7000, only behind Jacob Misiorowski and Chris Sale. Sanchez is about to finish with a CYA-5 finish or better this year. This is after finishing as CYA-10 in 2024 and as the runner-up in 2025. Few pitchers have had a better three-year run than Sanchez.

Now, getting back to my point on Bobby Witt Jr. is that he has had a similar story. Witt Jr. has finished inside the top-10 of MVP voting every year since 2023, including a runner-up finish in 2024. Both keep getting so close to baseball immortality, yet can’t seem to close the deal. I am in no way, shape, or form saying that Witt Jr. or Sanchez cannot win a Cy Young or MVP; it just has yet to happen.

Witt Jr. is one of the most complete ballplayers in the game and is as good as they get. He is just playing in the time of Aaron Judge. This year would have been prime time for Witt Jr. to pull it off, as Judge was sidelined for 99 days this season.

Caminero and Alvarez have just had better seasons to date. Witt Jr. will have 40 stolen bases by the end of the season to match with 20 or so home runs, but he missed some time due to injury. Might not be this year, but I’d bet a large sum of money that Bobby Witt Jr. will own an MVP trophy by the end of his career. At age 26, he is one of the best players in baseball.

Cam Schlittler (+8000)

Dean would rip me apart if I went on too long about how Cam Schlittler deserves the MVP this year, so I won’t.

Don’t get me wrong, Schlittler deserves some MVP consideration.

A crazy statistic I saw is that since earned run average (ERA) became an official statistic in 1913, no pitcher has finished a season with an ERA below 2.50 and at least 200 strikeouts after entering that season with fewer than 75.0 career innings pitched.

Not only is Schlittler in striking distance of accomplishing this feat, but so is Jacob Misiorowski. It is actually absurd to think it’s never been done before, and we are on the verge of two players doing it in the same season. Baseball is a weird sport.

Schlitter will likely win the AL Cy Young, but I don’t see him pulling off the MVP unless he goes bonkers these last few starts and Alvarez, Witt Jr., and Caminero fall off a cliff.

Dillon Dingler (+15000)

Dingler not only looks like the favorite to win the Gold Glove for the American League at the catching position, but he is also having an excellent season from the batter’s box.

If he gets hot in these last 16 games, 30 bombs are not out of the question. He will not win the MVP, but due to the ugliness of baseball that has been played in the American League this season, one could imagine he might grab an MVP vote.

Conclusion

Yordan Alvarez essentially has this thing locked up, especially if he gets the Triple Crown. Down year overall for the American League, but the top few MVP contenders have all performed exceptionally this season.

There are still several games left, and we don’t know what will happen. It would be exciting to see a couple of these guys get hot and shake things up a bit as the end of the regular season is in spitting distance.

Let’s be honest. The Cy Young is almost certainly going to Jacob Misiorowski at this point. Does that mean we can’t break down the top-4 pitchers in terms of odds (according to FanDuel Sportsbook) in contention to win the 2026 Cy Young Award? Absolutely not. Also, the season isn't over, and we could see a Misiorowski implosion and someone else step up in a big way over the last month of the regular season.

Crazier things have happened!

Jacob Misiorowski (-600)

2026 - 26 GS | 155 IP | 14 W | 1.97 ERA | 0.79 WHIP | 227 K | 17 QS

It feels like it has been “The Miz”’s year, all season long. He has been utterly dominant for Milwaukee this season, and the numbers speak for themselves. Misiorowski leads all of baseball in strikeouts (227), K/9 (13.2), and WHIP (0.79) among qualified starters.

It is not only the results but the delivery with Misiorowski. According to tracking data, he has thrown 934 pitches that have reached or exceeded 100 mph this season. That is actually absurd. As a baseball fan and an avid fan of Misiorowski, I hope that arm can pitch forever. As a realist, I’d expect a velocity setback at some point, but right now it doesn't look like it will dip in 2026.

The one thing to nitpick from Misiorowski’s fantastic season is the number of innings he has thrown. He has the 3rd-least innings pitched of the four players we are highlighting today. That was due to the Brewers scratching him from a start as they saw arm fatigue setting in. Although he didn’t have an IL stint, he did still miss some time, technically speaking.

Chris Sale (+500)

2026 - 24 GS | 144 IP | 13 W | 2.06 ERA | 1.00 WHIP | 177 K | 17 QS

If you need to validate the legitimacy of Chris Sale’s Cy Young candidacy…go read Dean’s blog.

Chris Sale has been unreal this season. If Sale gets 23 more strikeouts this season, it will be his 9th time eclipsing the 200-K mark in a season in his career. I think Sale is a 1st-ballot Hall of Famer with or without the award this season. He already has a Cy Young Award (2024) and a pitching Triple Crown, plus an additional 7 finishes inside the CYA-6 in his illustrious career.

Will he get his 2nd Cy Young this year? I’d love to say he can, but the innings are a problem. Only 144 innings pitched this season, which is the least among the four betting favorites, and that is a big deal to voters.

Cristopher Sanchez (+2000)

2026 - 28 GS | 175.1 IP | 16 W | 2.52 ERA | 1.19 WHIP | 202 K | 19 QS

I feel Sanchez has been getting the short end of the stick recently when it comes to accolades on his resume. The list of pitchers to have a better combined 2025 and 2026 is short. Sanchez finished last year as the Cy Young runner-up in the National League and has been on a bender ever since.

This will be back-to-back seasons with over 200 strikeouts and over 180 innings while pitching to a sub-2.55 ERA. The pitching talent is just so elite in the major leagues right now; you have to be almost perfect to win the Cy Young.

Although the ERA is significantly higher than Sale and Misiorowski, Sanchez is tied for 2nd with 19 Quality Starts this season, with Yoshinobu Yamamoto our next pitcher on this list. That is 19 times the Phillies didn’t have to tax the bullpen and make them come in early to help close out a game. That is almost 70% of the time that Sanchez takes the bump he is giving the Phillies 6 or more innings in a game. He has won 16 of those starts. Hard to argue against Sanchez with those numbers.

Yoshinobu Yamamoto (+6000)

2026 - 25 GS | 165 IP | 12 W | 2.67 ERA | 0.90 WHIP | 161 K | 19 QS

Last but not least is Yoshinobu Yamamoto. It is hard to stick out in a Los Angeles Dodgers uniform, and yet somehow Yamamoto has been able to do so in a positive way. As mentioned above, he is tied for 2nd in Quality Starts this season with Sanchez, and they both sit only behind Sandy Alcantara.

Yamamoto and Sanchez are also both top-10 across all of baseball in innings pitched this season. Throwing a ton of innings and being able to deliver the underlying numbers that Yamamoto has is super impressive.

The problem is Yamamoto doesn’t rack up the sexy strikeout numbers the way Misiorowski and Sale do. As of right now, he is 10th in strikeouts in the National League and 19th in all of baseball. This alone is enough to deter voters, but we have to give him his props. In three years of Major League Baseball, he is a 2x All-Star and is going to finish with back-to-back top-5 Cy Young finishes. Yamamoto is one of the best starting pitchers in all of baseball, just not the top arm in the National League this season.

The Prediction

Death. Taxes. Jacob Misiorowski.

It has been inevitable that Misiorowski would eventually win the Cy Young this year.

The arm talent, the velocity, the Pokémon collecting- he does it all and is my pick to win his first Cy Young Award in 2026!

Opening Remarks

What we are witnessing is one of the most exciting MVP races in recent history. In one corner we have the young stud who is in the middle of back-to-back 30-30 seasons and is one of the most explosive players in Major League Baseball, Pete Crow-Armstrong; in the other corner we have arguably the greatest player in the history of baseball, Shohei Ohtani.

According to FanDuel, Pete Crow-Armstrong is now the favorite to bring home the MVP Award for the National League. PCA is at -165 odds vs. Shohei Ohtani, who is sitting at +140, as I was writing this article at 12:30 am EST this morning. Fanduel isn’t even showing odds for other players, as this is a clear-cut two-man race. For reference, there are 7 players in the American League currently getting listed for odds according to the sportsbook.

When it comes down to MVP voting, there are many factors taken into consideration by the writers voting on it. And yes, I grabbed these parameters listed below from AI.

The BBWAA leaves the exact definition of “Most Valuable” up to each writer, adhering to guidelines established in 1931:

• Actual value to the team: Overall offensive and defensive strength.

• Number of games played: Durability and availability throughout the regular season.

• General character and effort: Sportsmanship, loyalty, disposition, and integrity.

• Eligibility parameters: Pitchers and past winners are fully eligible, and voters can select multiple players from the same team.

• Regular-season performance only: Postseason statistics and success are completely excluded from consideration.

So in conclusion, before we dive into the debate, we have to give value to durability, eligibility, performance, character, and individual value to one’s team.

The Head-to-Head Argument

Comparing anyone to Shohei Ohtani is a nightmare. The reason is obviously due to his ability to pitch and hit at an elite level. Also a primary driver as to why he has won 3 straight MVP awards and is gunning for his 4th straight, 5th overall since joining Major League Baseball.

My opinion on the matter is we HAVE to take into consideration the pitching and the hitting conversation, as this is the VALUE that Ohtani provides being on the roster. That being said, we will also discuss PCA’s elite defense at a premium position. When it comes to hitting, these two are almost identical, as you can see in the graphic above. Ohtani is leading PCA in a few more categories, but the differences in the numbers between these two are not substantial; in fact, they are in fact minuscule. The only category where PCA is blowing Ohtani out of the water is stolen bases. Ohtani has not hit double digits in the stolen base department yet this season, but I bet he will. PCA is north of 30 already and has a chance to go 40-40 this season. An accomplishment only done by 6 other players in the history of Major League Baseball!

If PCA goes 40-40, there is a massive argument both offensively and defensively on the VALUE he has delivered to a Chicago Cubs team that has been ravaged by injuries to its pitching staff all season long and is still somehow in playoff contention as Chicago sits in the top Wild Card slot.

If Ohtani continues to hit at the rate he has been all season, he will finish with north of 40 home runs and be dangerously close to a .300 hitter. If he does not pitch again, he still will end the season with 85.2 IP, 95 strikeouts, 8 wins, and an additional 3.0 bWAR from his arm alone.

Pete Crow-Armstrong (OF) - Chicago Cubs

2026:

• 7.8 bWAR

• 31 HR

• 90 R

• 79 RBI

• 31 SB

• .282 BA

• .381 OBP

• .555 SLG

• .935 OPS

• 158 OPS+

Crow-Armstrong’s Case:

PCA is arguably the most fun player to watch in baseball. Every time he steps up to the plate, it seems like something electric is about to take place. He is fast, has power, and takes chances on the base paths.

As a defender, PCA is widely considered the best center fielder in baseball; some even say the best overall defender in the league. According to MLB Savant, Crow-Armstrong has the 2nd-most Outs Above Average (OAA) in baseball with 23, only behind Bobby Witt Jr. PCA is leading the league in Runs Prevented with 20! Hard to argue against a player who is sitting at 31-31, leading his pitching-deprived team to the playoffs, and is looked upon by many as the best defender in the game.

Unfortunately for PCA, CHARACTER is taken into consideration by the voting committee for the award, and I have to acknowledge he has had some feisty moments with fans, including this one from a few months ago. I actually loved that he chirped back at the heckling fan, but the committee members’ voting might not.

That being said, he has played in 10 more games than Shohei Ohtani.

Fun Fact:

Only 51 players in the history of baseball have gone 30-30 in a season. PCA has now gone 30-30 in back-to-back seasons.

Shohei Ohtani (DH/P) - Los Angeles Dodgers

2026:

• 6.9 bWAR

• 30 HR

• 82 R

• 80 RBI

• 7 SB

• .294 BA

• .390 OBP

• .558 SLG

• .949 OPS

• 162 OPS+

Ohtani’s Case:

I hate to sound like a broken record, but we are talking about Shohei Ohtani. He is 13th overall in batting average, tied-8th for home runs, tied-8th for RBI, 5th in total bases, tied-11th in walks, 5th in on-base percentage, 2nd in slugging percentage, 2nd in OPS, tied-8th in runs…you get my point. He is virtually in the top-10 for every single hitting statistical category in the game of baseball.

The Dodgers are, by record, the 3rd-best team in baseball, have a 9-game lead in the division, and are chasing down a third straight World Series ring. Oh, and what do you know, the Dodgers have won the World Series EVERY YEAR since Ohtani joined them back in 2024.

Oh, and his pitching numbers…

Fun Fact:

Shohei Ohtani has now hit the 30 HR mark this season, making this his 6th season in a row to accomplish that feat. Barry Bonds and Alex Rodriguez hold the record for the most consecutive seasons to reach the 30 HR mark at 13 seasons.

Prediction

SHOHEI OHTANI WINS HIS 4TH STRAIGHT MVP AWARD, THE 5TH OF HIS HALL OF FAME CAREER!

Understood there will be some feedback that might not be all positive. Listen, I get it that the Dodgers are evil. But the results speak for themselves. We are witnessing baseball immortality in the making. It might be the same MVP again for a 4th straight year, but enjoy the ride of getting to watch Shohei Ohtani in his prime.

“Let them say I lived in the time of Ohtani” - Brett Windisch

The meaning of this quote by Franklin is to highlight the inevitability of certain outcomes in life. Even back in 1789, Benjamin Franklin understood that there were two certainties that we will face in our lifetimes.

Death and Paying Government Taxes.

This MLB season, we have found a third certainty: having a bad day in the batter’s box when Milwaukee’s Jacob Misiorowski takes the mound.

Three words that I have incorporated into my tweets all season long….Death, Taxes, and Jacob Misiorowski. At first it was just me trying to be funny, but as time chugged along, it became a reality.

Misiorowski, or “The Miz,” has been virtually unstoppable this season. He is one of the biggest reasons the Brewers are in first place in the National League Central and own the best record (74-46) in Major League Baseball. The Brewers are doing this after moving former All-Star pitcher Freddy Peralta to the New York Mets this past offseason and essentially having no Brandon Woodruff, also a former All-Star, in the rotation this season.

So how is the Brew Crew doing this? Outside of great organizational development and running a tight ship…it’s Jacob Misiorowski.

2026 Season Stats:

22 GS | 133.0 IP | 204 K | 13.8 SO/9 | 1.76 ERA | 2.04 SIERA | 0.737 WHIP

Just look at these numbers. They are RIDICULOUS!

Misiorowski is the first pitcher to reach the 200 K threshold this season in the major leagues, which got me thinking. Is 300 possible?

In the Modern-ERA (since 1900) of Major League Baseball, 19 different pitchers have reached the 300-strikeout mark in a single season. This feat has been accomplished a total of 38 times.

If we go back before 1900, it was done another 31 times.

The most recent players to hit the 300-mark are Gerrit Cole (326) & Justin Verlander (300), who did it as teammates in Houston back in 2019!

The modern-era single-season strikeout record is 383 by Nolan Ryan from back in 1973. Is Misiorowski going to get to that? Absolutely not. Is it fun to watch him chase down 300? You bet it is!

The Brewers have 42 games left in the regular season, so figure 7-9 more starts for Misiorowski depending on rotation availability/health. If he only gets seven more starts, he will need to average more than 13 strikeouts per outing to get close to 300. This is possible for The Miz but highly improbable. He has already thrown 10 double-digit strikeout efforts so far in 2026.

Even though the beginning of the Modern Era for baseball technically starts in the year 1900, I don’t personally consider players from before WW2 “modern”.

If we look at the seasons in which a pitcher reached 300 strikeouts since my birth (1993), the list gets a lot smaller.

The pitchers to reach 300 since that time are as follows:

• Randy Johnson (HOF)

• Pedro Martinez (HOF)

• Curt Schilling (would be in if he shut off his social media)

• Clayton Kershaw (Future 1st Ballot HOFer)

• Chris Sale (Future 1st Ballot HOFer)

• Max Scherzer (Future 1st Ballot HOFer)

• Gerrit Cole (Fringe Future HOFer?)

• Justin Verlander (Future 1st Ballot HOFer)

The moral of the story is that Jacob Misiorowski would be in elite company after just 37 career starts. Is he a future Hall of Famer? Odds are against him. Is he having one of the most historic seasons for a pitcher in MLB history? Absolutely.

Let us not forget that he is 24 years old and in his second major league season. Let alone his first full season, as he only made 14 starts last year as a rookie.

If the baseball gods are just, his arm won’t fall off from consistently throwing over 100 miles per hour, including top speeds that have reached 105.5 MPH on his four-seam fastball.

Here is to Misiorowski reaching baseball immortality in 2026!

Editor’s Note: All the graphics I use going forward will come directly from Stat Soldier. Go check it out by clicking here!

Double Editor’s Note: Dean here. I had to jump in and say I did not read this blog prior to publishing. I don’t believe putting guys who have never gotten a contract on an “All-Underpaid Team” makes any sense. I am launching a full investigation into how this blog got out.

Happy Friday! Fridays are when I get paid from my day job, so I decided to put together a quick blog on guys who deserve a bigger payday based on their on-field performance from this season.

The main decision-maker for me when putting this article together was evaluating current contract values against a player’s fWAR and wRC+. These two statistics show how players differentiate themselves against league average and their replacement.

Let’s start behind the dish.

Catcher: Dillon Dingler (DET)

I have to go with Dillon Dingler of the Detroit Tigers. Dingler is the 42nd highest-paid catcher in baseball this season and leads the league in WAR at the position. Dingler is having a massive season, and he is doing it for less than $1M.

2026: 154 wRC+ | 5.1 fWAR | 19 HR | .293 AVG

Contract: $834,900

First Base: Jonathan Aranda (TBR)

Let’s be honest. The Tampa Bay Rays have yet another diamond in the rough performing at a very high level, and for not very much money. Aranda is still in pre-arbitration, but with back-to-back years of 14 or more home runs, I could see Aranda getting a pay bump when he enters Arb-1 in the offseason. That is… if we have a next season.

2026: 127 wRC+ | 1.9 fWAR | 14 HR | .277 AVG

Contract: $796,400

Second Base: Travis Bazzana (CLE)

The Guardians are right in the mix of the American League Central as always. Their number one overall selection from the 2024 MLB Draft is starting to show real promise through 78 career games. In 338 plate appearances, Bazzana is posting an above-league-average wRC+ and is just outside the top 10 among second basemen in fWAR for 2026.

2026: 111 wRC+ | 1.6 fWAR | 9 HR | .238 AVG

Contract: $780,000

Shortstop: Brayan Rocchio (CLE)

The Guardians have killed it by signing both Bazzana and Rocchio. One of the best middle infield combos in the league, and the Guardians are getting high-level results from both for less than $800,000 each.

2026: 107 wRC+ | 3.3 fWAR | 9 HR | .270 AVG

Contract: $797,600

Third Base: Junior Caminero (TBR)

This one wasn’t even close. There is simply no third baseman even close to Caminero’s production from the hot corner this season. Especially not at the pay grade Caminero is currently playing at. I fully expect Junior Caminero to become the highest-paid Ray at some point. The Rays are getting a steal in Caminero’s current contract.

2026: 149 wRC+ | 3.4 fWAR | 29 HR | .280 AVG

Contract: $794,800

Left Field: JJ Bleday (CIN)

Bleday is definitely one of the top left fielders in the league when it comes to production vs. paycheck. At a measly $1.4M, he is tied for the 10th highest fWAR in the position. He is showing plus-power with his 16 home runs and is getting on base by walking 14.3% of the time. Steal of a deal for the Reds.

2026: 123 wRC+ | 1.4 fWAR | 16 HR | .239 AVG

Contract: $1,400,000

Center Field: Andy Pages (LAD)

Also another pretty easy choice. I know the baseball world is upset with the spending of the Los Angeles Dodgers as a whole (unless you are a Dodger fan), but I need to give credit where credit is due. Pages is not one of these crazy free-agent acquisitions where the Dodgers went out and outbid everyone for the player. They signed Pages as a teenager back in 2018 and developed him into a stud.

2026: 119 wRC+ | 3.4 fWAR | 18 HR | .270 AVG

Contract: $800,000

Right Field: Jordan Walker (STL)

Home Run Derby Champion. All-Star. All for $799,000? The Cardinals are committing highway robbery with the Walker contract. Walker will enter ARB-1 next year, and I’d expect the Cardinals to try and get a long-term extension done in the offseason, as he is only 24 years old and could get him to sign on a team-friendly deal for the long haul. Plus, we are staring down the possibility of a lockout, and Walker might want to get paid in advance.

2026: 132 wRC+ | 2.3 fWAR | 20 HR | .285 AVG

Contract: $799,400

Editor’s Note: All my graphics going forward will come directly from Stat Soldier. Go check it out by clicking here.

Honorable Mention - The Skubal Scope

Baseball is witnessing one of the most miraculous medical advances in the history of the sport. Earlier this season, Tarik Skubal, the two-time reigning Cy Young Award winner in the American League, underwent elbow surgery that was performed by the famous Dr. Neal ElAttrache. The objective of that surgery was to remove a loose bone chip in Skubal’s elbow. Due to advances in the medical field, the surgery comes with a much faster recovery timeline. In the past, this would sideline a pitcher for 2 to 3 months. Now, the recovery is down to roughly 4 to 6 weeks.

This technological advancement allowed Skubal to start a throwing program just two weeks after surgery!

Since returning to play from the IL, Skubal has made 7 starts.

39.1 IP | 53 K | 3.07 ERA | 0.95 WHIP | 3 W | 2 QS

Numbers don’t lie. The Skubal Scope is working!

5) Yordan Alvarez Resurgence

Any casual baseball fan knows that Yordan Alvarez is a BAAAAD man from the batter’s box. Last year, Alvarez dealt with a couple of injuries, including a long absence due to a hand issue that was not very well covered and considered to be somewhat of a mystery to the baseball world. Now he is back and seemingly better than ever.

Alvarez has a Triple Crown season in his sights. Currently 1st in HR (34), 1st in RBI (77), and 2nd in AVG (.328) across all of baseball. He leads in all of these statistical categories for the American League.

Coming off a forgetful year, he is right back in the mix to be considered the best “hitter” in baseball.

4) Jacob Misiorowski Dominance

Jacob Misiorowski has been nothing short of spectacular this season. The Pokémon-loving flame thrower has been must-see TV. His 105.5 MPH fastball should be considered one of the “Seven Wonders of the World”.

The Brewers pitching factory has done it again and produced yet another ace on the mound.

2026 Jacob Misiorowski:

• 1.57 ERA (1st MLB)

• 173 K (1st MLB)

• 0.77 WHIP (1st MLB)

• 12 QS (T-7th MLB)

• 10 W (T-8th MLB)

• 115 IP (T-23rd MLB)

• 13.5 K/9 (1st MLB)

His numbers are gross. The Brewers are the second-best team in baseball. If his arm doesn’t fall off, everyone’s a winner for getting to watch him pitch.

3) The Tampa Bay Rays Are Back

The Tampa Bay Rays are one of the most fascinating anomalies in sports. The organization itself was established in 1995. Since its inception, the club has made the MLB playoffs 9 times.

Tampa accomplished this feat for the first time in 2008 when they lost in the World Series to the Philadelphia Phillies. What is crazy is that in a 31-year run, the Rays have made the playoffs on average about one in every three years. What is crazier is that since their first playoff appearance as an organization, they have never ranked among the top 10 in spending. In fact, according to Spotrac, they have never been in the top 20 in spending since 2008!

Somehow this team continues to find ways to scout, draft, develop, and move talent at an elite level. It is one of the most impressive operations we have seen in the game of baseball. They don’t overpay for talent, move their guys at the right time to acquire new talent, and compete year over year.

Currently, they are leading the American League with a 59-43 record and are the 4th-best team in baseball, all the while having the 24th highest-paid roster at $102,170,090. To put that in perspective, the Mets are spending $61,975,000 on Juan Soto and $32,477,821 on Francisco Lindor. Combined: $94,452,821 for two players.

$102,170,090 (TBR Entire Roster) vs. $94,452,821 (Juan Soto & Francisco Lindor)

Rays: 59-43 ($1,731,696/Win)

Mets: 43-60 ($7,636,216/Win)

On top of the organization’s achievements, Junior Caminero is having an insane year. He is 23 years old and on his way to back-to-back seasons with 40 or more bombs.

His salary this year is $794,800.

2) The Rise of Chase Burns

Getting a mid-season contract extension done is one of the best moves Cincinnati has made in years!

7 years for $105M is a steal for Burns.

Across a career of 151 IP, he is what Burns has delivered.

• 3.04 ERA

• 191 K

• 55 BB

• 1.16 WHIP

• 11.4 K/9

• 3.14 FIP

• 3.33 SIERA

Burns is one of the best young arms in the game, and at 23 years old, this extension will easily pay for itself. The Reds are not considered one of the more aggressive teams when it comes to giving players money, but they hit this one out of the ballpark. If Hunter Greene can stay healthy, this should be one of the league’s best 1-2 combos.

1) Munetaka Murakami & The Chicago White Sox

Hard to argue against the movement happening on the South Side of Chicago.

The White Sox are in 1st place in the American League Central.

Let me repeat that:

The White Sox are in 1st place in the American League Central.

For those not paying attention, this team was the 2nd-worst team of all-time by record (41-121) in 2024. Fast forward a season and a half later, and they are 54-47, leading the division through the All-Star Break, and are on their way to clinching a playoff berth for the first time since 2021.

Between the youth movement and adding arguably the best international player in the offseason, the White Sox have fans smiling again.

Munetaka Murakami has 20 home runs in just 66 games played. The White Sox hit a home run on his contract at just $34M for two years. Congratulations to White Sox fans; I hope you do make the playoffs this season!

Editor’s Note: All my graphics going forward will come directly from Dean’s new website, Stat Soldier. Go check it out by clicking here.

Tonight is the night! The MLB Home Run Derby.

This is one of the most exciting events in sports. Every year, we see some of the best power hitters in baseball come together to show us what they can do at the plate, essentially during a controlled batting practice.

The field this year is super intriguing, and it got me thinking about how this year’s field stacks up to others. So I took the last 10 seasons of home run data pre-All-Star Break, excluding the Covid-19 season, and wanted to see how this year’s Home Run Derby Field stacks up against the previous 9.

See what I found out and check out my prediction for tonight!

10) 2022

The Field: Kyle Schwarber (PHI) - 29, Pete Alonso (NYM) - 23, Corey Seager (TEX) - 22, Juan Soto (WSH) - 21, Jose Ramirez (CLE) - 19, Julio Rodriguez (SEA) - 15, Ronald Acuna Jr. (ATL) - 8, Albert Pujols (STL) - 6

The Winner: Juan Soto (WSH)

Total HR By All-Star Break: 143

9) 2023

The Field: Luis Robert Jr. (CHW) - 24, Pete Alonso (NYM) - 26, Mookie Betts (LAD) - 26, Adolis Garcia (TEX) - 21, Randy Arozarena (RB) - 16, Vladimir Guerrero Jr. (TOR) - 13, Julio Rodriguez (SEA) - 13, Adley Rutschman (BAL) -11

The Winner: Vladimir Guerrero Jr. (TOR)

Total HR By All-Star Break: 150

8) 2018

The Field: Jesus Aguilar (MIL) - 24, Bryce Harper (PHI) - 23, Max Muncy (LAD) - 21, Alex Bregman (HOU) - 19, Kyle Schwarber (CHC) - 17, Javier Baez (CHC) - 18, Freddie Freeman (ATL) - 16, Rhys Hoskins (PHI) - 14

The Winner: Bryce Harper (PHI)

Total HR By All-Star Break: 152

7) 2021

The Field: Shohei Ohtani (LAA) - 33, Joey Gallo (TEX) - 24, Matt Olson (OAK) - 20, Salvador Perez (KC) - 21, Pete Alonso (NYM) - 17, Trey Mancini (BAL) - 16, Trevor Story (COL) - 11, Juan Soto (WSH) - 11

The Winner: Pete Alonso (NYM)

Total HR By All-Star Break: 153

6) 2024

The Field: Teoscar Hernandez (LAD) - 19, Bobby Witt Jr. (KC) - 16, Alec Bohm (PHI) - 11, Jose Ramirez (CLE) - 29, Adolis Garcia (TEX) - 17, Marcell Ozuna (ATL) - 26, Pete Alonso (NYM) - 18, Gunnar Henderson (BAL) - 28

The Winner: Teoscar Hernandez (LAD)

Total HR By All-Star Break: 164

5) 2016

The Field: Mark Trumbo (BAL) - 28, Todd Frazier (CHW) - 23, Adam Duvall (CIN) - 22, Robinson Cano (SEA) - 20, Giancarlo Stanton (MIA) - 19, Wil Myers (SD) - 19, Carlos Gonzalez (COL) - 18, & Corey Seager (LAD) - 17

The Winner: Giancarlo Stanton (MIA)

Total HR By All-Star Break: 166

4) 2017

The Field: Giancarlo Stanton (MIA) - 23, Aaron Judge (NYY) - 29, Cody Bellinger (LAD) - 24, Mike Moustakas (KC) - 25, Miguel Sano (MIN) - 20, Charlie Blackmon (COL) - 18, Justin Bour (MIA) - 18, & Gary Sanchez (NYY) - 13

The Winner: Aaron Judge (NYY)

Total HR By All-Star Break: 170

3) 2019

The Field: Christian Yelich (MIL) - 31, Pete Alonso (NYM) - 28, Josh Bell (PIT) - 26, Alex Bregman (HOU) - 23, Joc Pederson (LAD) - 20, Ronald Acuna Jr. (ATL) - 20, Carlos Santana (CLE) - 19, Vladimir Guerrero Jr. (TOR) - 8

The Winner: Pete Alonso (NYM)

Total HR By All-Star Break: 175

2) 2025

The Field: Cal Raleigh (SEA) - 38, Junior Caminero (TB) - 23, Oneil Cruz (PIT) - 16, Byron Buxton (MIN) - 21, Brent Rooker (ATH) - 20, James Wood (WSH) - 24, Matt Olson (ATL) - 17, Jazz Chisholm Jr. (NYY) - 17

The Winner: Cal Raleigh (SEA)

Total HR By All-Star Break: 176

1) 2026

The Field: Kyle Schwarber (PHI) - 32, Bryce Harper (PHI) - 20, Jac Caglianone (KC) - 15, Junior Caminero (TB) - 28, Willson Contreras (BOS) - 20, Munetaka Murakami (CHW) - 20, Jordan Walker (STL) - 22, & Ben Rice (NYY) - 29

The Winner: TBD (My Prediction - Jac Caglianone)***

Total HR By All-Star Break: 186

The most shocking thing I took away from this exercise is that this year has had the most home runs hit as a group in the last decade, Pre-All-Star Break. Hitting has been “down” all year, but the home runs have not stopped.

Editor’s Note: All my graphics going forward will come directly from Dean’s new website, Stat Soldier. Go check it out by clicking here.

Tick. Tock. Tick. Tock.

The 2026 MLB Trade Deadline is approaching fast, Monday, August 3rd at 6 p.m. EST to be exact.

We may be in store for one of the most interesting deadlines in recent history!

On one hand, the American League stinks this year. Outside of the current division leaders, Tampa Bay, Chicago, and Seattle, we are looking at a whopping ten teams all within striking distance of each other fighting for three Wild Card spots.

Between the Yankees, Guardians, Rangers, Astros, Twins, Blue Jays, Orioles, Red Sox, Tigers, and the Athletics, there are so many twists and turns we can see at the deadline. Team performance over the next 2-3 weeks is going to be critical to how these teams approach the trade market.

Then, on the other hand, the National League is starting to show its true colors. The Dodgers are, without a doubt, the apex predator in Major League Baseball, and have a 14-game lead in the West. The Brewers have a 7-game lead in the Central, which is a larger lead than any division leader in the American League, and the East is giving us a somewhat fun race to watch.

That being said, the NL Wild Card Race is exciting! The Cubs, Phillies, Marlins, Cardinals, Pirates, Nationals, Diamondbacks, and Padres are all battling it out and can give us a show down the stretch.

Trying to have a little fun, I am going to make 10 predictions about where some of the top trade candidates may land.

HM) Tarik Skubal - Detroit Tigers

Potential Landing Spots: Dodgers, Yankees, Phillies

Prediction —> Philadelphia Phillies

10) Isaac Paredes - Houston Astros

Potential Landing Spots: Marlins, Pirates, Brewers, Orioles

Prediction → Pirates

9) Pete Fairbanks - Miami Marlins

Potential Landing Spots: Nationals, Rays, Cardinals, Orioles

Prediction → Nationals

8) Christian Walker - Houston Astros

Potential Landing Spots: Pirates, Guardians, Orioles, Rangers

Prediction → Guardians

7) Reid Detmers - Los Angeles Angels

Potential Landing Spots: Padres, Mets, Nationals, Braves, Guardians

Prediction → Braves

6) Luis Arraez - San Francisco Giants

Potential Landing Spots: Yankees, Pirates, Royals, Padres, Tigers

Prediction → Yankees

5) CJ Abrams - Washington Nationals

Potential Landing Spots: Yankees, Guardians, Braves

Prediction → Yankees

4) Clay Holmes or Freddy Peralta - New York Mets

Potential Landing Spots: Padres, Blue Jays, White Sox, Rangers

Prediction → Blue Jays

3) Sandy Alcantara - Miami Marlins

Potential Landing Spots: White Sox, Cubs, Braves, Cardinals

Prediction → White Sox

2) Aroldis Chapman - Boston Red Sox

Potential Landing Spots: Cubs, Cardinals, Guardians, White Sox, Dodgers

Prediction → Dodgers

1) Rafael Devers - San Francisco Giants

Potential Landing Spots: Guardians, Padres, Tigers

Prediction → Tigers

Editor’s Note: All the graphics I use going forward will come directly from Stat Soldier. Go check it out by clicking here!

Now that we are 60+ games into the 2026 Major League season, I wanted to check in on all 30 MLB rotations.

I haven’t blogged in a while and apologize for that, so I figured I’d jump back in with a fun exercise!

Ranking all 30 MLB Rotations.

Definitely more of a “rankings” piece compared to an “article”, but this was an exciting way for me to get back into the blog game.

I’ll be ranking from worst to first and mainly concentrating on three factors.

1. Overall Performance.

2. Depth.

3. Health.

As a bonus, I included a 3-word summary of my thoughts on every rotation.

30) Rockies: 5.93 ERA | 5.21 FIP | 1.3 fWAR | 6.45 K/9

• Kyle Freeland - 48 IP | 8.06 ERA

• Michael Lorenzen - 60.2 IP | 8.01 ERA

• Tomoyuki Sugano - 63.1 IP | 3.98 ERA

• Ryan Feltner - 32 IP | 4.22 ERA

• José Quintana (IL-60)*

• Tanner Gordon (IL-15)*

Summary - Pitiful. Simply Pitiful.

29) Athletics: 4.58 ERA | 5.11 FIP | 1.5 fWAR | 7.84 K/9

• Jeffrey Springs - 70 IP | 4.37 ERA

• Gage Jump - 12 IP | 3.75 ERA

• J.T. Ginn - 65.2 IP | 2.74 ERA

• Jack Perkins - 32 IP | 6.19 ERA

• Kade Morris - 4 IP | 15.75 ERA

• Aaron Civale (IL-15)*

• Luis Severino (IL-15)*

Summary - Needs New Stadium.

28) Nationals: 4.59 ERA | 4.76 FIP | 1.7 fWAR | 8.66 K/9

• Cade Cavalli - 64.2 IP | 3.62 ERA

• Foster Griffin - 72 IP | 3.63 ERA

• Zack Littell - 59.1 IP | 5.01 ERA

• Miles Mikolas - 56.1 IP | 6.39 ERA

• Jake Irvin (IL-15)*

• Josiah Gray (IL-60)*

• DJ Herz (IL-60)*

• Trevor Williams (IL-60)*

Summary - Not Their Year.

27) Astros: 4.83 ERA | 4.90 FIP | 1.7 fWAR | 8.41 K/9

• Mike Burrows - 68.1 IP | 5.66 ERA

• Tatsuya Imai - 29.1 IP | 5.52 ERA

• Peter Lambert - 50.2 IP | 3.55 ERA

• Spencer Arrighetti - 51 IP | 1.94 ERA

• Kai-Wei Teng - 47 IP | 3.06 ERA

• Hunter Brown (IL-60)*

• Cristian Javier (IL-60)*

• Lance McCullers (IL-15)*

• Brandon Walter (IL-60)*

• Ronel Blanco (IL-60)*

• Hayden Wesneski (IL-60)*

Summary - Seller At Deadline.

26) Cubs : 4.89 ERA | 4.73 FIP | 2.1 fWAR | 8.19 K/9

• Shota Imanaga - 76 IP | 4.74 ERA

• Edward Cabrera - 57.2 IP | 4.99 ERA

• Jameson Taillon - 66.2 IP | 5.13 ERA

• Colin Rea - 64.2 IP | 4.59 ERA

• Ben Brown - 57 IP | 1.74 ERA

• Matthew Boyd - (IL-15)*

• Cade Horton - (IL-60)*

• Justin Steele - (IL-60)*

Summary - Not Enough Depth.

25) Reds : 4.60 ERA | 5.08 FIP | 2.2 fWAR | 7.15 K/9

• Andrew Abbott - 68.2 IP | 4.06 ERA

• Brady Singer - 55 IP | 5.89 ERA

• Chase Burns - 70.1 IP | 2.05 ERA

• Chris Paddack - 15 IP | 5.40 ERA

• Rhett Lowder (IL-15)*

• Nick Lodolo - (IL-15)*

• Brandon Williamson (IL-60)*

• Hunter Greene (IL-60)*

Summary - Needs Hunter Greene.

24) Diamondbacks: 4.28 ERA | 4.59 FIP | 2.1 fWAR | 6.77 K/9

• Zac Gallen - 64.1 IP | 5.32 ERA

• Ryne Nelson - 72.1 IP | 4.60 ERA

• Eduardo Rodriguez - 72.1 IP | 2.24 ERA

• Michael Soroka - 67 IP | 3.49 ERA

• Merill Kelly - 58.1 IP | 5.71 ERA

• Corbin Burnes (IL-60)*

Summary - Corbin Burnes Health.

23) Orioles: 4.54 ERA | 4.57 FIP | 2.9 fWAR | 7.51 K/9

• Trevor Rogers - 54.1 IP | 6.29 ERA

• Kyle Bradish - 65.1 IP | 3.44 ERA

• Shane Baz - 71.1 IP | 4.29 ERA

• Chris Bassitt - 56.1 IP | 5.27 ERA

• Brandon Young - 49.1 IP | 3.47 ERA

• Dean Kremer (IL-60)*

• Cade Povich (IL-15)*

• Zach Eflin (IL-60)*

Summary - Not Very Exciting.

22) Padres: 4.58 ERA | 4.48 FIP | 2.9 fWAR | 7.67 K/9

• Michael King - 74 IP | 3.41 ERA

• Randy Vasquez - 65.1 IP | 3.31 ERA

• Walker Buehler - 57.2 IP | 4.53 ERA

• Griffin Canning - 27.2 IP | 7.16 ERA

• Lucas Giolito - 16.2 IP | 4.86 ERA

• Nick Pivetta - (IL-60)*

• German Marquez - (IL-15)*

• Joe Musgrove - (IL-60)*

Summary - Too Many Obstacles.

21) White Sox: 4.31 ERA | 4.28 FIP | 4.2 fWAR | 7.96 K/9

• Sean Burke - 65.1 IP | 3.72 ERA

• Anthony Kay - 61.1 IP | 4.40 ERA

• Davis Martin - 72.1 IP | 2.61 ERA

• Erick Fedde - 58.1 IP | 4.94 ERA

• Noah Schultz - 38.2 IP | 5.82 ERA (IL-15)*

• Drew Thorpe - n/a (IL-60)*

Summary - Needs An Ace.

20) Giants: 4.76 ERA | 4.29 FIP | 2.7 fWAR | 8.26 K/9

• Logan Webb - 59.1 IP | 4.25 ERA

• Robbie Ray - 67.2 IP | 4.12 ERA

• Landon Roupp - 64 IP | 4.22 ERA

• Adrian Houser - 60.2 IP | 5.49 ERA

• Trevor McDonald - 34 IP | 4.50 ERA

• Tyler Mahle - 56.2 IP | 6.04 ERA (IL-15)*

Summary - Not Exceeding Expectations.

19) Cardinals: 4.08 ERA | 4.21 FIP | 3.2 fWAR | 7.35 K/9

• Matthew Liberatore - 62 IP | 4.35 ERA

• Michael McGreevy - 66.1 IP | 2.98 ERA

• Dustin May - 66.2 IP | 4.59 ERA

• Kyle Leahy - 59 IP | 4.42 ERA

• Andre Pallante - 62 IP | 3.96 ERA

Summary - Not Enough Star-Power.

18) Red Sox: 4.49 ERA | 4.24 FIP | 3.8 fWAR | 8.34 K/9

• Ranger Suarez - 58.2 IP | 3.38 ERA

• Sonny Gray - 56.1 IP | 3.20 ERA

• Payton Tolle - 47.1 IP | 2.28 ERA

• Connelly Early - 66.1 IP | 3.26 ERA

• Garrett Crochet - 30 IP | 6.30 ERA (IL-60)*

• Kutter Crawford - n/a (IL-60)*

• Patrick Sandoval - n/a (IL-60)*

Summary - So Much Potential.

17) Marlins: 4.80 ERA | 4.18 FIP | 4.4 fWAR | 8.07 K/9

• Sandy Alcantara - 82.1 IP | 4.59 ERA

• Max Meyer - 73.2 IP | 2.81 ERA

• Tyler Phillips - 43.1 IP | 2.08

• Eury Perez - 62.2 IP | 4.60 ERA (IL-15)*

• Jansen Junk - 60 IP | 4.80 ERA (IL-15)*

Summary - Room For Improvement.

16) Royals: 4.16 ERA | 4.18 FIP | 4.6 fWAR | 8.19 K/9

• Michael Wacha - 81 IP | 3.44 ERA

• Seth Lugo - 76 IP | 3.91 ERA

• Noah Cameron - 59.2 IP | 4.22 ERA

• Stephen Kolek - 38 IP | 3.32 ERA

• Kris Bubic - 50.1 IP | 4.11 ERA (IL-15)*

• Cole Ragans - 35.1 IP | 4.84 ERA (IL-15)*

Summary - Very Average Rotation.

15) Angels: 4.60 ERA | 4.13 FIP | 4.8 fWAR | 8.97 K/9

• Jose Soriano - 76 IP | 2.72 ERA

• Reid Detmers - 74 IP | 4.26 ERA

• Grayson Rodriguez - 18 IP | 10.00 ERA

• Jack Kochanowicz - 63.2 IP | 5.23 ERA

• Walbert Urena - 50.1 IP | 2.68 ERA

• Yusei Kikuchi - 31 IP | 5.81 ERA (IL-60)*

Summary - Not Enough Juice.

14) Twins: 4.47 ERA | 4.07 FIP | 5.2 fWAR | 8.33 K/9

• Joe Ryan - 70.1 IP | 3.20 ERA

• Taj Bradley - 60.2 IP | 3.56 ERA

• Connor Prielipp - 39.1 IP | 5.26 ERA

• Zebby Matthews - 30.1 IP | 4.15 ERA

• Mick Abel - 20.1 IP | 3.98 ERA (IL-15)*

• Bailer Ober - 66.2 IP | 4.59 ERA (IL-15)*

Summary - Trade Joe Ryan.

13) Guardians: 3.75 ERA | 4.09 FIP | 4.7 fWAR | 8.66 K/9

• Tanner Bibee - 69 IP | 4.57 ERA

• Gavin Williams - 81.2 IP | 3.20 ERA

• Joey Cantillo - 62 IP | 3.92 ERA

• Slade Cecconi - 67.2 IP | 3.92 ERA

• Parker Messick - 75 IP | 2.40 ERA

Summary - Reload, Not Rebuild.

12) Mets: 4.30 ERA | 3.88 FIP | 4.5 fWAR | 9.21 K/9

• Freddy Peralta - 72 IP | 3.63 ERA

• Nolan McLean - 66.1 IP | 4.21 ERA

• David Peterson - 57.1 IP | 5.18 ERA

• Sean Manaea - 39 IP | 5.08 ERA

• Christian Scott - 36 IP | 2.50 ERA

• Tobias Myers - 33.1 IP | 4.05 ERA

• Clay Holmes - 52.2 IP | 2.39 ERA (IL-60)*

• Kodai Senga - 20 IP | 9.00 ERA (IL-15)*

Summary - Missing Two Arms.

11) Braves: 3.32 ERA | 4.08 FIP | 4.3 fWAR | 8.83 K/9

• Chris Sale - 72.2 IP | 2.23 ERA

• Spencer Strider - 31 IP | 3.77 ERA

• Bryce Elder - 78.2 IP | 2.63 ERA

• Grant Holmes - 63 IP | 3.86 ERA

• Martin Perez - 56.2 IP | 3.02 ERA

Summary - Spencer Schwellenbach Incoming.

10) Rangers: 3.98 ERA | 4.06 FIP | 4.9 fWAR | 9.31 K/9

• Nathan Eovaldi - 74.2 IP | 4.10 ERA

• Jacob deGrom - 64.2 IP | 3.48 ERA

• MacKenzie Gore - 66 IP | 4.23 ERA

• Jack Leiter - 66.1 IP | 4.34 ERA

• Kumar Rocker - 61.0 IP | 3.54 ERA

• Jordan Montgomery - n/a (IL-60)*

Summary - Trade For Skubal.

9) Tigers: 3.73 ERA | 3.63 FIP | 6.4 fWAR | 8.20 K/9

• Jack Flaherty - 57.2 IP | 5.31 ERA

• Framber Valdez - 72.2 IP | 4.21 ERA

• Drew Anderson - 41 IP | 3.95 ERA

• Keider Montero - 61 IP | 3.69 ERA

• Ty Madden - 14.2 IP | 3.07 ERA

• Tarik Skubal - 43.1 IP | 2.70 ERA (IL-15)*

• Casey Mize - 47.2 IP | 2.27 ERA (IL-15)*

• Justin Verlander - 3.2 IP | 12.27 (IL-60)*

Summary - One Last Ride (Skubal & Verlander for those confused).

8) Blue Jays: 4.07 ERA | 3.82 FIP | 5.5 fWAR | 8.88 K/9

• Kevin Gausman - 75 IP | 3.36 ERA

• Patrick Corbin - 54.1 IP | 3.98 ERA

• Trey Yesavage - 42.2 IP | 3.16 ERA

• Max Scherzer - 18.2 IP | 9.64 ERA (IL-15)*

• Dylan Cease - 62 IP | 3.05 ERA (IL-15)*

• Shane Bieber - N/A (IL-60)*

• Cody Ponce - 2.1 IP | 3.86 (IL-60)*

• Jose Berrios - N/A (IL-60)*

Summary - Get Healthy Fast.

7) Rays: 3.43 ERA | 3.82 FIP | 5.2 fWAR | 7.56 K/9

• Drew Rasmussen - 66 IP | 3.00 ERA

• Steven Matz - 46 IP | 5.48 ERA

• Nick Martinez - 70.2 IP | 2.29 ERA

• Shane McClanahan - 55 IP | 2.45 ERA

• Griffin Jax - 34 IP | 4.76 ERA

Summary - Rays Gonna Ray.

6) Mariners: 3.79 ERA | 3.61 FIP | 6.5 fWAR | 8.69 K/9

• Logan Gilbert - 73.2 IP | 3.79 ERA

• Bryan Woo - 77 IP | 3.74 ERA

• George Kirby - 78 IP | 4.04 ERA

• Emerson Hancock - 70.2 IP | 2.80 ERA

• Bryce Miller - 21 IP | 1.71 ERA

• Luis Castillo - 55.1 IP | 5.53 ERA

Summary - Built For Postseason.

5) Phillies: 4.09 ERA | 3.61 FIP | 6.9 fWAR | 9.19 K/9

• Zack Wheeler - 50.2 IP | 2.31 ERA

• Cristopher Sanchez - 86.1 IP | 1.46 ERA

• Jesus Luzardo - 73 IP | 4.56 ERA

• Aaron Nola - 61.2 IP | 5.55 ERA

• Andrew Painter - 53.1 IP | 5.74 ERA

Summary - Deadline Acquisition Needed.

4) Pirates: 3.89 ERA | 3.48 FIP | 7.2 fWAR | 8.89 K/9

• Paul Skenes - 70 IP | 3.09 ERA

• Mitch Keller - 73.0 IP | 4.81 ERA

• Braxton Ashcraft - 74.2 IP | 2.77 ERA

• Bubba Chandler - 57 IP | 5.05 ERA

• Jared Jones - 9.1 IP | 4.82 ERA

Summary - Get Bubba Right.

3) Dodgers: 2.90 ERA | 3.61 FIP | 7.8 fWAR | 8.87 K/9

• Yoshinobu Yamamoto - 69.1 IP | 2.86 ERA

• Shohei Ohtani - 61 IP | 0.74 ERA

• Emmet Sheehan - 58 IP | 4.50 ERA

• Roki Sasaki - 58 IP | 4.03 ERA

• Justin Wrobleski - 68.2 IP | 2.62 ERA

• Tyler Glasnow - 39.2 IP | 2.72 ERA (IL-15)*

• Blake Snell -3 IP | 12.00 ERA (IL-60)*

• Gavin Stone - N/A (IL-60)*

Summary - Depth Pays Off.

2) Brewers: 3.27 ERA | 3.40 FIP | 6.9 fWAR | 10.29 K/9

• Jacob Misiorowski - 71 IP | 1.65 ERA

• Brandon Sproat - 54 IP | 6.17 ERA

• Kyle Harrison - 57.1 IP | 1.57 ERA

• Coleman Crow - 16.2 IP | 5.94 ERA

• Logan Henderson - 23 IP | 2.74 ERA (IL-15)*

• Brandon Woodruff - 30 IP | 3.60 ERA (IL-15)*

• Quinn Priester - N/A (IL-15)*

Summary - Next Man Up.

1) Yankees: 3.15 ERA | 3.55 FIP | 7.3 fWAR | 8.75 K/9

• Gerrit Cole - 18 IP | 2.00 ERA

• Cam Schlittler - 76.1 IP | 1.89 ERA

• Carlos Rodon - 25 IP | 2.88 ERA

• Will Warren - 64.1 IP | 3.22 ERA

• Ryan Weathers - 70 IP | 3.86 ERA

• Max Fried - 61.2 IP | 3.21 ERA (IL-15)*

Summary - Get Fried Healthy.

Editor’s Note: All the graphics I use going forward will come directly from Stat Soldier. Go check it out by clicking here!

It seems almost daily that we hear about someone setting a record or moving up the all-time list in some statistical category. Since I love homeruns, this made me think about how many active players will finish in the Top-5 of their respective clubs’ All-Time HR lists.

Turns out there are several active players who will not only finish in the top-100 all-time home run list, but also a few will finish in the top-5 of their current organization’s list.

Take a look at the list below. This infographic shows the active MLB leaders in career home runs as of April 26, 2026.

Notes:

All stats were taken down on April 26th, 2026.

(*) Next to any player indicates that they are still active in Major League Baseball.

(HOF) - Next to any player indicates that they have been inducted into the Hall of Fame.

After some digging…here are some fun facts I discovered!

• The Marlins, Blue Jays, Rays, Angels, and the Diamondbacks are the only five teams without a Hall of Famer in their Top-5 HR Leaders.

  • The good news is Mike Trout (Angels), Giancarlo Stanton (Marlins), and Paul Goldschmidt (Diamondbacks) are all potential Hall of Famers. Mike Trout is obviously a lock.

• 59 of the 151 players in their organizations’ Top-5 HR list are in the Hall of Fame.

• Alex Rodriguez put up 189 home runs with Seattle, 156 with the Rangers, and 351 with the Yankees.

  • If you took his Rangers numbers away, he’d still have 540 career home runs and be #18 on the all-time list instead of #5 with 696.

• 14 active players are included across these Top-5 organizational lists. The Diamondbacks have the most active players in their Top-5 (3), where only one of them still plays for the team…Ketel Marte.

• The Yankees (4), Braves (4), Cubs (4), and Red Sox (4) are the closest teams to having all five players ranked in the organization’s Top-5 HR leaders all be in the Hall of Fame.

  • Yankees (Aaron Judge) → Auto Hall of Famer Once Eligible

  • Red Sox (Dwight Evans) → Considered One of Best Players not in HOF {Eligible 2028 for Ballot}

  • Cubs (Sammy Sosa) → Club HR Leader (PEDs)

  • Braves (Dale Murphy) → Another Player Being Considered for HOF

• The Giants have the most as an organization —> 2,459

• The Rays have the least as an organization —> 827

National League East

• Atlanta Braves - 2,433

  • Hank Aaron - 733 (HOF)

  • Eddie Matthews - 493 (HOF)

  • Chipper Jones - 468 (HOF)

  • Dale Murphy - 371

  • Andruw Jones - 368 (HOF)

• Miami Marlins - 850

  • Giancarlo Stanton - 267*

  • Dan Uggla - 154

  • Hanley Ramirez - 148

  • Mike Lowell - 143

  • Miguel Cabrera - 138

• New York Mets - 1,170

  • Pete Alonso - 264*

  • Darryl Strawberry - 252

  • David Wright - 242

  • Mike Piazza - 220 (HOF)

  • Howard Johnson - 192

• Philadelphia Phillies - 1,683

  • Mike Schmidt - 548 (HOF)

  • Ryan Howard - 382

  • Del Ennis - 259

  • Pat Burrell - 251

  • Chuck Klein - 243 (HOF)

• Washington Nationals - 1,176

  • Ryan Zimmerman - 284

  • Vladimir Guerrero - 243 (HOF)

  • Andre Dawson - 225 (HOF)

  • Gary Carter - 220 (HOF)

  • Tim Wallach - 204

National League Central

• Chicago Cubs - 2,068

  • Sammy Sosa - 545

  • Ernie Banks - 512 (HOF)

  • Billy Williams - 392 (HOF)

  • Ron Santo - 337 (HOF)

  • Ryne Sandberg - 282 (HOF)

• Cincinnati Reds - 1,626

  • Johnny Bench - 389 (HOF)

  • Joey Votto - 356

  • Frank Robinson - 324 (HOF)

  • Tony Perez - 287 (HOF)

  • Adam Dunn - 270

• Milwaukee Brewers - 1,253

  • Ryan Braun - 352

  • Robin Yount - 251 (HOF)

  • Prince Fielder - 230

  • Geoff Jenkins - 212

  • Gorman Thomas - 208

• Pittsburgh Pirates - 1,440

  • Willie Stargell - 475 (HOF)

  • Ralph Kiner - 301 (HOF)

  • Andrew McCutcheon - 248*

  • Roberto Clemente - 240 (HOF)

  • Barry Bonds - 176

• St. Louis Cardinals - 1,668

  • Stan Musial - 475 (HOF)

  • Albert Pujols - 469

  • Ken Boyer - 255

  • Jim Edmonds - 241

  • Ray Lankford - 228

National League West

• Arizona Diamondbacks - 904

  • Luis Gonzalez - 224

  • Paul Goldschmidt - 209*

  • Ketel Marte - 172*

  • Steve Finley - 153

  • Christian Walker - 146*

• Colorado Rockies - 1,328

  • Todd Helton - 369 (HOF)

  • Larry Walker - 258 (HOF)

  • Vinny Castilla - 239

  • Nolan Arenado - 235*

  • Carlos Gonzálezv - 227

• Los Angeles Dodgers - 1,490

  • Duke Snider - 389 (HOF)

  • Gil Hodges - 361 (HOF)

  • Eric Karros - 270

  • Roy Campanella - 242 (HOF)

  • Ron Cey - 228

• San Diego Padres - 832

  • Manny Machado - 198*

  • Nate Colbert - 163

  • Adrian Gonzalez - 161

  • Phil Nevin - 156

  • Dave Winfield - 154 (HOF)

• San Francisco Giants - 2,459

  • Willie Mays - 646 (HOF)

  • Barry Bonds - 586

  • Mel Ott - 511 (HOF)

  • Willie McCovey - 469 (HOF)

  • Matt Williams - 247

American League East

• Baltimore Orioles - 1,608

  • Cal Ripken - 431 (HOF)

  • Eddie Murray - 343 (HOF)

  • Boog Powell - 303

  • Brooks Robinson - 268 (HOF)

  • Adam Jones - 263

• Boston Red Sox - 2,217

  • Ted Williams - 521(HOF)

  • David Ortiz - 483 (HOF)

  • Carl Yastrzemski - 452 (HOF)

  • Jim Rice - 382 (HOF)

  • Dwight Evans - 379

• New York Yankees - 2,427

  • Babe Ruth - 659 (HOF)

  • Mickey Mantle - 536 (HOF)

  • Lou Gehrig - 493 (HOF)

  • Aaron Judge - 378*

  • Joe DiMaggio - 361 (HOF)

• Tampa Bay Rays - 827

  • Evan Longoria - 261

  • Carlos Pena - 163

  • Brandon Lowe - 157*

  • Aubrey Huff - 128

  • B.J. Upton - 118

• Toronto Blue Jays - 1,289

  • Carlos Delgado - 336

  • José Bautista - 288

  • Edwin Encarnación - 239

  • Vernon Wells - 223

  • Joe Carter - 203

American League Central

• Chicago White Sox - 1,558

  • Frank Thomas - 448 (HOF)

  • Paul Konerko - 432

  • Jose Abreu - 243

  • Harold Baines - 221 (HOF)

  • Carlton Fisk - 214 (HOF)

• Cleveland Guardians - 1,333

  • Jim Thome - 337 (HOF)

  • Jose Ramirez - 291*

  • Albert Belle - 242

  • Manny Ramirez - 236

  • Carlos Santana - 227

• Detroit Tigers - 1,713

  • Al Kaline - 399 (HOF)

  • Norm Cash - 373

  • Miguel Cabrera - 373

  • Hank Greenberg - 306 (HOF)

  • Willie Horton - 262

• Kansas City Royals - 1,204

  • George Brett - 317 (HOF)

  • Salvador Perez - 307*

  • Mike Sweeney - 197

  • Amos Otis - 193

  • Alex Gordon - 190

• Minnesota Twins - 1,549

  • Harmon Killebrew - 559 (HOF)

  • Kent Hrbek - 293

  • Bob Allison - 256

  • Justin Morneau - 221

  • Tony Oliva - 220 (HOF)

American League West

• Athletics - 1,440

  • Mark McGwire - 363

  • Jimmie Foxx - 302 (HOF)

  • Reggie Jackson - 269 (HOF)

  • Jose Canseco - 254

  • Bob Johnson - 252

• Houston Astros - 1,547

  • Jeff Bagwell - 449 (HOF)

  • Lance Berkman - 326

  • Craig Biggio - 291 (HOF)

  • José Altuve - 258*

  • Jimmy Wynn - 223

• Los Angeles Angels - 1,428 (not counting Glaus)*

  • Mike Trout - 413*

  • Tim Salmon - 299

  • Garrett Anderson - 272

  • Brian Downing - 222

  • Albert Pujols - 222

  • Troy Glaus - 182

• Seattle Mariners - 1,464

  • Ken Griffey Jr. - 417 (HOF)

  • Edgar Martinez - 309 (HOF)

  • Jay Buhner - 307

  • Kyle Seager - 242

  • Alex Rodriguez - 189

• Texas Rangers - 1,355

  • Juan González - 372

  • Rafael Palmeiro - 321

  • Frank Howard - 246

  • Ivan Rodriguez - 217 (HOF)

  • Adrian Beltre - 199 (HOF)

Now that every team is already 22 or more games in, slow starts are becoming increasingly concerning. Especially for some notably talented players…

Note - I used Statsoldier.com for graphics and stats. I also used Fangraphs, as they provided the wRC+ stat, and I love using this to evaluate hitters. When looking at the WAR stat, I typically use bWAR or Baseball Reference, but I was lazy and did not want to go back and forth.

Cal Raleigh - Seattle Mariners (Yahoo #693 Player)

Was 2025 a fluke? A little bit. Do I think 60 home runs is the norm? Absolutely not. Cal Raleigh was the first Catcher ever to hit 60 home runs in a single season. One had to think his numbers would dip in 2026 as 2025 was such a brilliant performance for the 29-year-old.

Raleigh started 2022 struggling as well, with an .083 batting average and striking out in 32 percent of his plate appearances in his first nine games. He finished 2022 with 27 HR, 3.9 bWAR, and a .489 SLG. It is more than reasonable to believe he will get right here soon, as the weather warms up and returns to form.

2026 Stats - 93 AB | 7 R | 3 HR | 12 RBI | 1 SB | 11 BB | .161 AVG | .538 OPS | 60 wRC+ | 0.3 fWAR

Francisco Lindor - New York Mets (Yahoo #706 Player)

I could also have gone with Juan Soto, but since he is on the injured list, I decided to pass. Didn’t want to be the bitter Yankees fan and kick a man while he is down. With that mentality, I’ll have to lay off until 2039 because that is when he will finally be off this atrocious Mets team.

All jokes aside, I landed on Lindor. Lindor is another super-talented veteran who we know consistently starts slow. His career batting average in the month of March is a whopping .109. April historically trends up as he has played 217 career games in April, and the batting average climbs to .258. Sure, a massive uptick, but for a career .272, there are greener pastures for the 12-year veteran. At age 32, have we seen the best of Francisco Lindor? Maybe, maybe not. It is not a fun time right now in Queens, NY, but if I had to take a guess, Lindor will be back to normal soon enough.

2026 Stats - 88 AB | 12 R | 1 HR | 1 RBI | 2 SB | 10 BB | .205 AVG | .600 OPS | 76 wRC+ | 0.3 fWAR

Jazz Chisholm Jr. - New York Yankees (Yahoo #718 Player)

Jazz is almost 100 points in batting average below his career line. I am not overpanicking on Chisholm Jr. In his 176 games with the Yankees before the 2026 season, Jazz has racked up 42 HR, 103 RBI, .258 BA, and 49 stolen bases.

He is a highly productive player and should be able to get back into the swing of things as he sits in the middle of this Yankee lineup, and opposing pitchers are focused on other hitters such as Aaron Judge and Ben Rice.

2026 Stats - 73 AB | 6 R | 0 HR | 3 RBI | 8 SB | 9 BB | .164 AVG | .498 OPS | 49 wRC+ | 0.2 fWAR

Pete Crow-Armstrong - Chicago Cubs (Yahoo #610 Player)

Probably the player I'm most worried about on this list. Contrary to everyone else I have singled out, PCA has the smallest track record. The good news is the Cubs have a loaded lineup, so he can hide at the end of this lineup until he gets right.

The 24-year-old is coming off a massive 2025 season in which he accrued 6.0 bWAR and went 30-30. There is an obvious reason the Cubs rewarded PCA with a $115M/ 6-year extension this past offseason.

2026 Stats - 84 AB | 14 R | 1 HR | 5 RBI | 4 SB | 5 BB | .214 AVG | .572 OPS | 62 wRC+ | 0.3 fWAR

Julio Rodriguez - Seattle Mariners (Yahoo #579 Player)

This is probably the toughest one for me, both physically and emotionally. Personally, I have Julio Rodriguez rostered in all four of my fantasy baseball leagues, and I have made a significant financial commitment by purchasing his rookie cards.

According to Statmuse, he is a notorious slow starter. Career batting average of .172 in the month of March (17 G), and .236 in the month of April (114 G). I fully expect the man who is the first player EVER to begin his MLB career with four consecutive 20-20 seasons to bounce back in a big way, but this is just painful to watch right now until he gets back on track.

2026 Stats - 90 AB | 10 R | 1 HR | 7 RBI | 2 SB | 11 BB | .222 AVG | .609 OPS | 85 wRC+ | 0.1 fWAR

The sample size is small, but I’d like to highlight a few players who are starting the 2026 season on a bender! I’ll also call out that I used Fangraphs for stats, as they provided the wRC+ stat, and I love using this to evaluate hitters.

When looking at the WAR stat, I typically use bWAR or Baseball Reference, but I was lazy and did not want to go back and forth for this piece.

Let us start with a hitter on a struggling team…

Shea Langeliers - Athletics (Yahoo #5 Player)

Langeliers is picking up right where he left off last season. He finished the 2025 campaign with 31 bombs and 72 RBI. I do like the Athletics’ offense even though they are starting slow, very slow. This leads me to believe that the RBIs will gradually increase for Langeliers, who has been a monster at the plate.

Jacob Wilson (.200), Tyler Soderstrom (.174), Brent Rooker (.167), Denzel Clarke (.143), Lawrence Butler (.083), Jeff McNeil (.077), and NICK KURTZ (.059) are all way more talented than what they are displaying on the field right now. Look for Langeliers to cool down, but the numbers to stay somewhat consistent as this Athletic’s lineup gets into form.

2026 Stats - 24 AB | 5 R | 5 HR | 8 RBI | 0 SB | 1 BB | .375 AVG | 1.400 OPS | 297 wRC+ | 0.7 fWAR

Jose Altuve - Houston Astros (Yahoo #4 Player)

Not shocked at all about this one. Altuve has a borderline Hall of Fame case. It will come down to how he finishes his career and how voters view the Astros’ cheating scandal. At age 36, Altuve is putting up some impressive numbers.

It definitely helps having a healthy Yordan Alvarez back in the lineup after missing most of 2025. Plus, I feel that the Houston Astros are kind of similar to the Space Jam Monstarz when everyone is healthy and hitting in stride.

Just look at the lineup right now. Carlos Correa (.296), Christian Walker (.320), Yordan Alvarez (.417), Isaac Paredes (.227), plus contributions coming from a young & talented Cam Smith, in which Houston has high hopes!

Look for Altuve to have a spectacular season…again, if the Astros stay healthy in 2026.

2026 Stats - 23 AB | 8 R | 2 HR | 3 RBI | 1 SB | 8 BB | .348 AVG | 1.168 OPS | 237 wRC+ | 0.6 fWAR

Joey Wiemer - Washington Nationals (Yahoo #3 Player)

At age 27, Wiemer has already found himself in his 5th MLB organization. Is he finally breaking out? I mean, this guy was a Brewer to start his career, and they typically identify talent as good, if not better than anyone in professional baseball.

Maybe he can be a spark plug for this abysmal Nationals lineup?!?

2026 Stats - 17 AB | 7 R | 2 HR | 4 RBI | 0 SB | 5 BB | .588 AVG | 1.741 OPS | 367 wRC+ | 0.8 fWAR

Liam Hicks - Miami Marlins (Yahoo #2 Player)

This is probably the most unprecedented player on this list. On one hand, I shouldn’t be surprised as the Marlins are humming to start the season and the Peter Bendix machine is starting to roll. On the other Hicks has seemingly come out of nowhere.

He played 119 games last year for the Marlins and generated a sneaky 1.3 bWAR while hitting .247 on the year. He is already halfway to his home run total from 2025 (6). With the dual position eligibility between 1B and C, Hicks is not only a great option to have in the everyday lineup, but also a weapon for fantasy baseball should the bat continue to mash even with an expected regression at some point.

2026 Stats - 15 AB | 6 R | 3 HR | 12 RBI | 0 SB | 1 BB | .467 AVG | 1.659 OPS | 330 wRC+ | 0.6 fWAR

Yordan Alvarez - Houston Astros (Yahoo #1 Player)

Not much to say here about the lineup that I didn’t mention under Altuve. Alvarez is and was widely considered one of the most feared hitters in all of baseball. People forgot about how good he was as he was injured pretty much all year, last year!

I’d go as far as to say that the top-3 most feared hitters in baseball are Ohtani, Judge, and Alvarez. (no specific order!)

2026 Stats - 24 AB | 8 R | 3 HR | 6 RBI | 1 SB | 6 BB | .417 AVG | 1.480 OPS | 302 wRC+ | 0.8 fWAR

15) Royals

• Maikel Garcia (3B)

• Bobby Witt Jr. (SS)

• Vinnie Pasquantino (1B)

• Salvador Perez (C)

• Jac Caglianone (RF)

• Jonathan India (2B)

• Carter Jensen (DH)

• Isaac Collins (LF)

• Kyle Isbel (CF)

  • X-Factor → Carter Jensen

14) Astros

• Jose Altuve (2B)

• Yordan Alvarez (DH)

• Carlos Correa (SS)

• Isaac Paredes (3B)

• Yainer Diaz (C)

• Christian Walker (1B)

• Joey Loiperfido (LF)

• Cam Smith (RF)

• Jake Meyers (CF)

  • X-Factor → Cam Smith

13) Red Sox

• Roman Anthony (LF)

• Trevor Story (SS)

• Jarren Duran (DH)

• Wilson Contreras (1B)

• Wilyer Abreu (RF)

• Caleb Durbin (3B)

• Marcelo Mayer (2B)

• Ceddanne Rafaela (CF)

• Carlos Narvaez (C)

  • X-Factor → Caleb Durbin

12) Diamondbacks

• Geraldo Perdomo (SS)

• Ketel Marte (2B)

• Corbin Carroll (RF)

• Gabriel Moreno (C)

• Pavin Smith (DH)

• Nolan Arenado (3B)

• Carlos Santana (1B)

• Jordan Lawlar (CF)

• Alek Thomas (LF)

  • X-Factor → Jordan Lawlar

11) Padres

• Xander Bogaerts

• Jackson Merrill

• Manny Machado

• Fernando Tatis Jr.

• Jake Cronenworth

• Ramon Laureano

• Gavin Sheets

• Miguel Andujar

• Freddy Fermin

  • X-Factor → Miguel Andujar

10) Braves

• Ronald Acuna Jr. (RF)

• Drake Baldwin (C)

• Matt Olson (1B)

• Austin Riley (3B)

• Mike Yastrzemski (LF)

• Ozzie Albies (2B)

• Dominic Smith (DH)

• Michael Harris II (CF)

• Mauricio Dubon (SS)

  • X-Factor → Michael Harris II

9) Cubs

• Michael Busch (1B)

• Alex Bregman (3B)

• Ian Happ (LF)

• Seiya Suzuki (RF)

• Pete Crow-Armstrong (CF)

• Nico Hoerner (2B)

• Dansby Swanson (SS)

• Moisés Ballesteros (DH)

• Carson Kelly (C)

  • X-Factor → Moisés Ballesteros

8) Phillies

• Trea Turner (SS)

• Kyle Schwarber (DH)

• Bryce Harper (1B)

• Alec Bohm (3B)

• Brandon Marsh (LF)

• Adolis García (RF)

• Bryson Stott (2B)

• J.T. Realmuto (C)

• Justin Crawford (CF)

  • X-Factor → Justin Crawford

7) Orioles

• Gunnar Henderson (SS)

• Jordan Westburg (3B)

• Taylor Ward (LF)

• Pete Alonso (1B)

• Adley Rutschman (C)

• Samuel Basallo (DH)

• Jackson Holliday (2B)

• Tyler O’Neill (RF)

• Colton Cowser (CF)

  • X-Factor → Samuel Basallo

6) Athletics

• Nick Kurtz (1B)

• Shea Langeliers (C)

• Tyler Soderstrom (LF)

• Brent Rooker (DH)

• Jeff McNeil (2B)

• Jacob Wilson (SS)

• Lawrence Butler (RF)

• Max Muncy (3B)

• Denzel Clarke (CF)

  • X-Factor → Jeff McNeil

5) Mets

• Francisco Lindor (SS)

• Juan Soto (LF)

• Bo Bichette (SS)

• Jorge Polanco (1B)

• Marcus Semien (2B)

• Brett Baty (DH)

• Francisco Alvarez (C)

• Luis Robert Jr., (CF)

• Carson Benge (RF)

  • X-Factor → Luis Robert Jr.

4) Blue Jays

• George Springer (DH)

• Daulton Varsho (CF)

• Vladimir Guerrero Jr. (1B)

• Addison Barger (RF)

• Alejandro Kirk (C)

• Jesús Sánchez (LF)

• Kazuma Okamoto (3B)

• Andrés Giménez (SS)

• Ernie Clement (2B)

  • X-Factor → Kazuma Okamoto

3) Mariners

• Brendan Donovan (3B)

• Cal Raleigh (C)

• Julio Rodriguez (CF)

• Josh Naylor (1B)

• Randy Arozarena (LF)

• Victor Robles (RF)

• Dominic Canzone (DH)

• J.P. Crawford (SS)

• Cole Young (2B)

  • X-Factor → Colt Emerson (Prospect)

2) Yankees

• Trent Grisham (CF)

• Aaron Judge (RF)

• Cody Bellinger (LF)

• Ben Rice (1B)

• Giancarlo Stanton (DH)

• Jazz Chisholm Jr. (2B)

• Ryan McMahon (3B)

• Anthony Volpe (SS)

• Austin Wells (C)

  • X-Factor → Austin Wells

1) Dodgers

• Shohei Ohtani (DH)

• Kyle Tucker (RF)

• Mookie Betts (SS)

• Freddie Freeman (1B)

• Will Smith (C)

• Max Muncy (3B)

• Teoscar Hernandez (LF)

• Andy Pages (CF)

• Alex Freeland (2B)

  • X-Factor → Kyle Tucker

Truth be told, I got sidetracked when I was doing this series, and then everyone decided to sign deals in a matter of a week after each other, or at least that is what it felt like. That being the case, in the matter, I figured one blog where I plug in one niche piece for all the American League teams that failed to win their division in 2025 could be just as entertaining to put together.

Baltimore Orioles

Team Needs - Rotation, Bullpen, Centerfield/Veteran Bat

Yes, the Orioles need to address Centerfield as Colton Cowser is slotted to return as the everyday starter for Baltimore in 2026. Cowser is only twenty-five years old and can definitely grow his game, but he hit below .200 in 2025. That being said, one would have to think that Baltimore is going to prioritize the rotation. There are some quality arms in the rotation with Kyle Bradish, Trevor Rogers, Shane Baz, Dean Kremer, and Zach Eflin. This rotation will not win you the American League East.

I take it the Orioles are serious about competing, as they went out and traded for Taylor Ward and signed Pete Alonso to a massive deal. If they want to be playing baseball in deep October this year, they need to add to the rotation with Chris Bassitt. Bassitt remains unsigned. Baltimore can strike now and probably get Bassitt on a cheap deal. The problem is, I am seeing that Philadelphia is a real player here.

Plus, Baltimore has Enrique Bradfield Jr. in the pipeline, who is a plus-defender and can allow them to move Cowser to a corner slot.

Prediction - Chris Bassitt

Tampa Bay Rays

Team Needs - 2B, SS, C, Rotation & Bullpen Depth

The Rays always seem to do their own thing and rely heavily upon internal development to fill major league voids with their big league roster. Tampa does not spend big money on free agents, so finding a player and agreeing on a smaller deal is the formula. Once I took a look at the remaining free agents, Christian Vasquez makes sense. Tampa needs depth at catcher, and Vasquez could add a little value if he can simply hit above the Mendoza line. Veteran catcher, they can add for next to nothing to give Nick Fortes some days off.

Prediction - Christian Vasquez

New York Yankees

Team Needs - Pitching (Starting & Bullpen), 3B, CF

The Yankees are done spending after Cody Bellinger, so do not expect them to go after Framber Valdez on a pipe dream. Realistically, they add another depth starter or to the bullpen.

My guy says they go the bullpen route and reunite with former Yankee Tommy Kahnle. He would cost less than $5M for a one-year deal, and I think they could acquire him for less than $4M. He is familiar with the organization and pitched well in New York as recently as 2024. He pitched to a 2.11 ERA across 50 games and struck out 46 batters.

Prediction - Tommy Kahnle

Boston Red Sox

Team Needs - Bullpen & 2B

Boston seems to have a hundred starting pitchers at this point, so there's no need for rotational depth. The lineup has a ton of youth, and there are no more big-name bats out there that Boston would be interested in. All signs point to the bullpen, and Andrew Chafin could be that guy. Chafin is a seasoned veteran who should cost the team less than $5M for one year of service. In 2025, Chafin pitched to a 2.41 ERA across 33 ⅔ innings for the Los Angeles Angels. He is also a lefty and would add another quality southpaw to the mix should Chapman need rest or sustain an injury.

Prediction - Andrew Chafin

Chicago White Sox

Team Needs - Rotation, Bullpen & DH

The White Sox are in the middle of a total rebuild. The future looks bright with core players like Colson Montgomery, Kyle Teel, Munetaka Murakami, Edgar Quero, and Brooks Baldwin. I would assume that the White Sox organization has high hopes for the future, but understands 2026 will not be the year they win a World Series title.

I’d imagine they want to get their young bats as many opportunities as possible, so I am leaning towards them solidifying the rotation with an innings eater. Miles Mikolas would cost them next to nothing and could provide some valuable innings. He has pitched over 731 MLB innings since the start of 2022 and owns a career 4.24 ERA through 1252 ⅓ career innings. At age 37, I can’t see him costing more than $7M for the 2026 season.

Prediction - Miles Mikolas

Detroit Tigers

Team Needs - Veteran Starting Pitching & OF

I originally had Nick Martinez lined up for Detroit. Then Framber signed last night, so I am rolling with Tommy Pham. A veteran OF with some pop to help this young lineup could spark the offense, especially come playoff time.

Prediction - Tommy Pham

Minnesota Twins

Team Needs - Bullpen & Offensive Depth

Minnesota is weird. Maybe one of the weirdest teams in all of baseball. They seem to always have some studs yet never really get anywhere in terms of a deep playoff run. I can’t tell if they are trying to rebuild or reload. My guess after not moving Byron Buxton or Joe Ryan is that they are trying to reload through farm help and minor acquisitions like adding Josh Bell this offseason. If they were willing to spend a little bit of money, Rhys Hoskins could do well in a role where he would play 1B and DH. Hoskins would be an immediate upgrade at DH for Minnesota and could be one more move to help them win the division in 2026.

Prediction - Rhys Hoskins

Kansas City Royals

Team Needs - Impact Bat (OF), Bullpen, 2B, CF

The Royals, similar to the Twins, are in a weird state. They have a superstar on the roster in Bobby Witt Jr., surrounded by a few other productive pieces such as Vinnie Pasquantino and Maikel Garcia, but the lineup is simply not deep enough to be a real threat to contenders. I don’t worry much about the rotation, as it has talent and veterans to carry this team. It’s been rumored by many, but it’s too good a match not to think will happen. Michael Conforto needs to be added to the fold. Conforto needs to prove himself after last year’s stint with the Dodgers, and the Royals could use a productive outfield bat.

Prediction - Michael Conforto

Los Angeles Angels

Team Needs - Rotation, Bullpen, Infield & Outfield Depth

Honestly, I like a lot of the moves this team already made this offseason. This team is not the perfect roster by any means of the imagination, but there is a lot to be excited about! After adding Lowe and Moncada to the offense, I think there will be enough production to compete in the American League for a playoff spot with Trout, Adell, Neto, Soler, O’Hoppe, Moore, and Schanuel already in the mix. This team needs to add another arm. Frankie Montas could be a super intriguing add. He was just cut by the Mets after a disappointing 2025. I doubt they see anything that looks like a 2021 Montas, but even the 2022 version would be a game-changer for this rotation. Plus, he probably won’t see a contract value of more than $6M for a one-year deal. Low risk, high reward.

Prediction - Frankie Montas

Houston Astros

Team Needs - Rotational Depth, OF (Lefty Bat)

The Houston lineup is loaded. Adding Imai was huge to deepen the strength of this rotation, but their SP4 right now looks like it is slotted to be Lance McCullers Jr., as of right now, and no offense meant, but McCullers Jr. isn’t exactly a perfect bill of health. Reuniting with Justin Verlander could be a play? Sure, he is 42 years old, but he threw to a 3.85 ERA across 152 innings last season.

Prediction - Justin Verlander

Athletics

Team Needs - Rotation, Bullpen, IF Depth

This young offense is way too exciting for management not to add some rotational depth. Add Zac Gallen on a one-year prove-it deal. If it works out, this is a major upgrade for the Athletics, possibly even their SP1. Yes, Gallen is arguably coming off the worst season of his career, but that is why I would qualify this as a mid-risk, high-reward. The only risk is the money, but it would be for one year. Go and get an impact arm to help this team win some more games in 2026, Mr. Forst.

Prediction - Zac Gallen

Texas Rangers

Team Needs - Rotation & Bullpen Depth, Impact Bat, OF Depth

After looking at the Rangers’ lineup, I am not too worried about offensive production. Don’t get me wrong, there are concerns such as Corey Seager’s and Evan Carter’s health, and does Wyatt Langford fully pop off in 2026? That being said, I would pick up another starter to add depth to the backend of the rotation. Why not add Max Scherzer to the mix? Scherzer would bring a veteran presence and could serve as the 4-5 starter for this team.

Prediction - Max Scherzer

This is the third piece of a six-part series. Go and check out parts 1 (NL West) & 2 (NL Central) through these links or on The Skippers View website!

Today, I will be talking about the National League East. A super intriguing division, as you have multiple teams that not only can make the playoffs but win a World Series in 2026.

I understand this is a bold statement, given that only one team from this division made the playoffs in 2025. Let’s start with the New York Mets, who had a disappointing 2025.

New York Mets

Team Needs - Pitching

At the end of the 2025 regular season, the Mets were heavily relying upon multiple rookie pitchers (Brandon Sproat, Nolan McLean, & Jonah Tong) to try to lock up a playoff spot. New York learned the hard way that rotational depth is pivotal in this league and ultimately missed the postseason.

Owner Steve Cohen has shown that he is willing to spend on talent. That being said, the Mets just let Edwin Diaz and Pete Alonso get away due to contract disputes. It’s not like the Mets haven’t been active. They have acquired Marcus Semien, Devin Williams, Luke Weaver, and others already this offseason via trade/free agency.

Shipping off players like Jeff McNeil and Brandon Nimmo leads me to believe they are trying to shed some payroll to make a move for a frontline starter. After reviewing the available pitchers on the market, Framber Valdez makes perfect sense. Framber is a proven veteran who can step in right away to help lead this rotation. I initially thought San Diego would be a good fit for Valdez’s services, but they signed Michael King to a large deal already, and my gut tells me they might try to trade their way to acquire another key starter.

If Valdez signed with New York, the Mets’ rotation could look like:

1. Framber Valdez (31) LHP | 3.36 ERA

2. Nolan McLean (23) RHP | 2.06 ERA

3. David Peterson (29) LHP | 4.12 ERA

4. Sean Manaea (33) - LHP | 4.08 ERA

5. Clay Holmes (32) - RHP | 3.65 ERA

6. Jonah Tong (22) - RHP | 7.71 ERA

7. Brandon Sproat (25) - RHP | 4.79 ERA

The fact that Sproat, Tong, and McLean were all rookies and under the age of twenty-five tells me there is a lot of room for improvement for this trio of highly touted prospects, and they would be paired with four veterans who are all productive arms. This is a no-brainer for New York.

2025 - 3.8 bWAR | 31 GS | 192 IP | 187 K | 1.25 WHIP | 13 W | 8.8 K/9 | 3.66 ERA

Miami Marlins

Team Needs - 1B, Bullpen

Peter Bendix has this team ahead of schedule. Miami finished in front of Atlanta last season and was only four games under .500. Miami might have some questions in the pitching department, but none are as significant as first base.

Signing Ryan O’Hearn can answer a lot of questions and drastically improve this lineup. O’Hearn would almost certainly slot in the heart of the lineup and beef up the middle of this Miami offense.

1. Jakob Marsee - CF

2. Xavier Edwards - 2B

3. Kyle Stowers - LF

4. Ryan O’Hearn - 1B

5. Agustin Ramirez - DH

6. Griffin Conine - RF

7. Liam Hicks - C

8. Otto Lopez - SS

9. Connor Norby - 3B

O’Hearn would not cost that much to bring to Miami. On top of that, the Marlins would have options to go and improve other areas of the lineup or bullpen with remaining “free-agent” dollars.

2025 - 2.4 bWAR | 17 HR | .281 AVG | 67 R | 64 RBI | .366 OBP | .437 SLG | .803 OPS

Washington Nationals

Team Needs - Everything except LF & SS

This is not a smear piece on the Nationals. I have been saying this for a while. They are a lot further away from the postseason than the baseball community tends to believe. If I were the General Manager, I would sell almost all my tradable assets and invest in prospects (at least for 2026). There is 0% chance this team could win a World Series next season, and almost 0% chance they even make the playoffs.

Sell, sell, sell.

I would then add a veteran bat with high upside at a reasonable cost to pair with James Wood and CJ Abrams. Yoan Moncada could be the answer at the hot corner. I know Moncada has not been the player we all hoped for, but he batted .260 in 2023 and .275 in 2024.

Low risk for a bat that could pay dividends to this lineup in 2026.

2025 - 0.7 bWAR | 12 HR | .234 AVG | 39 R | 35 RBI | .336 OBP | .448 SLG | .783 OPS

Atlanta Braves

Team Needs - Pitching (Rotation & Bullpen)

It is no secret that the Braves have been disappointing over the last two seasons. The keyword here… “disappointing”. The reason for the disappointment is that this team is loaded with talent yet hasn’t made the playoffs in two years.

Alex Anthopoulos has been active this offseason to ensure there won’t be a third year without a postseason for these Braves. He has been brilliant in securing long-term extensions to keep this core together. The Braves already got Ha-Seong Kim back, solving the shortstop issue. They also added Robert Suarez to the bullpen and Mike Yastrzemski to the outfield. Now they must add depth to the rotation.

Adding a divisional rival, Ranger Suarez, could be that over-the-top piece that Atlanta could make to improve this rotation. If the Braves signed Ranger Suarez, their starting rotation could look like:

1. Chris Sale (36) - LHP | 3.01 ERA

2. Spencer Schwellenbach (25) - RHP | 3.23 ERA

3. Spencer Strider (27) - RHP | 3.74 ERA

4. Ranger Suarez (30) - LHP | 3.38 ERA

5. Reynaldo López (32) - RHP | 3.94 ERA

6. Hurston Waldrep (23) - RHP | 4.41 ERA

Not only is Suarez an incredible pitcher, but he is a lefty and will cost less than Framber Valdez. This move is a match made in heaven.

2025 - 4.7 bWAR | 26 GS | 157.1 IP | 151 K | 1.22 WHIP | 12 W | 8.6 K/9 | 3.20 ERA

This article is to be treated as Part Two of this Six-Part blog series. I must apologize as these blogs were supposed to be up almost two weeks ago, but then real life got hectic. My gut told me to wait until after the Winter Meetings to publish this series, as so much activity happens in a matter of 3 days, and predictions can go right out the window.

I figured if I waited to see what crazy moves happened, I’d be able to sit back and look more realistically at what organizations are going to try to do this offseason. That being the case, I am jumping into the National League Central today and examining how each team can try to catch the Milwaukee Brewers in the division.

Chicago Cubs

Team Needs - Pitching (Rotation & Bullpen)

In my eyes, Zac Gallen is a perfect fit for this team. I think this is the time for the Cubs to go in on Gallen. Chicago added a couple of relievers last week, and even with this news, I think they will continue to make small moves to address the bullpen. It can not be said enough, if Chicago has World Series aspirations in 2026, they must add significant pieces to the rotation.

The Cubs are clearly trying to contend without breaking the bank, so Gallen fits that mold. Gallen is a much better pitcher than his 2025 statistics say. He owns a 3.58 career ERA across 1007.1 MLB innings. I expect him to bounce back, and the Cubs can get him on a short-term deal.

After 2025, there is no way he is going to get the contract he was eyeing after the 2023 season, where he finished CYA-3. The Cubs would be smart to get him for a year or two, as they can afford it, and he would drastically improve the depth of the rotation for 2026.

2025 - 1.1 bWAR | 4.83 ERA | 33 GS | 192 IP | 175 K | 1.26 WHIP

Cincinnati Reds

Team Needs - A Big Bat

Now that Schwarber and Alonso are gone, there are only a handful of impact bats that the Reds would be interested as well as have mutual interest in Cincinnati. Let’s be real, there is 0% chance of Kyle Tucker, Bo Bichette, Alex Bregman, and/or Cody Bellinger signing with the Reds.

A superstar bat being added to the fold for 2026 is highly unlikely for Cincinnati. The only way I can see them adding a bat of that magnitude is via trade, and even then, I don’t know if the Reds have the assets to pull off a move like that. Don’t get me wrong, the Reds seem to consistently have intriguing prospects, but a blockbuster deal might not be in the cards.

I am looking at this from a more realistic approach. Who is an impact bat that would come to Cincinnati? How about a veteran who has already played in this city? Eugenio Suarez makes all the sense in the world to go sign. The Reds do not have to give him a long-term deal. The AAV is going to be lower than what Suarez was looking for at the beginning of the 2025 season due to a second-half slump, and they don’t have to part ways with any of their farm system to acquire him!

2025 - 3.6 bWAR | 49 HR | .228 BA | .824 OPS | 118 RBI

Pittsburgh Pirates

Team Needs - Bats

Similar to the Reds, Pittsburgh needs bats. Not just a bat, they need multiple. This rotation is too good, and Paul Skenes is too valuable to lose to a trade demand by not making this team competitive as soon as possible!

The beauty of having multiple holes in the lineup is that there are many options to help the Pirates where they see fit. Adding Harrison Bader to the mix in an outfield that already boasts Bryan Reynolds and Oneil Cruz would make for a rather nice outfield.

Bader is not likely to sign back with Philadelphia, as they just signed Adolis Garcia this morning, as I was writing this. He will cost Pittsburgh less than $20M/AAV if he signs a 2 or 3-year deal. Bader brings a valuable bat to the middle of the lineup, some speed, and solid defense (2021 GG Winner) to the Pittsburgh lineup.

2025 - 3.9 bWAR | 17 HR | .277 BA | .796 OPS | 54 RBI

St. Louis Cardinals

Team Needs - Pitching (Rotation & Bullpen)

Chaim Bloom enters the chat.

Entering his 1st year as President of Baseball Operations for the St. Louis Cardinals, I expect Bloom to start building from the ground up. There is a ton of young and talented baseball players on this roster already, but I’d be surprised if we don’t start seeing some moves from St. Louis. Bloom has prior experience in developing and growing organizations with both the Tampa Bay Rays and Boston Red Sox and has seen plenty of success.

The Cardinals really need arms for 2026. The question is how much emphasis does Bloom put on winning in 2026 vs. building a sustainable winner. My gut tells me Bloom is going to be more conservative year 1 at the helm, which leads me to think they are not going to go after a Framber Valdez or Ranger Suarez-like player.

Instead, I think they move Arenado for pitching/prospects, all the while adding a veteran pitcher on a team-friendly deal. Nick Martinez would cost close to nothing for St. Louis to add into the mix.

Martinez was solid last year for Cincinnati, and his career ERA is closer to 4.20 than 4.50 from 2025. Martinez might be 35 years old by the end of the 2026 season, but he offers St. Louis an affordable way to eat some innings in a lackluster rotation, all the while not having to part ways with money or a even worse, a high-end prospect.

2025 - 2.3 bWAR | 4.45 ERA | 26 GS | 165.2 IP | 116 K | 1.20 WHIP

San Diego Padres

San Diego is the most interesting of the bunch. On one hand, they have players like Fernando Tatis Jr., Manny Machado, Xander Bogaerts, Mason Miller, and Jackson Merrill returning to the fold in 2026. On the other hand, there might be a change in ownership sooner rather than later, and two of their top starters, Dylan Cease and Michael King, are hitting the open market.

The lineup is stacked with talent. It is the arms where I would put my money down on San Diego management to address this offseason. It is unclear how aggressively the Padres will attempt to re-sign Cease or King, but they need to do something about the rotation if they do not get one or either of these two starters back.

The more I think about a starter who would fit in perfectly in San Diego, the more I think Framber Valdez. He is going to command a ton of money, but Valdez is a prominent starter. Not to mention, he is a southpaw if the Padres let King walk. With players like Machado and Tatis Jr. on the roster, the Padres have shown they are willing to work with players with complications.

Yes, Framber Valdez crossed up his own catcher last year (which is absurd!), but I do think this was a “heat of the moment” type episode out of Valdez. If you follow baseball, the industry has been talking about how his actions may have cost him some money this offseason, which I buy into, but he is still going to get paid in some regard. Why not to a team that is willing to spend (for now!), and has dealt with behavioral issues in the recent past?

Arizona Diamondbacks

Arizona had a nightmare scenario in the bullpen last season. They had three players go down due to a season-ending injury in the closer role. Not to mention they lost Corbin Burnes to injury as well, whom they went out and signed last offseason to a massive contract.

Even with multiple significant injuries, the Diamondbacks were able to put together an 80-82 season in a rather tough division. Arizona is similar to San Francisco for me in this division. They have pieces that make them dangerous, but they need to add to the roster to be a serious threat.

Adding an elite closer seems to be the clear-cut choice following last year’s nightmare would be the easy choice, but I do not see the Diamondbacks going out and spending a fortune on a reliever. My prediction is that they go out and find themselves another starter with Zac Gallen and Merrill Kelly both hitting the open market. Adding Zach Eflin could pay dividends for this club. The contract itself wouldn’t be crazy, and the team could allocate more funds to finding another quality starter or to reloading the bullpen.

San Francisco Giants

Buster Posey is not messing around. Additions of Willy Adames and Rafael Devers show that Posey is looking to build a winner. Not to mention Posey is betting big with the hiring of former University of Tennessee coach, Tony Vitello, to be the new skipper in San Francisco.

The Giants are a respectable team, but to make that jump into “contender” territory, they need to make a few more moves. One of those moves needs to be a big splash.

Adding another impact bat to the fold could be the move to get San Francisco into the playoffs in 2026. I think if the Giants can convince Eugenio Suarez to sign a team-friendly deal, it could pay dividends to this lineup and overall the team’s success.

Let’s face it, Suarez was not impressive after being acquired by Seattle at the deadline last season. His age is starting to show, and I do not think he is going to get the money he was eyeing at the beginning of 2025 when he was red-hot to start the year.

If Posey could get Suarez to buy in at a lower total money contract but higher AAV, the Giants could allocate other funds to bolster the rotation and/or bullpen to make a playoff push in 2026 and beyond.

Colorado Rockies

Let’s be honest. Colorado needs an entirely new team, coaching staff, farm system, analytics team, and owner to compete in this division. I do not see the Rockies having a shot to make the playoffs, let alone win the division, anytime soon.

The Rockies have always had trouble putting together a solid rotation. Partially due to the external interest of going to one of the most hitter-friendly ballparks in Major League Baseball, where pitchers go to die.

One player who could help them as they rebuild is Dylan Cease. The odds that Cease would sign a deal with Colorado are slim to none, but Colorado could afford to overpay him now to secure his services. Cease would be the frontline starter the Rockies could depend on to throw over 170 innings a year for the next five seasons.

Adding Cease to the mix would not solve all of Colorado’s issues, but could help stop the bleeding, all the while securing an arm that would put up decent ratios while providing a foundation to the starting rotation.

The Blue Jays are one game away from eternal glory in what has become a fascinating World Series matchup. No one, including me, was giving Toronto a shot to win this series, and now they are up 3-2, with the next two games scheduled in Toronto.

The exciting part is who will be named World Series MVP. Several candidates deserve their seats at the table and should be mentioned in this piece, but I will keep it to the realistic options at this point!

Honorable Mention(s)

Alejandro Kirk:

WS Stats - 2 HR | .333 BA | .458 OBP | .667 SLG | 6 RBI | 6 H | 5 BB

Vladimir Guerrero Jr:

WS Stats - 2 HR | .364 BA | .500 OBP | .636 SLG | 3 RBI | 8 H | 6 BB

You can make easy arguments for both of these guys, but only one player can win the award, and that player usually comes from the winning team. That being said, I’d put my money on another Blue Jay to win series MVP if Toronto is to go on and clinch the series.

3) Shohei Ohtani

Reaching base safely 9 times in one game is absolute insanity, I don’t care how many innings that game went. The Dodgers are trailing right now, but it is safe to assume they have been relying heavily on Ohtani to keep putting up historic numbers. Without Ohtani, this series might already be over.

WS Stats - 3 HR | .316 BA | .500 OBP | .895 SLG | 5 RBI | 6 H | 7 BB | 6 IP | 6 K

2) Yoshinobu Yamamoto

Yamamoto’s performance in Game 2 was outstanding. Especially considering it was his second game in a row going the distance to throw a complete game. If the Dodgers are to come back in this series and force a Game 7, one would have to imagine that Yamamoto has another spectacular performance on the mound tonight, as the Dodgers are in elimination mode.

WS Stats - 1.00 ERA | 9 IP | 8 K | .444 WHIP | 1 GS | 1 CG

1) Trey Yesavage

Yesavage has taken the baseball world by storm with his performance this playoffs. He is the first rookie ever to record two outings in the same playoffs with double-digit strikeouts, and he is leading the charge for the Blue Jays to defeat the Dodgers. Should Toronto take this series in six games, I’d have to lean Yesavage for MVP. He might not play every game, but he has utterly shut down this loaded Los Angeles lineup.

WS Stats - 2.45 ERA | 11 IP | 17 K | .909 WHIP | 2 GS

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Tampa Bay Rays (77-85)

Junior Caminero. The 22 year old just hit 45 bombs in his first full season while hitting .264. The Rays need to lock him up ASAP.

Baltimore Orioles (75-87)

Youth. 2025 was no doubt a disappointment for Baltimore. The good news is they have multiple players from their young core returning and due to rebound in 2026.

Kansas City Royals (82-80)

Bobby Witt Jr. & Vinnie Pasquantino are now the 1-2 punch and will be back with Kansas City in 2026. Witt Jr. is one of the best baseball players in the world and Pasquantino finally had that full season of health in which he hit 32 home runs. Look for the Royals to build around these two studs.

Minnesota Twins (70-92)

The farm system. Minnesota has a ton of talent coming up to the bigs across the next couple of years, including four players (Walker Jenkins, Kaelen Culpepper, Eduardo Tait, and Emmanuel Rodriguez) currently ranked in the top-100 according to MLB Pipeline.

Chicago White Sox (60-102)

Shane Smith. The twenty-five year old starter was nothing short of impressive in 2025. Smith pitched to a 3.81 ERA across 146.1 innings. The White Sox have plenty of holes, but Shane Smith is not one of them.

Houston Astros (87-75)

Health. Houston was injury prone all season long. Yordan Alvarez missed way too many games. Missing his bat in the middle of the Houston lineup was too much to overcome and be a real threat this past season.

Texas Rangers (81-81)

The Rangers are now a full two years removed from their World Series title and can now approach the 2026 season with a clearer mind on their needs to compete next season. The good news is this is not a rebuild, it’s a reload with players like Wyatt Langford, Corey Seager, and Marcus Semien returning to the fold in 2026.

Athletics (76-86)

Nick Kurtz. ThIs was the easiest bright spot to identify on this list. Kurtz was an animal in 2025 (36 HR & .290 BA) and looks like he is going to be a problem for opposing pitching for many years to come.

Los Angeles Angels (72-90)

Jo Adell’s breakout season. Adell has been hyped up for several years now and finally put up the monster season everyone was hoping for! The Angels can focus on building up the rotation in the offseason to pair with Mike Trout, Zach Neto, Nolan Schanuel, and others to compete in 2026.

New York Mets (83-79)

No shortage of resources tied with a young crop of talented pitchers. Uncle Stevie is no doubt going to continue to be aggressive in free agency to add to this team’s core. On top of that Nolan McLean looks like a future stud for this rotation.

Miami Marlins (79-83)

The Peter Bendix Experiment is already showing positive payoff. Miami was able to put forth a formidable team in 2025. Peter Bendix is already showing signs of what he was able to do in Tampa and that is a great sign as it is easier to lure players to Miami over Tampa Bay.

Atlanta Braves (76-86)

The core remains stable. The baseball world has been utterly let down by this Atlanta team the last two seasons as hopes have been high for the Braves. In 2026, Atlanta will have Ronald Acuna Jr., Matt Olson, Sean Murphy, Austin Riley, among others returning, giving Atlanta high hopes again as the team is full of talent. They just need to put it together.

Washington Nationals (66-96)

James Wood. Wood seems to be a big piece of the puzzle that Washington is looking to solve for in their current rebuild. Wood hit 31 bombs this past season while hitting at a productive .256 batting average. If Washington can start to build around the 23 year old, they can show signs of life in 2026.

St. Louis Cardinals (78-84)

A new regime. Chaim Bloom is now officially the President of Baseball Operations, taking over for John Mozeliak. The Cardinals have not been relevant since 2022 and it’s time for a face lift.

Pittsburgh Pirates (71-91)

Paul Skenes. Pittsburgh might have to ultimately move Skenes, if they decide they cannot afford to pay him. Even so, they will get a haul of assets in exchange for Skenes, especially if they move him at the right time to build a foundation. As good as Skenes is, Pittsburgh needs to build a team and right now they need multiple talented players to add to the current roster.

San Francisco Giants (81-81)

Rafael Devers is signed through 2033. San Francisco went out and acquired their guy via trade earlier this season in a blockbuster with the Boston Red Sox. The Giants can further build around Devers who will be locking down the hot corner for the foreseeable future.

Arizona Diamondbacks (80-82)

Corbin Carroll is a stud. The young outfielder is one of the most talented players in the game and they have him signed through 2031. For a year where they couldn’t stay healthy whatsoever, the Diamondbacks put up a respectable record finishing just two games under .500. Look for Arizona to be aggressive in the offseason.

Colorado Rockies (43-119)

The best for last. As I write this I sit in my company office in Denver, Colorado so this felt harsher than it should have to put into words. Colorado is far away from being a contender but they have a couple of brights spots. Hunter Goodman is very good and should be the piece that Colorado builds around for the foreseeable future.

The New York Yankees’ 2025 season is officially over. The Toronto Blue Jays took the American League Divisional Series overwhelmingly with a 3-1 “gentlemen’s sweep”. It was bound to happen, no matter how much hope I had for this team. The reality is that this organization has too many flaws right now, both big and small. I understand that nothing is perfect in life, but it does not hurt to strive for perfection.

Outside of Aaron Judge, a majority of the facets of a winning ball club are in critical condition and need improvement immediately. Especially if New York wishes to win another World Series sometime soon. Here is my list of issues and the size of the problem.

• Lineup (SMALL)

• Rotation / Rotation Depth (SMALL)

• Bullpen (MEDIUM)

• Farm System (LARGE)

• Hitting Coach (LARGE)

• Manager (LARGE)

Lineup:

It is hard to argue that the lineup needs massive changes. I understand that without Aaron Judge, the final stats look much different, but numbers don’t lie. The Yankees finished 1st in BB (639), R (849), TB (2,488), HR (274), RBI (820), SLG (.455), and OPS (.787). Finishing at the top of the seven major hitting categories is super impressive. That being said, Aaron Judge is under contract and will be right back in the heart of this Yankee lineup for the next six years. They 100% need to get rid of Anthony Volpe. This is not recency bias with his awful performance in the ALDS. He has been terrible all season, both with the bat and the glove. I don’t have anything against Volpe, and he has proved he can be a good player. He needs a change of scenery, and the Yankees need to get a whole lot more production out of the shortstop position. I would LOVE for them to go out and approach the “if you can’t beat them, buy them” mentality and acquire Bo Bichette in free agency.

Rotation / Rotational Depth:

This is hard to actually put in writing following the performance of the starters from the ALDS, but I don’t think the Yankees need to do much in the offseason to the starting rotation. Next year, the Yankees will throw out Gerrit Cole (early 2026), Max Fried, Carlos Rodon, Cam Schlittler, Luis Gil, Will Warren, and Clarke Schmidt (post-ASG). I know that I have confidence in a thirty-four-year-old Gerrit Cole and Clarke Schmidt, both coming back from massive surgeries and returning to form. I think the rotation is good enough to hold down the fort, giving Cole and Schmidt time to fully rehab. Cole had Tommy John surgery in March 2025, so figure June 2026, he will be close? Schmidt, on the other hand, had an internal brace procedure and will not return until post-All-Star Break. The Yankees have some talent, so maybe adding another 3, 4, or 5-level starter wouldn’t hurt.

Bullpen:

It’s not as bad as it looks. There are very solid pieces in the Bullpen; obviously, they did not all come together this season. The Yankees need to add some high-end relievers to this staff, or it will be more of the same in 2026. Would love to add Pete Fairbanks, Jason Adam, and Alex Vesia to the fold.

Farm System:

I do not need to elaborate on this one. The farm system has some intriguing prospects, such as George Lombard Jr., Spencer Jones, Carlos Lagrange, Bryce Cunningham, Ben Hess, Chase Hampton, and Henry Lalane. The pitching prospects entice me as the Yankees have produced some solid arms as of late. It is the bats. Let’s be honest, the Yankees have not produced a good batting prospect since Aaron Judge, who made his debut back in 2016.

Hitting Department Coaching:

James Rowson, Casey Dykes, and Pat Roessler all need to go. The lineup has talent but refuses to hit to its potential. Too many times Yankee hitters are swinging on the first pitch and hitting from behind in the count. I know I am someone who watches from afar and has never coached baseball, but it seems obvious. Too many prospects are not making the jump to the bigs and producing positive results.

Manager:

I do not know what else to say. The Yankees need a new leader as soon as possible.

2026 My Ideal Projected Rotation:

1. Gerrit Cole (IL)

2. Max Fried

3. Carlos Rodon

4. Cam Schlittler

5. Luis Gil

6. Will Warren

7. Clarke Schmidt (IL)

2026 - My Ideal Projected Bullpen:

1. David Bednar (ARB)

2. Devin Williams (FA)

3. Luke Weaver (FA)

4. Tim Hill (Team Option)

5. Jake Bird (Pre-Arb)*

6. Fernando Cruz (Pre-Arb)*

7. Pete Fairbanks (FA)

8. Jason Adam (FA)

9. Alex Vesia (FA)

2026 - My Ideal Projected Lineup:

1. Trent Grisham CF (FA)

2. Bo Bichette SS (FA)

3. Aaron Judge RF

4. Cody Bellinger LF (Player Option)

5. Giancarlo Stanton DH

6. Jazz Chisholm Jr. 2B (Arb)

7. Ben Rice 1B

8. Austin Wells C

9. Ryan McMahon 3B

Bench - Jasson Dominguez, Jose Caballero, Amed Rosario

Final Team Cumulative Pitching Statistics:

2nd in OBA (.229)

3rd in W (94)

4th in H (1,239)

4th in SO (1,440)

10th in QS (62)

12th in WHIP (1.25)

14th in ERA (3.91)

Final Team Cumulative Hitting Statistics:

1st in BB (639)

1st in R (849)

1st in TB (2,488)

1st in HR (274)

1st in RBI (820)

1st in SLG (.455)

1st in OPS (.787)

3rd in OBP (.332)

8th in SB (134)

10th in AVG (.251)

28th in SO (1,463)

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