MLB 2026: 5 polarizing teams, ready to win or disappoint?
Real contender or disappointment, our experts identify the 5 most controversial teams for the 2026 MLB season
Is your MLB team a legitimate contender or is it setting you up for a disappointing season? On some teams, everyone agrees; In others, not so much.
Heading into the 2026 season, we asked our MLB experts to rank all the teams from 1 to 30. Some picks were obvious, like the Los Angeles Dodgers, unanimously chosen No. 1, and the Colorado Rockies, also unanimously chosen No. 30. But in between, some clubs’ rankings were wildly uneven.
With this in mind, we identified the five most controversial teams of 2026 and asked the voters who gave them the best and worst ratings to explain why we should (or shouldn’t) believe the team will live up to expectations for next season.
General classification: 9
Highest ranking (3): I think Boston will surpass this ranking for two reasons: the Red Sox could have the best rotation in baseball and their offense, led by Roman Anthony, will be better than many expect. Remember, this is a team that won 89 games last season despite the Rafael Devers disaster, Alex Bregman’s absence for nearly two months and Anthony’s injury over the past month after joining the team in June. Garrett Crochet is, without a doubt, the best pitcher in the world, with the exception of Tarik Skubal and Paul Skenes. Anthony, at only 21 years old, will establish himself as one of the best hitters in baseball if he stays healthy.
Yes, the Red Sox made mistakes with the Devers situation and their attempt to re-sign Bregman. And yet, they should compete this season, and for years to come. — Jorge Castillo
Lowest ranking (13): FanGraphs projects the Red Sox will score 4.6 runs per game, and I’m betting on less. There are only two hitters that I can guarantee will perform above average against both sides in hitting: Roman Anthony and Willson Contreras. And that’s because I see potential pitfalls.
What if Trevor Story doesn’t once again surpass his underlying stats (.741 OPS, .684 earned OPS)? What if Jarren Duran and Wilyer Abreu don’t improve against left-handed pitching (combined .618 OPS)? What if Carlos Narvaez hits like he did after the All-Star break (.619 OPS)?
For Boston to score enough to compete with the Yankees, Blue Jays and Orioles, several low-odds bets must win. — Paul Hembekides
General classification: 11
Highest ranking (5): Ignoring the Brewers — who won 97 games last year, the most in the majors — would be a mistake. Their offense puts the ball in play. They play good defense. They always steal some wins on the bases. The bullpen, with Abner Uribe and Trevor Megill at the helm, is projected to be one of the best. The starting rotation will be key to determining whether Milwaukee can once again exceed expectations.
Jacob Misiorowski, Chad Patrick and Brandon Sproat, each with less than a year of major league experience, are among the top pitchers in the rotation. Kyle Harrison, Logan Henderson and Robert Gasser provide more youth, with Brandon Woodruff being the only veteran.
“We lack experience,” said the manager Pat Murphy“but that doesn’t mean we’re not good.” OK. — David Schoenfield
Lowest ranking (16): At some point, the Brewers’ thrifty policy in building their roster will take its toll. Since July 2022, they have traded Josh Hader, Corbin Burnes, Devin Williams and now Freddy Peralta, leaving their pitching staff as inexperienced as it has been in years.
Ask yourself: How many current members of the Brewers rotation can you name? I look at their roster and don’t see anything much more interesting than what you’d find on the Reds or Pirates, which means the NL Central should be closer than it has been in the last two years. And in support of the Pirates in terms of their qualification for the playoffs, the Brewers are the team that is logically left out. — Tristan Cockcroft
General classification: 13
Highest ranking (9): I don’t think the Astros will make the playoffs in 2026, but in a way, they’re still the Astros.
They missed the postseason last year by a tiebreaker, even though Yordan Álvarez, one of baseball’s best hitters, finished the season with only six home runs due to injuries. Carlos Correa, acquired from the Twins last year, and Isaac Paredes were also injured for part of the season. José Altuve returns to second base, where he belongs.
The starting staff isn’t what it once was, but Hunter Brown established himself as an ace last year. Mike Burrows and Tatsuya Imai, both promising starters, joined the rotation. The Astros have a chance to be in the fight for the American League Wild Card again this year. — Tim Kurkjian
Lowest ranking (19): It’s hard to believe it’s a controversial opinion to pick the Astros to finish third in the American League West. It’s hard to believe it’s a controversial opinion to pick the Astros to miss the playoffs, even though that’s exactly what happened last season and their already thin roster is even thinner now.
With Framber Valdez in Detroit, this team has only one established starting pitcher (Brown) and a lineup made up of veteran players (Altuve, 35 years old), inexperienced (Cam Smith, 23 years old) or recently renewed (Álvarez). The Astros had a good, long streak, but it ended. Let’s not live in the past. — Tim Keown
General classification: 18
Highest ranking (13): Hunter Greene’s elbow surgery is a blow to the Reds, who struggled to the postseason last year. But there are plenty of reasons to believe this lineup could be more consistent and productive. Power hitter Sal Stewart is here, and he’s here to stay. Matt McLain recovered from surgery a year ago and has been excellent this spring. Eugenio Suarez may have worried teams during free agency due to his age and defense, but the player hit 49 home runs last year, and him coming to the Reds on a one-year contract was a gift that Terry Francona received with open arms. And I think Elly De La Cruz will take a big step forward this year, benefiting from the added depth in the team around her. — Buster Olney
Lowest ranking (24): De La Cruz is a star, Chase Burns could become an ace this year, and I think Stewart will compete for NL Rookie of the Year. That said, I’m not very optimistic about the rest of the roster right now, especially after Greene’s injury. The Reds have a good group of young players that I like, but I’m not sure this will be a playoff team in 2026; It seems more like 2027 to me. — Kiley McDaniel
General classification: 22
Highest ranking (13): I love the depth of Pittsburgh’s impactful starting pitchers, along with the high performance that the lineup with Oneil Cruz (hitting only, for now) and, eventually, Konnor Griffin, can offer. But the real innovation this year is that the Pirates’ roster is now much more complete.
The lineup features professional and experienced Major League hitters, with the additions of Brandon Lowe, Marcell Ozuna and Ryan O’Hearn, and many young players who can join the team in the second half of the season. They have a lot of potential! — McDaniel
Lowest ranking (24): This whole thing about the Pirates having improved enough on offense to make the postseason is nonsense. Sure, Griffin could come in and win NL Rookie of the Year, but Ozuna could also look his age (35). And the bottom of the batting order is still nothing special.
They have improved. In some aspects. Brilliant. They are still not good enough to compete for the postseason and have already lost a game in which Paul Skenes started. They can’t afford that very often and they hope to have something to talk about in 2026. — Jesse Rogers
