Bold Predictions for the 2026 MLB Season

Photo by Thearon W. Henderson/Getty Images

March 6, 2026

As the 2026 MLB season rapidly approaches, we have some bold predictions for the upcoming 162-game regular season.

#1 – Konnor Griffin Makes the All-Star Team as a Starter

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Two years ago, Pittsburgh Pirates ace Paul Skenes was named the All-Star Game starter for the National League. Now, it’s time for baseball’s top prospect to follow suit at shortstop.

In 2025, Konnor Griffin dominated the minor leagues. At three levels, the 19-year-old hit .333 with 21 home runs, 94 RBI, and a .942 OPS. In spring training, Griffin has already clubbed three home runs, highlighting his raw power and strengthening his case to be the Pirates’ starting shortstop in 2026.

The largest obstacle is the sheer level of competition at the position. Francisco Lindor posted another 30-30 season last year. Trea Turner led the National League in batting average. Even Geraldo Perdomo, a player few fans knew before last season, broke out with a 7.0 WAR season.

If Griffin comes out of the gates hot, like how Skenes did in 2024, he would have to at least get consideration to start in the All-Star game.

#2 – Los Angeles Dodgers Break the MLB Wins Record

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Since the Seattle Mariners tied the all-time single-season wins record in 2001 with 116, only one team has sniffed that number. That team, of course, was the Los Angeles Dodgers in 2022 with 111. However, it’s reasonable to think the Dodgers surpass that mark, as well as the all-time mark in 2026.

The first four batters in the Dodgers’ projected batting order are Shohei Ohtani, Kyle Tucker, Mookie Betts, and Freddie Freeman. Those four players combined for 20.7 WAR and 347 RBI in 2025, but the production doesn’t stop there. Will Smith provides consistency in the middle of the order, while Teoscar Hernández and Andy Pages provide power at the end.

While the Dodgers should have no problem scoring runs, their pitching staff is shaping up to be the game’s best. Yoshinobu Yamamoto is fresh off a postseason in which he posted a 1.49 ERA and won the World Series MVP Award. Multiple-time Cy Young Award winner Blake Snell and strikeout machine Tyler Glasnow also make for a dangerous duo behind Yamamoto.

Records are meant to be broken, so if any team can eclipse the elusive 116 mark, it’s the 2026 Dodgers.

#3 – The Athletics Win the American League West

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Few teams have a stronger batting order on paper than the Athletics.

The group scored more runs than the Cleveland Guardians, Cincinnati Reds, and San Diego Padres last season– all teams that made the playoffs. Four players hit 25 or more home runs, while three players collected 85 or more RBI. In short, their offense produces.

The rotation, of course, is the obvious question mark, especially considering the Athletics currently play in a minor league ballpark until the new stadium in Las Vegas is ready. However, if Luis Severino, Jeffrey Springs, and others can limit the damage on the mound, the Athletics have the potential to make noise in the AL West this season.

#4 – Four American League East Teams Make the Playoffs

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No division has ever sent four teams to the playoffs, but there’s a real chance that happens in 2026.

Last season, the AL East sent the Toronto Blue Jays, New York Yankees, and Boston Red Sox to the playoffs. The Blue Jays and Red Sox both improved this offseason, while the Yankees retained nearly their entire team from 2025’s 94-win campaign.

The Baltimore Orioles, in this case, would be the fourth team to make the playoffs. After back-to-back 90-plus win seasons in 2023 and 2024, the team disappointed in all facets last season. However, by adding Pete Alonso, Shane Baz, and Chris Bassitt, among others, they seem primed to return to the postseason.

#5 – Two Teams Win Fewer Than 50 Games

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Similarly, two teams have never won fewer than 50 games in a 162-game season.

The Colorado Rockies and Washington Nationals are shaping up to have the two worst rotations in the league again, especially now that MacKenzie Gore is gone in the nation’s capital. Last season, the Nationals and Rockies allowed 899 and 1,021 runs, respectively. Unsurprisingly, those were the two worst marks in baseball.

Unfortunately, they may have two of the worst offenses as well. This means another sub-50-win season could be in the cards for 2026 in Colorado, but also in the nation’s capital. Yes, the Nationals won 66 games last season, but with Gore gone and shortstop CJ Abrams circling in trade rumors, fewer than 50 wins certainly seems possible.