If he stays healthy, Cole Ragans has the ceiling to finish as fantasy’s top pitcher. Scott Marshall / Getty Images
March 23, 2026 6:00 am EDT
With Opening Day 2026 finally approaching, it’s time for me to rattle off some irresponsible MLB and fantasy predictions for the upcoming season.
American League East predictionsAL East standings
New York Yankees
Toronto Blue Jays (wild card)
Boston Red Sox (wild card)
Baltimore Orioles (wild card)
Tampa Bay Rays
New York Yankees
Aaron Judge has the third-highest career wRC+ (178) among all hitters in baseball history, behind only Babe Ruth (194) and Ted Williams (187) for players with at least 1,000 games played. He also gets to hit in a terrific park for righty power and in a loaded lineup. It would likely require an injury to prevent Judge from winning MVP for the fourth time in five years.
Jazz Chisholm goes 40-HR/40-SB during his contract year, while Austin Wells swats 25+ homers.
Jasson DomÃnguez eventually benefits from a Giancarlo Stanton injury and never turns back — DomÃnguez is drafted as a top-30 fantasy outfielder in 2027.
Cam Schlittler has a better fantasy season than Max Fried, who’s drafted 75 picks earlier.
With prospects Elmer Rodriguez and Carlos Lagrange ready to contribute, along with Gerrit Cole and Carlos Rodón eventually returning as reinforcements, the Yankees win the World Series.
Toronto Blue Jays
Vladimir Guerrero records MLB’s best batting average, while George Springer regresses but remains a top-20 fantasy outfielder.
Daulton Varsho hit 20 homers over just 248 at-bats last season, and he can also reach 15+ steals. He’s an outfielder to target, slated to bat between Springer and Guerrero.
Injuries have tested the Blue Jays’ rotation depth, and the team may not be able to limit Trey Yesavage’s workload as much as originally hoped. Yesavage wins Rookie of the Year and finishes as a top-25 fantasy starter with the help of a Blue Jays defense that might be the best in MLB.
Ricky Tiedemann becomes a popular waiver-wire add before suffering another arm injury.
It won’t be easy after making a deep postseason run last year, but Toronto remains a threat to win it all in 2026.
Boston Red Sox
Jarren Duran has a better fantasy season than Roman Anthony, who’s drafted a round earlier. Ceddanne Rafaela finishes as a top-three fantasy second baseman, but Trevor Story spends far more time on the IL in 2026.
Willson Contreras is being drafted as the 19th first baseman off the board, but he should be treated as a borderline top-12 option after seeing a significant upgrade in environments — hitting cleanup in Fenway Park.
Hopefully, Garrett Crochet’s disappearing K% (13.5) is a nothing-burger during spring, as he has an argument to be ranked as fantasy’s No. 2 SP (given his presumed advantage in wins over Paul Skenes).
The back end of Boston’s rotation doesn’t impress entering the year, but exciting prospects Connelly Early and Payton Tolle will be major contributors (and important fantasy adds).
Garrett Whitlock has massive contingency fantasy upside should Aroldis Chapman get injured (or see his control regress).
The Red Sox lose in the ALCS.
Baltimore Orioles
Adley Rutschman bounces back after a couple of down years, while 21-year-old Samuel Basallo hits 25 home runs.
Tyler O’Neill returns to 30 homers, as Baltimore became much more power-friendly after moving in its left-field fences last season.
Trevor Rogers disappoints his fantasy managers, but Kyle Bradish helps win leagues. Bradish is a dark-horse Cy Young candidate who finishes as a top-10 fantasy starter.
The Orioles took some hits in spring training, losing Jackson Holliday and Jordan Westburg to injury, and they play in MLB’s toughest division.
The AL East is as tight as it gets, producing four playoff teams from the same division for the first time.
Tampa Bay Rays
Tampa Bay’s hitters will suffer going from a minor league park back to Tropicana Field this season, but Yandy DÃaz remains underrated given how scarce batting average has become.
Cedric Mullins is an afterthought in most fantasy leagues, but few, if any, players offer his 20-HR/30-SB upside at that stage of drafts.
Chandler Simpson is only a two-category fantasy contributor, but batting average is the most underrated one, and he’s the favorite to lead MLB in stolen bases (80-100 are not out of the question).
Drew Rasmussen finishes as a top-35 fantasy starter.
The Rays enter the season seemingly planning on a closer by committee, but Griffin Jax could take over the role, especially if Edwin Uceta suffers a setback. Jax has top-5 fantasy RP upside if his manager cooperates.
Tampa Bay would be contenders in other divisions, but the Rays finish last in a loaded AL East.
American League Central predictionsAL Central standings
Detroit Tigers
Kansas City Royals
Minnesota Twins
Cleveland Guardians
Chicago White Sox
Detroit Tigers
ATC’s aggregate projections have Gleyber Torres as fantasy’s eighth-best second baseman this season, yet he’s the 17th off the board in composite ADP.
Kevin McGonigle is a better hitter than Konnor Griffin in 2026, but the latter’s stolen bases give Griffin the fantasy edge even with a more precarious arrival date.
Tarik Skubal remains dominant, although he settles for runner-up in the Cy Young race.
Jack Flaherty records 200+ strikeouts and finishes as a top-25 fantasy starter.
Kenley Jansen racks up another 30 saves, moving to third place all-time.
The Tigers just barely hold off the Royals to win an AL Central that sports a combined payroll that’s nearly
Kansas City Royals
Kauffman Stadium moved in its fences during the offseason, which should result in more homers and runs scored, with fewer doubles and triples — Kansas City has decreased HR for lefties an MLB-high 27% over the last three seasons, so the changes will especially benefit Vinnie Pasquantino, Jac Caglianone and Carter Jensen.
Cole Ragans wins the Cy Young Award and finishes as fantasy’s top pitcher.
Carlos Estévez is the first established closer to lose his job in 2026, with a committee replacing him.
Kris Bubic is a heightened health risk, but he was a top-15 pitcher in the first half of last season before a rotator cuff strain ruined his year. He offers massive fantasy upside for someone going as the SP55.
The Royals have a real chance at winning the division if Ragans stays healthy.
Minnesota Twins
Byron Buxton remains one of fantasy’s best players per at-bat but continues to miss time with injuries.
Royce Lewis reportedly put in work to stay healthy during the offseason, but his performance in spring was hardly encouraging.
Ryan Jeffers and Victor Caratini are both sleeper targets at catcher in deeper leagues, with the latter slated to play DH.
Mick Abel is a deep SP sleeper, but Zebby Matthews ultimately proves to be Minnesota’s No. 2 starter despite possibly opening the season in the minors.
Taylor Rogers enters as the favorite for saves, but the Twins will likely go with a committee that frustrates fantasy managers.
Minnesota will be better than last season, but misses the playoffs again.
Cleveland Guardians
José RamÃrez appears to have survived a scare with his shoulder, and Cleveland’s offense would be a disaster without him.
Joey Cantillo is a fantasy sleeper, while Parker Messick emerges as Cleveland’s best pitcher after the All-Star break.
The Guardians fail to produce as many save opportunities as usual, as Cade Smith falls outside the top-five fantasy closers.
Cleveland won its division last season, but the Guardians will fight for fourth place in 2026.
Chicago White Sox
Welcome to the least helpful fantasy squad, as the White Sox don’t employ a player with an ADP inside pick No. 175.
Colson Montgomery has received little hype for someone who hit 21 homers over just 255 at bats as a 23-year-old rookie. The curbed enthusiasm makes sense given his batting average risk and the loaded shortstop position.
Miguel Vargas will bat third and is a sneaky corner infield filler in deep fantasy leagues.
Munetaka Murakami flirts with a .200 batting average.
Seranthony DomÃnguez records 20+ saves, as the superior Grant Taylor is used as a multi-inning reliever to prepare for a return to starting in 2027.
The White Sox finish with the fewest wins in the American League.
American League West predictionsAL West standings
Seattle Mariners
Texas Rangers
Houston Astros
Athletics
Los Angeles Angels
Seattle Mariners
Josh Naylor is a fantasy disappointment thanks to a full season in T-Mobile Park, while Cal Raleigh hits .230 and suffers obvious regression.
William Contreras, who played through a fractured finger for most of last season, has the better fantasy season despite being drafted 40 picks later.
Logan Gilbert has a better fantasy campaign than Bryan Woo, who doesn’t finish as a top-10 starter.
The Mariners have a strong team and look like the favorites to secure the No. 1 seed thanks to the highly competitive AL East.
Texas Rangers
Wyatt Langford is a first-round fantasy pick in 2027 despite Globe Life Field becoming baseball’s second-best pitcher’s park.
Corey Seager stays healthy enough to hit 30 homers, as he remains one of the league’s elite hitters.
Jacob deGrom finishes as a top-10 fantasy starter, while Nathan Eovaldi is top 20.
MacKenzie Gore disappoints fantasy managers, but Kumar Rocker reemerges as a popular waiver wire add.
Texas remains outside the playoffs.
Houston Astros
Yordan Alvarez puts up a monster fantasy season, but Jeremy Peña’s fractured finger affects his performance after returning.
Christian Walker rebounds with 30+ homers.
Hunter Brown finishes outside the top-five starting pitchers, while Mike Burrows is a sleeper who finishes top 50.
Josh Hader doesn’t throw a pitch for Houston; Bryan Abreu has the upside to be a top-three fantasy closer should that prove true, but he’s struggled in the role before and sports a possibly alarming -5.0 K-BB% in spring.
The Astros miss the postseason for the second year in a row.
The Athletics
Nick Kurtz’s batting average will drop, but his power will remain prodigious with the help of Sutter Health Park.
Brent Rooker has an advantage in batting average and the ability to add double-digit steals, so there’s a good chance he’s the Athletics’ most valuable fantasy hitter in 2026.
Tyler Soderstrom has a better fantasy season than Josh Naylor.
Denzel Clarke looks like a potentially generational defensive center fielder, but no pitcher in Sacramento is worth rostering in most fantasy leagues.
The Athletics will be one of the most fun squads to watch in baseball in 2026, as they are the only team projected to be top five in runs scored and bottom five in runs allowed.
Los Angeles Angels
Jorge Soler returns to 25 homers, but Mike Trout fails to play in 100 games after returning to center field.
Jo Adell hits under .220.
Grayson Rodriguez would have little trouble emerging as the Angels’ ace if he’s healthy, but he may require patience, having not pitched since 2024. His spring performance hasn’t been overly encouraging.
Tyler Bremner gets called up after the All-Star break and induces aggressive free-agent bids.
Kirby Yates takes over as Los Angeles’ closer and records 20+ saves, but the Angels finish last in the AL West.
More predictions
ALCS: Yankees over Red Sox
MVP: Aaron Judge
Cy Young: Cole Ragans
Rookie of the Year: Trey Yesavage
World Series: Yankees over Dodgers
Mar 23, 2026
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