The 2026 Major League Baseball season begins this week.

After a 2025 season which saw the Toronto Blue Jays win the American League East and make it to Game 7 of the World Series, what does Canada’s team have for an encore?

Here’s a look at predicted MLB standings, based on projected win numbers from Fangraphs.

American League

 

AL East

New York Yankees (87-75)
Toronto Blue Jays (86-76)
Boston Red Sox (86-76)
Baltimore Orioles (84-78)
Tampa Bay Rays (81-81)

AL Central

Detroit Tigers (86-76)
Kansas City Royals (81-81)
Minnesota Twins (79-83)
Cleveland Guardians (76-86)
Chicago White Sox (69-93)

AL West

Seattle Mariners (88-74)
Texas Rangers (81-81)
Houston Astros (81-81)
Athletics (80-82)
Los Angeles Angels (74-88)

AL Wild Card

Toronto Blue Jays (86-76)
Boston Red Sox (86-76)
Baltimore Orioles (84-78)

Should these predictions pan out correctly, the Blue Jays would not get a bye through the wild-card stage that they did in 2025. Instead, they would be tasked with facing the Boston Red Sox in a best-of-three series. The Jays were the top team in the AL in 2025 with a 94-68 record.

This time around, it would be the New York Yankees and Seattle Mariners with first-round byes. The Detroit Tigers and Baltimore Orioles would go head-to-head in the other AL wild-card series.

National League

 

NL East

New York Mets (88-74)
Atlanta Braves (88-74)
Philadelphia Phillies (87-75)
Miami Marlins (75-87)
Washington Nationals (69-93)

NL Central 

Chicago Cubs (84-78)
Pittsburgh Pirates (83-79)
Milwaukee Brewers (81-81)
Cincinnati Reds (77-85)
St. Louis Cardinals (75-87)

NL West

LA Dodgers (96-66)
San Francisco Giants (82-80)
Arizona Diamondbacks (81-81)
San Diego Padres (79-83)
Colorado Rockies (66-96)

NL Wild Card

Atlanta Braves (88-74)
Philadelphia Phillies (87-75)
Pittsburgh Pirates (83-79)

To little surprise, the LA Dodgers are predicted to be the best team in baseball this coming season. Both they and the New York Mets are set in this model to receive a bye through the wild-card stage.

This outcome would see the Atlanta Braves and Pittsburgh Pirates go head-to-head in the wild-card matchup, as well as the Chicago Cubs and Philadelphia Phillies.

Interestingly enough, Fangraphs is predicting that just one MLB team will reach the 90-win threshold this season. There were eight teams that hit that illustrious mark in 2025.

Should these predictions hold true, it looks as though it’s going to be a dogfight between several teams that could come right down to the wire. That should build even more anticipation into a season that can’t get started soon enough.

Lead photo by

 John E. Sokolowski/Imagn Images