![\"Nolan](\"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/mlb\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/GettyImages-2236475210.jpg\")
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Mets pitcher Nolan McLean is a strong NL ROY contender, with top-15 fantasy SP upside. Ishika Samant \/ Getty Images<\/p>\n
March 23, 2026 6:05 am EDT<\/p>\n
With Opening Day 2026 finally approaching, it\u2019s time for me to rattle off some irresponsible MLB and fantasy predictions for the upcoming season.<\/p>\n
National League East predictionsNL East standings NLCS: Dodgers over Mets<\/p>\n MVP: Shohei Ohtani<\/p>\n Cy Young: Paul Skenes<\/p>\n Rookie of the Year: Nolan McLean<\/p>\n World Series: Yankees over Dodgers<\/p>\n Mar 23, 2026<\/p>\n Connections: Sports Edition<\/p>\n Spot the pattern. Connect the terms<\/p>\n Find the hidden link between sports terms<\/p>\n Play today’s puzzle<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Mets pitcher Nolan McLean is a strong NL ROY contender, with top-15 fantasy SP upside. Ishika Samant \/…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":638718,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[2290],"tags":[5,28],"class_list":{"0":"post-638717","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-baseball","8":"tag-baseball","9":"tag-fantasy-baseball"},"share_on_mastodon":{"url":"https:\/\/channels.im\/@mlb\/116278030307745756","error":""},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/mlb\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/638717","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/mlb\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/mlb\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/mlb\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/mlb\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=638717"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/mlb\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/638717\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/mlb\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/638718"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/mlb\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=638717"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/mlb\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=638717"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/mlb\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=638717"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}
\nNew York Mets
\nPhiladelphia Phillies (wild card)
\nAtlanta Braves (wild card)
\nMiami Marlins
\nWashington Nationals
\nNew York Mets
\nJuan Soto remains one of the league\u2019s best hitters but returns to the 15-20 stolen base range.
\nFantasy managers benefit from Bo Bichette gaining 3B eligibility, as shortstop is far deeper.
\nJorge Polanco and Marcus Semien easily outperform their modest ADPs, but Francisco Lindor sees his power drop after hamate surgery.
\nNolan McLean finishes as a top-15 fantasy SP and wins Rookie of the Year; Devin Williams bounces back and is a top-three fantasy closer.
\nJonah Tong emerges as New York\u2019s third-best starter after the All-Star break, when he requires an expensive free-agent bid.
\nThe Mets have strong offensive and pitching depth, helping New York win a tightly contested NL East.
\nPhiladelphia Phillies
\nTrea Turner has a better fantasy season than Lindor, while Alec Bohm is a sleeper at a thin third base.
\nAdolis Garc\u00eda is an outfielder to target after Bryson Stott finishes as a top-five fantasy second baseman, ahead of Ozzie Albies.
\nJustin Crawford swipes 35 bases, while Jhoan Duran records 35 saves.
\nJes\u00fas Luzardo has a superior fantasy season to Cristopher S\u00e1nchez, who goes 50 picks earlier in drafts.
\nThe Phillies win a wild-card spot, and their ceiling will come down to Zack Wheeler\u2019s health \u2014 returning from thoracic outlet surgery (the less severe version).
\nAtlanta Braves
\nRonald Acu\u00f1a hit 41 homers and stole 73 bases three years ago and is now further removed from his second knee surgery. He\u2019s still just 28 years old, and Atlanta plans on being far more aggressive on the base paths<\/a> this season. Acu\u00f1a is a heightened health risk, but he enters the season with the most fantasy upside of any player in baseball.
\nAustin Riley has a better fantasy season than Junior Caminero, while Drake Baldwin finishes as a top-five fantasy catcher, ahead of Hunter Goodman.
\nChris Sale is a top-five fantasy SP, but Spencer Strider sadly cannot recapture his old form.
\nRaisel Iglesias keeps the closer\u2019s role all season; Grant Holmes and Didier Fuentes are deep fantasy sleepers.
\nThe Braves enter the season as one of the consensus potential bounce-back candidates<\/a>, coming off back-to-back seemingly cursed seasons with injuries. But Atlanta promptly lost Spencer Schwellenbach and Hurston Waldrep in spring training, when Jurickson Profar was also suspended for 2026. Their entire staff (outside of Holmes) has seen a drop in velocity this spring<\/a> as well. Still, the Braves should have enough offense to win a wild-card spot.
\nMiami Marlins
\nXavier Edwards steals 40+ bases, but Kyle Stowers doesn\u2019t live up to his ADP<\/a> (sandwiched between Michael Harris and Teoscar Hern\u00e1ndez).
\nAgust\u00edn Ram\u00edrez remains productive for fantasy managers despite a poor batting average, but his shaky defense results in a move to a mostly DH role once Joe Mack is called up.
\nBraxton Garrett has a better fantasy season than Sandy Alcantara; Pete Fairbanks is a top-10 fantasy closer before being traded at the deadline.
\nThe Marlins remain in perpetual rebuild mode.
\nWashington Nationals
\nJames Wood has undeniable fantasy upside, but he had a 39.0 K% in the second half last year. Ryan McMahon finished with the league\u2019s worst K rate last season at 32.3%. Wood hit .223 after the ASB despite a .362 BABIP. He shouldn\u2019t be going ahead<\/a> of Wyatt Langford and\/or Brent Rooker \u2013 and maybe not even Jarren Duran. The rest of his line will be ugly, but Nasim Nu\u00f1ez is the cheapest source of 30+ steals.
\nCade Cavalli becomes useful in deeper leagues, but no reliever emerges as a viable fantasy closer in Washington.
\nThe Nationals battle for the league\u2019s worst record.
\nNational League Central predictionsNL Central standings
\nChicago Cubs
\nMilwaukee Brewers
\nPittsburgh Pirates
\nCincinnati Reds
\nSt. Louis Cardinals
\nChicago Cubs
\nPete Crow-Armstrong hit .265 with 25 homers and 27 steals (131 wRC+) before the All-Star break last season, but he hit .216 with six HRs and eight SBs (72 wRC+) afterward. His plate discipline didn\u2019t dramatically decline in the second half, and PCA\u2019s elite defense ensures his name in Chicago\u2019s daily lineup. Crow-Armstrong is this year\u2019s biggest boom\/bust fantasy pick (ADP: 30).
\nAlex Bregman\u2019s fantasy value takes a hit with the move to Wrigley Field, but Daniel Palencia is a top-10 fantasy closer.
\nEdward Cabrera emerges as Chicago\u2019s ace, finishing as a top-25 fantasy starter.
\nThe Cubs likely have the best defensive team in the NL and retake the Central Division in 2026.
\nMilwaukee Brewers
\nJackson Chourio went 20-HR\/20-SB despite missing 30+ games as a 21-year-old last season, and he\u2019s also a plus in batting average. He should be drafted as a top-15 fantasy player, ahead of Junior Caminero, Corbin Carroll, Cal Raleigh and others with higher ADPs.<\/a>
\nChristian Yelich goes 30-HR\/20-SB and is a draft-day steal, but Brice Turang disappoints fantasy managers coming off his career year.
\nJacob Misiorowski becomes Milwaukee\u2019s clear ace in 2026, finishing as a top-15 fantasy starter.
\nKyle Harrison is a former prospect who\u2019s added velocity and a new pitch. His ugly ERA in spring is accompanied by elite peripherals. Only Seattle boosts strikeouts more than Milwaukee, which also boasts a terrific pitching system. Harrison is a fantasy sleeper.
\nThe Brewers\u2019 future looks bright, having two of the best young prospects up the middle (Jes\u00fas Made and Luis Pe\u00f1a), but they fall out of the postseason in 2026.
\nPittsburgh Pirates
\nBryan Reynolds bounces back and is a top-25 fantasy outfielder, but Marcell Ozuna struggles to rebound with MLB\u2019s toughest park on righty power now his home.
\nKonnor Griffin might have the widest range of outcomes among all fantasy players, as he could hit 15 homers and steal 40+ bases, or he could spend the first few months of the season in the minors.
\nPaul Skenes pitches deeper into games and records more wins in 2026, when he secures his second consecutive Cy Young Award.
\nBraxton Ashcraft and Bubba Chandler have real potential, so the Pirates could make a wild-card run. PECOTA<\/a> and FanGraphs<\/a> both project Pittsburgh to finish ahead of Milwaukee this season.
\nCincinnati Reds
\nElly De La Cruz posted a .621 OPS with just three homers over the final two months (52 games) last season, and it was later revealed he was playing through a partially torn quad<\/a> over that timeframe. De La Cruz has also gone from a batting-average risk to having positive projections in batting average. A 30-HR\/60-SB season is coming.
\nEugenio Su\u00e1rez experienced a huge upgrade in home parks going from Seattle back to Cincinnati, while Sal Stewart goes 25-HR\/15-SB and finishes as a top-10 fantasy first baseman.
\nMatt McLain disappoints those who jumped his ADP thanks to a white-hot spring, as injuries continue to be a problem.
\nNoelvi Marte is a fantasy bust<\/a>.
\nChase Burns will be slow-played early in 2026, but he also has the upside to finish as a top-10 fantasy SP<\/a> despite pitching in Great American \u201cSmallpark.\u201d
\nLosing Hunter Greene was a devastating blow to the Reds, who battle the Cardinals for last in the NL Central.
\nSt. Louis Cardinals
\nThe Cardinals are missing fantasy stars, although Alec Burleson is a bit underrated.
\nIt\u2019s possible Jordan Walker breaks out one of these years, but he\u2019s continued to look lost at the plate in spring training.
\nSt. Louis\u2019 starting staff offers little to the fantasy community (although Matthew Liberatore has emerged as a deep sleeper), while no reliever reaches 15 saves.
\nThe Cardinals finish last in their division.
\nNational League West predictionsNL West standings
\nLos Angeles Dodgers
\nSan Francisco Giants (wild card)
\nSan Diego Padres
\nArizona Diamondbacks
\nColorado Rockies
\nLos Angeles Dodgers
\nThe smart money is on Shohei Ohtani to win yet another MVP award, especially with him scheduled to pitch far more in 2026. However, that will also likely result in less running by Ohtani<\/a>, making Aaron Judge a viable choice as the No. 1 pick in most fantasy drafts (Ohtani is a true cheat code in ESPN daily formats).
\nKyle Tucker saw a massive upgrade<\/a> going from Wrigley Field to Dodger Stadium, and he\u2019ll also join a stacked lineup. Injuries remain a concern, but I rank Tucker as a top-10 player<\/a> entering 2026.
\nMookie Betts and Freddie Freeman prove to be terrific values, while Teoscar Hern\u00e1ndez provides one of the biggest returns on investment in fantasy drafts. Hern\u00e1ndez finishes as a top-15 fantasy outfielder.
\nNo pitcher on the Dodgers reaches 160 innings, but every starter outside of Roki Sasaki is a huge fantasy help when on the mound. Emmet Sheehan\u2019s velocity was down during his last spring start, but he finishes as a top-20 fantasy starter if health cooperates.
\nEdwin D\u00edaz leads MLB in saves.
\nThe Dodgers are comically loaded and enter about as big of favorites (+230) as possible in a sport that increases variance when its sample size drops dramatically in the postseason. Los Angeles wins the National League but loses in the World Series in 2026.
\nSan Francisco Giants
\nSan Francisco\u2019s hitters are hindered by playing in a tough pitcher\u2019s park that limits power and run scoring. Willy Adames overcame Oracle Park last year when he was the first Giant to reach 30 homers since Barry Bonds in 2004. However, Rafael Devers hit just .234 over 175 at-bats after being traded to San Francisco. The park (and dense air) may not matter to Bryce Eldridge, who possesses light-tower power and swats 25 homers as a rookie.
\nConversely, Giants pitchers benefit greatly from Oracle Park and the game\u2019s best defensive catcher. Logan Webb finishes as a top-10 fantasy SP, while Tyler Mahle, Landen Roupp and Adrian Houser are fantasy sleepers, especially in daily transaction leagues where they can be started solely at home.
\nRyan Walker bounces back and records 30 saves.
\nSan Francisco\u2019s new manager, Tony Vitello, was an unconventional hire with zero MLB experience at any level, but the risk pays off with a wild-card berth.
\nSan Diego Padres
\nFernando Tatis goes down as the best second-round fantasy pick, and he re-enters the first next year.
\nXander Bogaerts has become an afterthought in fantasy drafts, but he\u2019s a major profit in 2026.
\nMichael King has a better fantasy season than Nick Pivetta, who\u2019s drafted 50 picks earlier.
\nThe Padres severely lack pitching depth, and Joe Musgrove\u2019s uncertain health status is a blow to San Diego\u2019s playoff hopes.
\nArizona Diamondbacks
\nGeraldo Perdomo is a regression candidate who required 720 plate appearances to reach 20 homers during his career year. His new ADP (~65) looks awfully risky, especially at a loaded shortstop position.
\nCorbin Carroll may be an even bigger risk coming off hamate surgery, as he was vague while calling his hand injury \u201cmanageable<\/a>\u201d after recently returning to the field. I\u2019m out at Carroll\u2019s ADP.
\nZac Gallen bounces back in an otherwise shaky rotation, while Paul Sewald leads Arizona with 20+ saves.
\nThe Diamondbacks battle the Padres for third place in the West.
\nColorado Rockies
\nCoors Field remains a cheat code for Rockies hitters, making Mickey Moniak, Jake McCarthy, Jordan Beck and Willi Castro all fantasy sleepers.
\nMcCarthy steals 30+ bases, and all become even more valuable in daily transaction leagues.
\nBrenton Doyle and Ezequiel Tovar both bounce back, finishing as a top-25 outfielder and a top-15 shortstop, respectively.
\nRockies pitchers can all be ignored thanks to Coors Field.
\nColorado just hopes not to post MLB\u2019s worst record in 2026.
\nMore predictions<\/p>\n<\/p>\n