Right now, we have a blank slate. I’m not going to get really crazy and say anything can happen, but who knows? There are bound to be things that take place that we certainly didn’t see coming. Let’s try to predict what those might be by going through some bold predictions for the 2026 MLB season.
James Wood Wins the National League MVP
The talent and the upside are both huge. Wood enters his age-23 season and is currently projected to bat leadoff for the Washington Nationals. He finished with 31 home runs, 94 RBI, 87 runs scored, and 15 stolen bases last year while hitting .256 in his first full MLB season. This year, the Nationals are going to let him loose, and Wood’s 14.8% barrel rate will follow.
The Pittsburgh Pirates Make the Playoffs
When you have Paul Skenes, there shouldn’t be anything to worry about every fifth day. The Pittsburgh Pirates are more than just their ace, though, as they have a plethora of young pitching in the form of Bubba Chandler and Braxton Ashcraft to go along with Mitch Keller. Their lineup is solid, and Konnor Griffin is coming. Get ready for it.
Riley Greene Wins the American League MVP
This season, the Detroit Tigers aren’t going to collapse at the end of the season. Instead, they’ll secure a division title, and Riley Greene figures to play a big part in that. Last season, Greene hit 36 home runs to go along with 111 RBI, and the outfielder simply deserves more attention.
Jasson Dominguez Outperforms Trent Grisham
Regardless of what they say, it’s unclear that the New York Yankees actually wanted Trent Grisham to accept the qualifying offer. He did, and it ultimately sealed Jasson Dominguez’s fate to go to Triple-A. That’s despite the fact that Dominguez tore it up this spring, hitting .333 with three home runs and 10 RBI. By the end of the season, I’m expecting Dominguez to play every day and Grisham to be on the bench.
