2026 Season Predictions

    As we get closer to the start of the 2026 MLB season, I would like to make a handful of predictions as to what will happen. I'm historically bad at predicting, as some of my earlier posts have shown, but I'd like to take my guesses anyway. I've paid little attention to what's been going on in the MLB recently, so forgive me if I'm leaving somebody important out. Without further ado, here we go!

World Series Matchup: Dodgers vs. Tigers

    I think the Dodgers coming out of the NL is kind of a default prediction. I like going against the odds sometimes, but I would be disrespecting Dodger fans if I didn't predict them. They've put together one of the best teams the world has ever seen (if not the best, I'm not qualified to guess on that), and I think they could realistically win 120 games this year.

    The Tigers are a little more of a toss-up, but I like the team they have. With the exception of Riley Greene, they seem to abide by playing small-ball, which I have much respect for. The Skubal/Framber stack is going to be one heck of a one-two punch. 

    I think the Dodgers are going to have a three-peat and defeat the Tigers in six games.

Rookies of the Year:
NL: Nolan McLean
AL: Trey Yesavage
    I have two pitches taking home the Rookie of the Year awards. I think Nolan McLean might actually be a top-ten starting pitcher this season. His pitches have an absurd amount of movement, and in his 48 innings in 2025, McLean pitched to a 2.06 ERA and struck out 57 batters. I'm really high on this player moving forward.    

    Yesavage was a beast in the postseason. He throws really hard and has a great breaking ball along with the ability to perform well under pressure. These two pitchers might be winning Cy Young Awards in the near future.

Cy Young Award Winners:
NL: Paul Skenes
AL: Tarik Skubal

    These are likely the two best pitchers on the planet (though I'm not sleeping on Yamamoto). They might be my picks for a long time, barring any injury. They both throw hard and have nasty secondary pitches, as well as incredible control. Imagine if they were playing on the same team. 

Most Valuable Players:
NL: Shohei Ohtani
AL: Aaron Judge

    Again, these are default predictions. Shohei will be both hitting and pitching for the Dodgers, and Judge is consistently awesome. I'm not counting out players such as Bobby Witt Jr, Juan Soto, Gunnar Henderson, Ronald Acuna Jr, Jose Ramirez or Elly De La Cruz, but they will need to have otherworldly seasons to dethrone Judge and Ohtani.

    That does it for my season predictions! The season doesn't kick off for three weeks, but I'd like to get them out early. Let me know if you think differently on any of them, and rest assured knowing I have cards to show off for the next post. Until then, have a great week, thanks for checking out the blog, and happy collecting!