Is your MLB team a legitimate contender or setting you up for a season of disappointment? Some teams, everyone can agree on — others, not so much.
Heading into the 2026 season, we asked our MLB experts to . Some choices were no-brainers, such as the unanimous No. 1 — and the unanimous No. 30 . But in between, the rankings for a handful of clubs were all over the board.
With that in mind, we identified the five most polarizing teams of 2026 — and asked the voters who were highest and lowest on each to make the case for why we should (or shouldn’t) believe in the team meeting expectations for the season ahead.
Overall ranking: 9
High ranking (3): I believe Boston will outperform that ranking for two reasons: The Red Sox might have the best starting rotation in baseball and the offense, anchored by , will be better than most expect.
Remember, this is a team that won 89 games last season despite the debacle, missing nearly two months, and Anthony being on the injured list the final month after not joining the team until June. is arguably the best pitcher in the world not named or . Anthony, still just 21, will establish himself as one of the premier hitters in the sport if he stays healthy.
Yes, the Red Sox botched the Devers situation and their attempt to re-sign Bregman. And yet they should contend this season — and for years to come. — Jorge Castillo
Low ranking (13): FanGraphs projects the Red Sox to score 4.6 runs per game, and I’m taking the under. They have only two hitters I can promise will post an above-average batting line against both sides of the platoon — Roman Anthony and . And that’s because I see potential landmines.
What if doesn’t outperform his underlying metrics again (.741 OPS, .684 deserved OPS)? What if and don’t improve against lefties (.618 combined OPS)? What if hits like he did after the All-Star break (.619 OPS)?
For Boston to score enough to hang with the Yankees, Blue Jays and Orioles, several low-probability bets need to cash. — Paul Hembekides
Overall ranking: 11
High ranking (5): Overlook the Brewers — who won 97 games last year, most in the majors — at your own peril. The offense puts the ball in play. They play defense. They always steal a few wins on the bases. The bullpen, with and leading the way, projects as one of the best. The starting rotation will be key in determining whether Milwaukee can again exceed expectations.
, and , each with less than a year of MLB experience, are near the top of the rotation. , and add more youth, with the lone veteran.
“We’re inexperienced,” manager Pat Murphy said, “but that doesn’t mean we’re not good.” Agreed. — David Schoenfield
Low ranking (16): At some point, the Brewers’ budget-conscious approach to roster construction has to come back to haunt them. Since July 2022, they’ve traded away , , and now , leaving themselves as inexperienced on the pitching side as they’ve been in years.
Ask yourself, how many current members of the Brewers’ rotation can you name? I look at their roster and don’t see anything much more interesting than what you’d find on the Reds or Pirates, meaning this National League Central should be tighter than it has been the past couple of years. And since I’m pro-Pirates as far as playoff entrants, the Brewers are the logical team left out. — Tristan Cockcroft
Overall ranking: 13
High ranking (9): I don’t believe the Astros are going to make the playoffs in 2026, but they are, in some respects, still the Astros.
They missed out on the postseason last year due to a tiebreaker, and that was with , one the game’s best hitters, finishing the season with only six home runs due to injuries. , acquired from the Twins last year, and were also hurt for portions of the season. returns to second base, where he belongs.
The starting pitching isn’t what it once was, but emerged as a legitimate ace last year. and , each intriguing starters, were added to the rotation. The Astros have a chance to be in the thick of the AL wild-card race again this year. — Tim Kurkjian
Low ranking (19): It’s hard to believe that it’s in any way polarizing to pick the Astros to finish third in the AL West. It’s hard to believe that it’s in any way polarizing to pick the Astros to miss the playoffs, even though that’s exactly what happened last season and their thin roster is even thinner now.
With in Detroit, this is a team with one established starting pitcher (Brown) and a lineup that’s either old (Altuve), unproven () or recently refurbished (Alvarez). The Astros had a good, long run, but it’s over. Don’t live in the past. — Tim Keown
Overall ranking: 18
High ranking (13): ‘s elbow surgery is a big hit to the Reds, who crawled their way into the postseason last year. But there are a lot of reasons to believe that this lineup could be more consistent, more productive. Slugger is here, and he’s here to stay. is one more year removed from surgery and has looked great this spring. might have concerned teams during free agency because of his age and defense, but the guy hit 49 homers last year, and to have him drop into the Reds’ laps on a one-year deal was a gift Terry Francona welcomed with open arms. And I think will take a big step forward this year, benefitting from the improved depth around him. — Buster Olney
Low ranking (24): De La Cruz is a star, might become an ace this year, and I think Stewart will make a run at National League Rookie of the Year. That said, I’m not that bullish on the rest of this roster right now, especially after Greene’s injury. The Reds have a nice collection of young players that I like, but I’m not sure this is a playoff team in 2026; it’s feeling more like 2027 to me. — Kiley McDaniel
Overall ranking: 22
High ranking (13): I love Pittsburgh’s depth of impact-level starting pitching along with the highs that the lineup can deliver with (as a hitter only, right now) and eventually Konnor Griffin. But the real innovation this year is that the Pirates’ roster is now much deeper.
The lineup has professional, accomplished big league hitters, with the additions of , and , and plenty of youngsters who can break into the mix in the second half. There’s upside here! — McDaniel
Low ranking (24): All this talk that the Pirates have improved enough offensively to make the postseason is hogwash. Sure, Griffin might come up and win NL Rookie of the Year, but Ozuna could also look every bit of his age (35). And the bottom of the order is still nothing to write home about.
They’re improved. In some areas. Great. They’re still not good enough to contend for the postseason and have already lost a Paul Skenes start. They can’t do that very often and expect to make noise in 2026. — Jesse Rogers
