MLB 2026 New Year's Resolutions for All 30 Teams
Welcome, everyone, to the year 2026. And if Major League Baseball was a person, it would be waking up today knowing full well that it has a hard act to follow.
The 2025 MLB season was truly an all-timer, featuring everything from a catcher hitting 60 home runs to Aaron Judge and Shohei Ohtani doing their thing to one of the best World Series ever played. If the league is going to improve on that, then everyone will need to do better.
With this in mind, let's make New Year's Resolutions for all 30 teams in the league.
This is one of those "you know the drill" things. Anything goes, so long as the commitment is to doing something better in 2026 than each team did in 2025. Specific? More general? It's all in play here.
We'll go division by division, starting in the American League East and ending in the National League West.
American League East
1 of 6
Baltimore Orioles: Make the Offense Come Alive Again
2025 Record: 75-87, 5th in AL East
Offseason Summary: Signed 1B Pete Alonso, RHP Ryan Helsley, RHP Zach Eflin; traded for LF Taylor Ward, RHP Shane Baz
There was a lot of griping about the Orioles' pitching throughout 2025, and justifiably so. It finished with a 4.62 ERA, the fifth-worst in all of MLB.
What was really a drag, though, was just how bad the offense got. After ranking second in the AL in scoring in 2024, it sank all the way to 11th. It simply has to be better in 2026, and that can't all be up to newcomers Alonso and Ward. Basically every single one of the Orioles' incumbents needs to have a better year.
Boston Red Sox: Make 'Em Forget About the Rafael Devers Trade
2025 Record: 89-73, 3rd in AL East
Offseason Summary: Traded for RHP Sonny Gray, 1B Willson Contreras
The Red Sox's trade of Devers back in June didn't come out of nowhere, but it was still shocking. And even if it didn't cost them a playoff spot, his power was clearly missed as Boston was losing to the New York Yankees in the AL Wild Card Series.
It's a new year, but the Red Sox didn't get much out of the Devers deal, and the guy who took his spot at third base is a free agent. So if the Red Sox are going to help their fans get over the trade, they need to start now by either re-signing Alex Bregman or filling his shoes with someone else, such as Bo Bichette.
New York Yankees: Don't Make Aaron Judge Do It All
2025 Record: 94-68, T-1st in AL East
Offseason Summary: Signed CF Trent Grisham, INF Amed Rosario, RHP Paul Blackburn, LHP Ryan Yarbrough
Judge has been with the Yankees for 10 years now, and the general theme of recent seasons—not counting when he had Juan Soto at his side in 2024—has been one of him carrying too much weight even for his broad shoulders.
From how they've acted this winter, the Yankees are either fine with this or blissfully ignorant of it. But they might still bail themselves out with a blockbuster move for, say, Kyle Tucker. If not, maybe a Jasson Domínguez or a Spencer Jones breakout will do it for them.
Tampa Bay Rays: Keep Shane McClanahan Healthy
2025 Record: 77-85, 4th in AL East
Offseason Summary: Signed CF Cedric Mullins, LHP Steven Matz, OF Jake Fraley
McClanahan's last performance on a major league mound was… let's see here… no, that can't be right… yeah, it actually says August 2, 2023. That was more than two years ago.
The lefty has gone through Hell in his recovery from Tommy John surgery, which makes it hard to take anything for granted going forward. But if he can somehow stay healthy, the Rays stand to once again have one of the most electric lefties in the league leading their rotation.
Toronto Blue Jays: Knock It Off with the Late Long Balls
2025 Record: 94-68, T-1st in AL East, AL Champs
Offseason Summary: Signed RHP Dylan Cease, RHP Cody Ponce, RHP Tyler Rogers
The Blue Jays were the best team in the American League last year, and it doesn't feel like a hot take to say that they were the better team in the World Series. They even outscored the Los Angeles Dodgers, 34-26.
And yet, it was on brand for the Blue Jays to be sunk by a couple of late home runs. Specifically, it was on brand for closer Jeff Hoffman, who gave up 15 homers in 68.0 regular season innings before that fateful shot off Miguel Rojas' bat.
American League Central
2 of 6
Chicago White Sox: Be Right About Munetaka Murakami
2025 Record: 60-102, 5th in AL Central
Offseason Summary: Signed 1B Munetaka Murakami, LHP Anthony Kay, LHP Sean Newcomb
Had anyone predicted that Murakami would sign with the White Sox for two years, $34 million back when he was posted, the ridicule would have been endless. He was meant to be for contenders only, and surely for nothing less than nine figures.
Clearly, the actual market felt differently about the lefty slugger out of Japan. You therefore have to hand it to the South Siders for saying, "Screw it, we'll take the chance." And if they hit on their bet, they stand to gain a 40-homer slugger to an offense that was already on an upward trajectory at the end of 2025.
Cleveland Guardians: Please Get Some Offense from the Outfield
2025 Record: 88-74, 1st in AL Central
Offseason Summary: Signed C Austin Hedges, RHP Shawn Armstrong
No disrespect to Steven Kwan, who's a magician with a bat in his hand. But the Guardians have been lacking in pure thump from their outfield for what seems like forever. Their outfield slugged .341 in 2025, the worst in the AL.
Could George Valera and Chase DeLauter be the solution? If they live up to their potential, yes. But both of them are prospects, and there's a reason we say that prospects will break your heart.
Detroit Tigers: Make Tarik Skubal's Walk Year Count
2025 Record: 87-75, 2nd in AL Central
Offseason Summary: Signed 2B Gleyber Torres, RHP Kenley Jansen, RHP Kyle Finnegan, RHP Drew Anderson
It's been a minute since there were any fresh trade rumors concerning Skubal, so maybe the Tigers are serious about keeping him for his last year before free agency. It's as if they've reasoned that it's a good thing to have a two-time Cy Young Award winner around.
But if they are going to keep Skubal, all the pressure will be on them to make it count. If that doesn't come in the form of a World Series, then it must come in the form of a blockbuster trade at the deadline.
Kansas City Royals: Same as the Guardians, Honestly
2025 Record: 82-80, 3rd in AL Central
Offseason Summary: Signed OF Lane Thomas; traded for LHP Matt Strahm, OF Isaac Collins
As lifeless as Cleveland outfielders were in 2025, Royals outfielders were somehow even worse at the plate. Their .285 OBP was the worst in baseball, and they actually produced one less homer than their counterparts in Cleveland.
One isn't so sure whether Thomas and Collins are going to move the needle in 2026, but Jac Caglianone might. After smashing his way to the majors less than a year after he was drafted in 2024, he's a prime candidate for a post-hype breakout.
Minnesota Twins: Win Back Your Fans
2025 Record: 70-92, 4th in AL Central
Offseason Summary: Signed 1B Josh Bell
Not even two years after winning their first playoff series in 21 years, the Twins blew it up last summer. It wasn't the wrong call in a vacuum, but the severity of it was still jarring for a fan base that has put up with a lot throughout the last 30 years.
Twins fans don't have much in the way of hope going into 2026, so they'll just have to hope to be pleasantly surprised. To this end, there's good stuff awaiting in the club's much-improved farm system, and it's not the worst thing that the lineup skews younger.
American League West
3 of 6
Athletics: Play Better at Home
2025 Record: 76-86, 4th in AL West
Offseason Summary: Signed RHP Mark Leiter Jr.; traded for 2B Jeff McNeil
The A's aren't happy about having to play games at Sutter Health Park, but they're stuck there for two more seasons. Their only recourse is to quit their bellyaching and play better at home.
They struggled mightily to do so in 2025, racking up a .444 winning percentage at home that ranked ahead of only three other teams. If they're going to make the leap to contention in 2026, they need to start there.
Houston Astros: Keep Yordan Alvarez Healthy
2025 Record: 87-75, 2nd in AL West
Offseason Summary: Signed RHP Nate Pearson, RHP Ryan Weiss; traded for INF Nick Allen, RHP Mike Burrows
In 2025, the Astros hit all sorts of headwinds in falling short of the postseason for the first time since 2016. But what really hurt was getting only 48 games and 0.7 rWAR out of Alvarez, who was hurt for much of the year.
Injuries are always going to be a threat for Alvarez, but the Astros committed an own goal with how they handled the slugger last year. Suffice it to say that the next time he says he can play through pain, they need to push back. The last thing they need is a repeat of this year's hand drama.
Los Angeles Angels: Pick a Lane
2025 Record: 72-90, 5th in AL West
Offseason Summary: Signed RHP Alek Manoah, LHP Drew Pomeranz, RHP Jordan Romano, RHP Kirby Yates; traded for RHP Grayson Rodriguez, 2B Vaughn Grissom
The Angels somehow squandered the primes of both Mike Trout and Shohei Ohtani, and now they're in "I'm not owned!" mode. Rarely do purported contenders look as utterly lost as they are right now.
Then again, they did experience a nine-win swing from 2024 to 2025. Another one of those would at least make them a wild card contender. If that doesn't pan out, someone will need to get in Arte Moreno's ear and scream-beg him to finally blow it all up and start fresh—or even better, sell the team so someone else can.
Seattle Mariners: Turn the Rotation's Clock Back to 2024
2025 Record: 90-72, 1st in AL West
Offseason Summary: Signed 1B Josh Naylor, OF Rob Refsnyder, C Andrew Knizner; traded for LHP Jose A. Ferrer
The Mariners dang near made it to the World Series in 2025, and the best-case scenario for 2026 is pretty obvious. It combines the excellent offense they got last year with the excellent pitching they got the year before.
This mostly comes down to a rotation that is full of rebound candidates, but the team would be wise not to ask for too much. A heavy workload burned out Bryan Woo in 2025, and heavy workloads from 2024 may have played a part in injuries to Logan Gilbert, George Kirby and Bryce Miller.
Texas Rangers: Get the Young Guys Rolling
2025 Record: 81-81, 3rd in AL West
Offseason Summary: Signed RHP Chris Martin, C Danny Jansen, RHP Alexis Díaz; traded for LF Brandon Nimmo
The Rangers have undergone something of a makeover this winter, and it's only going to work out if incumbent stars like Jacob deGrom and Corey Seager get a boost from the youth movement the team tried and failed to pull off in 2025.
Not you, Wyatt Langford. You're awesome. But Evan Carter needs to be the star he teased himself as in 2023, while Jack Leiter and Kumar Rocker badly need to live up to the fading promise of their glory days as the dual aces of the Vanderbilt Commodores.
National League East
4 of 6
Atlanta Braves: Remember That Your Offense Is Good, Actually
2025 Record: 76-86, 4th in NL East
Offseason Summary: Signed RHP Raisel Iglesias, SS Ha-Seong Kim, RHP Robert Suarez, OF Mike Yastrzemski; traded for INF/OF Mauricio Dubón
We all know the story. The Braves had one of the greatest offenses of all time in 2023. And even though none of the key members left, that same offense ranked eighth in the NL in scoring in 2024 and only improved to seventh in 2025.
On the plus side, it found its groove in time to rank sixth in all of MLB in scoring during the second half of last season. If Ronald Acuña Jr., Matt Olson, Michael Harris II, Drake Baldwin and Jurickson Profar keep cooking and Austin Riley stays healthy, then watch out.
Miami Marlins: Keep Sandy Alcantara on Track
2025 Record: 79-83, 3rd in NL East
Offseason Summary: Signed RHP Pete Fairbanks, 1B/OF Christopher Morel
If the Marlins are going to make the leap this year, it will be because of their pitching. One is especially excited for Eury Pérez, who should be fully recovered from Tommy John surgery after returning midway through 2025.
But the real key will be Alcantara, who has largely been injured and ineffective since winning the NL Cy Young Award in 2022. Yet he did find something late in 2025 as he posted a 2.68 ERA over his last eight starts. The Marlins need him to carry over that momentum if they want their decision not to trade him to be justified.
New York Mets: Prevent More Runs
2025 Record: 83-79, 2nd in NL East
Offseason Summary: Signed RHP Devin Williams, 1B Jorge Polanco, RHP Luke Weaver; traded for 2B Marcus Semien
The Mets definitely look different than they did in 2025, but whether they'll be any better will come down to the whole point of their different look. For David Stearns, it's about getting better at preventing runs.
This is often easier said than done, but having Semien in a double play combination with Francisco Lindor can only help. Otherwise, this club badly needs the young arms of Nolan McLean, Jonah Tong and Brandon Sproat to shine as brightly as they can in 2026.
Philadelphia Phillies: Come On, Win At Least One Playoff Series
2025 Record: 96-66, 1st in NL East
Offseason Summary: Signed DH Kyle Schwarber, RF Adolis García, RHP Brad Keller
It isn't often that a team can experience four straight years of gains in the win column, and yet be trending backward nonetheless. Yet instead of wholesale change, the Phillies have largely pursued more of the same this winter.
This is either misguided foolery, or well-earned trust in what they have in-house already—including upcoming prospects Justin Crawford and Andrew Painter. Either way, the goal is the same: win a playoff series for the first time since 2023, and hopefully get back to the World Series for the first time since 2022.
Washington Nationals: Figure Out Dylan Crews
2025 Record: 66-96, 5th in NL East
Offseason Summary: Signed RHP Foster Griffin; traded for C Harry Ford
The Nationals have been stuck in the NL East basement for the last six years, and it'll probably be a while before Paul Toboni gets them ready to come out. What would help, though, is if Crews lived up to his former billing as a No. 2 overall pick.
He darn well could have gone No. 1 over Paul Skenes back in 2023, but he just hasn't done much to stand out in either the minors or the majors since then. He's still only 23, but the Jarred Kelenic vibes will only feel stronger if he doesn't get his OPS up from .643.
National League Central
5 of 6
Chicago Cubs: Make 'Em Forget About Kyle Tucker
2025 Record: 92-70, 2nd in NL Central
Offseason Summary: Signed LHP Shota Imanaga, RHP Phil Maton, RHP Hunter Harvey, LHP Caleb Thielbar
Tucker's time on the North Side wasn't unforgettable, as he slumped for much of 2025 as he tried to play through pain. Yet the Cubs still got 4.6 rWAR out of him, so it's eyebrow-raising that they don't seem to care about re-signing or replacing him.
If the plan is to rely on in-house options to replace Tucker in the aggregate, then all eyes will be on Moisés Ballesteros and Owen Caissie. Both raked at Triple-A in 2025, and anything less than more of the same in the majors in 2026 could put the Cubs in serious trouble.
Cincinnati Reds: Don't Let Elly De La Cruz Do That Again
2025 Record: 83-79, 3rd in NL Central
Offseason Summary: Signed RHP Emilio Pagán, LHP Caleb Ferguson, OF JJ Bleday; traded for OF Dane Myers
It was hard to explain how De La Cruz went from superstar-level production in 2024 to merely star-level production in 2025. That is, until Nick Krall spilled the beans and revealed in November that his star shortstop played through a quad strain all year.
The Reds did make the playoffs, so perhaps one can reason that all's well that ends well. But since the team can't afford to buy star power on offense, they need to protect the ones they cultivate. And after this year, they have solid evidence that De La Cruz at 100 percent is a heck of a lot better than De La Cruz at a lesser percentage.
Milwaukee Brewers: Hit More Homers
2025 Record: 97-65, 1st in NL Central
Offseason Summary: Signed RHP Brandon Woodruff; traded for LHP Angel Zerpa
The Brewers haven't had a particularly exciting offseason, but it's hard to get too upset at a franchise that keeps beating expectations and winning division titles. They know what they're doing.
The one missing ingredient in recent years, however, has been power. The Brewers haven't cracked the top half of the NL in home runs in any of the last three seasons, and it is part of the reason they keep falling short of the World Series. In the 2025 NLCS, Shohei Ohtani outhomered the entire team in the last game alone.
Pittsburgh Pirates: Give the Paul Skenes Trade Rumors a Year Off
2025 Record: 71-91, 5th in NL Central
Offseason Summary: Signed 1B Ryan O'Hearn, LHP Gregory Soto; traded for 2B Brandon Lowe, OF Jake Mangum, OF Jhostynxon Garcia
Even two years into his career, the Pirates eventually trading Skenes feels less like an "if" thing and more like a "when" thing. There's no way they'll be able to extend him, and he's due to start getting expensive in 2027.
Yet even if they can't necessarily keep him long-term, the Bucs can at least hope to get people to stop talking about Skenes as a trade chip. Winning games would go a long way toward doing that, so it's been nice to see them taking that idea seriously with their actions this winter.
St. Louis Cardinals: Figure Out Jordan Walker
2025 Record: 78-84, 4th in NL Central
Offseason Summary: Signed RHP Dustin May
The Cardinals are going to be rebuilding for a while, and St. Louis fans can take comfort in how Chaim Bloom knows how to build up a farm system. But this rebuild needs to be more about stashing prospects, as the Cardinals also have existing talent to unlock.
To wit, Walker is still only 23 years old and under club control for four more seasons. He's been worth minus-2.7 rWAR since breaking in as a top prospect in 2023, mainly owing to bad defense and a disastrous tendency to swing and miss. But as long as the pure power is still there, the Cardinals need to hope they can still tap into it.
National League West
6 of 6
Arizona Diamondbacks: Figure Out the Bullpen
2025 Record: 80-82, 4th in NL West
Offseason Summary: Signed RHP Merrill Kelly, RHP Michael Soroka
The Diamondbacks didn't get good work out of their rotation in 2025, but at least you can look at what they have now and feel reasonably OK about 2026. If nothing else, it's good to have Merrill Kelly back.
But the bullpen? Yeesh. It had the fourth-highest ERA in the league last year, and it has gotten not one new addition this winter. If there's a master plan to get better results from the same thing, we'd honestly love to see it.
Colorado Rockies: Suck Less
2025 Record: 43-119, 5th in NL West
Offseason Summary: Traded for LHP Brennan Bernardino
I'd apologize for being so blunt, but the Rockies have simply become too much of an affront to good taste. Consecutive years of 103, 101 and 119 losses have made them a blight on baseball, and it's still hard to believe they hired the Jonah Hill guy to fix things.
If they're going to be a pleasant surprise in 2026, it's hard to see how. But then again, it's not like they can sink any lower… right? Right?
Los Angeles Dodgers: Don't Ask So Much from the Starters
2025 Record: 93-69, 1st in NL West, World Series Champs
Offseason Summary: Signed RHP Edwin Díaz
The Dodgers are the first two-time defending champs since the 1998-2000 New York Yankees, so any attempt to criticize them feels like an exercise in picking nits. You do you, guys.
Except, maybe this time don't lean as heavily on your starters upon reaching the playoffs. It worked in 2025—a 2.68 ERA over 104 innings is mighty impressive—but having to use four starters out of six total pitchers in a Game 7 can only happen if you really don't trust your bullpen.
San Diego Padres: Power Up
2025 Record: 90-72, 2nd in NL West
Offseason Summary: Signed RHP Michael King, INF Sung-Mun Song
The Padres had a good year in 2025 very much in spite of their offense, which had a 96 OPS-plus despite being better than most at hitting for average (.252) and getting on base (.321).
What was missing was power, and specifically home run power as the Padres ranked third from the bottom of MLB with a total of 152 long balls. Sans new sluggers in the lineup, they'll need more from guys who can hit more, including Jackson Merrill and hopefully Xander Bogaerts.
San Francisco Giants: Let Tony Vitello Cook
2025 Record: 81-81, 3rd in NL West
Offseason Summary: Signed RHP Adrian Houser, RHP Tyler Mahle; traded for C Daniel Susac
Are the Giants going to be good in 2026? It is honestly hard to say, given just how closely their roster resembles one that was so thoroughly mediocre in 2025. But if anyone holds the key, it has to be Vitello.
The Giants made him the first college coach to ever jump directly into a major league manager's chair, and they presumably didn't do so not to let him cook. But if he can get more out of this roster than anyone expects, it'll be the second time in the last six years that some kind of dark magic will have elevated the Giants.
Stats courtesy of Baseball Reference, FanGraphs and Baseball Savant.
