All 30 MLB Teams' Biggest Question Heading into 2026 Spring Training
The beginning of MLB spring training is not meant to be a time for skepticism. It's a new season! Everyone is tied for first! Hope springs eternal! And so on.
Every team has questions, however, and each also has one defining question.
We're going to acknowledge this by running through the biggest questions hanging over all 30 teams in the league. They hit on a variety of subjects, including individual players, more general strengths and weaknesses, and even more existential matters.
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: Did they neglect their starting pitching?
Even with Jackson Holliday on the shelf with a broken hamate, the Orioles' offense looks capital-S Stacked. Gunnar Henderson is the resident MVP candidate, and newcomers Pete Alonso and Taylor Ward could combine for as many as 70 home runs.
Yet despite frequently being linked to top-of-the-rotation types, Baltimore only came away from the offseason with Zach Eflin, Chris Bassitt and Shane Baz. A rotation that posted a 4.65 ERA in 2025 arguably needed a lot more.
Boston Red Sox: Did they neglect their offense?
The mirror universe of the Orioles is right there in Boston, where the Red Sox prioritized run prevention at the expense of their offense during the winter. Most notably, they lost Alex Bregman and basically shrugged at replacing him.
A superstar breakout by Roman Anthony and a return to form by Triston Casas could solve a lot of problems, to be sure. But given this team's resources, it's baffling that they didn't go after any big bats in free agency.
New York Yankees: Is running it back going to work?
If you only count free-agent signings and trade acquisitions, the Yankees have one new player on their 26-man roster. And with all respect to Ryan Weathers, that one guy is more of a project than a sure thing.
Despite projections that fancy the 2026 Yankees as a legitimate World Series contender, their fans are unsurprisingly uneasy. The team wasn't good enough in 2025, after all, and now everyone (including Aaron Judge) is a year older.
Tampa Bay Rays: How much will they miss Brandon Lowe?
Lowe is an imperfect player, but he's a steady power source from year to year. And so it went in 2025, when he launched 31 homers to finish second to Junior Caminero among Rays hitters.
The Rays didn't do anything to replace that power, which puts even more pressure on Caminero to carry a lineup that was basically average at scoring runs last season. That, in turn, puts pressure on the pitching to walk a tightrope every day.
Toronto Blue Jays: Did they peak last year?
The Blue Jays answered a lot of questions throughout the 2025 season, and it ultimately wasn't for lack of talent that they lost the World Series. It was one of the most balanced Fall Classics of all time, and somebody just plain had to lose.
That said, there were some 2023 Texas Rangers vibes at play here. And especially in a division as deep as the AL East, you can see how the only way the Blue Jays can go in 2026 is down.
American League Central
2 of 6
Chicago White Sox: Will Munetaka Murakami hit MLB pitching?
Nobody is expecting the White Sox to be good this year, but Murakami is the No. 1 reason why they could be a lot more watchable. On paper, his power tool is one of the best in the world.
In reality, well, we'll see. He struck out a lot even in the NPB in Japan, which typically has a lower strikeout rate than Major League Baseball. If he can't fix that, he could end up with a Joey Gallo-type profile.
Cleveland Guardians: Will they survive this season in one piece?
The reigning AL Central champions arguably deserve more respect. But then again, it's not our fault that they didn't do anything this winter—that is, unless you count cutting payroll as something.
Even if the Guardians put themselves in the race this summer, there will still be the question of who could get traded. It was Shane Bieber last year. This year, there's sure to be a crowd around Steven Kwan.
Detroit Tigers: Did they neglect their offense?
The Tigers took a page from the Red Sox and went all-in on run prevention this winter. Tarik Skubal was notably not traded, and now he's flanked by Framber Valdez and Justin Verlander. That's a legitimately fun trio.
However, the Tigers flamed out in the ALDS last year because Kerry Carpenter was the only one doing any hitting. They're nonetheless running it back with the same offense, meaning the same faults (i.e., lots of strikeouts) are still there.
Kansas City Royals: Will the new fences ruin their biggest strength?
They're finally bringing in the fences at Kauffman Stadium, and that figures to be good news for Bobby Witt Jr., Salvador Perez, Vinnie Pasquantino, Jac Caglianone and Carter Jensen.
It's on the strength of their pitching, though, that the Royals have had winning seasons two years in a row. They're still strong on the mound on paper, but a less friendly environment at home could alter the equation.
Minnesota Twins: What even is the goal for 2026?
The Twins famously (or infamously, if you prefer) blew up their roster last summer. It was a reckoning with a formula that was no longer working, which usually means a full-on rebuild is about to happen.
Instead, the Twins kept Joe Ryan, Byron Buxton and Pablo López… and then ditched the guy who was running their front office on January 30? It's all just very confusing, and certainly frustrating for a Twins fandom that has suffered for long enough.
American League West
3 of 6
Athletics: Can Luis Severino bounce back?
The A's have one of the more exciting lineups in the American League, but their pitching staff looks like a major deterrent in the way of a contention run. It had a 4.71 ERA last year and didn't get any improvements this winter.
Severino is the one guy who might turn the tide. He slipped to a 4.54 ERA in 2025, but he was a horse for the Mets the year before. If that guy shows up, the A's will at least be able to breathe a little easier every fifth day.
Houston Astros: Will Tatsuya Imai fill Framber Valdez's shoes?
The Astros have a pretty good track record of losing stars and carrying on like nothing happened. This could prove to be the case once again if Imai lives up to his excellent track record in Japan.
Then again, asking anyone to come right out and post an ERA in the 2.00s is asking a lot. And in this case, Imai isn't so much another guy as the functional replacement for Valdez, who was one of baseball's most consistent aces in Houston.
Los Angeles Angels: Can Jo Adell do more?
Adell finally had his post-hype breakout last year, notably in the sense that he launched 37 home runs. He was only worth 1.2 rWAR, though, because of a .293 OBP and poor defense in the outfield.
Because he's ticketed for free agency after 2027, it's a bit late to view Adell as a long-term cornerstone in Anaheim. But if he breaks even more out (and the Angels are smart about it), he could become a shiny trade chip for the summer market.
Seattle Mariners: How much will Cal Raleigh regress?
Look, this is just playing the odds. Until last season, no catcher had ever hit 60 home runs in a season. It's therefore unlikely to happen twice in a row just in the abstract, and T-Mobile Park doesn't exactly help Raleigh's homer-hitting cause.
Even a regression back to Raleigh's 30-homer range could hurt the Mariners. Though the addition of Brendan Donovan made their offense more versatile, the power offered by Jorge Polanco and Eugenio Suárez last year is gone.
Texas Rangers: Can their rotation lead the way again?
The Rangers did not have a good season in 2025, but their rotation was arguably the best in the league. Considering that it ranked first with a 3.41 ERA, you might argue there's no "arguably" about it.
In 2026, though, Jacob deGrom will be 38 and Nathan Eovaldi will be 36. The two of them combined for a 2.44 ERA in 2025, so any regression on their part could spell trouble for Texas' efforts to get back to October.
National League East
4 of 6
Atlanta Braves: Will they regret not adding a starter?
There's also the question of how many Braves hitters will revert to 2023 form, but the rotation is a concern as well. Chris Sale will be 37 this year, and Spencer Strider just didn't look the same in returning from his second major elbow surgery last year.
The Braves were linked to rotation upgrades, including Freddy Peralta at one point. But they never pulled the trigger on anyone, and now they're already down an arm after Spencer Schwellenbach's elbow injury.
Miami Marlins: Will they feel the loss of Edward Cabrera?
The Marlins aren't going to hit their way to the playoffs. They'll need their pitching to carry them, and the staff lost its best arm from 2025 when Cabrera was traded to the Cubs.
Things will probably be just fine if Sandy Alcantara is consistent and if Eury Pérez reaches his full potential. But given what the last two years have been like for them, those are two big "ifs."
New York Mets: Will the run prevention pivot pan out?
The Mets based their entire offseason around getting better at keeping runs off the board. And they did add one new starter (Peralta) and five new relievers, headlined by Devin Williams and Luke Weaver.
However, they also have Jorge Polanco at first base and Bo Bichette at third base, positions they have never played regularly. And since Juan Soto is still in the field, those aren't the only reasons to doubt this defense.
Philadelphia Phillies: Is Bryce Harper still elite?
If Harper is declining, it's the most inoffensive decline of all time. He's averaged a 141 OPS-plus, 24 home runs and 3.5 rWAR since winning his second MVP in 2021.
Still, we all heard what Dave Dombrowski said. We should also all know that he's not necessarily wrong. And if Harper can't prove him wrong in what will be his age-33 season, the Phillies' ceiling will only go so high.
Washington Nationals: Is Dylan Crews ready to break out?
The Nationals aren't going to make the playoffs this year, but they can at least give their fans something to be excited about. And to this end, it's about time Crews lived up to being the No. 2 pick in the 2023 draft.
He's been woeful in 116 games in the majors, posting a .634 OPS and 13 home runs. He has the talent to do a lot better, but a lot of the finer points of his game (i.e., swing discipline) need work.
National League Central
5 of 6
Chicago Cubs: Can this team take on the Dodgers?
Cubs fans finally got the loud offseason they had been asking for, highlighted by the signing of Alex Bregman and a trade for Edward Cabrera. As a result, it sure looks like the road to the NL Central title will go through Chicago.
But are the Cubs good enough to rule the National League? That will depend. Namely, on whether their offense clicks better than it did in the second half of 2025, and on whether their pitching stays healthy and productive.
Cincinnati Reds: Does this offense have another level?
The Reds made the playoffs last year in spite of their offense, not because of it. It was OK at scoring runs, but its collective OPS-plus of 90 was the fifth-worst in baseball.
Better things could be in store for 2026, but it depends on what Eugenio Suárez has in the tank for his return to Cincinnati. And even more so, if Elly De La Cruz can bounce back from what was revealed to be an injury-marred 2025 season.
Milwaukee Brewers: Will they regret trading Freddy Peralta?
The Brewers didn't need to trade Peralta, but moving guys with a year left on their contract is just kind of what they do. And their track record is clear: when it comes to trades, they know what they're doing.
Without Peralta in their rotation, though, they're set to ask a lot of a 33-year-old, injury-prone Brandon Woodruff and of Jacob Misiorowski, who hit a wall after a rapid ascent in 2025. You get the sense that things could go bad for a change.
Pittsburgh Pirates: When will it be time for Konnor Griffin?
Griffin is the consensus No. 1 prospect in baseball, and he almost sounds too good to be true. A plus shortstop with top-of-the-charts power and speed? That's the Paul Skenes of position players right there.
However, Griffin is still just 19 years old and he's only played 21 games at Double-A. He will be seen at some point in 2026, but expecting it to be as soon as Opening Day might be expecting too much.
St. Louis Cardinals: How soon is too soon for JJ Wetherholt?
Speaking of hyped NL Central shortstop prospects, Wetherholt would sure seem to be closer to the majors than Griffin. He's 22 years old and he was even better in 47 games at Triple-A last year than he was in 62 games at Double-A.
He's an obvious candidate to crack the Cardinals' Opening Day roster, with the catch being that it won't be at shortstop. That's Masyn Winn's spot, and he's too good defensively to move somewhere else in deference to the kid.
National League West
6 of 6
Arizona Diamondbacks: Do they have enough starting pitching?
The D-backs have hit plenty across the last two seasons, but deficiencies on the starting pitching side have kept them out of the playoffs. Across 2024 and 2025, only six teams' starters have allowed more runs.
Arizona did re-sign Merrill Kelly and Zac Gallen, which is better than not doing so. But actual upgrades would have been better, as Arizona is effectively running it back with the same group of starters that has let them down since 2023.
Colorado Rockies: How much worse can it get?
The Rockies have topped 100 losses in three straight seasons, and they only narrowly avoided all-time infamy in losing 119 games last year. It can't get much worse than that.
Or can it? The Rockies haven't exactly moved the ball forward since the end of 2025, after all, and the NL West isn't going to go easy on them. They project for just 23.1 WAR, which is less than Aaron Judge has on his own for the last three seasons.
Los Angeles Dodgers: Will back-to-back World Series runs take a toll?
There were times last year when the Dodgers seemed to be suffering a World Series hangover. And even when they eventually won the darn thing for the second year in a row, a sense of unreality hung over it.
Perhaps that was to be expected, given how many of the Dodgers' core players are in their 30s. Those guys are all a year older now, and not all of them can defy Father Time forever.
San Diego Padres: Does Nick Castellanos have anything left?
With Dylan Cease gone and Yu Darvish potentially calling it a career, the Padres may need to lean more on their offense this year. After it ranked third from the bottom of MLB in home runs last year, more power could only help.
This explains their willingness to risk it with Castellanos, whose tenure with the Phillies did not end graciously. He has 250 home runs to show for 13 major league seasons, but also an exactly average 100 OPS-plus to show for the last four.
San Francisco Giants: Can Luis Arraez actually play second base?
The Giants already have Rafael Devers and Bryce Eldridge, so the last thing they need is another player who can only play first base or designated hitter. And that will depend on whether the Giants are right about Arraez.
They think he can play second base, and his experience there is indeed ample. But he also has -35 Outs Above Average at the keystone for his career, so the Giants may not be "right" so much as "willing to live with bad defense."
Stats courtesy of Baseball Reference, FanGraphs and Baseball Savant.
.png?w=480)
