Tier Rankings for All 30 MLB Teams Entering 2026 Season
Let's not kid ourselves, the Los Angeles Dodgers are the overwhelming World Series favorites entering the 2026 season.
However, to act as though it's an open-and-shut case that they'll win it all for the third consecutive season is either misguided or disingenuous. The Philadelphia Phillies gave them a tough NLDS last year. The Toronto Blue Jays were two outs away from defeating them in Game 7 of the World Series.
Yes, after adding both Kyle Tucker and Edwin Díaz, Los Angeles looks to have a chance to be an all-time great team in 2026. But the beauty of baseball, particularly in October, is that there's a lot of randomness, and the most talented team often doesn't win it all.
We say all that to say this: There's a lot to be excited about in 2026. Frankly, a year from now, we'll likely be pining for baseball when there's an extended lockout. So savor it now.
Ahead of the 2026 campaign, here are tier rankings for all 30 MLB teams.
The 'Already Eliminated From Playoff Contention' Tier
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These organizations aren't necessarily all at the same spot, but it's pretty clear entering the 2026 campaign that they won't be playing more than 162 games.
Chicago White Sox
The White Sox swooped in to sign Munetaka Murakami this offseason when his market cratered. He'll join a young core that general manager Chris Getz is building, which also includes Chase Meidroth, Kyle Teel, Colson Montgomery, and Shane Smith. The Pale Hose also added veteran reliever Seranthony Domínguez and outfielder Austin Hays this winter, so while they are unlikely to contend, they're definitely moving in the right direction.
St. Louis Cardinals
DraftKings World Series Odds: +30000
It's weird to see one of baseball's most historically successful franchises on this list, but president of baseball operations Chaim Bloom tore things down the studs this winter, trading Sonny Gray, Willson Contreras, Brendan Donovan, and Nolan Arenado. Bloom has a track record of building great farm systems, which could make this plan work, but it has set the Cards up for a lean 2026.
Washington Nationals
DraftKings World Series Odds: +50000
D.C. lost 96 games a season ago, and probably will lose more after the new president of baseball operations, Paul Toboni, traded All-Star lefty MacKenzie Gore to the Texas Rangers in January. James Wood, CJ Abrams, Cade Cavalli, and Josiah Gray are all worth watching, but as a team, the Nationals are likely to really struggle in Blake Butera's first season as skipper.
Minnesota Twins
DraftKings World Series Odds: +10000
After completing one of the biggest mid-season fire sales in recent memory last summer, the Twins didn't tear down their entire team this winter. However, their only notable external additions were Josh Bell and Victor Caratini. They already lost Pablo López for the season due to Tommy John surgery, and their two best position players—Byron Buxton and Royce Lewis—are always major injury risks.
Colorado Rockies
DraftKings World Series Odds: +50000
The Rockies made a few veteran additions this offseason, trading for outfielder Jake McCarthy and second baseman Edouard Julien, while signing starters Michael Lorenzen and Jose Quintana. Still, this is a team that lost 119 games a year ago. New president of baseball operations Paul DePodesta may ultimately turn things around, but this is going to be a multi-year rebuild, one that will require Colorado overcoming both a bad owner and a home park that, while beautiful, is probably the worst place in MLB history for pitchers.
The 'Frisky, but Probably Not a Playoff Team' Tier
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Pittsburgh Pirates
DraftKings World Series Odds: +6500
With the additions of Marcell Ozuna, Ryan O'Hearn, and Brandon Lowe this offseason—along with the chances that top prospects Konnor Griffin and Bubba Chandler have an impact this season—there's hope that the Pirates will be more than just the Paul Skenes Show in 2026. They should be better than the 71-91 record they posted a year ago, but it's still fair to have some skepticism about whether this is a team that's a real playoff contender.
Athletics
Led by Nick Kurtz, Tyler Soderstrom, Brent Rooker, and Jacob Wilson, the A's should have a playoff-caliber lineup in 2026. The problem is they are woefully thin on pitching talent, which is only exasperated by the fact that their temporary home of Sutter Health Park in Sacramento is a bandbox.
Los Angeles Angels
DraftKings World Series Odds: +25000
The Halos only gave new manager Kurt Suzuki a one-year deal, so he and general manager Perry Minasian are seemingly competing for their jobs this year. If turning in the club's first winning season since 2015 is the expectation from owner Arte Moreno, that might be doable. But the expectation is that Mike Trout is going to stay healthy, and a bullpen that's very long in the tooth is going to guide the Angels back to the postseason for the first time since 2014. Suzuki and Minasian will likely be looking for new jobs next winter.
Miami Marlins
To their credit, the Marlins actually went 35-32 after the All-Star Break, with manager Clayton McCullough building a positive culture. However, the Fish traded Edward Cabrera to the Chicago Cubs over the offseason, and didn't add any veteran bats to a lineup that badly needed at least one. This will be a team that competes, but in a division with three other teams that are all-in on competing for the World Series, which can only carry you so far.
The "They Should Be Good, but How Good?" Tier
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Chicago Cubs
DraftKings World Series Odds: +1800
They did add Alex Bregman on a megadeal in free agency, but that's at best a wash considering they let Kyle Tucker depart. There's a lot of good in the lineup, but it's fair to wonder if there's one great player who can carry this club at times.
There's a wide variance of possible outcomes in the starting rotation. At their best, a rotation of Matthew Boyd, Edward Cabrera, Shota Imanaga, Cade Horton, and Jameson Taillon could be very good. But will Boyd match the career year he had in his age-34 season? Can the Cubs keep Cabrera healthy? Will Imanaga look more like the 2024 version of himself than the 2025 version?
Craig Counsell's squad could very well win 92 games and the NL Central. It also wouldn't be shocking, though, if a few things don't go their way and they end up as an 82-win club.
Houston Astros
DraftKings World Series Odds: +2500
Hunter Brown is now the ace after finishing third in AL Cy Young Award voting last season, but there are a ton of questions behind him.
The Astros let Framber Valdez walk in free agency. There's excitement about what Tatsuya Imai could be, though there was clearly some skepticism about how he'll translate from Japan based on the fact that he had to settle for a three-year, $54 million deal with opt-outs after both 2026 and 2027. Even if Brown and Imai are an elite one-two punch, there's a ton of injury risk in the rotation behind them.
If Yordan Alvarez stays healthy, he should have a bounce-back season and lead a strong lineup that will also include Carlos Correa and Jose Altuve. It's just a question of whether the Astros—who will be without closer Josh Hader (biceps) to begin the season—will have enough pitching to be a playoff team.
Texas Rangers
DraftKings World Series Odds: +3000
Following a second consecutive disappointing season, there was some turnover in Arlington this winter.
Skip Schumaker has replaced Bruce Bochy as manager. Brandon Nimmo and MacKenzie Gore are in. Marcus Semien, Adolis García, and Jonah Heim are out.
For the Rangers to rebound in 2026, they need bounce-back seasons from several players in their lineup, including Joc Pederson, Jake Burger, Josh Jung, and Evan Carter. They also need a rotation led by 37-year-old Jacob deGrom and 36-year-old Nathan Eovaldi to stay healthy.
There are probably too many "ifs" with the Rangers, although this could be a very good club in the best-case scenario.
Atlanta Braves
DraftKings World Series Odds: +1800
It's been a pretty discouraging start to Walt Weiss' tenure as skipper.
Jurickson Profar has been suspended for the entire 2026 season after a second failed PED test. Ha-Seong Kim had surgery to repair a torn tendon in his right middle finger in January, a procedure that comes with a four-to-five-month recovery timeline. Both Spencer Schwellenbach and Hurston Waldrep will miss significant chunks of the season after having bone spurs removed from their pitching elbows. And they were supposed to be the two healthy arms in a rotation where Chris Sale, Spencer Strider, and Reynaldo López all have lengthy injury histories.
With a lineup led by Ronald Acuña Jr., Matt Olson, and Austin Riley, this should be a team that's competing for a World Series. Perhaps they will be. But things already have a suboptimal vibe following a nightmarish 2026 season.
San Diego Padres
DraftKings World Series Odds: +3500
New manager Craig Stammen has inherited an elite lineup trio with Fernando Tatis Jr., Manny Machado, and Jackson Merrill. When Jason Adam returns from the quad surgery he had last September, there will be an equally impressive trio in the bullpen with Mason Miller and Adrián Morejón.
Where the questions really present themselves for the Friars are in the starting rotation. Can Nick Pivetta match a career year? Will Michael King stay healthy enough to make more than the 15 starts he had a season ago? When will Joe Musgrove return from the Tommy John surgery he had in October of 2024? Can either Walker Buehler or Germán Márquez revive their careers?
If the rotation turns into a positive, San Diego can compete for a World Series. We'll have to wait and see if that happens.
San Francisco Giants
DraftKings World Series Odds: +6000
With the additions of veterans Harrison Bader and Luis Arráez, a Giants lineup led by Rafael Devers, Willy Adames, and Matt Chapman has a chance to be pretty formidable.
It is disappointing that Buster Posey and company didn't try to add another big arm to a rotation headlined by Logan Webb and Robbie Ray. Instead, they opted for the modest addition of the talented-but-oft-injured Tyler Mahle, who basically replaced Justin Verlander.
In a division where the Giants are chasing clubs led by the aforementioned Miller and Díaz, arguably the top two closers in baseball, San Francisco doesn't have the same type of firepower at their disposal out of the bullpen. Randy Rodríguez, their top reliever from last season, will miss all of 2026 recovering from Tommy John surgery. Ryan Walker and Erik Miller will headline this bullpen.
The wild card in all of this is first-year manager Tony Vitello, who was hired away from the University of Tennessee. It feels like he'll either prove to be a great hire or a disaster, with no room in between.
Tampa Bay Rays
DraftKings World Series Odds: +8000
Tropicana Field isn't going to be remembered as one of baseball's beautiful cathedrals, but Kevin Cash and company will be ecstatic to move back into an actual MLB stadium after spending last season playing outside at George M. Steinbrenner Field.
Tampa Bay has quite a few bounce-back candidates this year. Two-time All-Star Shane McClanahan is trying to return to the mound for the first time since 2023. Cedric Mullins was signed to a one-year, $7 million deal following a disappointing season split between the Baltimore Orioles and New York Mets last season. In his first full season with the Rays, Griffin Jax is hopeful his ERA looks more like the 2.51 FIP he posted last season, rather than the 4.23 ERA he produced over 73 games.
The Rays are the least talented club in baseball's most loaded divisions, which will probably mean they are predicted to finish last in the AL East. However, this is an organization that's had the secret sauce that's allowed them to compete with bigger spenders for the better part of the last two decades.
Kansas City Royals
DraftKings World Series Odds: +4000
Following a magical 2024 season, the Royals came crashing back down to earth in 2025, going 82-80 and missing the playoffs.
To their credit, Kansas City might not be a major-budget team, but they are usually active in the offseason, and this winter wasn't an exception. The outfield has been their biggest problem area of the past two seasons. General manager J.J. Picollo attempted to address that this winter by acquiring Isaac Collins, Lane Thomas, and Starling Marte. The guy with the chance to change the complexion of this outfield the most, though, is Jac Caglianone. The 23-year-old forced the hands of the Royals last year, but struggled following a June call-up. The former first-round pick has elite power potential.
If the outfield improves, Kansas City obviously has quite a bit of talent in the infield, led by superstar shortstop Bobby Witt Jr., and one of last year's major breakout stars in third baseman Maikel Garcia.
Should Cole Ragans stay healthy atop the rotation this year, Matt Quatraro's starting staff could be one of the better in baseball with Seth Lugo, Michael Wacha, and Kris Bubic also in the mix.
But there aren't quite enough sure things to predict that the Royals will be a playoff team in 2026, though they have that potential.
Cincinnati Reds
DraftKings World Series Odds: +5500
What the Reds badly lacked a year ago was a veteran middle-of-the-order bat. Kyle Schwarber was seemingly their No. 1 target, but reuniting with Eugenio Suárez—who posted his second 49-homer season of his career last year—was hardly a bad fallback option.
Suárez's second go-round in Cincinnati isn't enough by itself, though, for the Reds to return to the playoffs for the second season in a row. In addition to him and Suárez, they need someone in their lineup who has flashed star potential in the past to realize that ceiling. Matt McLain and JJ Bleday are two possibilities.
Of course, the most concerning part about Terry Francona's team is that they're going to be without Hunter Greene for at least the first half of the season as he recovers from arthroscopic elbow surgery to remove bone spurs. Greene, Andrew Abbott, and Nick Lodolo are a strong top three in the rotation when healthy, but Greene is already sidelined, and Lodolo has proven to be injury-prone early in his career.
Arizona Diamondbacks
DraftKings World Series Odds: +7000
Considering they went 33-32 after the All-Star Break—despite selling the trade deadline—the Snakes might deserve some benefit of the doubt—Torey Lovullo can really manage.
But the fallout of pitching injuries from a year ago still leaves you feeling skeptical about just how high a ceiling the Diamondbacks have. Corbin Burnes, A.J. Puk, and Justin Martinez all had Tommy John surgery last summer, so if they factor in at all in 2026, it won't be until the second half. Merrill Kelly came back on a two-year, $40 million deal in free agency, but is currently dealing with back tightness, which is particularly concerning for a 37-year-old.
It's not out of the question that Corbin Carroll, Geraldo Perdomo, and Ketel Marte all perform at All-Star or better levels, while Zac Gallen bounces back in a major way. But the DBacks are probably more likely to win 84 games than 90.
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The "Whole Is Always Greater Than the Sum of Its Parts" Tier
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Stephen Vogt has been the skipper of the Cleveland Guardians (DraftKings World Series Odds: +7000) for two seasons and has won American League Manager of the Year in consecutive campaigns.
Pat Murphy has guided the Milwaukee Brewers (DraftKings World Series Odds: +3500) for two seasons and has won National League Manager of the Year twice.
The common denominator of both Vogt and Murphy is that they seem to have cultivated cultures in which the whole is greater than the sum of its parts. The question is, will both be able to continue that for another season?
Vogt did a masterful job of leading the Guardians to an AL Central title last year, despite the club finishing with a minus-six run differential. By comparison, the second-place Detroit Tigers ended the regular season with a plus-67 run differential.
A year ago, Cleveland lost both Emmanuel Clase and Luis Ortiz while they were being investigated for betting on baseball. Such a turn of events could have ruined the season for many teams, but the Guardians actually played better after Clase's suspension, the reigning Mariano Rivera Award winner as the best reliever in the AL.
Clase and Ortiz are probably never coming back to the Guardians—or any MLB team. Cleveland, though, always seems to find pitching. Cade Smith and Hunter Gaddis are still quite the one-two punch at the back end of the bullpen. Gavin Williams and Tanner Bibee headline a rotation that Vogt and company will likely have to piece together at the back end.
Meanwhile, José Ramírez continues to be one of the most consistent superstars of this generation, despite not having another offensive superstar around him. Clearly, the Guardians need Steven Kwan to bounce back after posting a .655 second-half OPS last year. Chase DeLauter will get a full MLB season after making his MLB Debut last postseason. Rhys Hoskins is an interesting bounce-back candidate.
As for the Brewers, they seem to lose at least one player every offseason who feels like the straw that will break the camel's back. It was Corbin Burnes before 2024, and then Willy Adames prior to 2025. Both years, the Brewers ended up winning the NL Central, including winning an MLB-best 97 games in 2025.
So it's hard to say that the Brewers won't be able to overcome the loss of Freddy Peralta, who they traded to the New York Mets after he finished fifth in NL Cy Young Award voting a year ago. Certainly, though, the Brew Crew need Brandon Woodruff to stay healthy, which doesn't feel like a great proposition when he's pitched just 131.2 innings the last three seasons. Post-Peralta, Milwaukee needs Jacob Misiorowski to take his electric stuff and become a reliable pitcher in 2026.
The right side of Murphy's infield—which is currently projected to be Joey Ortiz at shortstop and Luis Rengifo at third base–looks thin. However, there's still plenty to like about this lineup, particularly if Christian Yelich's back holds up. William Contreras had a slow start last year, but reminded everyone he's one of the best catchers in baseball with an .833 OPS after the All-Star Break. Andrew Vaughn will be interesting to watch because he posted an .869 OPS in 64 games after being acquired by the Brewers last season. Brice Turang is one of the best defenders at any position in baseball. It feels like the best is yet to come from Jackson Chourio, who is still only 22 years old.
And for as dominant as the one-two bullpen punch in Cleveland has a chance to be, Trevor Megill (30 saves, All-Star Game appearance in 2025) and Abner Uribe (1.67 ERA in 75 appearances last season) are a damn good duo to try to close out games with as well.
There are definitely questions for both of these teams, but if recent history is any indication, Cleveland and Milwaukee will end up hosting some games this October.
The "Biggest Threats to the Dodgers" Tier
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New York Yankees
DraftKings World Series Odds: +1000
Aaron Judge is the best hitter on the planet, having won AL MVP in three of the last four years. He headlines a lineup that also includes Giancarlo Stanton, Jazz Chisholm Jr., and Cody Bellinger, and will be especially imposing if they get any notable offensive output from shortstop and/or third base.
It's difficult to project the starting rotation. Max Fried came in at No. 8 on our countdown of every MLB team's ace, but there's quite a bit of uncertainty behind him. Will Luis Gil, Gerrit Cole, and Carlos Rodón stay healthy? If so, this group—which is also very excited about Cam Schlittler after his postseason performance—will have a high ceiling.
The bullpen, though, remains a question mark. David Bednar and Camilo Doval will be the top two leverage options after being acquired at the last trade deadline. Tim Hill, Ryan Yarbrough, and Fernando Cruz will also be options at Aaron Boone's disposal.
The Yankees have enough talent that it wouldn't be surprising if they emerge as the best team in the AL. At the same time, if any of Judge, Cole, Stanton, and Gil miss significant time with injuries, the Yankees could quickly fade in such a talented division.
Seattle Mariners
DraftKings World Series Odds: +1200
Even after losing Eugenio Suárez and Jorge Polanco in free agency, a Mariners team that finished a win away from the first World Series berth in franchise history a year ago has a chance to be a force in 2026.
The president of baseball operations re-signed Josh Naylor, who was a perfect fit after being acquired from the Diamondbacks at the trade deadline. He also traded for the versatile Brendon Donovan. If former first-round pick Cole Young comes of age in 2026, a group headlined by Cal Raleigh and Julio Rodríguez will be pretty intimidating, even if they play their home games at a hitting hellscape.
One thing you can always bank on with the M's is their pitching. Bryan Woo is looking to build on a breakout 2025, while George Kirby and Logan Gilbert try to reassert themselves as the ace of a staff that also includes three-time All-Star Luis Castillo.
With Andrés Muñoz, Matt Brash, and sneaky offseason pickup Jose A. Ferrer, Dan Wilson has a bullpen that can close out big games if their offense and starting pitching are able to get them early leads.
Philadelphia Phillies
DraftKings World Series Odds: +1600
With Bryce Harper, Trea Turner, Aaron Nola, and Kyle Schwarber all set to play this year at 33 years old, the clock is ticking for a Phillies core that's been to the playoffs four years in a row but failed to get over the hump and win a World Series.
There is finally going to be some youth from the farm system injected into a team that's largely been built via free agency and trades. Justin Crawford—the son of former All-Star Carl Crawford—is projected to be the Opening Day center fielder. Long-time top prospect Andrew Painter is likely to be in the starting rotation to open the season. Otto Kemp will likely get an expanded role as a right-handed platoon option primarily in left field. A back injury has sidelined Aidan Miller all spring, but some outlets have him ranked as a top-10 prospect in all of baseball, and the infielder could be an option later this season.
Still, this is likely going to come down to whether Harper, Turner, Schwarber, and others hit in October. Assuming Zack Wheeler comes back healthy, the Phillies are going to have the pitching to win in the postseason with him, Cristopher Sánchez, and Jesús Luzardo at the top of the rotation. Jhoan Duran is one of the game's elite closers, and with a full season of José Alvarado and offseason pickup Brad Keller, the bullpen projects to be much improved.
Toronto Blue Jays
DraftKings World Series Odds: +1500
John Schneider is going to have to protect against a hangover after the Blue Jays lost an instant classic Game 7 to the Dodgers in the World Series a year ago. The talent, though, is here for Toronto to make another deep playoff run.
Bo Bichette departed this offseason, but Toronto signed Japanese corner infielder Kazuma Okamoto to play third base, with hits machine Ernie Clement likely to play second base in an infield anchored by face of the franchise Vladimir Guerrero Jr., who is entering the first season of a 14-year, $500 million deal.
In the starting rotation, the Blue Jays made some major investments this offseason, most notably signing Dylan Cease, one of the game's elite strikeout pitchers, to a seven-year deal. He and Kevin Gausman will headline what should be a deep rotation, with Trey Yesavage the favorite for AL Rookie of the Year and Cody Ponce an interesting arm to watch after a dominant season pitching in South Korea.
Where questions still remain in Toronto is the bullpen. The Blue Jays did add Tyler Rogers, who creates incredible deception with his windup. But while Jeff Hoffman, Louis Varland, and Rogers are a nice trio, the Blue Jays do still feel like they are lacking a lockdown ninth-inning option. Perhaps that will be their big move before the Aug. 3 trade deadline if their season is going as expected.
New York Mets
DraftKings World Series Odds: +1300
Are the Mets more talented than they were at the end of the 2025 season? That's an interesting debate, but it really doesn't matter. The Mets collapsed after the All-Star Break last year, going 28-37. The group that President of Baseball Operations David Stearns has assembled should be above that.
So out are long-time staples like Pete Alonso, Brandon Nimmo, Jeff McNeil, Starling Marte, and Edwin Díaz. Certainly, we can debate whether it was an overreaction to move on from that many talented pieces.
At the same time, a lot of talent came in. Peralta will now headline the rotation, which will also get a full year of NL Rookie of the Year favorite Nolan McLean. Devin Williams and Luke Weaver are now at the back end of the bullpen. Polanco, Bichette, Semien, and Luis Robert Jr. join a lineup led by Juan Soto and Francisco Lindor.
The NL East will likely come down to the Mets and Phillies. New York hopes that an offseason makeover means the race has a different ending than it did the last two seasons.
Detroit Tigers
DraftKings World Series Odds: +2000
Was bringing back Gleyber Torres and hoping that Colt Keith figures it out at third base enough this offseason, by Detroit president of baseball operations Scott Harris? That remains to be seen, though if top prospect Kevin McGonigle bursts onto the scene the way it appears he may, A.J. Hinch's lineup projects to be much better.
And how about this rotation? There will be plenty of time to worry about Tarik Skubal's future. Right now, he's projected to headline a starting rotation that also includes Valdez, Verlander, Casey Mize, and Jack Flaherty. At the very least, that's an amazing one-two punch. Depending on how the final three pitches, this could be a top-five rotation in baseball.
Harris could wind up needing to add a sure-fire closer, though Will Vest, Kenley Jansen, and Kyle Finnegan are a pretty good trio to start with.
The Tigers coughed up the AL Central title last year to the Guardians, only to beat them in the ALWCS. This year, winning the AL Central should be the baseline for a team that has World Series aspirations.
Baltimore Orioles
DraftKings World Series Odds: +2200
It might surprise some that the Orioles—who went 75-87 and finished last in the AL East a year ago—are on this slide. Then again, the Blue Jays made the World Series in 2025 after finishing in last place in their division in 2024. Who's to say the O's can't do something similar in 2026?
There was already quite a bit of talent internally, most notably with superstar shortstop Gunnar Henderson. We'll see if Adley Rutschman can rediscover the form that had him looking like a superstar early in his career. Samuel Basallo is a 21-year-old with immense power. Both Jackson Holliday (right hamate surgery) and Jordan Westburg (partial tear in right elbow) are injured right now, but have the chance to make a real impact on the lineup when they return.
If that wasn't enough—and clearly, president of baseball operations Mike Elias decided it wasn't—the Orioles added some old-school run producers this offseason. The new middle-of-the-order duo of Pete Alonso and Taylor Ward combined for 74 home runs and 229 RBI a season ago.
Baltimore perhaps didn't add an ace this offseason, but they have built a rotation with pretty strong depth behind Trevor Rogers, who pitched to a 1.81 ERA in 18 starts a season ago. Zach Eflin was re-signed, Shane Baz was acquired via trade, and Chris Bassitt was signed as a free agent.
Even in the AL East, the Orioles should definitely be a playoff team in 2026.
Boston Red Sox
DraftKings World Series Odds: +1600
On one hand, the Red Sox will enter 2026 with one of the best rotations in baseball after signing Ranger Suárez and trading for Sonny Gray. They'll slot behind AL Cy Young Award runner-up Garrett Crochet in a rotation that will also include Brayan Bello.
On the other hand, there was a thought entering the offseason that chief baseball officer Craig Breslow might be better off letting Bregman walk and signing a power bat like Schwarber or Alonso. Not only did the Red Sox not sign Schwarber or Alonso, but they let Bregman leave in free agency. It sure feels like they shouldn't have alienated Devers, because he's the type of piece they are lacking in the lineup.
With that said, Roman Anthony is a budding superstar. Willson Contreras should hit well in Fenway Park, and there's plenty of other talent in the lineup with Wilyer Abreu and Jarren Duran. But with all due respect to Caleb Durbin, it's hard not to feel like the lineup is worse without Bregman.
If Aroldis Chapman can come anywhere close to replicating arguably the best season of his career in 2025, he and Garrett Whitlock will be a great bullpen pairing for Alex Cora. The pitching isn't really the question here. It's whether they need another big bat or two.
The "You're The Dodgers" Tier
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As we said in the opening slide, the Dodgers (DraftKings World Series Odds: +230) have won back-to-back World Series titles, and this is arguably the best group Dave Roberts has had yet with the additions of Tucker and Díaz.
Still, for this group, it comes back to their big three of Ohtani, Freeman, and Betts. With their financial might, the Dodgers will probably always have one of the league's best big threes. But it's unlikely they'll ever be able to replicate this one, where you have arguably the greatest player ever surrounded by two inner-circle Hall of Famers.
As much as it feels like this is going to last forever, it's not. Ohtani is 31 and will only be able to be a two-way player for so long. Freeman is 36. Betts had a relative down year last season and will turn 34 during the playoffs this year. While the trio is still together, you should appreciate it if you're a fan of baseball history.
Also in line for some appreciation is Roberts. There have been some moments in his career where it's felt like he's been along for the ride with the Dodgers. Certainly, though, that wasn't the case last postseason, with his gut instinct to insert Miguel Rojas into the lineup in Game 6 of the World Series probably changing the outcome of the World Series. Roberts is now a three-time World Series Champion as a manager and is likely headed for Cooperstown. He's shown to have the right touch for the star-laden team.
That touch might mean he has to find the balance between pacing his club in the regular season this year and not making the first 162 seem like they are meaningless. So while Roberts probably isn't going to push the Dodgers to break the single-season MLB wins record of 116, which is shared by the 1906 Cubs and 2001 Mariners. But Roberts might want to push the Dodgers to win more than the 93 they did a year ago, which shouldn't be particularly difficult with this roster.
If you're hoping that the Dodgers don't become the first team to win three World Series titles in a row since the late-1990s Yankees, remember that deep playoff runs take a toll on you. It's not like the Dodgers cruised to winning it all a year ago. Multiple deep playoff runs could catch up to them this October, leading to an early playoff exit as they had in 2022 and 2023.
However, this is one of the best groups that has ever been assembled. The smart thing that they keep doing is adding external stars so that complacency doesn't set in. If there's a group that can win three in a row, this is probably it.
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.jpg?w=600 "Biggest Winners and Losers After 30 Games ⚾")