Two months ago, we published FOX Sports’ way-too-early MLB power rankings before the start of the winter meetings.
At that time, top free agents Kyle Tucker, Kyle Schwarber, Alex Bregman, Bo Bichette, Pete Alonso, Cody Bellinger, Framber Valdez and Ranger Suárez had yet to sign.
Now, they’ve all found their homes for 2026.
As pitchers and catchers get set to report this week, here’s an update on where all 30 teams stand and what they’ve done this offseason with spring training on the horizon.
It’s going to take some time for new president of baseball operations Paul DePodesta to make a lasting imprint on a roster that won 43 games last year. This still looks like the worst team in baseball, but the additions of Willi Castro, Michael Lorenzen, Jake McCarthy and Edouard Julien should at least make the product more competent.
The rebuild is (again) under way in Washington, now under the direction of new president of baseball operations Paul Toboni. The Nats traded away MacKenzie Gore and haven’t made moves to try to compete in 2026, which portends another rough season ahead. As the Nats try to develop their young talents, they could also challenge the Rockies for the worst record in the sport.
After missing the playoffs for the 11th straight season, the Angels spent the winter signing reclamation projects and taking fliers — even on their new manager, Kurt Suzuki, who had no prior professional coaching experience. Healthy seasons from Mike Trout and trade acquisition Grayson Rodriguez would go a long way, but it’s hard to see a pathway to 2026 success barring a boatload of bounceback seasons.
It still feels strange to have the Cardinals this low after an 83-win season, but they’re not simply dipping their toes into a rebuild. New president of baseball operations Chaim Bloom is fully overhauling this operation to restock the farm system with new arms, which is probably the right move. It just might be painful to watch in the present after trading away Willson Contreras, Sonny Gray, Nolan Arenado and now Brendan Donovan, too.
The emergence of a number of intriguing young talents, including Colson Montgomery, Kyle Teel, Chase Meidroth and All-Star Shane Smith, provided a lot more promise coming off the worst season in modern MLB history. Even after trading away Luis Robert Jr., the arrow is pointing up after the surprise addition of top NPB slugger Munetaka Murakami and a number of new arms to help fill out a barren pitching staff as the White Sox await the arrivals of top pitching prospects Hagen Smith and Noah Schultz.
The Twins ripped apart their bullpen at last year’s deadline, didn’t fix those concerns as they shopped on the margins this winter and have now parted ways with their team president just two weeks before spring training. Other than that, things are swell!
After exceeding expectations with a group of novices in 2025, the Marlins continued thinking toward the future this winter by trading away Edward Cabrera and Ryan Weathers. It’s possible this up-and-coming team and its intriguing young outfield of Kyle Stowers, Jakob Marsee and Owen Caissie surprises again.
They always figure out a way to retool, and they did a lot this winter. But it’s hard to envision the Rays taking a significant step forward in 2026 after replacing Brandon Lowe, Shane Baz, Pete Fairbanks, Josh Lowe, Jake Mangum, Kameron Misner, Mason Montgomery, Adrian Houser and Christopher Morel with Gavin Lux, Nick Martinez, Steven Matz, Cedric Mullins, Ben Williamson, Jacob Melton and Jake Fraley.
They could still spend more, of course, but owner Bob Nutting and general manager Ben Cherington are finally making strides to field a more competitive product around Cy Young winner Paul Skenes. The additions of Brandon Lowe, Ryan O’Hearn, Marcell Ozuna and Jake Mangum are clear upgrades to a lineup that is perennially one of the worst in MLB.
Bullpen concerns linger after their relievers tallied a 4.82 ERA last season, and until Corbin Burnes gets back, Merrill Kelly and Ryne Nelson look like the top arms in the rotation. But a lineup featuring Corbin Carroll, Ketel Marte, Geraldo Perdomo and Nolan Arenado should still make this group competitive.
Their young sluggers can hit with the best of them — and should for years to come, with Nick Kurtz, Jacob Wilson, Brent Rooker, Tyler Soderstrom, Lawrence Butler and Shea Langeliers all under contract for at least the next few years. Now, can they consistently outscore their opponents? That will be the test after doing little to fix their pitching concerns.
Last year, Elly De La Cruz was the Reds’ home run leader with 22. Getting Eugenio Suárez (49) should benefit an offense that ranked 21st in slugging. But after whiffing on Kyle Schwarber, it would have been nice to see Cincinnati take some bigger hacks to upgrade the offense.
Tyler Mahle and Adrian Houser add to the rotation depth, Harrison Bader upgrades the outfield defense and Luis Arraez will be spraying hits around Oracle Park now, but is that enough for new manager Tony Vitello to get the Giants back to the playoffs for the first time since 2021?
Having a healthy rotation will go a long way, but the Royals' success will depend mostly on the offense surrounding Bobby Witt Jr. Can the additions of Isaac Collins, Lane Thomas and Kameron Misner, a step forward from 23-year-old Jac Caglianone and/or changes to the ballpark’s dimensions help fix the worst-hitting outfield in MLB a year ago?
They made José Ramírez a Guardian for life, which is terrific to see, but that doesn’t change the supporting cast around him on offense. The Guardians ranked 28th in runs scored last year before Houdini-ing their way to a second straight division title. If reigning Manager of the Year Stephen Vogt pulls it off again, it might be his best magic trick yet.
They traded defense for offense (Marcus Semien for Brandon Nimmo) then made one of the splashiest moves of the winter by trading a bevy of prospects for MacKenzie Gore, solidifying a rotation that could be a real strength. The question, though, is whether this lineup can find its way again. A step forward from Wyatt Langford, Evan Carter and/or Josh Jung feels essential.
With the Padres exploring a sale, it’s been a quiet winter in San Diego — perhaps too quiet for president of baseball operations A.J. Preller, who might want to find a way to add at least one more arm to a rotation that lost Dylan Cease. As constructed, it’s hard to imagine this group pushing the Dodgers the way it did last season.
They watched a dynasty end…and then lost another member of their 2022 championship core this winter with Framber Valdez’s departure. The Astros are hoping Tatsuya Imai, Mike Burrows and Ryan Weiss can give the rotation enough additional depth to get back to the postseason, but the bigger question is how they handle their infield logjam. With five infielders for four spots, is there a big move to be made before Opening Day?
Pairing Framber Valdez with Tarik Skubal gives the Tigers one of the top starting duos in the game…for as long as Skubal remains in Detroit. They did nothing to fix an offense that struggled down the stretch, but top prospects Kevin McGonigle and Max Clark might not be far off from contributing.
They still might want to add another starting pitcher given all the injuries they dealt with last season, and the freak hand injury to shortstop Ha-Seong Kim is not a great harbinger for a cleaner bill of health in 2026. But a quick bounce-back still seems the likeliest outcome in Atlanta with all the talent in place.
After a last-place finish, the Orioles got active. They have a new slugger in Pete Alonso, a new closer in Ryan Helsley, a new corner outfielder in Taylor Ward and more rotation depth with Shane Baz. The only question now: Are they still an ace short?
After bringing back Kyle Schwarber and J.T. Realmuto, the roster looks a lot more similar than it could have — only now it doesn’t include Ranger Suárez or Harrison Bader. The latter is especially surprising given his late-season production and the modest contract he signed in San Francisco. The Phillies are counting on a bounce-back from newcomer Adolis García and the emergence of rookie Justin Crawford to help the outfield production.
The rotation should be better after adding Ranger Suárez, Sonny Gray and Johan Oviedo, but the Red Sox failed, stunningly, to bring back Alex Bregman and did nothing to address their logjam of left-handed outfielders. Nonetheless, it’s a talented group capable of challenging in the AL East.
I know, I know, never question them. Every year, we underestimate the Brewers, and every year they figure out a way to win 90+ games and the division. Still, after getting swept in the NLCS and losing Freddy Peralta, Caleb Durbin and Isaac Collins, it would have been nice to see them actually spend beyond bringing back Brandon Woodruff.
They needed to add an impact bat after losing Kyle Tucker, and they signed Alex Bregman. They were looking for an impact arm, and they found it in Edward Cabrera. They also completely rebuilt the bullpen. After years of failing to catch the Brewers in the division, this looks like their best chance to win the Central since 2020.
The Mets’ winter was looking bleak for a while after Pete Alonso went to the Orioles and Edwin Diaz went to the Dodgers, but that’s why we don’t judge an offseason in December. In the last few weeks, they’ve signed Bo Bichette and traded for Freddy Peralta and Luis Robert Jr., and now they're taking a completely revamped group into 2026. The question is how quickly all the new pieces mesh, particularly those playing new positions.
How do Gerrit Cole, Carlos Rodón and Clarke Schmidt look whenever they return from injury? That will largely determine what happens this year in the Bronx after the Yankees decided to run it back on offense and let some key arms in the bullpen depart. The addition of Ryan Weathers in the rotation helps buy some time early in the season.
The Mariners struck early in the offseason by re-signing Josh Naylor and late by acquiring Brendan Donovan. The latter move helped answer the club’s infield concerns following the losses of Eugenio Suárez and Jorge Polanco. They traded out power for contact, which could work out for a team that is annually among MLB’s strikeout leaders. They’re in prime position to build on their first division title since 2001.
Without signing Kyle Tucker or re-signing Bo Bichette, there are some questions about whether this offense — which had the highest batting average and lowest strikeout rate in MLB last season — can replicate the same level of production. But it was still a strong winter for the reigning AL champs, who upgraded the pitching staff heading into 2026.
There was some thought that the Dodgers might sit out of the top end of the free-agent market after all of their additions in recent winters. Instead, they signed the best player on the market in Kyle Tucker and the best closer on the market in Edwin Diaz to address their two weakest spots. The rest of the roster looks largely the same as the reigning champs enter 2026 as the clear favorites in their quest to three-peat.
Rowan Kavner is an MLB writer for FOX Sports. He previously covered the L.A. Dodgers, LA Clippers and Dallas Cowboys. An LSU grad, Rowan was born in California, grew up in Texas, then moved back to the West Coast in 2014. Follow him on X at @RowanKavner.
