Here are the predictions from our CBS Sports MLB staff for the 2026 season
By Kate Feldman Mar 23, 2026 at 11:00 am ET • 11 min read 
Keytron Jordan, CBS Sports Welcome back to baseball. With the 2026 MLB Opening Day just around the corner, there's never been a better time to turn to our crystal ball and try to predict where we'll be come October.
With that in mind, your CBS Sports MLB experts have come together to project the full standings: every division winner, as well as three wild-card teams from each league. We'll almost certainly be wrong on a lot of them, but half the fun of the marathon MLB season is the surprises along the way.
Let's get to it.
American League predictions
American League East
Mike Axisa 
Kate Feldman 
Julian McWilliams 
Dayn Perry 
Matt Snyder 1. 
Blue Jays Blue Jays Blue Jays 
Red Sox 
Yankees 2. Red Sox Red Sox Yankees Yankees Blue Jays 3. Yankees Yankees 
Orioles Blue Jays Orioles 4. Orioles Orioles Red Sox Orioles Red Sox 5. 
Rays Rays Rays Rays Rays Mike Axisa: Other than the Rays finishing in last place, I'm not very confident in my AL East prediction. Put those top four teams in any order and yeah, I could see it. I worry about the Red Sox's power and the pitching health in New York and Toronto, so the Orioles winning the division wouldn't shock me too much. About the only thing I'm sure of in the AL East is that it will be another grind of a season. It will be a tough division. Always is.
Kate Feldman: As my much smarter colleagues will say, this is probably the toughest division in the league. Any top-four finish for the Blue Jays, Red Sox, Yankees and Orioles would be plausible. I like Toronto's offseason moves more than most and they were the best AL East team last year (albeit barely), so the math works out in their favor.
Julian McWilliams: The Blue Jays found a winning culture during last year's title run that fell just two outs short of a World Series. Crushing. But something is brewing there. Even without Bo Bichette, the club proved it can reach October's biggest stage. The Yankees will remain playoff contenders, but an organizational stubbornness, unchanged despite not winning a World Series since 2009, continues to hang over them.
Dayn Perry: This is a tough division to predict, and it's going to be very balanced and competitive once again. I'm leaning Red Sox because I like what they did to fortify the rotation behind Garrett Crochet and I think they have a nice mix of young upside talent and established vets in the lineup. If, as expected, they get big things from Roman Anthony, then I think they'll fend off the rest of the field.
Matt Snyder: I've got the Yankees and Blue Jays neck-and-neck here, but I like the Yankees' upside more and I don't believe the bullpen will cause them nearly as many headaches this time around. I also have the Orioles and Red Sox neck-and-neck for third place here with a nice Orioles' bounceback season.
American League Central Mike Axisa Kate Feldman Julian McWilliams Dayn Perry Matt Snyder 1. 
Tigers Tigers Tigers Tigers Tigers 2. 
Royals Royals 
Guardians Royals Royals 3. 
Twins Guardians Royals Twins Guardians 4. Guardians Twins Twins 
White Sox White Sox 5. White Sox White Sox White Sox Guardians Twins Mike Axisa: I was leaning toward the Tigers before the Framber Valdez signing, and that clinched it for me. I don't buy the Guardians at all. It's a bad offense even with José Ramírez, and it would get worse if they trade Steven Kwan at the deadline. That late-season run was magical last year. It also got them to 88 wins in a mediocre division (not exactly an impressive total), and they did basically nothing this offseason. Now watch Cleveland go win the AL Central again.
Kate Feldman: I think there's a pretty good chance the Tigers trade Tarik Skubal at the deadline but I'm going with Detroit anyway, largely because I don't have much faith in the other contenders. The Twins are all but certainly going to finish the teardown by midseason and they'll tumble down the standings more aggressively than almost anyone else.
Julian McWilliams: The Tigers suffered a catastrophic meltdown after squandering a convincing AL Central lead and losing the division to Cleveland down the stretch last season. But they rebounded in October, beating the Guardians in the wild-card round before falling in a 15-inning Game 5 of the Division Series to the Mariners. It was a relatively young club and should be better equipped to close this season.
Dayn Perry: This has the makings of an interesting race between the Tigers and Royals, but I think the Tigers have a significant on-paper edge right now. The Framber Valdez addition was a big one by Detroit and gives them some needed stability behind Tarik Skubal. The Royals, meantime, can threaten if they get a bounceback season from Cole Ragans and see Jac Caglianone take the next step as a hitter. I'm putting "first to worst" on Cleveland because that offense is going to be so, so bad.
Matt Snyder: I nearly picked the Royals here. I like the makings of their roster and think they bounce back after a disappointing 2025 season, but the Tigers are better. No, I didn't consider the Guardians. I know they exceed what the projections think they can do most years, but I'm not buying it this year.
American League West Mike Axisa Kate Feldman Julian McWilliams Dayn Perry Matt Snyder 1. 
Mariners Mariners Mariners Mariners Mariners 2. 
Athletics 
Rangers Athletics Rangers Athletics 3. 
Astros Athletics Rangers Astros Rangers 4. Rangers Astros Astros Athletics Astros 5. 
Angels Angels Angels Angels Angels Mike Axisa: The Mariners are the best team in the AL, in my opinion. To me, the rest of the division is in the bad to meh range. I like the Athletics' young position player talent, so why not pick them to finish second? The Rangers' best players are liable to miss months with injuries and the Astros are on a downward trend. The Angels are the Angels. Counting on Alek Manoah and Grayson Rodriguez in the year 2026 is just not a thing I would be willing to do.
Kate Feldman: Like everyone else, I have the Mariners as the best team in the American League. The next three could go either way. I want to like the Athletics more than I do, but the pitching just isn't there, even with an underrated lineup. Maybe I'm giving the Rangers too much credit for keeping their guys healthy, but what if Wyatt Langford actually is just a star?
Julian McWilliams: The Mariners should establish themselves as consistent winners this season. But if they miss the postseason, while surprising, it would still feel on brand given their history. They held a 3-2 lead over the Blue Jays in last year's ALCS but couldn't close it out in Game 7. That loss should serve as fuel, and this group looks built to stay in the mix for years to come.
Dayn Perry: Are the Mariners the best team in the American League? I think you can plausibly ask that question given their pitching depth, a lineup that's overlooked because of how their home ballpark suppresses offense, and the canny winter addition of Brendan Donovan via trade. The Rangers have a nicely balanced roster with upside, but there are heavy "health permitting" caveats throughout. The Astros will continue their gradual decline from their recent dynasty days, and the A's just don't have a sufficient rotation.
Matt Snyder: I feel very confident about first and last place here. The middle three teams are really clumped together for me. I know the A's don't have great pitching, but I absolutely love their offense and think that can carry them enough to make some noise this season. It's the opposite with the Rangers, as their power lies in the rotation. Both are fringe playoff contenders for me, as are the Astros. The margins are tiny for the AL wild cards.
American League wild-card teams Mike Axisa Kate Feldman Julian McWilliams Dayn Perry Matt Snyder 1. Red Sox Red Sox Yankees Yankees Blue Jays 2. Yankees Yankees Guardians Blue Jays Orioles 3. Orioles Rangers Athletics Rangers Athletics National League predictions
National League East Mike Axisa Kate Feldman Julian McWilliams Dayn Perry Matt Snyder 1. 
Mets Mets 
Phillies Phillies Mets 2. Phillies Phillies 
Braves Mets Braves 3. Braves Braves Mets Braves Phillies 4. 
Marlins Marlins Marlins Marlins Marlins 5. 
Nationals Nationals Nationals Nationals Nationals Mike Axisa: I chickened out, but I thought about putting the Marlins third and the Braves fourth because Atlanta's pitching is already beginning to crumble. It's probably a year too early for that though. The Phillies are finally incorporating some youth into the roster (Justin Crawford, Andrew Painter, etc.), though they are still getting close to going over the age cliff. The Mets won't collapse like they did last year, right?
Kate Feldman: I know the projection systems love the Braves but I just do not see it at all. The Mets and Phillies are pretty close to interchangeable at the top but I really like how David Stearns shook up the roster so aggressively this winter. The old Mets couldn't win. Let's see the new Mets try. The Phillies, on the other hand, are pretty much running it back and an already aging team is even older now.
Julian McWilliams: The Phillies' core, led by Bryce Harper and Kyle Schwarber, is nearing the end of its window. This is the moment to capitalize before that opportunity slips. They should win the division, but the question remains how much longer this group can sustain its run.
Dayn Perry: This should be a close one at the top, but I think the Phillies' rotation will be a separator once again, even as the roster continues to get long in the tooth at key spots. It wouldn't surprise me to see the Phils, Mets, and Braves all finish within four or so games of each other. The Mets did a solid job replacing the core contributors they lost to free agency and Freddy Peralta is exactly the kind of known quantity they needed at the front of the rotation.
Matt Snyder: The Phillies are thin and will take a step back, but they'll still be playoff-caliber. The Braves are going to bounce back and rejoin contention, though the rotation being ravaged by injuries -- and the healthy guys having worrisome injury history -- doesn't help. I've got the Mets here, but they aren't without questions of their own. No one is reliable here.
National League Central Mike Axisa Kate Feldman Julian McWilliams Dayn Perry Matt Snyder 1. 
Cubs Cubs Cubs Cubs Cubs 2. 
Brewers Brewers Brewers Brewers Brewers 3. 
Reds 
Pirates Reds Reds Reds 4. Pirates Reds Pirates Pirates Pirates 5. 
Cardinals Cardinals Cardinals Cardinals Cardinals Mike Axisa: I pick against the Brewers in the NL Central every year and they keep winning the division, so I think it's only fair they give me a postseason share. I would have liked the Cubs to get one more starting pitcher (Framber Valdez in front of that infield defense would've been something), but I still like the depth they have, and think they'll finally find a way to beat out those big bad Brewers. The Pirates upgraded their offense (good) by acquiring a bunch of DHs and sacrificing defense (bad). They'll be better. It's still not enough to really make noise, I don't think.
Kate Feldman: Stop me if you've heard this one before: the reign of the Brewers is over. Mostly that's because I really like the Cubs, who added a huge bat (Alex Bregman) and a huge arm (Edward Cabrera) this winter. I'm certainly not sold on the Pirates but I think the Reds could be more aggressive at the deadline in trading off some pieces and thus sink below Pittsburgh in the standings.
Julian McWilliams: The Cubs should be the class of the division after a strong offseason that included the addition of Alex Bregman. He brings a winning pedigree, having reached the postseason every year since debuting in 2016. Their return to October last year should provide the boost needed for a sustained regular-season run.
Dayn Perry: The Brewers once again tested the limits of their churn philosophy by trading away Freddy Peralta and Caleb Durbin, and Peralta could be keenly missed in a rotation that could use certainty. That said, this is still a good team and one of the smartest organizations in the game. The Cubs, though, have roster edge and they'll make good on it this season. The Reds have good rotation depth even with Hunter Greene's injury situation, and the addition of Eugenio Suárez provides power to a lineup that badly needed it.
Matt Snyder: I'm not buying the Pirates hype. There just isn't enough other than Paul Skenes to excite me, even with the offensive upgrades and intriguing rotation arms. I'm not counting the Brewers out here because they always punch above their weight (at least how it looks on paper), but the Cubs are clearly ahead for me in this race.
National League West Mike Axisa Kate Feldman Julian McWilliams Dayn Perry Matt Snyder 1. 
Dodgers Dodgers Dodgers Dodgers Dodgers 2. 
Giants 
Padres 
Diamondbacks Diamondbacks Giants 3. Padres Giants Padres Padres Padres 4. Diamondbacks Diamondbacks Giants Giants Diamondbacks 5. 
Rockies Rockies Rockies Rockies Rockies Mike Axisa: The Dodgers won't break win records or anything crazy like that this season, but they're obviously the best team in the NL West. I don't like Arizona's or San Diego's rotation depth at all and am worried about their collapse potential, especially since they have some age in the middle of the lineup. The Giants did just enough in the offseason for me to see a scenario in which they break out of the 81-81 trap and get to, say, 87 wins.
Kate Feldman: World Series-winning Dodgers got better, blah blah blah. Everyone else is playing for second.
Julian McWilliams: The brand, the commitment to winning, and dominance will remain the same. The Dodgers will be crowned division champions.
Dayn Perry: The best team in baseball keeps being aggressive and investing in their on-field success. This time it's Kyle Tucker, the best free agent in the most recent class, who joins up for the three-peat attempt. Given the risk of decline phase in the lineup and the need for more corner-outfield production, he was the perfect addition for the Dodgers. The rotation depth also remains impressive, even if the risk of injuries is still there. The D-backs should bounce back from last season and threaten for a wild-card spot.
Matt Snyder: There just isn't enough rotation depth for the Padres to push the Dodgers here, and in fact it leaves an opening in second place for the Giants to fill. But the Dodgers run away and hide with relative ease here.
National League wild-card teams Mike Axisa Kate Feldman Julian McWilliams Dayn Perry Matt Snyder 1. Phillies Phillies Brewers Mets Braves 2. Brewers Padres Braves Brewers Phillies 3. Giants Brewers Padres Braves Giants Join the Conversation comments 
