![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/schoenfield_david.png&h=80&w=80&scale=crop.png\")
<\/p>\n<\/p>\n
David SchoenfieldApr 6, 2026, 07:00 AM ET<\/p>\n
Close<\/a>Covers MLB for ESPN.com Multiple Authors<\/p>\n We’re back with our third annual MLB Watchability Index — and it couldn’t come at a better time.<\/p>\n MLB is coming off a smashing success of a postseason with maybe the greatest World Series ever played<\/a> and the highest ratings in years. The World Baseball Classic<\/a> helped build momentum and excitement heading into this campaign. Two of the biggest stars in the history of the game in Shohei Ohtani<\/a> and Aaron Judge<\/a> continue to do miraculous things for the two biggest franchises in the sport. And to top it all off, baseball has what could be one of the best rookie classes<\/a> in a long time, including a teenage sensation who is making the Pittsburgh Pirates<\/a> relevant again.<\/p>\n Thank goodness baseball would never do anything to derail all these positive trends, like go into a potential lockout this winter that would threaten the 2027 season.<\/p>\n We’ve tweaked our formula just a bit this year after paying a large consulting fee to a research firm that promised no AI was involved. The formula remains on a 40-point maximum scale with the following categories, all fitting into the general idea of “What makes baseball exciting?”<\/p>\n Star power (15-point scale): Stars win games. Winning games is exciting! Each team is awarded anywhere from 0 to 15 points based on its total points from our MLB Rank top 100 list. (Ohtani, as the top player, was worth 100 points and so on down to one point for the 100th player.)<\/p>\n Young talent (10-point scale): We love young players. This category focuses on players in their first or second seasons in the majors plus potential call-ups from the minors. Konnor Griffin<\/a>, we want to see what you have for those Pirates.<\/p>\n Baseball stuff (10-point scale): We’ve consolidated and expanded this category to include all those things that make baseball more watchable in 2026: stealing bases, running the bases, good defense, not striking out on offense and having starters who pitch deeper into games. We don’t like strikeouts, station-to-station baseball and excessive bullpen usage. We ranked all 30 teams in each category — based on 2025 results with some adjustments for personnel changes for 2026 — and then gave an overall score from 1 to 10.<\/p>\n Bonus (5-point scale): Anything else we want to reward, from good uniforms to ballpark atmosphere to specific player traits.<\/p>\n In general, good teams are more fun to watch than bad teams, so we should expect the best teams to rank high. Let’s get to it, starting with the least watchable team.<\/p>\n Jump to team: <\/p>\n American League National League Star power: 0 | Young talent: 1 | Baseball stuff: 1<\/p>\n Bonus (2): +1 since it can’t be worse than last year, +1 for fans still showing up to the park<\/p>\n Welcome back to baseball, Paul DePodesta<\/a>. And welcome to … Rockies baseball. In their home opener, the Rockies allowed seven runs in the top of the first inning. If Rockies fans had hopes for a more positive outlook for 2026, that was extinguished before the first round of craft beers was consumed. What kind of future is in store? The Rockies’ initial five-man rotation included four starters age 33 or older.<\/p>\n Star power: 1 | Young talent: 1 | Baseball stuff: 3<\/p>\n Editor’s Picks<\/p>\n 2 Related<\/p>\n Bonus (3): +1 for Mike Trout<\/a> homering in the first two games to give us hope of a vintage Trout season<\/a>, +1 for that goofy artificial rock formation and waterfall behind the outfield fence, +1 for potential Jo Adell<\/a> home run robberies<\/a><\/p>\n The Angels don’t score well in any category. Heck, even Trout didn’t crack our list of the top 100 players in 2026<\/a> (Zach Neto<\/a> was only Angels who made it), which is sad, but that’s the unfortunate reality of what we saw from Trout in 2025. The Angels led the majors in strikeouts last season and are running back most of the same roster. There aren’t any likely impact rookies, and the bench includes Jeimer Candelario<\/a> and Adam Frazier<\/a>.<\/p>\n Star power: 2 | Young talent: 3 | Baseball stuff: 4<\/p>\n Bonus (1): +1 for the .0001% chance Joey Wiemer<\/a> turns into the MVP<\/p>\n The Nationals placed two players in the top 100 in James Wood<\/a> and CJ Abrams<\/a>; but there are concerns about Wood given his second-half struggles last year and strikeout-prone start to 2026, and Abrams is a strong trade candidate come July. Dylan Crews<\/a> was so bad in spring training that he started the year in Triple-A. The Nationals were so desperate for help in the rotation that they signed Miles Mikolas<\/a>, who has allowed 17 runs in his first two starts, including a club-record 11 earned runs in his second outing.<\/p>\n Star power: 0 | Young talent: 8 | Baseball stuff: 2<\/p>\n Bonus (2): +1 for Grant Taylor<\/a>‘s fastball, +1 for Colson Montgomery<\/a> potentially becoming just the second White Sox middle infielder with 30 home runs (Jose Valentin had 30 in 2004)<\/p>\n You could make the argument that the White Sox should be rated a little higher based on all the young talent plus new slugger Munetaka Murakami<\/a>. But the point system is the point system — and the White Sox didn’t land anyone in the top 100 and weren’t very good at playing baseball in 2025. It will be interesting to see how last year’s rookie class grows this season, and we might also see starters Noah Schultz, Hagen Smith and Tanner McDougal all reach the majors. Indeed, the Triple-A Charlotte rotation is probably more intriguing than the big league rotation.<\/p>\n Star power: 3 | Young talent: 5 | Baseball stuff: 3<\/p>\n Bonus (2): +1 for underrated uniform set, +1 for $2 beer days and $2 happy hour hot dogs<\/p>\n The Twins will be a lot more interesting when outfielders Walker Jenkins and Emmanuel Rodriguez and shortstop Kaelen Culpepper — who all started the season in Triple-A — get called up. Along with sophomore Luke Keaschall<\/a>, who hit .302 as a rookie, the Twins can at least see a solid foundation rounding into form by the end of 2026. They landed Byron Buxton<\/a> and Joe Ryan<\/a> in the top 100, but Ryan will be one of the season’s potential hottest trade candidates.<\/p>\n Star power: 0 | Young talent: 6 | Baseball stuff: 5<\/p>\n Bonus (2.5): +1.5 for the classic birds-on-the-bat logo, +1 for believing that maybe Jordan Walker<\/a> and Nolan Gorman<\/a> will put it together<\/p>\n The uniforms are great. The fans show up, although a little less often these days. The Cardinals at least have a clear and disciplined plan in place, with a young roster that features no position players or starting pitchers on the other side of 30. It’s also a starless roster, with rookie JJ Wetherholt<\/a> perhaps already the best player on the team after an exciting debut<\/a>. Outfielder Joshua Baez and catcher Leo Bernal begin the year in Triple-A with eyes on reaching St. Louis this summer.<\/p>\n Star power: 0 | Young talent: 5 | Baseball stuff: 7<\/p>\n Bonus (3): +1 for Sandy Alcantara<\/a> already throwing a complete game, +1 for Pete Fairbanks<\/a>‘ postgame quotes, +1 for Eury Perez<\/a>‘s potential<\/p>\n Ranking baseball’s top 100 players We rank and make predictions for the best players in baseball right now. MLB Rank 2026 \u00bb<\/a><\/p>\n The Marlins might be better than this ranking suggests, but they entered the season with no top-100 players — and when you’re short on stars, you’re going to be short on watchability. Of course, it doesn’t help when home games are played before a few thousand fans, creating a dreary viewing experience. If Alcantara reclaims his top-100 status and Perez climbs into it for the first time, maybe the fans will start showing up. Owen Caissie<\/a>‘s power potential is fun to dream on, as well, as are left starters Robby Snelling and Thomas White, who might be up later this season.<\/p>\n Star power: 4 | Young talent: 3 | Baseball stuff: 8<\/p>\n Bonus (3): +1 for Shane McClanahan<\/a>‘s return, +1 for Junior Caminero<\/a>‘s exit velocities, +0.5 for Yandy Diaz<\/a>‘s biceps, +0.5 for Chandler Simpson<\/a> beating out infield singles<\/p>\n That star power is one guy: Caminero, who came in at an impressive 23rd in our top 100. Let’s see if he can hit 50 home runs this year. McClanahan was a top-100 guy before missing the past two seasons, but the early returns are promising. While the Rays’ talent pipeline has slowed up a bit, they still play the brand of baseball we’re used to seeing from them, with speed and defense. Unfortunately, they’re back indoors at Tropicana Field after a season in the sun playing at George M. Steinbrenner Field in 2025.<\/p>\n Star power: 9 | Young talent: 2 | Baseball stuff: 3<\/p>\n Bonus (4): +1.5 for the intrigue in hiring Tony Vitello, +1 for McCovey Cove, +1 for Luis Arraez<\/a>‘s contact skills, +0.5 for the new “Fiesta Gigantes” jerseys<\/p>\n The Giants placed four players in the top 100 in Logan Webb<\/a>, Rafael Devers<\/a>, Matt Chapman<\/a> and Willy Adames<\/a>, so while perhaps they lack that superstar, MVP-type player, they’re not lacking in big names. They also have a great ballpark, classic uniforms and a manager to watch. And yet, San Francisco still falls short in watchability. There isn’t much youth here, at least until Bryce Eldridge appears on the scene, but the Giants also fared poorly in baseball stuff. They were a bad baserunning team a year ago and a mediocre defensive one. Let’s see if Vitello can inject some life into those areas.<\/p>\n Star power: 7 | Young talent: 2 | Baseball stuff: 8<\/p>\n Bonus (1.5): +1 for Nolan Ryan bloody lip jersey giveaway (unfortunately, the Rangers apparently cancelled the Nolan Ryan\/Robin Ventura bobblehead, which would have been the greatest bobblehead in history), +0.5 for signing Andrew McCutchen<\/a><\/p>\n Wyatt Langford<\/a>, Corey Seager<\/a>, Jacob deGrom<\/a> and Nathan Eovaldi<\/a> give the Rangers a solid core of star power. And they rated surprisingly well in the baseball stuff category, ranking as the top team in defensive runs saved in 2025 (although losing Marcus Semien<\/a> and Adolis Garcia<\/a> drops that placement a bit in 2026). The addition of MacKenzie Gore<\/a> and the continued development of Jack Leiter<\/a> give Texas one of the more interesting rotations to watch. Heck, the Rangers even ditched those awful City Connect jerseys for a new one. But the sterile environment of Globe Life Field, at least on TV, is a big negative.<\/p>\n Star power: 5 | Young talent: 10 | Baseball stuff: 2<\/p>\n Bonus (2): +1 for Denzel Clarke<\/a>‘s acrobatic catches in center field; +1 for those beautiful kelly green jerseys<\/p>\n The A’s are another team that subjectively might rank hire, based on the potential of their offense and second-year standouts Jacob Wilson<\/a> and Nick Kurtz<\/a> (although Kurtz is off to an awful start). But let’s face it: The charm of playing in a minor league park makes for awkward TV viewing; they don’t steal bases; and the defense (aside from Clarke) and the pitching aren’t very good. But on the right day, with Kurtz and Shea Langeliers<\/a> mashing, with Clarke running down balls in the gap and with those green jerseys on display, the A’s can be as fun as any team in MLB this year.<\/p>\n Star power: 9 | Young talent: 3 | Baseball stuff: 5<\/p>\n Bonus (2.5): +1 for Hunter Brown<\/a>‘s ridiculous repertoire, +1 for a healthy Yordan Alvarez<\/a>, +0.5 for Jose Altuve<\/a> still doing his thing<\/p>\n The Astros get an above-average score in star power even though Brown (No. 31), Alvarez (37) and Jeremy Pe\u00f1a<\/a> (48) each got shortchanged a bit in the top 100. Altuve and Carlos Correa<\/a> didn’t even crack the top 100 — and didn’t really deserve to — but obviously add big-name interest to the lineup. Second-year outfielder Cam Smith<\/a> headlines the young talent, and we’ll include Japanese right-hander Tatsuya Imai<\/a> as an intriguing watch — that is, unless the control problems he had in his first start continue to surface.<\/p>\n Star power: 12 | Young talent: 3 | Baseball stuff: 5<\/p>\n Bonus (1): +0.5 for Chris Sale<\/a>‘s slider, +0.5 for the hope of 150 games from Ronald Acu\u00f1a Jr.<\/a><\/p>\n 2026 MLB Season Preview Whether your club is the team to beat or hoping to be 2026’s biggest surprise, we’ve got you covered. MLB season preview \u00bb<\/a><\/p>\n The Braves slid down 10 spots from last year’s index — reflective of an 86-loss season in 2025 and a roster that has grown a little stale in struggling to score enough runs last year. The injuries to Spencer Strider<\/a>, Spencer Schwellenbach<\/a> and Hurston Waldrep<\/a> put an immediate damper on the start of the season, which places a lot of pressure on Acu\u00f1a to stay healthy and put up big numbers to make the Braves not only playoff-worthy but watch-worthy.<\/p>\n Star power: 11 | Young talent: 1 | Baseball stuff: 6<\/p>\n Bonus (3): +1 for Mason Miller<\/a>‘s fastball, +1 for ballpark atmosphere, +1 for the weather<\/p>\n The Padres dropped even more than the Braves, from No. 5 a year ago to No. 17 this season. Fernando Tatis Jr.<\/a>, Jackson Merrill<\/a>, Manny Machado<\/a> and the flame-throwing Miller can still make the Padres a fun watch — especially when they’re at home with their great fan support — but there’s no impactful young talent here now that Merrill has graduated to veteran status.<\/p>\n Star power: 10 | Young talent: 2 | Baseball stuff: 7<\/p>\n Bonus (2.5): +1 for Geraldo Perdomo<\/a> supplanting Ketel Marte<\/a> as the most underrated player in baseball, +1 for Corbin Carroll<\/a> legging out a triple, +0.5 for the “Serpientes” City Connect jerseys<\/p>\n The big three of Carroll, Marte and Perdomo make the Diamondbacks an entertaining watch. They should be a better defensive team this year with Nolan Arenado<\/a> and Carlos Santana<\/a>, but the two vets have struggled mightily out of the gate at the plate (one extra-base hit and one RBI through the first 10 games), and that’s not so fun. Zac Gallen<\/a> has always been one of my favorite pitchers to watch, but his best days might be behind him, as well. Jordan Lawlar<\/a> is Arizona’s one key young player, but he just fractured his right wrist.<\/p>\n Star power: 5 | Young talent: 7 | Baseball stuff: 9<\/p>\n Bonus (1): +0.5 for Gabriel Arias<\/a>‘ arm, +0.5 for Steven Kwan<\/a>‘s old-school hitting<\/p>\n Yeah, we’re a little surprised to see Cleveland here too, but it has Jose Ramirez<\/a> (Kwan was the team’s only other top-100 player), and Ramirez is worth the price of admission all by himself. Chase DeLauter<\/a> burst out with five home runs in his first seven games (including four in his first three<\/a>), so he gives the Guardians one of the top rookies to watch. And keep an eye on Parker Messick<\/a>, my sleeper Rookie of the Year hopeful. They rate well in the baseball categories, especially as their starters pitched the second-most innings in 2025. The Guardians are kind of the anti-2026 version of baseball, and they somehow make it work.<\/p>\n Star power: 8 | Young talent: 8 | Baseball stuff: 4<\/p>\n Bonus (2.5): +1 for Camden Yards, +1 for Trevor Rogers<\/a>‘ four-seamer\/changeup combo, +0.5 for the pure hideousness of the “Orange Out” jerseys<\/p>\n Gunnar Henderson<\/a> and Pete Alonso<\/a> ranked in the top 30, and Adley Rutschman<\/a> — we’re apparently not giving up on him just yet — came in at No. 79, so there is some star power here. With Samuel Basallo<\/a> and Dylan Beavers<\/a>, the Orioles also have two of the top Rookie of the Year contenders, while Coby Mayo<\/a> also fits into the young player category. Camden Yards remains a gem, and those all-orange uniforms are so bad they’re good. What will ultimately define the watchability of the 2026 Orioles, however: Will they be good?<\/p>\n Star power: 4 | Young talent: 10 | Baseball stuff: 4<\/p>\n Bonus (4.5): +1 for Oneil Cruz<\/a>‘s adventures in center field, +1 for the Roberto Clemente Bridge, +1 for “Raise the Jolly Roger,” +1 for the welder’s helmet, +0.5 for expectations for the first time in a long time<\/p>\n The Pirates make a big leap from No. 26. Thank you, Konnor Griffin, who just made his MLB debut as a teenage position player<\/a>, the first since Juan Soto<\/a> in 2018. Bubba Chandler<\/a> helps boost the young talent score alongside Griffin, giving the Pirates a dynamic rookie duo. The star power is entirely dependent on Paul Skenes<\/a>, who has had a curious lack of swing-and-miss stuff in his first two starts, as there isn’t really another player close to the top 100. Then there’s Cruz, always entertaining but not always helping the Pirates win.<\/p>\n Star power: 6 | Young talent: 9 | Baseball stuff: 6<\/p>\n Bonus (2.5): +1 for the return of Elly De La Cruz<\/a>‘s power, +1 for Eugenio Suarez<\/a>‘s all-around good vibes, +0.5 for Chase Burns<\/a>‘ fastball, +0.5 for manager Terry Francona<\/p>\n The Reds placed four players in the top 100, with the mercurial De La Cruz leading the way at No. 24. Don’t forget that he is still just 24 years old and that he played through some injury woes and off-the-field issues last year that might have affected his production. Hunter Greene<\/a>‘s injury is discouraging, but Burns looks ready to step in and take over as the flame-throwing ace of the rotation. And Sal Stewart<\/a> and Rhett Lowder<\/a> give the Reds two top rookies. Stewart is off to a great start, already looking like he has the potential to be a big star with advanced control of the strike zone and elite barrel rates.<\/p>\n Star power: 6 | Young talent: 6 | Baseball stuff: 9<\/p>\n Bonus (3.5): +1 for Pat Murphy’s witticisms, +1 for brats, +1 for Jacob Misiorowski<\/a>‘s no-hit potential every time out, +0.5 for ballpark atmosphere<\/p>\n The latest ESPN Fantasy baseball content<\/p>\n \u2022 THE BUZZ: All the latest fantasy news<\/a><\/p>\n \u2022 Karabell: Don’t be surprised …<\/a><\/p>\n \u2022 Five pitchers set to become staff aces<\/a><\/p>\n \u2022 Reliever depth chart for every MLB team<\/a><\/p>\n Fantasy baseball home page >><\/a><\/p>\n It feels a little lazy to just say the Brewers play the game the right way, because that ignores the talent here. They might not have an MVP-type player, but they had three in the top 100 in William Contreras<\/a> (28), Jackson Chourio<\/a> (45) and Brice Turang<\/a> (74), although Chourio is still based more on potential while Turang probably deserved to be ranked higher. Misiorowski is quickly becoming one of the must-watch starting pitchers with a fastball that touches triple digits. But, you know, the Brewers do play the right way: good defense, aggressive on the bases, putting the ball in play. And we still get Bernie Brewer going down the slide after a home run.<\/p>\n Star power: 7 | Young talent: 7 | Baseball stuff: 8<\/p>\n Bonus (3.5): +1 for Kauffman Stadium, +1 for Noah Cameron<\/a>‘s curveball, +0.5 for another year of Salvador Perez<\/a>, +0.5 for underrated star Maikel Garcia<\/a>, +0.5 for Vinnie Pasquantino<\/a>‘s personality<\/p>\n Bobby Witt Jr.<\/a> is one of the game’s true superstars, with his wide range of skills making him arguably the most watchable player in all the land. He ranked as the second-fastest player in 2025, behind only Trea Turner<\/a>. He was tied with Pete Crow-Armstrong<\/a> in outs above average among all defensive players. Witt also ranked in the 95th percentile in average exit velocity. But he’s hardly a one-man show anymore, with the emergence of Garcia and some fun starters in Cole Ragans<\/a> and Cameron. Jac Caglianone<\/a> and Carter Jensen<\/a> — assuming he remembers to set his alarm clock<\/a> — give the Royals some must-watch youngsters, as well.<\/p>\n Star power: 8 | Young talent: 10 | Baseball stuff: 5<\/p>\n Bonus (3): +1 for the Old English “D,” +1 for play-by-play voice Jason Benetti, +0.5 for Kevin McGonigle<\/a>‘s high socks, +0.5 for the return of Justin Verlander<\/a><\/p>\n The Tigers have made the playoffs in back-to-back years, but they haven’t always been the most enjoyable team to watch, outside of Tarik Skubal<\/a>. They strike out a lot. They were last in stolen bases in 2025. And manager A.J. Hinch had a quick hook with his starters, outside of Skubal, leading to an incessant churn of relief pitchers.<\/p>\n Enter McGonigle, whose bat-to-ball skills make him a potential batting champ as a 21-year-old rookie. Enter Framber Valdez<\/a>, to give the Tigers another front-of-the-rotation starter. Enter, eventually, Max Clark, who is off to a hot start at Triple-A and might be in center field before long. Then there’s the return of Verlander, who landed on the injured list after his first start<\/a> but can maybe help lead the Tigers to that World Series title that eluded him in his first stint in Detroit.<\/p>\n Star power: 10 | Young talent: 4 | Baseball stuff: 10<\/p>\n Bonus (2.5): +1 for ivy, +0.5 for Pete Crow-Armstrong<\/a>‘s diving catches, +0.5 for Daniel Palencia<\/a>‘s 100 mph heater, +0.5 for the 150th anniversary celebration<\/p>\n Hard to believe, but we’re now 10 years removed from the 2016 Cubs — the team every subsequent Cubs team has been compared with (and failed to match). The 2026 Cubs, however, are a super fun team. They dominated the baseball stuff rankings — third in stolen bases and baserunning, second in defense, sixth in lowest strikeout and even a decent 12th in innings from starters despite not having a No. 1-type starter. They had six players in the top 100, although Crow-Armstrong was the only one in the top 50. They had three players — Michael Busch<\/a>, Seiya Suzuki<\/a>, Crow-Armstrong — reach 30 home runs last season. Alex Bregman<\/a> adds a little grit and intensity. Edward Cabrera<\/a> brings some heat to the rotation. And maybe Cade Horton<\/a> is that ace the Cubs have been looking for.<\/p>\n Star power: 9 | Young talent: 7 | Baseball stuff: 6<\/p>\n Bonus (4.5): +1 for Vladdy being Vladdy, +1 for ballpark atmosphere, +0.5 for Addison Barger<\/a>‘s arm, +0.5 for Alejandro Kirk<\/a>, +0.5 for Dylan Cease<\/a>‘s new changeup, +0.5 for Ernie Clement<\/a> swinging at everything, +0.5 for the return of Mad Max<\/a><\/p>\n Guide to offseason chaos that rocked MLB Are you ready for Opening Day? Here’s your guide to the offseason chaos that rocked MLB. What a difference a year makes. Entering last season, the Blue Jays were coming off a tedious 88-loss campaign in 2024 and ranked 20th in the Watchability Index. They had Vladimir Guerrero Jr.<\/a> and … well, not a whole lot else that suggested a World Series run was in the works. WHY DIDN’T ISIAH KINER-FALEFA<\/a> JUST RUN THROUGH HOME PLATE<\/a>?! Oops, sorry about that, Jays fans. Now, it’s World Series or bust, with some fun new faces in Cease, third baseman Kazuma Okamoto<\/a> and playoff star Trey Yesavage<\/a> (shoulder), once he returns from the IL. We’re not even going to let Kirk’s fractured thumb dampen the joy.<\/p>\n Star power: 13 | Young talent: 4 | Baseball stuff: 6<\/p>\n Bonus (4): +1 for the new Seattle Steelheads throwback jerseys, +1 for Tucker the clubhouse dog, +1 for the salmon mascot race, +0.5 for Bryan Woo<\/a>‘s fastball command, +0.5 for Cal Raleigh<\/a>‘s big dumper<\/p>\n Raleigh and Julio Rodriguez<\/a> both cracked the top 10, while starters Woo, Logan Gilbert<\/a> and George Kirby<\/a> also made the top 100. The Mariners have some secret fun stuff, such as Josh Naylor<\/a> stealing 30 bases last year. But the first 10 days of the season? Not so fun. Raleigh, Rodriguez and Naylor, the 2-3-4 hitters, went 16-for-117 (.137) through the team’s first 10 games without a home run. No. 5 hitter Randy Arozarena<\/a> hasn’t homered, either. That’s four players who combined for 139 home runs last season. Even Rodriguez, usually full of infectious enthusiasm, has looked unhappy over this start. It will turn around, right?<\/p>\n Star power: 11 | Young talent: 7 | Baseball stuff: 6<\/p>\n Bonus (3.5): +1 for Aaron Judge<\/a>‘s prodigious home runs, +1 for Cam Schlittler<\/a>‘s cutter, +1 for the Jose Caballero<\/a>–Jazz Chisholm Jr.<\/a> charisma combo; +0.5 for Gerrit Cole<\/a>‘s return<\/p>\n Memo to Yankees haters: You’re going to have a long season. This looks like the best team in the American League — and Cole and Carlos Rodon<\/a> aren’t even in the rotation yet. The Yankees haven’t missed them because Schlittler already looks like a Cy Young Award contender.<\/p>\n Yes, right now. Schlittler has been that good. After seeing his first two starts, he already has become my must-watch pitcher for 2026. He’s basically throwing three different fastballs: a 98 mph four-seamer, a 97 mph sinker and a revamped 94 mph cutter that looks unhittable. He mixes in an occasional curveball, but he’s throwing the three fastballs 89% of the time. He has allowed three hits in 11\u2154 innings with 15 strikeouts and no walks. Schlittler has been so good that even Judge ordering the team to wear suits to the home opener can’t lower this ranking.<\/p>\n Star power: 10 | Young talent: 9 | Baseball stuff: 8<\/p>\n Bonus (1.5): +0.5 for the Green Monster, +0.5 for Garrett Crochet<\/a>‘s left arm, +0.5 for Jarren Duran<\/a>‘s energy<\/p>\n The slow start is a little worrisome and makes this feel like an aggressive ranking. Losing teams aren’t that watchable no matter how advanced Roman Anthony<\/a> might be at the plate or how dynamic Ceddanne Rafaela<\/a> and Wilyer Abreu<\/a> are on defense. With Anthony, Marcelo Mayer<\/a> and Connelly Early<\/a>, the Red Sox score high in young talent. Crochet leads the list of six Red Sox players in the top 100, with Anthony’s potential already placing him at No. 33. Still, don’t overreact to a small sample of games: This should be a fun team to watch over the long season.<\/p>\n Star power: 13 | Young talent: 8 | Baseball stuff: 7<\/p>\n Bonus (1.5): +1 for Mets broadcasting trio of Gary Cohen, Keith Hernandez and Ron Darling, +0.5 for wondering what will go wrong this year<\/p>\n I heard sportswriter Joe Posnanski ask this: Is Soto fun? It’s a good question. Juan Soto<\/a> not fun in the traditional sense of the multiskilled player who does it all and plays with a lot of joy, although don’t forget that he stole 38 bases last year. He’s great, of course, which is an automatic kind of fun. But I’d describe him more as watchable than fun. Soto’s at-bats bring a specific type of intensity unlike any hitter-pitcher matchup we’ve seen since Barry Bonds, with every walk he earns feeling like a triumph and every out the pitcher records feeling like an even bigger win. He’s unique — even compared with Aaron Judge or Shohei Ohtani — in that regard. You know who is fun though? Nolan McLean<\/a>. He’s going to be good.<\/p>\n Star power: 15 | Young talent: 4 | Baseball stuff: 6<\/p>\n Bonus (5): +1 for Shohei Ohtani<\/a> pitching all season, +1 for 24 different bobblehead nights, +1 for Dodger Stadium, +0.5 for Edwin Diaz<\/a> entering to “Narco,” +0.5 for Mookie being Mookie, +0.5 for Freddie Freeman<\/a> lining doubles in the gap, +0.5 for Yoshinobu Yamamoto<\/a>‘s splitter<\/p>\n Ranking all 30 MLB lineups for 2026 Patience. Power. Durability. Depth. We rate all 30 offenses by these measures and more. Bradford Doolittle \u00bb<\/a><\/p>\n Well, well, well … we all expected the Dodgers to finish first, didn’t we? After all, that’s where they finished last year, and they certainly don’t seem any less watchable. They lead the way with eight players in the top 100, with Ohtani coming in at No. 1, new right fielder Kyle Tucker<\/a> at No. 15, Yamamoto at No. 17, Mookie Betts<\/a> at No. 25 and Will Smith<\/a> and Freeman also in the top 40. This is one of the most star-studded teams ever assembled. The Dodgers are a little thin on young talent, although Roki Sasaki<\/a> still fits in there. And they didn’t score especially high in the baseball stuff, mostly due to a lack of stolen bases and low volume from the starters (which might pick up a bit this year). Bottom line: They have Ohtani and nobody else does.<\/p>\n Star power: 14 | Young talent: 8 | Baseball stuff: 8<\/p>\n Bonus points (3): +1 for the best set of uniforms in baseball, +1 for ballpark atmosphere, +0.5 for Trea Turner<\/a>‘s speed, +0.5 for the Phillie Phanatic<\/p>\n The Phillies were No. 3 a year ago, so this isn’t necessarily a surprise, but they have a few key factors that improved their ranking. First off, Kyle Schwarber<\/a> hit 56 home runs last season, so he went from much-loved slugger to much-loved MVP contender. Then Cristopher Sanchez<\/a> ascended to another level, coming in at No. 19 in our top 100. If he does it again, he’ll rank even higher next year. Then we have a potentially stellar rookie class, with Andrew Painter<\/a> — who looked dominant in his major league debut with eight strikeouts in 5\u2153 innings — and speedster Justin Crawford<\/a> taking over in center field (plus, Aidan Miller could possibly arrive later in the season). The Phillies have great uniforms, passionate fans and a team that can win the World Series.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"David SchoenfieldApr 6, 2026, 07:00 AM ET CloseCovers MLB for ESPN.com Former deputy editor of Page 2 Been…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":585816,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[435],"tags":[49,48,462,82],"class_list":{"0":"post-585815","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-mlb","8":"tag-ca","9":"tag-canada","10":"tag-mlb","11":"tag-sports"},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/585815","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=585815"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/585815\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/585816"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=585815"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=585815"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=585815"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}
\nFormer deputy editor of Page 2
\nBeen with ESPN.com since 1995<\/p>\n
ATH<\/a> | BAL<\/a> | BOS<\/a> | CHW<\/a> | CLE<\/a>
DET<\/a> | HOU<\/a> | KC<\/a> | LAA<\/a> | MIN<\/a>
NYY<\/a> | SEA<\/a> | TB<\/a> | TEX<\/a> | TOR<\/a><\/p>\n
ARI<\/a> | ATL<\/a> | CHC<\/a> | CIN<\/a> | COL<\/a>
LAD<\/a> | MIA<\/a> | MIL<\/a> | NYM<\/a> | PHI<\/a>
PIT<\/a> | SD<\/a> | SF<\/a> | STL<\/a> | WSH<\/a><\/p>\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/col.png&h=60&w=60.png\")
<\/p>\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/laa.png&h=60&w=60.png\")
<\/p>\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/was.png&h=60&w=60.png\")
<\/p>\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/cws.png&h=60&w=60.png\")
<\/p>\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/min.png&h=60&w=60.png\")
<\/p>\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/stl.png&h=60&w=60.png\")
<\/p>\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/mia.png&h=60&w=60.png\")
<\/p>\n![](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/mlb_top_100_16x9_608x342.jpg\")
<\/p>\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/tb.png&h=60&w=60.png\")
<\/p>\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/1775478793_580_sf.png&h=60&w=60.png\")
<\/p>\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/tex.png&h=60&w=60.png\")
<\/p>\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/oak.png&h=60&w=60.png\")
Denzel Clarke continues to make dazzling catches at the center-field wall in 2026.\u00a0Matthew Grimes Jr.\/Atlanta Braves\/Getty Images<\/p>\n
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/1775478794_112_hou.png&h=60&w=60.png\")
<\/p>\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/1775478795_665_atl.png&h=60&w=60.png\")
<\/p>\n![](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/mlb_mega_preview_cr_16x9_608x342.jpg\")
<\/p>\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/sd.png&h=60&w=60.png\")
<\/p>\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/ari.png&h=60&w=60.png\")
<\/p>\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/cle.png&h=60&w=60.png\")
<\/p>\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/bal.png&h=60&w=60.png\")
<\/p>\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/1775478797_713_pit.png&h=60&w=60.png\")
Konnor Griffin doubled and scored a runner for his first MLB hit in his debut.\u00a0Justin K. Aller\/Getty Images<\/p>\n
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/cin.png&h=60&w=60.png\")
<\/p>\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/mil.png&h=60&w=60.png\")
<\/p>\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/kc.png&h=60&w=60.png\")
<\/p>\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/1775478799_919_det.png&h=60&w=60.png\")
<\/p>\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/chc.png&h=60&w=60.png\")
<\/p>\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/1775478800_47_tor.png&h=60&w=60.png\")
<\/p>\n![](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/mlb_chaos_timeline_cr_16x9_608x342.jpg\")
<\/p>\n
Chaos timeline \u00bb<\/a><\/p>\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/sea.png&h=60&w=60.png\")
<\/p>\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/nyy.png&h=60&w=60.png\")
Aaron Judge, center, and Trent Grisham, right, celebrate a three-run homer by Ben Rice (22) on Sunday.\u00a0Jim McIsaac\/Getty Images<\/p>\n
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/1775478802_439_bos.png&h=60&w=60.png\")
<\/p>\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/nym.png&h=60&w=60.png\")
<\/p>\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/1775478803_700_lad.png&h=60&w=60.png\")
<\/p>\n![](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/r1619426_608x342_16-9.jpg\")
<\/p>\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/1775478804_476_phi.png&h=60&w=60.png\")
<\/p>\n