Just like that, here we are with the playoff season bearing down on us. As we look forward to October, that most eventful of baseball months, we can start to put a bow on the regular season.<\/p>\n
While it isn\u2019t quite over yet, we can identify things about each team that have gone well this season, and others that have not. We do this exercise every year, and it is a good chance to look for the successes and disappointments left behind in the wake of each team\u2019s campaign, as viewed through the prism of the expectations, hopes and forecasts we had back in late March.<\/p>\n
Let\u2019s get to it.<\/p>\n
1. Milwaukee Brewers<\/p>\n
Win average: 99.9 (Last Stock Watch: 98.7, 1st)In the playoffs: 100.0% (Last: 100.0%)Champions: 21.6% (Last: 18.6%)<\/p>\n
Biggest success: Forget, if you can, about Jacob Misiorowski<\/a>\u2019s blazing velocity readings that have garnered so many headlines. The Miz blossomed into a full-service ace in his second big league season, emerging as an NL Cy Young front-runner. His average game score (66.7, per Baseball Reference) is nearly three points better than any other starter\u2019s, and his K-BB% (31.7%, per FanGraphs) is the best of any qualifying pitcher in five years. All this happened in the aftermath of Milwaukee\u2019s previous staff ace, Freddy Peralta<\/a>, departing in free agency.<\/p>\n Biggest disappointment: There is not much to choose from, but since we don\u2019t want to leave any section blank, I\u2019ll go with second-half Kyle Harrison<\/a>. Harrison once looked like a Cy Young contender himself, going 8-2 with a 3.01 ERA during the first half. His post-break ERA has ballooned to 7.00 over six starts plus a disastrous relief outing over the weekend in which he failed to retire any of the four Reds batters he faced. All went on to score. The relief stint was meant to build back Harrison\u2019s confidence, so it\u2019s safe to say that remains a work in progress. Harrison\u2019s struggles leave the Brewers without an obvious Game 3 playoff starter behind Misiorowski and Logan Henderson<\/a>.<\/p>\n 2. Los Angeles Dodgers<\/p>\n Win average: 98.3 (Last: 97.1, 2nd)In the playoffs: 100.0% (Last: 99.9%)Champions: 19.6% (Last: 13.8%)<\/p>\n Biggest success: Shohei Ohtani<\/a>\u2019s second-half narrative has been dominated by injuries. Freddie Freeman<\/a> has his worst OPS+ in 14 years. Mookie Betts<\/a> is putting up more or less exactly the same numbers as in his down 2025 season at the plate. Kyle Tucker<\/a> has flopped. All of this has made Andy Pages<\/a>\u2019 best-yet season particularly well-timed. After last fall\u2019s brutal postseason slump, Pages responded by improving his approach without sacrificing any power or average while putting up Gold Glove-level defensive metrics in center field. A fractured hand in late August was an unwelcome detour for Pages\u2019 season, but if his recovery goes as planned, he should be positioned for a much better October this time around.<\/p>\n Biggest disappointment: The Dodgers\u2019 splash signings of Tucker and Edwin Diaz<\/a> in last season\u2019s free agency were the cause of much handwringing about L.A.\u2019s economic dominance. While those high-level, targeted acquisitions looked like no-brainers at the time, the first year of both deals could hardly have gone worse. Together, Tucker and Diaz are at minus-1.0 bWAR for their Dodgers debuts while earning a combined $47 million. Ouch.<\/p>\n 3. Tampa Bay Rays<\/p>\n Win average: 97.1 (Last: 94.9, 4th)In the playoffs: 100.0% (Last: 99.9%)Champions: 16.4% (Last: 13.0%)<\/p>\n Biggest success: As ever with the Rays, it\u2019s hard to pinpoint one thing that has driven their return to baseball\u2019s elite tier. They\u2019ve just kind of gone back to being the Rays we got used to seeing from 2018 to 2023. That means dominating in subtle ways. On offense, the Rays\u2019 speed-and-power combination that is the foundation of their attack was bolstered by an improvement from 22nd to first in team strikeout rate. On the run prevention side, an MLB-best walk rate was supported by the game\u2019s best rate of outs on balls in play. The end result? A return to the playoffs.<\/p>\n Biggest disappointment: The Rays have been so well balanced in every area of the roster and have gotten positive contributions from so many players that you have to get nitpicky here. I\u2019ll go with the hitting of Cedric Mullins<\/a>, whose 70 OPS+ over enough plate appearances that he\u2019s likely to qualify for the batting title has been a real lineup hole. As good as Mullins has been in the past, he hasn\u2019t hit this season at home or on the road, against lefties or righties, in the first half or the second half. To his credit, Mullins has played solid defense, but beyond that, his first Tampa Bay season has been rough.<\/p>\n 4. Atlanta Braves<\/p>\n Win average: 94.7 (Last: 96.6, 3rd)In the playoffs: 100.0% (Last: 99.9%)Champions: 6.6% (Last: 15.6%)<\/p>\n Biggest success: Ten years after a rough four-year stretch as manager of the Rockies, Walt Weiss has provided a steady hand after taking over the reins of one of baseball\u2019s most stable franchises, replacing stalwart Brian Snitker. The Braves\u2019 run back to the postseason hasn\u2019t been without obstacles. Ronald Acuna Jr.<\/a>, Ozzie Albies<\/a> and Austin Riley<\/a> have all fallen short of their peak forms. The starting rotation beyond Chris Sale<\/a> has been riddled with injuries. Through it all, the Braves have remained entrenched in first place in the NL East since the first week of April.<\/p>\n Biggest disappointment: Injuries have once again beset Acuna, whose prime seasons are starting to run short. Acuna still flashes the brilliance that made him a superstar, but this season he has lacked both durability and consistency. Now, you look at his career record and you see two full seasons out of nine. Those healthy seasons were MVP-worthy and he actually won the award in 2023. But beyond those campaigns, Acuna\u2019s career is starting to become one of what might have been. Let\u2019s hope that trend doesn\u2019t continue.<\/p>\n 5. New York Yankees<\/p>\n Win average: 93.4 (Last: 90.8, 6th)In the playoffs: 100.0% (Last: 98.5%)Champions: 11.4% (Last: 7.6%)<\/p>\n Biggest success: We\u2019ve seen a number of previously unknown young pitchers emerge as postseason sensations, as Cam Schlittler<\/a> did last season for the Yankees, then fail to capitalize on the stir they created with career-long dominance. That dynamic does not remotely describe Schlittler, at least so far, as he has followed up his late-2025 breakout with one of the most dominant pitching seasons in Yankees history. He has a chance to become the first qualifying Yankees starter with a sub-2.00 ERA since Ron Guidry in 1978. Like Guidry in that magical season, Schlittler\u2019s stunning success should land him the AL Cy Young Award.<\/p>\n Biggest disappointment: Coming off a five-season run in which Aaron Judge<\/a> averaged 50 homers, 144 games played and 8.4 bWAR, the old injury bug returned to kneecap Judge\u2019s 2026 season. The Yankees are still returning to the playoffs, and Judge will be there to help their quest for the World Series, but his run of historic campaigns is over. Judge can clearly bounce back with an epic 2027, but this is his age-34 season and we can\u2019t take that for granted. Baseball needs all the full-blown Aaron Judge<\/a> seasons it can get.<\/p>\n 6. Chicago Cubs<\/p>\n Win average: 89.4 (Last: 92.2, 5th)In the playoffs: 98.3% (Last: 97.7%)Champions: 4.2% (Last: 7.1%)<\/p>\n Biggest success: When a player becomes a set of initials, you know he has reached rarefied air. That\u2019s exactly what Pete Crow-Armstrong<\/a> has done with one of the best seasons in Cubs history, one that will land him his first NL MVP award. Simply put, PCA has been one of baseball\u2019s best offensive players in 2026, if not the best, and he has been even better on defense. And he does it all with flair and a knack for exploding in key moments.<\/p>\n Biggest disappointment: Injuries and a general lack of consistency have undermined a starting rotation that looked good on paper when spring training began. The only starter to put in a full complement of starts has been Shota Imanaga<\/a>, and although he has been OK, he leads the NL in homers allowed. Edward Cabrera<\/a> has been a flop during his brief stretches of good health. Matthew Boyd<\/a> is solid but lacks dominance and missed a number of starts because of a knee injury. Clay Holmes<\/a> has helped after arriving at the trade deadline, but Kevin Gausman<\/a> has struggled. Justin Steele<\/a> and Cade Horton<\/a> have missed the entire season. And so on. It\u2019s been a rough year for the Chicago rotation.<\/p>\n 7. Philadelphia Phillies<\/p>\n Win average: 89.2 (Last: 85.6, 9th)In the playoffs: 97.4% (Last: 65.0%)Champions: 2.9% (Last: 1.8%)<\/p>\n Biggest success: The skeleton of a dominating postseason pitching structure is in place for the Phillies, thanks to the game\u2019s best rotation trio and a top-end closer in Jhoan Duran<\/a>. The rotation component is made up of Cristopher Sanchez<\/a>, Jesus Luzardo<\/a> and Zack Wheeler<\/a>. While none of them was anonymous when the season began, their combined brilliance wasn\u2019t a given. Sanchez had repeated as a Cy Young candidate, but Luzardo\u2019s career has been marked by ups and downs, and Wheeler was coming off major surgery. Together, this quartet makes the Phillies a club no one should want to face in October.<\/p>\n Biggest disappointment: Despite lineup anchors Kyle Schwarber<\/a> and Bryce Harper<\/a> continuing to shine, the Phillies\u2019 offense has been not only mediocre but also markedly worse than 2025. The team OBP rank has plummeted from fourth to 24th and the slugging has slipped from fourth to 17th. Schwarber and Harper are the only two regulars with an OPS+ over 100, and the other seven aren\u2019t really close. What\u2019s this going to look like against playoff pitching?<\/p>\n 8. Boston Red Sox<\/p>\n Win average: 88.2 (Last: 90.3, 7th)In the playoffs: 100.0% (Last: 97.8%)Champions: 4.7% (Last: 8.2%)<\/p>\n Biggest success: Citing Boston\u2019s historic turnaround is kind of nonspecific, but the miraculous nature of it can\u2019t be ignored. The Red Sox went from 32-46 and the AL East cellar to becoming a playoff shoo-in in less than two months. Since their June 24 nadir, the Red Sox rank third in runs and first in runs allowed. It hasn\u2019t been one thing — it\u2019s been everything.<\/p>\n Biggest disappointment: The injury-marred season by cornerstone outfielder Roman Anthony<\/a> contributed to Boston\u2019s slow start, especially as the more established Jarren Duran<\/a> struggled and continues to do so. Anthony looked capable of making a run at MVP this season after his 140 OPS+ and 3.3 bWAR over just 71 games at age 21. But Anthony has not just been less available because of injury, he also hasn\u2019t been as good when he has played, posting a 103 OPS+ thus far.<\/p>\n 9. San Diego Padres<\/p>\n Win average: 88.1 (Last: 83.3, 12th)In the playoffs: 88.4% (Last: 35.2%)Champions: 2.6% (Last: 0.6%)<\/p>\n Biggest success: The second-half offense. Since the All-Star break, the Padres rank fourth in runs and fourth in OPS. Fernando Tatis Jr, Jackson Merrill<\/a> and Ty France<\/a> all have OPS figures over .900 since the break. Tatis and Merrill have combined for 32 homers as San Diego has gone 34-20, not enough to run down the Dodgers but enough to reestablish the Padres as a playoff threat. This is good because in the first half …<\/p>\n Biggest disappointment: The first-half offense. How could the same lineup, composed of the same core players, be so different from one half to the next? Before the break, San Diego ranked dead last in runs, OPS, average and OBP, while managing to climb to 29th in slugging. The contrast between halves is borderline bizarre. The key question going forward: Which version of the San Diego offense will we see in October?<\/p>\n 10. Arizona Diamondbacks<\/p>\n Win average: 85.3 (Last: 85.8, 8th)In the playoffs: 15.9% (Last: 65.3%)Champions: 0.4% (Last: 1.5%)<\/p>\n Biggest success: In his fourth season as Arizona\u2019s primary catcher, Gabriel Moreno<\/a> has never played more or played better. Already established as a top defensive backstop, Moreno has tacked additional power onto his elite bat-to-ball skills at the plate. He has a shot at finishing with an average over .300 — a rarity these days — and has a career-best 135 OPS+. His solid approach is now elite, with 55 walks against 75 strikeouts. A leader in the Arizona clubhouse, Moreno\u2019s 5.1 bWAR should result in some down-ballot MVP support.<\/p>\n Biggest disappointment: Arizona is still clinging to its playoff hopes, which grow dimmer with each victory by the red-hot Padres. If not for too many collapses by veterans, the Diamondbacks could be in the driver\u2019s seat. Injury-riddled Lourdes Gurriel Jr.<\/a> (51 OPS+) was DFA\u2019d over the weekend. After reaching .404 in batting average on May 1, Ildemaro Vargas<\/a> has since hit .212. Former closer Paul Sewald<\/a> is long gone. Zac Gallen<\/a> and Merrill Kelly<\/a>, Arizona\u2019s longtime rotation big two, have gone a combined 12-22 with a 5.47 ERA over 47 starts. If this group had even just retreated into mediocrity, the Diamondbacks would be in a far better place.<\/p>\n 11. Chicago White Sox<\/p>\n Win average: 82.8 (Last: 83.8, 10th)In the playoffs: 68.4% (Last: 58.7%)Champions: 2.0% (Last: 2.1%)<\/p>\n Biggest success: No matter how their playoff push turns out, the 2026 season has been a big, honking success for the White Sox. The most exciting part of it has been the emergence of a group of young position players who should only get better from here. Chase Meidroth<\/a>, Braden Montgomery<\/a>, Colson Montgomery<\/a>, Kyle Teel<\/a> and Sam Antonacci<\/a> are all holding down key roles at age 24 or younger. This group has not just helped fuel Chicago\u2019s success, but it also has jelled along with other hitters such as Miguel Vargas<\/a>, Munetaka Murakami<\/a> and Tristan Peters<\/a> to give the White Sox an identity. Before long, Caleb Bonemer and Roch Cholowsky should be up to join them. These are exciting times on the South Side.<\/p>\n Biggest disappointment: As successful as the White Sox have been so far in churning out rookie hitters ready to help, it remains to be seen if they can match them with similarly productive pitchers from their system. There has been some good news as Hagen Smith<\/a> has been dazzling as a reliever and is a likely rotation option down the line. But the system has provided few answers for the right-now rotation, and that has left the White Sox scrambling to fill innings during their postseason pursuit.<\/p>\n 12. Cleveland Guardians<\/p>\n Win average: 82.5 (Last: 81.9, 13th)In the playoffs: 78.8% (Last: 41.9%)Champions: 3.7% (Last: 1.2%)<\/p>\n Biggest success: The Guardians have annually fielded one of the AL\u2019s youngest rosters, a neat trick given the usual dynamics that go with the passage of time. Thanks to an influx of rookies playing key roles on another Cleveland playoff contender, who\u2019s to say if the Guardians will ever truly grow up? Travis Bazzana<\/a>, Chase DeLauter<\/a> and Angel Genao<\/a> have arrived to help offset a rare down season by Jose Ramirez<\/a>. On the pitching side, Parker Messick<\/a> should win plenty of award support in both the Rookie of the Year and Cy Young categories.<\/p>\n Biggest disappointment: Yeah, that would be Ramirez, who is having his worst season in 11 years. He\u2019s going to finish with fewer than 20 homers in a full season for the first time in a decade, and his average (.230) is 46 points below his career mark. He has been helpless against righties, hitting just .210\/.299\/.317. This isn\u2019t the Jose Ramirez<\/a> we\u2019re used to seeing. Let\u2019s hope we haven\u2019t seen the last of his metronome-like elite production.<\/p>\n 13. Houston Astros<\/p>\n Win average: 81.3 (Last: 83.4, 11th)In the playoffs: 75.5% (Last: 66.0%)Champions: 2.2% (Last: 3.4%)<\/p>\n Biggest success: Given his ongoing knee trouble and the 48 games he was limited to in 2025, it wasn\u2019t silly to wonder if the Astros were now dealing with a post-peak version of Yordan Alvarez<\/a>. Instead, he has been more durable and lethal than ever, leading the AL in all the slash categories and establishing himself as the front-runner for his first MVP award. This full-blown version of Alvarez has no weaknesses, except perhaps those around him in the Astros\u2019 lineup. Alvarez\u2019s 32 intentional walks are double those of second-place Ohtani atop the MLB leaderboard.<\/p>\n Biggest disappointment: The Astros\u2019 sign-stealing scandal is old news now, but in some ways Houston is still dealing with the fallout of that mess in the form of ongoing organizational instability. James Click came in and won a title after replacing Jeff Luhnow and then was gone, unable to land a multiyear offer from owner Jim Crane for his efforts. Now Click\u2019s replacement, Dana Brown, is gone, too, replaced by some uncertain combination of underlings, Crane and Hall of Fame slugger Jeff Bagwell. It doesn\u2019t bode well for a franchise that needs to transition to its next era.<\/p>\n 14. Pittsburgh Pirates<\/p>\n Win average: 81.3 (Last: 80.0, 18th)In the playoffs: 0.0% (Last: 9.0%)Champions: 0.0% (Last: 0.1%)<\/p>\n Biggest success: By and large, the Pirates\u2019 surprisingly aggressive offseason paid off. Marcell Ozuna<\/a> hit a career wall and was released, while Jhostynxon \u201cThe Password\u201d Garcia couldn\u2019t establish himself. But Pittsburgh\u2019s rise from 30th to fifth in runs per game would not have happened without Brandon Lowe<\/a>, Ryan O\u2019Hearn and Jake Mangum<\/a> all coming in and filling key lineup holes.<\/p>\n Biggest disappointment: If there was one overriding reason to justify Pittsburgh\u2019s proactive approach to the season, it was to maximize its chances to win while Paul Skenes<\/a> was still on hand doing legendary things. It wasn\u2019t just Skenes of course — the overall Pittsburgh rotation looked like the foundation of a contending team, if only the team could score. Well, this year the Pirates have scored, but the rotation has dropped from sixth to 17th in ERA. That\u2019s not all on Skenes, but it\u2019s hard to see his slide into mediocrity as anything other than a huge disappointment. A pitcher\u2019s superficial stats — Skenes is 10-11 with a 3.78 ERA — can often be misleading, but in this case they\u2019re not. And they\u2019re the biggest reason the Pirates haven\u2019t quite been able to climb up from the fringes of playoff contention. They are 13-17 when Skenes has started this season. That record was 32-23 entering this season, when Skenes was pitching for teams not as good as this one. It\u2019s a shame.<\/p>\n 15. Toronto Blue Jays<\/p>\n Win average: 81.2 (Last: 76.2, 24th)In the playoffs: 41.7% (Last: 3.0%)Champions: 0.9% (Last: 0.1%)<\/p>\n Biggest success: We\u2019ll call this one a tie between a starting pitcher (Dylan Cease<\/a>) signed to a pricey free agent deal over the offseason, and a relief pitcher (Louis Varland<\/a>) who emerged as possibly the game\u2019s best reliever in an MLB universe that includes San Diego\u2019s Mason Miller<\/a>. Cease has seemingly been generating no-hitter alerts every other outing, while Varland has a magical combination of 93 strikeouts and just two homers allowed.<\/p>\n Biggest disappointment: You take those infusions to the pitching staff and add them to a team with an elite offense that just came within a hairsbreadth of winning the 2025 World Series, and you\u2019d think sparks would fly. But the offense has been as far from elite as you can get, slipping from fourth to dead last in runs per game. That stupefying plummet has been exemplified by the 89 OPS+ season posted thus far by Vladimir Guerrero Jr.<\/a>, who on Sunday — Sept. 13, two weeks before the end of the regular season — went deep at Rogers Centre for the first time in 2026.<\/p>\n 16. Texas Rangers<\/p>\n Win average: 80.2 (Last: 81.5, 14th)In the playoffs: 32.0% (Last: 38.0%)Champions: 0.7% (Last: 1.2%)<\/p>\n Biggest success: Not enough attention has gone to the season put up by Texas utility player Ezequiel Duran<\/a>, who bears the apt nickname \u201cThe Solution.\u201d He has been that and more for the Rangers, hitting 17 homers, driving in 80 runs and posting a 122 OPS+ while starting at least six games at four different positions. It\u2019s not quite at the level of peak Ben Zobrist, but Duran\u2019s season has been good enough to at least remind you of just how much impact a premier utility player can provide.<\/p>\n Biggest disappointment: Good teams generally get positive contributions from rookies, whether it be in regular roles or at least as in-season replacements as needs arise. The Rangers are mediocre, but if they had gotten at least some help from their system, they might be good. In this year\u2019s AL West, good would mean a runaway division title. According to rookie WAR — an average of the FanGraphs and Baseball Reference versions — 29 teams have gotten at least some measure of positive collective contribution from rookies, with Cleveland leading the way at 10.9 WAR. The Rangers have gotten minus-1.2 WAR from their rookies. Going forward, this will have to change.<\/p>\n 17. St. Louis Cardinals<\/p>\n Win average: 79.8 (Last: 79.6, 19th)In the playoffs: 0.0% (Last: 7.7%)Champions: 0.0% (Last: 0.1%)<\/p>\n Biggest success: The Cardinals\u2019 offense has improved from 19th to 12th in runs per game. Identifying the source of that improvement is somewhat difficult, as St. Louis\u2019 rankings in the primary slash categories are largely unchanged. The key thing is that it has been the Cardinals\u2019 young hitters driving the improvement. Jordan Walker<\/a> emerged as an offensive star. JJ Wetherholt<\/a> looks like a top-of-the-order fixture. And more young hitters have been layered in, such as Joshua Baez<\/a>, Leo Bernal<\/a> and Thomas Saggese<\/a>, who has mashed since returning to the majors in late August. Add young veterans Alec Burleson<\/a>, Masyn Winn<\/a> and Ivan Herrera<\/a> to the mix and an exciting Redbirds attack is taking shape in a hurry.<\/p>\n Biggest disappointment: The Cardinals weren\u2019t really built to contend. Yet the way things have worked out, they would be in the thick of the chase with more consistency from their bullpen. Only two teams have blown more saves than the Cardinals\u2019 relievers, and only one has allowed a higher percentage of inherited runs to score. Typifying this issue has been closer Riley O\u2019Brien, who leads the NL with 37 saves but has a 4.13 ERA and a bWAR that puts him right around replacement level. O\u2019Brien has the stuff to be an elite closer, but he needs to make strides in consistency and command.<\/p>\n 18. Miami Marlins<\/p>\n Win average: 79.0 (Last: 81.2, 15th)In the playoffs: 0.0% (Last: 16.1%)Champions: 0.0% (Last: 0.3%)<\/p>\n Biggest success: The Marlins have been a middling team, even though their emergent middle infield has been anything but mediocre — in a good way. Shortstop Otto Lopez<\/a> (5.7 bWAR, NL-high 180 hits) has been the standout, but with second baseman Xavier Edwards<\/a> (2.9 bWAR) also playing well, Miami is the only team in baseball to rank in the top five by wins above average at the middle infield positions.<\/p>\n Biggest disappointment: Entering the season, you could squint at the Marlins\u2019 lineup and see the potential for a good core of young middle-of-the-order hitters consisting of some combination of Kyle Stowers<\/a>, Agustin Ramirez<\/a> and Owen Caissie<\/a>. It hasn\u2019t panned out. Stowers has battled injuries and has slipped from a 150 OPS+ in his All-Star 2025 campaign to 121. Ramirez has spent much of the season in the minors, and Caissie hasn\u2019t established himself in his first shot at a regular big league role. Maybe next year.<\/p>\n 19. Baltimore Orioles<\/p>\n Win average: 77.4 (Last: 79.4, 20th)In the playoffs: 1.0% (Last: 14.8%)Champions: 0.0% (Last: 0.3%)<\/p>\n Biggest success: Inking Pete Alonso<\/a> to a five-year, $155 million free agent contract was a bold move for the Orioles. Alonso\u2019s first season in Baltimore has been an unqualified success, simply because the Polar Bear keeps putting up the same numbers he always has. The guy shows up every day, every season and can be penciled in for 35 to 40 homers and 100 to 120 RBIs. It\u2019s amazing his former team didn\u2019t value those things a little more. Goodness knows, the Mets could have used those numbers this year.<\/p>\n Biggest disappointment: The widespread failings of the group of onetime Orioles hitting prospects is the big picture item here, but that issue is exemplified by the head-scratching Gunnar Henderson<\/a>. Henderson was only 23 when he finished fourth in AL MVP balloting for the 2024 season, when he posted a 155 OPS+ and 8.8 bWAR. In 2025, those numbers fell to a 122 OPS+ and 5.4 bWAR. OK, fine. He\u2019d set the bar high. But this season his production has deteriorated even more — 2.7 bWAR and a 104 OPS+. What\u2019s going on here?<\/p>\n 20. Seattle Mariners<\/p>\n Win average: 76.9 (Last: 80.7, 17th)In the playoffs: 1.4% (Last: 32.3%)Champions: 0.0% (Last: 1.3%)<\/p>\n Biggest success: It\u2019s hard to find much success on what arguably has been baseball\u2019s biggest underachiever. Randy Arozarena<\/a> has been a clear bright spot by putting up the best season of his career at age 31. His 150 OPS+ is a career best for a full season, as is his 5.0 bWAR, and he leads the AL with 100 runs scored even though few hitters around him have produced. Arozarena\u2019s numbers might be even better if his home park were more forgiving — his road OPS is .928 compared with .765 at T-Mobile Park.<\/p>\n Biggest disappointment: All of it? That might be the real answer, but if we need to get specific, you have to look only as far as Cal Raleigh<\/a>\u2019s stat line. That he didn\u2019t hit 60 homers again is probably the least surprising thing in baseball. But to regress from that historic number to a 95 OPS+ is stunning. Raleigh was a leading MVP candidate a year ago, but this time around, he\u2019s struggling to reach even one win above replacement. The Mariners\u2019 shortcomings aren\u2019t all on Raleigh, not even close, but his struggles serve as the perfect avatar for this disappointing Mariners season.<\/p>\n 21. Detroit Tigers<\/p>\n Win average: 76.7 (Last: 80.8, 16th)In the playoffs: 1.1% (Last: 34.4%)Champions: 0.0% (Last: 1.8%)<\/p>\n Biggest success: Flashing back to the spring, if you told any Tigers fan that their team, which made the playoffs the past two seasons, was about to get a rookie season from prospect Kevin McGonigle<\/a> that immediately marked him as the team\u2019s best player, that fan would have been thinking about how close to 100 wins the Tigers might get. Instead, Detroit remains well under .500 even with McGonigle surpassing the six-win mark on the way to a probable AL Rookie of the Year award. An even better race: Can McGonigle walk more than he strikes out as a 21-year-old rookie? He\u2019s at 88 walks and 89 strikeouts, so it\u2019s going to be close.<\/p>\n Biggest disappointment: Given the circumstances, the Tigers did the right thing in trading Tarik Skubal<\/a>. Still, it\u2019s disappointing that Detroit\u2019s struggles in close games left the team in that position. While you can point to pitching injuries and other factors for the Tigers\u2019 disappointing record, it all still might have worked out if Detroit wasn\u2019t a surreal 26 games under .500 in games decided by one or two runs.<\/p>\n 22. Minnesota Twins<\/p>\n Win average: 76.5 (Last: 79.1, 21st)In the playoffs: 0.1% (Last: 14.9%)Champions: 0.0% (Last: 0.4%)<\/p>\n Biggest success: After going to backpedal mode for much of the previous year, the Twins actually played themselves into position to add at the trade deadline, largely on the back of a surprisingly productive offense built on hard contact. Minnesota improved from 23rd to 10th in runs per game thanks to an aggressive collective approach that featured plenty of extra-base production. The Twins actually got a slightly larger percentage of their runs via homers last year, but the increased contact meant more buck for their bang this time around, in the form of multirun homers and a higher rate of doubles.<\/p>\n Biggest disappointment: As mentioned, the Twins added at the deadline, bringing in starter Dean Kremer<\/a> and relievers A.J. Minter<\/a> and Jeff Hoffman<\/a> to bolster a playoff push. The new hurlers have all done fine. It hasn\u2019t mattered, though, because Minnesota\u2019s two-game losing streak heading into deadline day turned out to be only the beginning of a sustained period of negative regression. The Twins have gone 14-25 since the end of July. At least they tried.<\/p>\n 23. New York Mets<\/p>\n Win average: 75.1 (Last: 69.1, 25th)In the playoffs: 0.0% (Last: 0.0%)Champions: 0.0% (Last: 0.0%)<\/p>\n Biggest success: This year\u2019s rookie class has been a strong one for the Mets. That might be little solace for this year\u2019s multipronged exercise in proverbial egg laying, but it bodes well for the future. Only the Guardians and White Sox have a higher consensus WAR figure from rookies than the Mets\u2019 9.9. My AXE rating system gives the Mets four of the NL\u2019s top 20 rookies: Carson Benge<\/a> (fourth), Nolan McLean<\/a> (fifth), A.J. Ewing<\/a> (ninth) and Zach Thornton (17th).<\/p>\n Biggest disappointment: Mets fans reading my comment above about the Mariners being baseball\u2019s most disappointing team might have asked, \u201cHey, what about us?\u201d And it\u2019s a fair point. I\u2019d say it\u2019s close. But whereas the Mariners seemed like a club ready to win at a high level, with a complete roster that had been together in its essential components for some time, the Mets\u2019 good preseason forecast was undermined by more uncertainties. The big one was the overhauling of the position group, which among other things left Alonso as an Oriole and the Mets with a yawn-inducing platoon at first base that barely cleared replacement level. Opening Day first baseman Jorge Polanco<\/a> started the first two games there and that was it. Very disappointing.<\/p>\n 24. Cincinnati Reds<\/p>\n Win average: 75.1 (Last: 76.6, 23rd)In the playoffs: 0.0% (Last: 1.9%)Champions: 0.0% (Last: 0.0%)<\/p>\n Biggest success: The overall progress of the Reds\u2019 starting rotation has been stunted by injuries and underachievement. The talent that flowed into that group in recent years just hasn\u2019t resulted in the kind of production that would propel the Reds into contention. None of this is the fault of Chase Burns<\/a>, who has become one of the game\u2019s finest young aces. He\u2019s 15-3 with a 2.80 ERA over 28 starts and has a higher strikeout rate than most of the Reds\u2019 relievers.<\/p>\n Biggest disappointment: As dynamic as Elly De La Cruz<\/a> and Sal Stewart<\/a> have been in the lineup, this year\u2019s Reds offense has been a one-trick pony. Cincinnati ranks third in homers and first in runs via homers at nearly 50%. But the Reds are last in average, on-base percentage and strikeouts. The end result has been a big leap in home runs paired with a drop in scoring from 14th to 25th. This lineup needs some contact hitting in the worst way.<\/p>\n 25. Washington Nationals<\/p>\n Win average: 75.0 (Last: 77.5, 22nd)In the playoffs: 0.0% (Last: 2.5%)Champions: 0.0% (Last: 0.0%)<\/p>\n Biggest success: While the Nationals\u2019 offense has faded a bit during the second half — a teamwide malady for Washington — this has still been a breakout season for their batsmen as a group. The Nats have improved from 20th to third in scoring this season, with perhaps the game\u2019s best combination of power (fourth in homers) and speed (first in steals). It\u2019s also the game\u2019s youngest group of hitters, so it\u2019s possible James Wood<\/a> & Co. can get even better as offensive approaches are refined.<\/p>\n Biggest disappointment: Like the Cardinals, the Nationals didn\u2019t pay enough attention to stocking their bullpen, and that undermined a season in which the team was surprisingly competitive. Or if they did pay attention to the group, they didn\u2019t do a very good job of building it. Either way, the Washington bullpen has been a dumpster fire, blowing eight more saves than any other in the majors while allowing a league-worst rate of inherited runners to score.<\/p>\n 26. Kansas City Royals<\/p>\n Win average: 71.2 (Last: 67.9, 27th)In the playoffs: 0.0% (Last: 0.0%)Champions: 0.0% (Last: 0.0%)<\/p>\n Biggest success: The Royals aren\u2019t far away from having a contention-level lineup in place. It starts with the progress made by young hitters Jac Caglianone<\/a> and Carter Jensen<\/a>. Caglianone has become of the game\u2019s more dangerous hitters even as he still has plenty of room to refine his pitch recognition. Jensen, a year from now, might be viewed as the AL\u2019s best catcher. The Royals can reasonably bank on 2027 bounce-backs from injury-plagued Maikel Garcia<\/a> and Vinnie Pasquantino<\/a>, who had a down season after driving in 113 runs in 2025. Bobby Witt Jr.<\/a> is the linchpin and the cornerstone player of the franchise. It didn\u2019t quite come together in 2026, but the Royals\u2019 offense isn\u2019t far away.<\/p>\n Biggest disappointment: Even if the rotation had stayed healthy and the offense had come together, this season would have come apart because of a yawning chasm of a bullpen. On paper, it shouldn\u2019t have been so bad. Then closer Carlos Estevez<\/a> was hurt in spring training and got into just one regular-season game. Matt Strahm<\/a> was a proven leverage lefty who collapsed this season. Lucas Erceg<\/a> wound up in the minors. The group finishing the season in the Kansas City bullpen is completely different — and better — than the one that began it. Some of these things were hard to foresee, but if there is one area for the front office to examine, it\u2019s here. Was there enough depth? Were the Royals too slow to cycle through different pitchers in different options? Building bullpens is tough, but things should never get as bad as they were for the Royals as they fell out of contention during the first half.<\/p>\n 27. San Francisco Giants<\/p>\n Win average: 66.6 (Last: 68.1, 26th)In the playoffs: 0.0% (Last: 0.0%)Champions: 0.0% (Last: 0.0%)<\/p>\n Biggest success: Not much has gone right for the Giants, but at least they\u2019ve given plenty of rookies some exposure to the majors. Fifteen different players have made their big league debut for San Francisco this season, tied with the White Sox for the most in baseball. Plus, you might as well add rookie manager Tony Vitello to that list. If you\u2019re going to lose, you might as well lose young.<\/p>\n Biggest disappointment: There\u2019s plenty to go around in terms of injuries and production shortfalls. But for the Giants, it feels more intangible than that. Right now, it\u2019s hard to envision just what sort of team Buster Posey is trying to build. The Giants feel like a franchise running in place, and they\u2019re doing it in a division that requires a dead-on sprint in order to contend.<\/p>\n 28. Athletics<\/p>\n Win average: 65.8 (Last: 63.7, 28th)In the playoffs: 0.0% (Last: 0.0%)Champions: 0.0% (Last: 0.0%)<\/p>\n Biggest success: The calendar on the 2026 season will flip, bringing the Athletics<\/a> one more season closer to Las Vegas. Nothing against Sacramento, but this prolonged limbo is doing no favors for the A\u2019s on the roster-building front, even as they search for a new general manager to lead the way. The ballpark isn\u2019t just a minor league facility, but it might also be the second-most extreme offensive environment in baseball behind Coors Field. There are probably strategies to work with that, but even if you can figure them out, how could you implement them before the A\u2019s move again?<\/p>\n Biggest disappointment: I thought the Athletics<\/a> had a chance to have an elite offense this season, led by the dynamic Nick Kurtz<\/a>. Kurtz was productive before going down with a thumb injury at the beginning of August, but he wasn\u2019t as productive as during his rookie season. Brent Rooker<\/a> had a down year, Lawrence Butler<\/a> played himself out of the lineup, and Jacob Wilson<\/a> was both injured and unproductive. You can go down the list. In order to generate some momentum for the eventual move to Nevada, the A\u2019s need these talented hitters to get back on the trajectories they seemed to be on in 2025.<\/p>\n 29. Los Angeles Angels<\/p>\n Win average: 61.6 (Last: 61.9, 30th)In the playoffs: 0.0% (Last: 0.0%)Champions: 0.0% (Last: 0.0%)<\/p>\n Biggest success: A fresh start, at last. A new lead exec, whether it\u2019s John Mozeliak or someone else. A new presence in the owner\u2019s box. The Angels still have a long way to go, but these changes at least offer hope that one of baseball\u2019s most underachieving franchises will finally operate up to the potential of its market.<\/p>\n Biggest disappointment: Any hopes of an Angels surprise run at contention were destroyed by the mad scramble in the bullpen. Some of the relievers have thrown well enough at times, but it has been a muddle. It can be unproductive to overprogram a bullpen by trying to wedge pitchers into preprogrammed roles. But a well-functioning relief staff will still feature guys who tend to fill similar roles from game to game. For first-year manager Kurt Suzuki, this has been a constant challenge, illustrated by this hard-to-believe stat: No Angels reliever this season has more than four saves.<\/p>\n 30. Colorado Rockies<\/p>\n Win average: 60.0 (Last: 62.7, 29th)In the playoffs: 0.0% (Last: 0.0%)Champions: 0.0% (Last: 0.0%)<\/p>\n Biggest success: The new front office seemed to make progress in identifying the kind of hitters who might have less severe home\/road splits than the extreme results produced by so many Rockies teams in the past. This is always going to be a challenge in Colorado, but it\u2019s encouraging to see some positive steps in the form of new hitters such as TJ Rumfield<\/a>. Overall, the Rockies\u2019 .709 road OPS is the ninth best in franchise history and an amazing leap from last season\u2019s franchise-worst .589 mark.<\/p>\n