The 2026 MLB season is over, meaning the start towards 2027 — whenever that may be — is on. So, with an eye towards next season, let’s do one final team power rankings with the offseason officially underway.
The Bottom
- Angels
- Rockies
- Athletics
- Giants
- Royals
- Reds
- Nationals
- Twins
- Pirates
- Orioles
The Angels have been one of baseball’s most mercurial teams over the last decade. Now, the club needs a new manager (again) and some semblance of consistency, something that’s been hard to find over the past few years.
Colorado has some young, shiny pieces on the rise. Cole Carrigg hit well in his rookie season, and more help is on the way. However, how Chase Dollander and the rest of the pitchers in the system develop will be key to future success.
It was a disappointing year for both the A’s and Giants. For the Athletics, injuries and inconsistent pitching squelched their chances. And for San Francisco, the same can be said. The A’s still have one of the best young cores in baseball. But can the club get reliable work from their pitching staff during their final year in Sacramento?
The Royals and Reds are in similar spots. Both have superstar shortstops (Bobby Witt Jr. and Elly De La Cruz), dynamic young hitters to support them (Sal Stewart in Cincy, Carter Jensen & Jac Caglianone in KC), and questions regarding their pitching staff.
Speaking of pitching, the Nationals could use some more arms to support a strong, young offense that should only get better.
Minnesota stayed in the playoff race for most of 2026, thanks to the likes of Byron Buxton and Joe Ryan. However, Ryan’s pending free agency is one of several plotlines to watch for the Twins over the following months.
Pittsburgh’s offense was superb with Brandon Lowe in 2026. With Lowe now a free agent, how will the club adjust? And can Paul Skenes find his form from ’24 and ’25 once more in 2027?
Lastly, the Orioles simply need more in 2027 from Gunnar Henderson and Samuel Basallo.
The Middle
- Rangers
- Cardinals
- Blue Jays
- Astros
- Marlins
- Diamondbacks
- Tigers
- Mariners
- Mets
- White Sox
Aside from the Astros and White Sox, every team in this section missed out on the playoffs. But there’s a reason why each team here has a shot entering 2027.
Texas’ offense is good enough to get the club back in the playoffs. The Rangers nearly succeeded on that front in 2026. But can the likes of Jacob deGrom and Nathan Eovaldi hold up and stay healthy?
It’s arrows-up in St. Louis, a team on the rise thanks to a stellar, young offense. For 2027 & beyond, the focus now shifts to all of those young pitchers in the Cardinals’ system.
Toronto needs more from Vladimir Guerrero Jr. in 2027. That much is obvious. But what else can the Jays do to improve the offense? It may very well take more than a healthy Anthony Santander, who’s now two years removed from a career-high 44 home runs.
Houston snuck into the 2026 MLB Postseason with a .500 record. But can the Astros get away with that in 2027? Likely not.
Miami’s offense was one of the more underrated ones in 2026. Plus, the pitching was excellent for much of the year. But can the Marlins get a full season out of both Eury Perez & Max Meyer, now arguably the two best pitchers on the team?
Depending on what the D-Backs do with Ketel Marte, this Arizona team could look very different next season. Arizona has holes to fill, particularly the starting rotation. But there’s still a lot of talent here.
You would expect the Tigers, Mariners, and Mets to be better in 2027. All three teams had high expectations, yet didn’t meet them. But all three still have incredibly potent ballclubs.
The White Sox took that big step forward in 2026. For 2027, an eye towards a more stable pitching staff, and perhaps, another bat to diversify a power-heavy club, wouldn’t be bad ideas.
The Top
- Red Sox
- Phillies
- Cubs
- Padres
- Guardians
- Rays
- Yankees
- Braves
- Dodgers
- Brewers
The Brewers are obviously going to be on top. Milwaukee won it all in 2026 and have a core that should compete for years to come. Los Angeles, despite a core that is starting to age, also has a great farm system and should be an upper-echelon team once more in 2027.
From there, things get complicated.
On the National League side, which club could take down both? The Braves, which rebounded in 2026, could. Chicago’s offense was arguably the best in baseball but has a lot of holes to fill. Ian Happ, Seiya Suzuki, plus four starters (Clay Holmes, Kevin Gausman, Shota Imanaga, Matthew Boyd) are free agents.
The Padres came close to pushing the Brewers to five games in the NLDS. And then there’s the Phillies, who are also in an interesting spot thanks to pending free agents.
Moving to the American League, it’s a toss-up as to which club has an edge.
The Yankees have a dominant rotation, yet that group couldn’t master the Rays in the ALDS. Tampa Bay, the reigning AL champions, should remain a highly competitive team next season. Cleveland and Boston also have to be in on that conversation.
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