Predictions are risky business, and that’s especially the case in baseball. The beauty of the sport is that nothing is truly certain in it.
I mean, who can honestly say they predicted the Toronto Blue Jays would make it to the World Series or that Cal Raleigh would lead MLB in home runs? Not me.
I took a stab at Sportsnet’s annual bold MLB predictions last year and came away 0-for-5. However, I will say some of those misses were at least hard-hit balls.
For example, I correctly predicted Carlos Correa would be traded mid-season, only instead of him going to the Bronx, as I forecasted, the star infielder was dealt to Houston.
With that said, I’m hoping for better luck in this edition. Here’s a look at my bold predictions for the 2026 campaign.
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MLB off-season: Signings and trades tracker
Keep up with the latest free-agent signings and trades throughout the MLB off-season as we track the biggest moves throughout the winter months.
Harper returns to ‘elite’ status
Philadelphia Phillies president Dave Dombrowski made headlines during his end-of-season media availability with comments about Bryce Harper.
“In Bryce’s case, of course, he’s still a quality player,” Dombrowski told reporters. “He’s still an all-star-calibre player. He didn’t have an elite season like he has had in the past. I guess we only find out if he becomes elite (again) or he continues to be good.”
Harper later said he was hurt by those words, and recently, the two-time MVP and eight-time all-star posted a video on TikTok of himself in the batting cage wearing a shirt that featured the words, “NOT ELITE.”
Harper is entering his age-33 season and it’s obviously unrealistic to expect him to be the same player he was in his 20s. So, in that sense, Dombrowski’s comments aren’t off base.
However, proving doubters wrong is one of the best motivational tools for a competitive athlete such as Harper and there are reasons to believe the first baseman can turn in another dominant season.
For one, as George Springer proved last year, it’s not impossible for an aging hitter to find the fountain of youth thanks to modern advancements in coaching, training and video. Secondly, Harper’s 2025 campaign, which saw him post an .844 OPS that was his lowest since 2016, was largely impacted by a nagging right wrist injury.
Injuries like that can severely hamper a hitter’s production, yet with an off-season of healing, a dose of spite and another year batting behind Kyle Schwarber, I’m betting Harper emphatically returns to form.
Skubal is traded to …
The Atlanta Braves.
Forget last year’s ugly 76-86 finish. The Braves have made a bunch of shrewd moves this winter and will see a return to health from several key players, most notably Ronald Acuna Jr.
By mid-season, the club will own the best record in the National League, ahead of the Dodgers and Phillies, and that will prompt general manager Alex Anthopoulos to go full 2015 trade deadline mode and shock the baseball world by acquiring Skubal in July.
Skubal, a pending free agent, is a Scott Boras client and the left-hander is in line to receive the largest contract ever for a pitcher. The Tigers will be priced out and that means a trade is imminent because even if the club is contending by July, it simply can’t afford to lose Skubal for nothing when he walks in free agency.
Santander leads Blue Jays in homers
Anthony Santander was one of the Blue Jays’ prized off-season additions, but his campaign was essentially doomed by a left shoulder injury that he suffered in May. The switch-hitting outfielder finally returned during the final week of the regular season, yet it was clear Santander just wasn’t himself.
Before signing in Toronto, Santander spent eight years with Baltimore and had become an important pillar in the Orioles’ clubhouse. With the Blue Jays, though, it just seemed like he never found his footing. By the time October rolled around, much was being made of the team’s cohesiveness, and Santander was forgotten.
That changes next year. Similar to Harper, Santander will return to form and I say he cranks out more homers than Springer and Vladimir Guerrero Jr. to lead the team.
Remember, this is a player who averaged 35 homers with a 124 OPS-plus from 2022 to ’24. That production netted Santander a five-year, $92.5-million contract and at just 31 years old, he’s far from done.
Athletics snatch wild-card spot
The Orioles are an easy pick to improve next season. There’s no doubt the club will be much better thanks to the work president and general manager Mike Elias has put in this winter. The Pirates fall into that category, too, but on this list, I’m highlighting the Athletics.
While the club finished fourth in the American League West with a 76-86 record during its first season in Sacramento, there were still plenty of positives to emerge.
Nick Kurtz and Jacob Wilson finished first and second in AL Rookie of the Year voting, respectively, while combining for 8.4 wins above replacement, per Baseball Reference. Add in the production of Tyler Soderstrom (4.3 WAR), Shea Langeliers (3.9) and Brent Rooker (2.3) and that’s an attractive core of position players. Canadian Denzel Clarke, outfielder Lawrence Butler and the newly acquired Jeff McNeil round out a formidable lineup, although for the A’s to succeed, they’ll need to improve a pitching staff that ranked 27th in MLB with a 4.70 ERA.
It’s reasonable to expect the club to be active on the pitching front over the rest of the off-season and if they can shave a few points off that ERA, this will, in fact, be a dangerous team.
Crochet crowned MLB’s top hurler
Skubal has the unofficial title of best pitcher on the planet and Paul Skenes is a worthy challenger, but don’t forget about Crochet. The Boston Red Sox ace has steadily improved in each of the past two seasons and 2026 is when he goes nuclear.
The six-foot-six left-hander is a throwback starter in the sense that he’s a thoroughbred. Crochet led the AL with 205.1 innings last year and sat atop MLB with 255 strikeouts. Such dominance resulted in a second-place finish to Skubal in AL Cy Young voting.
Crochet garnered national attention during Game 1 of the AL Wild Card Series when he authored a star-making performance by overpowering the Yankees in the Bronx.
Consider that the appetizer, a tasty Caesar salad. What Crochet accomplishes next season, though, will represent the full steak dinner.
