BREAKING BALL MEDIA

The 2026 MLB season is underway, and it is time for the full big-picture call. Here are my division winners, wild cards, award picks, pennant winners, and World Series prediction.

The AL West enters 2026 with Seattle holding the edge, but the Rangers, Astros, Athletics, and Angels all bring different questions into the division race.

Spring Training is where teams quietly show you who they’re going to be—through roles, priorities, and the work nobody sees. For Seattle, 2026 isn’t about becoming a different team. It’s about becoming a cleaner one: steady offense, a real bullpen plan, non-negotiable defense and baserunning, a bench that matters, and an identity installed before Opening Day.

The Mariners don’t need a miracle season in 2026—they need a clean one. Seattle’s path is simple: a steadier offense, winning the margins with defense and baserunning, and smart pitching workload management over 162 games. If those three things click, close losses turn into close wins—and meaningful baseball follows.