National League Predictions 2026

Welcome to the second part of my MLB season preview. Please read the first part (American League Predictions) before this one if you haven't already. It's hard to believe that the regular season starts tomorrow night as the Giants host the Yankees on an unconventional Wednesday Night opener. I hope you enjoy reading my takes, and let's see which ones hold up throughout the year.

NL East

1. Philadelphia Phillies - z

Atop the wreckage of every other NL East team, the Philadelphia Phillies have maintained a competitive culture for several years. After breaking the Braves' spirit in back-to-back postseasons and a World Series appearance in 2022, Philadelphia has done anything but take a step back. The Phillies have quite the roster again this year, and it's effectively the exact same team as the one that won 96 games last season. A few players come and go like always, but the main characters are still here. And despite what Philly's own president of baseball operations says, Bryce Harper is still one of the most feared players in the league. He may slow down with age, but that doesn't inhibit his competitive nature. Philadelphia is a complete team from top to bottom with one of the most well-rounded pitching staffs in the MLB. They have 5 solid starters, an elite closer, and a high-scoring offense. I expect great things from the Fightin' Phils this season barring a catastrophic, unforeseen implosion.

2. New York Mets - x

It's hard to trust anything about the New York Mets, but the amount of depth they have on this roster would give me some hope. A team with this kind of injury history and reputation definitely needs it. SS Francisco Lindor is the leader and self-proclaimed captain of this team, but he is currently recovering from a broken hamate bone. For those who don't know, that's a tiny bone in your wrist that is very annoying when broken. This injury takes a long time to recover from, and many hitters do not have the same power they did pre-injury. Thankfully for the Mets, they have depth and an owner who loves to spend money. They can shuffle players throughout the infield without anybody feeling out of place, and defense matters less when the bats are hot. My only concerns about this team are the frequency of injuries and OF Juan Soto's ego clashing with other players in the locker room. I'd still pencil them in for a Wild Card spot as they're poised to return to the postseason, but they have some very interesting culture and chemistry.

3. Atlanta Braves

I sadly yet unregrettably was one of the first people to not believe in the Braves going into last season. I predicted them to start the 2025 season 0-7, and they did. It sucks because I'm a Braves fan, but I am also an unbiased semi-professional blogger. The unbiased truth about the Braves is that they are not the same team they were during their dominant 2018-2023 stretch. Many of those essential players are gone. Dansby Swanson, Freddie Freeman, Max Fried, etc., and their replacements pale in comparison. To give some credit to Atlanta, they have been ravaged by injuries the past few seasons. Last year was the worst of them all, and they still won't start 2026 entirely healthy. Being stuck in salary cap purgatory isn't great from a business standpoint either. My biggest problem with the Braves is that they are flashy. They have moments of greatness but not consistent production. The analogy I gave them last year still holds true: the Braves are not a diesel engine, rather, they are a fancy sports car with expensive parts that break quite frequently.

4. Miami Marlins

A 79-win season in 2025 is quite the turnaround from their 100-loss season the year before, but even that is unimpressive considering they won 84 games in 2023. That is also the last time they went to the playoffs. Miami is consistently inconsistent, and it is the product of self-sabotage. The Marlins are notorious for building up a pretty good team one year and then totally cleaning house the next. Does the front office want to acquire more prospects, save more money, or do they just hate their own team? The answer might be all of the above. We're coming out of the latest teardown in 2024, which means the Marlins have 1-2 competitive years ahead before the next one. This roster won't blow you away, but they're scrappy and have a few star players scattered throughout. They need a career revival from SP Sandy Alcantara in a big way if they want to compete in this heated NL Wild Card race. I don't hate the idea of the Marlins being competitive until the very end this year.

5. Washington Nationals

Personally, uh, I don't really see the vision for this team. The franchise has a long list of premier superstar players (not counting the Montreal Expos days) like Max Scherzer, Bryce Harper, and Juan Soto, but the Nats ended up thwarting their legacies. I'll give them credit for keeping Ryan Zimmerman all those years, but they let Harper walk in free agency and traded Soto away for practically nothing. Years later, they continue to dump some of their best players off for more prospects who never really pan out. They do not have a single Tier 1-graded prospect listed in their farm system. That's not a good sign for these basement dwellers. They have one of the worst pitching staffs in all of baseball, and their young superstar position players are constantly getting in trouble off the field. I fear not even the players take their coaches or franchise seriously. It's a real shame considering this team won the World Series not too long ago, but a lot can change in a few years. Maybe it'll change for the better soon.

NL Central

1. Milwaukee Brewers - y

Consistent as ever, the Milwaukee Brewers do small-market baseball the right way. They develop their prospects into superstars, keep them through their prime, and then dump them off to another team for more prospects to develop. They just keep replenishing the war chest, and it works. The Brewers are another one of these well-balanced teams that are good in most aspects but borderline elite in a particular one. For Milwaukee, it's their pitching. These guys are filthy on the mound. They have electric stuff, and there's a good mix of fireballers and crafty junk throwers on staff. As a former pitcher but still one at heart, I love the way they play. The defense complements their pitchers very well too. They're quick, commit few errors, and hustle on every play. The offense is this team's one vulnerable spot. It's really just contingent upon the health of RF Christian Yelich. If he's playing, then they're rolling along. It seems like they relegated him to the DH role to avoid any fluke injuries in the field. This is a tough division, but I trust the Brew Crew to continue their success.

2. Cincinnati Reds - x

The Reds are effectively in the same boat as many other NL teams in the Wild Card race. They're a reliable team that won't blow you away in any category, but they've proven that they can get the job done. The problem is that they are not entirely healthy and often don't have the same talent or depth to topple the big market teams. SP Hunter Greene is the ace of this team, but he is projected to be out until July. Other pitchers on this team have frequent injury problems too. Not a good start. The Reds have a great manager in Terry Francona, however, and their offense has steadily improved over the years. Their outfield is no longer a major weak spot like it once was either. The front office finally decided to stop sitting on their hands and made some promising trades and free agency signings to shore up this infield and bullpen. I really like what I'm seeing out of Cincinnati. They slipped into the #6 seed last year not because they won their way in, but because everyone else lost their way out. The Reds have long lived by the philosophy of hoping everyone else loses, but this year's squad looks like one that will proactively chase those wins.

3. Chicago Cubs

I have my reservations about this team, but let's weigh the pros and cons here. One pro of the Cubs is that they have a pretty good offense that consistently shows up. You can bank on them giving you 4-5 runs a night on average. They also have star power, excellent defense, and an iconic ballpark to call home. They're not the best in any of those categories, but they're reliable. A big con, however, is that some of their better players and pitchers will start the year on the injured list. RF Seiya Suzuki and SP Justin Steele are expected to miss the first month or two while they recover, and their absences are always felt. The Cubs needs their stars to stay on the field in order to even compete with the likes of Philadelphia or LA. Furthermore, my biggest problem with this team is their pitching and especially the bullpen. This 'pen is notorious for late game meltdowns and blunders, and they did not do much to patch it up this offseason. I think the Cubs have the talent to compete in a very weak NL Wild Card race, but they have a low ceiling in my opinion.

4. Pittsburgh Pirates

Call me crazy, but the Pirates will no longer be in the cellar of the NL Central this year. Their pitching staff is flying under the radar for many commentators and analysts, but not me. I notice what they're doing. The rotation is led by all-world SP Paul Skenes, and I'm not one to just throw that term around for anybody. He's a special player. The rest of the rotation obviously can't hold a candle to him, but they're still solid Day 2-5 guys. The bullpen also has some notable and reliable names like Dennis Santana, who has been their reliable Closer for a few years. The offense is steadily improving as well. They've lured in some big bats through free agency and trades like DH Marcell Ozuna and 2B Brandon Lowe, and I expect these guys to make an immediate impact. The Pirates also play in one of the best stadiums in all of baseball. PNC Park is consistently ranked as one of the top destinations for any baseball fan, and it seems to be a growing hotspot for players too. I'm sure something will go wrong for this team like it always does, but I think Pirates fans should be thrilled about the season ahead.

5. St. Louis Cardinals

For a franchise that I consider to be second-best only to the Yankees, their current state is a darn shame. One of the MLB's most successful teams with a decorated history and a very large fanbase now find themselves fighting for 4th place. While the Cubs, Reds, and Pirates have all steadily improved over the years, the Cardinals have only gotten worse. Their Big 3 of Wainwright, Molina, and Pujols are long gone, and it feels like a piece of this team's identity and culture retired with them. The new top prospects that get called up every year only seem ill-equipped to perform at the major league level. Developing baseball players takes a long time. These guys don't simply get drafted and start right away like they would in the NFL or NBA. Rushing a guy to the top only hurts them in the long run. It seems like the Red Birds are doing that once again this year, and I wish them the best. They may have some exciting young names, but the bats go cold and the pitching is unintimidating. They're a vanilla team with a lack of true leadership. Not ideal!

NL West

1. Los Angeles Dodgers - y

Apart from that fluke in 2021, the LA Dodgers have donned the NL West crown every year since 2013. They have also made the playoffs every year since then, including three World Series championships in five appearances. That, my friends, is dominance. Some people claim it's easy to be this good when you spend billions of dollars on players, but I counter that by asking why other teams aren't doing the same? It's clearly a worthwhile investment. The offense is the engine of this team, and it is spearheaded by superstars like SP/DH Shohei Ohtani and 1B Freddie Freeman. They can hurt you in many ways at the plate. Before you even know it, there are 12 runs on the board. The starting rotation is one of the best in baseball, and the bullpen is only getting deeper with the addition of their new Closer, Edwin Diaz. There's a lot to like about this team, and I confidently picked them to win the last two World Series. They're going all in for a three-peat, but they seem a bit vulnerable to me. The once highly productive SS Mookie Betts and 3B Max Muncy have started to slow down... a lot. The star-studded Dodgers will ironically need some help from their roleplayers if they want to continue their great success.

2. San Francisco Giants - x

This is my vibes pick of the year. Analytically, it may make no sense, but I have a gut feeling about the Giants this season. They will be better than what a lot of people might expect given their recent mediocrity. They were always decent, but they didn't have the stars to put them over the top. Gone are the days of Buster Posey and Tim Lincecum, but some new faces of the franchise are emerging. SS Willy Adames is my pick to lead this team back into the postseason as he will enjoy the prime years of his career in the Bay Area. He's a five-tool player, a great leader, and always gives 100%. I love players like that. He elevates the play of everyone else around him too. As for their pitching, the rotation finally looks to be healthy with a few studs in the bullpen to back them up. SP Logan Webb has been their workhorse for several years now, and he also continues to be their ace for the season ahead. The Giants have one of the older rosters in the league, but I've never believed that's a bad thing. Experience pays in ways that youth and hype cannot. I like this team a lot, and if they end up sucking, then you can blame it on me.

3. San Diego Padres

In contrast to the Giants, the vibes are way off for the Padres. I've been fading them for a while now, and I'm sure glad I have. They were the biggest threat to the Dodgers' World Series chances not too long ago, but they went ice cold and blew their chance. They did the same against the Phillies in 2022. Since then, they've had flashes of greatness but couldn't sustain their success. Injuries piled on, the offense fell flat, and frankly, they just got beat by better teams. Some days you beat yourself, other days you get beat. The Padres get beat. I guess that's better than a self-inflicted loss, but it's still a loss. There was a mass exodus over the past offseason or two with several players leaving for greener pastures or more money elsewhere. Their talented star core of Machado, Bogaerts, and Tatis Jr. are still here, but they can't seem to do enough on their own to help this team win. They will surely make you pay for your mistakes night in and night out, but baseball is a team sport. They need other guys to step up and make some plays. I think the Friars will be competitive like always, but I also think they'll be outpaced by these better teams once again.

4. Arizona Diamondbacks

Let me preface this ranking by saying that the D-Backs aren't a bad team; the other teams are just that much better. Being 4th in the NL West is a lot different than being 4th in the NL Central (no disrespect to the Pirates). We saw how this team failed to live up to the preseason hype last year when the Dodgers beat them down and forced a fire sale at the deadline. Luckily, Arizona has a scary good offense and young prospects (who I personally know) that are flying through the ranks of the minor leagues right now. They're building a solid foundation for these guys to graduate into a mature system, but it takes time. Arizona picked up a couple of stopgap guys like 3B Nolan Arenado until that day comes. My biggest problem with this team, like many teams I have a problem with, is their pitching. They have a solid 1-2 punch in the rotation, but it's a steep drop off from there. This bullpen is also notorious for blowing it late in the game too. They did not spend a lot in free agency or make any big moves to shore up these issues either. Again, the D-Backs won't be bad this year, but I don't think they'll be worldbeaters by any means.

5. Colorado Rockies

Save the best for last, amirite? The Rockies are playing the long game until their rather impressive plethora of prospects make it to the big leagues. Right now, their Top 10 prospects are projected to give this team a new starting infield, outfield, and 3-man rotation before the end of the decade. That's scary to think about if you're an aging team like the Dodgers or Giants. The pressure is all on them to win right now before teams like the Rockies catch up. As for Colorado, there's no pressure at all. They've made it abundantly clear that they'll happily wait at the bottom of the hill until something rolls down to them. They're not chasing free agents, swinging blockbuster trades, or building any sort of current hype. I guess that's alright as long as you have a long-term plan, and they do. I did see an article about their $2 beer and hot dog nights that happen throughout the season. That's one way to fill the seats. There's not too much else to talk about here. I'd take this team at face value, but keep an eye out for them in the coming years.

Playoff Teams/Seeding

1. Philadelphia Phillies

2. Los Angeles Dodgers

3. Milwaukee Brewers

4. New York Mets

5. Cincinnati Reds

6. San Francisco Giants

NL Champion: Philadelphia Phillies

World Series

Based on my current predictions, I have the Phillies and Mariners facing off in what would be an epic World Series. I consider teams with a high-scoring offense, expert defense, elite rotation, and lockdown bullpen as teams with championship potential. In my mind, there are four teams that can win the World Series based on this description. Have you figured them out yet? I believe this year's champion will be your pick from the Phillies, Dodgers, Mariners, or Blue Jays. I would even throw the Red Sox or Mets in there as potential darkhorse teams. With that, in a completely unbiased way, my preseason pick to win it all this year is the Seattle Mariners. They're the most complete and deep team with enough wiggle room to make a deadline splash if needed. That's my recipe for success. Seattle will not only appear in their first-ever World Series, but they will also win it in a big way.