The window is open for the Yankees, Royals, Diamondbacks and Athletics to gain MLB playoff appearances in 2026. But a roster addition feels needed to push the window all the way up.
This is the MLB season of looking to your right and looking to your left, sizing up the competition.
How clear is the path? Pitchers and catchers will start to report to 2026 spring training in just a week, but the offseason work of roster building isn’t done.
The early projections are peeking out, with FanGraphs releasing playoff odds that hint at reasonable expectations. Teams with hopes of all shapes are aware of how closely their current form matches their aspirations. Some are even taking aim at moves to line things up.
On Monday, the Seattle Mariners assented to a long-rumored deal with the St. Louis Cardinals for Brendan Donovan – an All-Star second baseman who can play multiple positions. His contact-heavy bat (110 contact+, a top-20 mark among MLB qualifiers) brings a new dimension to an already formidable lineup.
Last season, Donovan’s 126 raw value+ (RV) matched Rafael Devers and edged Francisco Lindor. He’ll likely see time at second and third base as the Mariners wait to see if one or both of their young Coles rake. Middle infield prospects Cole Young and Cole Emerson are both likely to factor into Seattle’s plans in 2026, with Young expected to start the year as the primary second baseman.
Donovan’s presence gives the Mariners, who are fresh off an AL West title and a run to the American League Championship Series, breathing room in the division. Seattle paid a hefty price – headlined by switch-pitching prospect Jurrangelo Cijntje – but comes out of the trade with the AL’s clearest view of October.
That’s a window-opening, outlook-shifting February move – and it might not be the last.
The following are four other teams that could brighten their MLB 2026 horizons with a last-minute spring upgrade.
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Despite GM Brian Cashman’s protestations, the easiest way to visualize the AL East arms race involves the Yankees digging in to stand still after a 94-win, second-place finish, while the Toronto Blue Jays, Baltimore Orioles and Boston Red Sox scramble for better positioning.
The big moves in the Bronx simply retained the core group that went to the World Series in 2024 and fell to the Blue Jays in 2025, most notably re-signing Cody Bellinger.
Ryan Weathers, a promising but oft-injured starting pitcher acquired from the Miami Marlins, might be the only new face on the Opening Day roster. That roster still leads the AL East in playoff odds, per FanGraphs, but New York is simply a nose ahead of a pack of three other clubs with postseason chances between 50% and 70%.
True separation isn’t happening with the Blue Jays loading up to defend their pennant, yet the Yankees have clear questions to answer. If Giancarlo Stanton misses time – a common occurrence – will they be able to field a second worthy right-handed bat alongside Aaron Judge? Is a bullpen that lost Devin Williams and Luke Weaver simply going to roll with the remaining arms?
A reunion with one-time top prospect Miguel Andujar, now a free agent, might be the most available solution to the right-handed bat problem, though it wouldn’t be splashy.
Kansas City Royals
You can squint and see the Royals as division favorites in the AL Central, especially if the squinting obscures the outfielders. Kansas City’s top-heavy lineup and strong starting rotation are on the cusp of contender status.
FanGraphs views the Royals as a .500 team that is nonetheless within striking distance. Their 26% division odds and 41% postseason odds reflect an AL Central without a true titan.
If ace Cole Ragans is healthy, the Royals could have five above-average starters following breakthrough seasons from Kris Bubic (68 RV- in 116.1 innings) and rookie Noah Cameron (90 RV- in 138.1 innings). Similarly, their top four hitters cut an impressive profile. Bobby Witt Jr. is an MVP candidate, and the group of Maikel Garcia (118), Vinnie Pasquantino (127) and Salvador Perez (143) all posted strong RV+ marks in 2025.
Further afield, the confidence erodes. One offseason swap brought in left fielder Isaac Collins, a surprise NL Rookie of the Year contender with the Milwaukee Brewers last season. He impressed with his glove and disciplined bat, but he isn’t likely to strike fear into opposing pitchers’ hearts.
They could get a step forward from Jac Caglianone, the mammoth 6-foot-5 outfielder who struggled to a .157 batting average over 210 at-bats in his first crack at the show. Catcher and DH Carter Jensen, on the other hand, lit the league on fire in his first cup of coffee, but will have to adjust to the rigors of being a big-league backstop.
Adding a higher floor option in the outfield to supplant center fielder Kyle Isbel’s dismal 62 RV+ bat would instantly push the Royals closer to the front of the division pack. They were once rumored to be chasing Red Sox outfielder Jarren Duran, a target that still makes a lot of sense.
With raw value+ (RV+), 100 is the league average. The higher, the better.Arizona Diamondbacks
In the more stratified National League, Arizona has the same 2026 win total projection as the Royals, but only a 31% shot at October. Such is life in the land of the two-time defending World Series champion Los Angeles Dodgers (and New York Mets and Philadelphia Phillies and Atlanta Braves and so on).
Corbin Carroll, Ketel Marte and breakout shortstop Geraldo Perdomo all garnered MVP votes. Perdomo’s stellar 117 discipline+ helped boost his bat to star levels (128 RV+) alongside terrific defense. That would be the basis for a contender, if the pitching can hold up its end of the bargain.
Arizona brought back Merrill Kelly, after dealing him away at the 2025 trade deadline, but still lacks a true frontline starter with Corbin Burnes expected to be sidelined for most of the season. The returning starter with the best performance last year is Ryne Nelson, who registered a barely better-than-average 96 RV- in 2025.
The D-backs might understandably be hesitant to invest in more pitching after the Burnes experiences (and the Madison Bumgarner experience before that), but they could use more upside in a rotation that might hold back a dynamic lineup.
With raw value- (RV-), 100 is the league average. The lower, the better.Athletics
And in an even more extreme case of “all gas, no brakes” … the A’s. If you want to see some scoring, these A’s might be baseball’s answer to the early 2000s Texas Tech college football team.
Nick Kurtz bounded onto the scene last season, walloped four home runs in a game and finished his rookie campaign with a dominant 140 RV+. He’ll lead a charge that also includes bat-to-ball maestro Jacob Wilson (115 contact+), power bat Brent Rooker (149 BIP+), and emerging threats like Shea Langeliers and Tyler Soderstrom.
The pitching cupboard is not nearly as well-stocked. Their top two starters – veterans Luis Severino and Jeffrey Springs – hovered around league average in 2025, contending with a temporary home ballpark that wasn’t friendly to run prevention. The A’s best hope might be sophomore southpaw Jacob Lopez, whose low arm angle befuddled hitters across 92.2 innings, producing a 4.08 ERA and 74 RV- that portends better results ahead.
Still, the A’s could do wonders for the outlook of their young team (and whatever remains of their beleaguered fanbase) by taking a flier on one or more of the established starting pitchers still on the market. Framber Valdez or Zac Gallen would represent huge victories, but even a reunion with Chris Bassitt or a pact with Lucas Giolito might give the group a boost toward real contention.
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Four MLB Teams That Need Another Move to Change Their 2026 Outlook Opta Analyst.
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