We’re days away from first pitch across the pond, and here are my four favourites to go and win this year’s fall classic in Major League Baseball.
The sounds of birds chirping, leaves back on trees, and temperatures rising means one thing for sports fans in the United States… It’s Baseball season! Another long summer of Fastballs and Home Runs is just around the corner, but the sport is still struggling to make headway in the UK.
So, here are the four teams that you should be watching out and even rooting for in the 2026 Major League Baseball season to win the Commissioners trophy in the Autumn:
Los Angeles Dodgers
An obvious choice, but it’s hard not to look past Shohei Ohtani and Co out in LA, as they look for a three-peat championship this season. They would join a short list of the New York Yankees and the Athletics to complete a three-peat in league history.
The Dodgers have also had a great spring training, currently atop of the Cactus league with an 18-8 record so far and a number of their stars having successful WBC campaigns, including Shohei Ohtani who hit three home runs and seven runs batted in in 4 games.
If they weren’t good enough in 2025, they’ve picked up and bolstered an already strong squad, acquiring four time all-star and two time silver slugger Kyle Tucker along with three time Reliever of the year Edwin Diaz, who brings his Electric Timmy Trumpet entrance to the West Coast and Dodger stadium. They’ve also locked down two key bats in their recent success Kike Hernández and Miguel Rojas, the latter of which recently helped Venezuela lift the World Baseball Classic title.
This along with a lineup including Freddie Freeman, Mookie Betts and of course, Shohei Ohtani, with a strong pitching rotation with Blake Snell, Yoshinobu Yamamoto and Tyler Glasnow. This year its not a question of them being in October, but a case of how far will they go?
Toronto Blue Jays
Next we head north of the border, and up to Toronto where they would end up falling just short in extra innings of game seven against the dodgers in 2025. Many would argue that despite their success last season, the Jays might struggle to repeat their performance this year.
Sure, Toronto lost one of their most influential bats in recent memory, Shortstop Bo Bichette in free agency to the New York Mets (who may be mentioned later). But, it’s safe to say it’s been a busy group of incomings into Canada for President Mark Shapiro, who has also put pen to paper in a five-year contract renewal with his role with the Jays.
Incomings include six time NPB all star in Japan, Kazuma Okamoto, 2022 Cy Young runner up Dylan Cease and a return to the major leagues for pitcher Cody Ponce after winning KBO MVP in Korea in 2025. This blended with a strong squad of explosive firepower of Vladimir Guerrero Jr and Anthony Santander, who will look for a strong bounce back season. This along with small ball bats who keep the team rolling, such as Ernie Clement and Addison Barger keeps a strong blend in Ontario.
They’ll face tough competition not only if they make it to postseason Baseball, but also in their division, though I think the Blue Jays will think they’re definitely in the hunt for a third World Series title.
New York Yankees
It’s up to you New York, quite literally this year! It’s hard to tell where the Yankees will be come November. They could easily win it all, have title number 28 and finally get captain Aaron Judge a World Series ring, or they could struggle in a strong American League East division this year and face another early playoff exit. It’s really in their hands.
Manager Aaron Boone has all the tools and firepower for a World Series team. A strong one-two-three punch in the rotation of Max Fried, Cam Schlittler and a returning Gerrit Cole from Tommy John surgery and an offence loaded to succeed in a Yankee stadium ballpark. Lefties Cody Bellinger on a new contract, Jazz Chisolm Jr. and Ben Rice thrive with the short porch, with Judge and fellow power bat Giancarlo Stanton with the most powerful lineup in 2025.
A whole host of player are competing to keep themselves in the Yankee pinstripes. Shortstop Anthony Volpe will hope for a career year to cement the role in New York, and the likes of Trent Grisham need to perform to prove they deserved contracts given to them.
The Bronx hopes and dreams every year to win a 28th title, but could this be the year where the likes of Judge, Stanton and Cole win a World Series title, but they’ll need captain Judge and his squad to change their narrative when it comes to the clutch.
New York Mets
Only 10 miles along the Grand Central Parkway from Yankee stadium you’ll find Citi field, home to one of the hottest teams in Baseball right now. The New York Mets may be one of the only teams that can compete this year in the National League with the Dodgers, with a balanced mix of strong pitching and hard hitting.
I said we’d be talking about Bo Bichette with the Mets, as he’s part of an impressive offseason. Signings included Jorge Polanco and Marcus Semien to complete the infield, former Yankees Devin Williams and Luke Weaver to bolster the Bullpen, and Freddy Peralta into the Ace role in the Rotation. These guys will team up with the likes of Fransisco Lindor and Juan Soto to complete a star studded roster.
Owner Steve Cohen has used another offseason to spend big for titles, but this team also has a chip on their shoulder and something to prove. Missing the playoffs in Soto’s first season on the Mets last year was a huge disappointment for Cohen and Manager Carlos Mendoza, and something I’m sure they’ll be hungry to avenge this year.
New York hasn’t seen a major sports championship since 2011, and they must feel with the free spending and fun Mets and the might of the Yankees that this year they could see a championship head to the five boroughs, and even a repeat of the 2000 ‘Subway Series’ on the cards.
