Not everyone had a 2025 worth remembering. Plenty of big names will head into the 2026 season hoping to turn the page after disappointing campaigns.
What happened in 2025: After missing all of 2024 while recovering from Tommy John surgery, Alcantara was ineffective for much of ’25, though the fact that he managed to make 31 starts and throw 174 2/3 innings in his return from such a major injury was an achievement in its own right. He also showed glimpses of his Cy Young form in the second half, posting a 3.13 ERA over his final 12 outings to drop his ERA on the year to 5.36.
Outlook for 2026: FanGraphs forecasts Alcantara for a much more respectable 4.08 ERA with 2.7 WAR over 188 innings, the ninth-highest projected total in MLB. Miami will look to the 2022 NL Cy Young winner to provide stability for its inexperienced rotation, though he may also find himself in trade rumors if the club isn’t in contention come July. He has just one year of team control left after this season, via a $21 million club option for 2027.
What happened in 2025: Betts had the worst offensive showing of his career, recording career lows in OPS (.732) and wRC+ (104). That said, the season wasn’t a total loss. Aided by a strong defensive showing in his first year as a full-time shortstop, not to mention a solid finish at the plate, the veteran superstar still managed to produce 3.4 WAR for the Dodgers. He also earned his fourth World Series ring, further burnishing his Hall of Fame credentials.
Outlook for 2026: Will we see vintage Betts in 2026? The projections say yes, hinting at a full-blown return to form for the eight-time All-Star, who is projected for a 130 wRC+ and 4.9 WAR. Only 10 position players have a higher WAR projection.
What happened in 2025: Although he didn’t stray from his reputation as a durable strikeout artist, Cease’s performance in the run-prevention department left a lot to be desired. The right-hander allowed four or more runs 10 times — two more than the number of quality starts he threw — as his ERA+ (94) dipped below league average for the second time in three years. The Blue Jays nonetheless signed him to a seven-year, $210 million deal in free agency, putting more stock in his frontline potential than the uneven results he produced in 2025.
Outlook for 2026: FanGraphs’ projections for Cease largely align with the Blue Jays’ evaluation of the 30-year-old. He’s projected for a 3.57 ERA, which would be nearly a full run lower than his 2025 mark (4.55), along with the fourth-most K’s (214) and 10th-most innings (183) of any pitcher.
What happened in 2025: As his Statcast profile indicates, Cruz remained a man of extremes last season. The physical gifts that make him so tantalizing — an explosive swing, prodigious raw power, incredible arm strength and excellent foot speed — were all on display. But so, too, were the swing-and-miss tendencies that have long held him back. Cruz finished with 20 homers and 38 steals over 135 games, but he also struck out 32% of the time and slashed .200/.298/.378 with an 86 wRC+.
Outlook for 2026: Pittsburgh added multiple bats this offseason and will have Konnor Griffin (MLB Pipeline’s No. 1 overall prospect) at shortstop sooner rather than later. But given Cruz’s ceiling, he continues to loom as a major X-factor for the club. FanGraphs stops short of projecting the 27-year-old for All-Star-caliber numbers, but a 108 wRC+ would still mark a significant step up from 2025.
What happened in 2025: Harris once looked like a budding star, but his undisciplined approach has become a major impediment. In 2025, he recorded the second-highest chase rate (43.1%) and lowest walk rate (2.5%) among hitters with at least 500 plate appearances. Despite putting together a strong second half, Harris finished the season with an 83 wRC+, declining in that department for the third straight year after posting a 137 wRC+ during his ’22 NL Rookie of the Year campaign.
Outlook for 2026: The forecast for Harris is fairly optimistic. He’s projected for 3.5 WAR — more than he produced in the past two years combined (3.4) — a .275/.309/.460 slash and a 110 wRC+. Ronald Acuña Jr. and Austin Riley are the only Braves position players with a higher projected WAR total than Harris.
What happened in 2025: Nola was one of the most dependable starters in the game from 2018-24, ranking first in innings (1,264 2/3) and second in strikeouts (1,406) while recording a 3.64 ERA and a 116 ERA+ in that span. But last season was a clear departure from that standard, when he made just 17 starts due to injury and pitched to a 6.01 ERA with 0.9 WAR over 94 1/3 innings.
Outlook for 2026: With Ranger Suárez gone and Zack Wheeler (thoracic outlet surgery) slated to miss Opening Day, the Phillies will be counting on Nola to get back on track. FanGraphs expects a significant rebound, forecasting the veteran righty for 3.1 WAR and a 4.11 ERA over 180 innings.
What happened in 2025: Texas targeted Pederson in free agency to shore up its DH spot, which had been among the least productive in the game the previous season (66 wRC+). However, the signing didn’t move the needle much for the Rangers. Pederson missed time with a fractured right hand and hit .181 with a 76 WRC+ — a far cry from the 136 wRC+ he produced across 2022-24.
Outlook for 2026: By and large, FanGraphs expects Pederson to return to his typical level of production. His projected 118 wRC+ is identical to his career figure and would certainly provide a big boost to Texas’ playoff chances if he can make it happen. Only Corey Seager and Wyatt Langford have a higher projected wRC+ than Pederson among Rangers hitters.
What happened in 2025: Rutschman’s performance over his first two seasons suggested the 2019 No. 1 overall Draft pick was on his way toward becoming a perennial MVP candidate and franchise cornerstone for the Orioles, but his progress has curiously stalled. The backstop has posted a 78 wRC+ in his past 161 games going back to 2024, including a career-low 91 wRC+ during a ’25 campaign that was plagued by multiple oblique strains.
Outlook for 2026: Rutschman is projected to be a top-five catcher in terms of WAR (4.0), with 19 homers and a 116 wRC+ to boot. For all of the new faces Baltimore added during the offseason, the club’s playoff hopes may depend just as much on internal improvement from its homegrown stars, so it would obviously be a welcome sight for the Orioles if that forecast were to become reality.
What happened in 2025: Strider made 23 starts in his return from the UCL injury that caused him to miss most of 2024, but his stuff didn’t have the same bite to it as it did in ’22-23, when he recorded a 3.36 ERA with a 13.7 K/9 over 318 1/3 innings. He finished last season with a 4.45 ERA and a 9.4 K/9 in 125 1/3 innings.
Outlook for 2026: With Spencer Schwellenbach and Hurston Waldrep already hurt and Chris Sale, Reynaldo López and Grant Holmes all coming off injury-plagued seasons of their own, the Braves will be depending on Strider to deliver a strong rebound year in 2026. FanGraphs’ projections for Strider are a bit conservative but still put him much closer to the pitcher he was before his injury than the one we saw in 2025. He’s projected for a 3.85 ERA, 187 strikeouts and 2.8 WAR over 159 innings.
What happened in 2025: Traded from the Brewers to the Yankees after the 2024 campaign, Williams endured a tumultuous year in the Bronx. The righty lost his grip on the closer role and ended up with a 4.79 ERA — well north of the sparkling 1.83 figure he had over six years with Milwaukee. However, Williams’ underlying metrics — including a 37.7% whiff rate, a 34.7% strikeout rate and a 2.68 FIP — paint his season in a much more optimistic light and help explain why the Mets were comfortable signing him to a three-year, $51 million deal to be their new closer.
Outlook for 2026: Williams hasn’t moved far geographically, going from the Bronx to Queens, but he’s projected to make a quantum leap on the mound. He ranks 11th or better among relievers in projected ERA (3.12, tied for 11th), K/9 (11.93, ninth), WAR (1.3, tied for 10th) and saves (32, tied for third).
