The 2026 Major League Baseball season is upon us.
With help from MLB.com’s beat writers, here’s how each team’s lineup and rotation figure to stack up come Opening Day.
Losing Bo Bichette will leave the Blue Jays searching for a new structure around Vladdy in the middle of the lineup, which likely means they’ll play the matchups more day to day. Get ready for a lot of different lineups over 162 games, with Santander perhaps the biggest variable of all.
Until something changes, we have to project José Berríos for the No. 6 spot, given that the top four are locked in and Ponce was signed to be a starter. It’s an uncomfortable conversation that will stretch through spring, but regardless of how this shakes out, the Blue Jays are loaded.
Manager Craig Albernaz has several options to bat leadoff, but putting Ward atop the order would help avoid any left-handed pockets in the lineup. Lefty-hitting corner outfielder Dylan Beavers (MLB Pipeline’s No. 69 overall prospect) should get plenty of playing time as well.
If Eflin (back surgery) begins the year on the injured list, a spot could be opened for either right-hander Tyler Wells or left-hander Cade Povich. Because of Wells’ past relief experience, he’s the starter most likely to be moved to the bullpen to open the season.
The top four could be a strength with Simpson’s speed, the all-around production that Díaz and Aranda provide and Caminero’s extraordinary power. It gets a little thin (and extremely left-handed) after that, but manager Kevin Cash could create advantageous matchups with right-handed outfielders Jonny DeLuca, Ryan Vilade and Justyn-Henry Malloy and infielder Ben Williamson and catcher Nick Fortes.
If McClanahan is healthy and back in ace form after missing the past 2 1/2 seasons due to significant injuries, he and the underrated Rasmussen will form a nasty one-two punch. The reported Martinez addition solidifies the final spot and gives the Rays a comfortable amount of depth.
The lineup has major upside in Anthony, who could become one of the elite all-around hitters in MLB in his first full season. By adding Contreras, manager Alex Cora has a proven run producer who should thrive in Fenway. Romy Gonzalez will play against all lefties. Mayer is likely to sit against most lefties, at least to start the season.
Thanks to an aggressive offseason by chief baseball officer Craig Breslow, this is the most talented rotation the Red Sox have had in years. There is competition for the fifth slot, with newcomer Oviedo the front-runner in a competition that will also include two veterans (Kutter Crawford and Patrick Sandoval) and two top lefty prospects Payton Tolle and Connelly Early).
Paul Goldschmidt re-signed in early February, setting up a potential first-base platoon with Rice. Amed Rosario could also be in line to play third base against most left-handed starters.
Carlos Rodón is due to return from left elbow surgery in late April or early May, while Gerrit Cole is expected back from Tommy John surgery in May or June. Weathers was acquired from the Marlins this winter, and the Yankees believe their training tools can take his performance to the next level.
Manager Stephen Vogt could stack his Opening Day lineup with lefties against the Mariners, whose rotation is full of right-handers. David Fry could be an option at DH or right field to balance things a bit more. In this projection, George Valera would be opening the season with Triple-A Columbus — though he will be heavily in the mix for Cleveland’s Opening Day roster. He would be a prime candidate to bat second and play right field or DH if he makes the team out of camp.
The Opening Day starter assignment will come down to Bibee and Williams, who emerged as a force atop the rotation in 2025. Allen or Cantillo could slot in third to break up the string of righties. Parker Messick (who had a strong first stint in the Majors last year, but has Minor League options remaining) will also compete for a rotation spot.
Facing lefty Chris Sale on Opening Day is not an easy assignment, especially with a lot of left-handed batters on the roster. That’s the reason we’re predicting Thomas, a right-hander who hits lefties well, to be in there instead of lefty batter Jac Caglianone. We’ve kept Jensen, another lefty, in there, but it wouldn’t be surprising to see a right-hander slot in at DH. Isbel’s defense in center will be nice to have, despite the other left-on-left matchup against Sale.
Assuming health, these are the five best starters on the Royals’ roster, and it remains likely Ragans gets the nod for Opening Day once again. Kansas City will have a lot of starters in camp, though, so there will be some competition among Ryan Bergert, Stephen Kolek, Bailey Falter and others.
Carpenter showed his ability to hit lefties last year, but he and Meadows could find themselves in an outfield timeshare with Vierling, Wenceel Pérez and possibly Jahmai Jones as manager A.J. Hinch tries to accommodate Vierling’s return from injury. Vierling could split time with Javier Báez.
After the Valdez signing, Drew Anderson and Troy Melton are bumped to depth starters or possible bullpen arms. If Olson looks rusty following last summer’s season-ending shoulder strain, Anderson or Melton could slide into the fifth spot.
Until we see Derek Shelton’s first lineup card, this is a guess on the order. But the names are probably pretty close. Alan Roden and James Outman will be candidates for playing time on the corners, Victor Caratini will get plenty of time at DH, first, and catcher, and Kody Clemens will play all over the place.
If everyone’s healthy, the Twins have more starters than spots. Zebby Matthews, David Festa and Mick Abel will all compete for spots, and they’ll be taken seriously. With a wide-open bullpen, probably at least one of the runners-up will transition to pitching in relief.
Murakami will have his first big league camp interrupted by competition for Team Japan in the World Baseball Classic, but he arrived with pitchers and catchers to get an early start. Luisangel Acuña could be the center fielder on Opening Day, while manager Will Venable will rotate players through the designated hitter spot.
Smith is the early top candidate for Opening Day starter, which would put the All-Star against his former team in Milwaukee. Newcomb could end up as a solid bullpen force, but will stretch out as a starter, as will right-hander Mike Vasil. Keep a close watch on left-handers Noah Schultz and Hagen Smith, the team’s top two pitching prospects.
The Angels still need to work out how they’ll look in the outfield defensively, where Bryce Teodosio will also see action. Moore still needs to earn the job at second base.
The lineup gets deeper if they can find a way for Isaac Paredes to get some at-bats, though the pull-power slugger could still get traded. He was on pace to push 40 homers last year before a hamstring injury cost him two months.
The A’s are set with established starters at every position outside of third base, which could see Muncy, Darell Hernaiz and Brett Harris all factor in until one of those three seizes the everyday role. Colby Thomas and Carlos Cortes could also see matchup-based opportunities in the outfield.
The A’s are still looking to add another veteran starter. If successful in that pursuit, Ginn, who enters spring as the current favorite to land the fifth starter job, would likely shift to a bullpen role.
There are a lot of names here, but that’s due to platoons at right field and designated hitter, as well as the position battle between two of the club’s recent first-round Draft picks: Young (2022) and Emerson (2023). Young, who debuted last year, has the leg up on the second-base gig, but Emerson, MLB Pipeline’s No. 9 overall prospect, will be given every chance to make the team. That tandem comprises their long-term infield, and Donovan, who was just acquired from St. Louis, will be its bridge, and he’s expected to play all over.
Keeping this group as healthy as possible could be the difference of whether the Mariners run away with the division. Gilbert, Kirby and Miller were each on the IL for significant stretches in 2025, and Woo missed a full month leading into the playoffs. The depth behind them, at least on paper, isn’t as strong entering camp. That said, at its ceiling, the rotation could be among the sport’s best.
There are a lot of new names in the Rangers lineup, but some of the core pieces remain the same as multiple players eye bounce-back seasons. The biggest question remains if Carter can hit left-handers well enough to remain in the lineup every day.
The final spot in the rotation likely comes down to Rocker and Jacob Latz. While Latz has had more success at the big league level than Rocker, he’s thrived in a swingman role in 2025 and could be more useful out of the bullpen early in the season. If Rocker can take a significant step forward, it would do wonders for the stability of the rotation.
With the Royals expected to start the left-handed Ragans, Mike Yastrzemski will likely be available off the bench in the season opener.
López is returning from shoulder surgery and Holmes’ elbow has structural concerns. The rotation’s depth could be tested immediately.
At least half of the Marlins’ projected lineup should start on a regular basis regardless of the opposing pitcher’s arm side. But Miami isn’t afraid to platoon, and that’s likely to happen at the DH spot and perhaps even at third base between Norby and Graham Pauley.
While Carlos Mendoza’s batting order will remain an open question all spring, the real uncertainties here lie with the personnel in left field, first base and at DH. The Mets hope No. 2 prospect Carson Benge will push to make the team as the starting left fielder. Baty could play that position as well, or first base, while Polanco can man either first or DH.
The Mets haven’t been shy about using a six-man rotation in the past, particularly early in the season, though it likely only makes sense here if Senga makes the team. Others who will compete for jobs in camp include Jonah Tong, Christian Scott and Tobias Myers.
The 6-foot-7 Wood drives the Nationals’ offense with his dominant power. There also is a solid option of him batting leadoff. The Nats will have to determine the best lineup around Wood while they take advantage of their athleticism on the basepaths.
The Nationals’ starting rotation is in flux after they traded ace Gore to the Rangers last month. There will be a competition in camp with multiple pitchers vying for the fifth spot, including Andrew Alvarez, Riley Cornelio and Griff McGarry. Another factor that could impact the rotation is if Josiah Gray is cleared to return from Tommy John surgery.
Manager Rob Thomson said this offseason that he has considered some tweaks to the batting order for 2026. That could mean flipping Harper and Schwarber to give the former a bit more lineup protection. As for the rest of the lineup, the Phillies figure to deploy Marsh against right-handed pitchers, and a right-handed hitter — perhaps Otto Kemp — against lefties.
Zack Wheeler has been doing well in his rehab from thoracic outlet decompression surgery on Sept. 23, but he’s not expected to be ready by Opening Day. With the Phillies likely to be extra cautious, it’s possible that both Walker and Painter will begin the season in the rotation. It could be an opportunity for Painter to secure a permanent spot moving forward.
Manager Pat Murphy toyed with the idea of batting Yelich leadoff late last season, and Chourio, Turang and Frelick also made many starts in the top spot. However the hitters are ordered, this is mostly the same group that ranked second in the Majors last season in on-base percentage and third in runs scored.
Woodruff is the Brewers’ only rotation candidate with two-plus years of Major League service, but there’s a ton of upside for the likes of Misiorowski and other prospects like Robert Gasser, Logan Henderson and newly acquired Brandon Sproat, Shane Drohan and Harrison. They’ll all start games for Milwaukee this year.
Wetherholt, the Cards’ top prospect and MLB’s No. 5 overall, is primed to win a starting job with Brendan Donovan traded. If Nootbaar starts the season on the IL as he recovers from offseason heel surgeries, you could see someone like Winn in the leadoff spot and Thomas Saggese or Nathan Church in the lineup.
St. Louis has about seven options for the starting rotation. Right-handers Richard Fitts and Hunter Dobbins, acquired from the Red Sox in the Gray and Contreras trades, respectively, are both in the mix for starting spots along with Leahy, who’ll have a chance to convert from a reliever to a starter.
The arrival of Bregman pushes Matt Shaw into a super-sub role for multiple infield spots, the outfield and possible time as a DH. Miguel Amaya and Kelly will split time behind the plate, with Ballesteros offering a third option there. Tyler Austin is likely to get at-bats vs. lefties at first base.
Imanaga took the ball on Opening Day a year ago, but that assignment is up for grabs. Horton has the potential to lead the staff after his breakout rookie showing in ‘25. Cabrera joined the staff via trade this winter. Behind these five, Chicago has depth in Colin Rea, Javier Assad, Ben Brown and Jordan Wicks, with Justin Steele (left elbow) looking to return in the first half.
The Pirates could have one of the more exciting rotations in baseball this year, headlined by the reigning NL Cy Young winner Skenes and a top pitching prospect in Chandler (MLB’s No. 11 overall). The newly signed Urquidy should help solidify the rotation until Jared Jones returns later in the year.
Adding Suárez, who tied a career high with 49 homers last season, will provide lineup protection behind De La Cruz and add more punch to an offense that was 21st in MLB last season with 167 homers. One drawback is Friedl is the only pure lefty hitter while De La Cruz switch-hits.
Only Singer did not spend time on the injured list last season but if healthy, the front four should be strong enough to make the Reds contenders again. The fifth spot will be a tight battle among Lowder, Chase Burns, Brandon Williamson and Julian Aguiar.
The first four in the lineup are the way Torey Lovullo wrote out the lineup card for much of September last year. The DH position is still up for grabs during Spring Training and Pavin Smith will get his fair share of starts at first against right-handed pitching in place of Santana.
The rotation, if not the specific order, appears set heading into camp. The team expects to get right-hander Corbin Burnes back from Tommy John surgery around the All-Star Break. Arizona does have some depth at the top levels of the system in pitching thanks in part to last year’s Deadline deal that sent Kelly to the Rangers.
The Dodgers are still deciding where to insert Tucker, but it wouldn’t be surprising if he batted as high as second. His addition significantly lengthens the lineup, down to Rojas, who would likely be part of the mix at second base if Tommy Edman (right ankle surgery) begins the season on the IL.
The biggest question mark is whether Snell will be fully ramped up in time for Opening Day. If not, then perhaps Gavin Stone or River Ryan would take his spot in the season-opening rotation. Even if Snell misses time, this has the potential to be one of the best rotations in franchise history.
The arrival of Arraez — the game’s best contact hitter — should help offset some of the swing-and-miss tendencies from sluggers like Devers, Adames and Chapman, giving the Giants’ lineup a much-needed dimension heading into 2026.
The Giants are projected to have a pair of All-Stars leading their rotation in Webb and Ray, though they’ll need Mahle and Roupp to stay healthy and Houser to build on his resurgent 2025 campaign to ensure they receive consistent production from their starting staff.
Expect something resembling a platoon between newcomers Sung-Mun Song and Andujar. But the Padres have the privilege of facing two-time reigning AL Cy Young Award winner Tarik Skubal on Opening Day. After struggling against lefties for much of last season, Andujar (who has always mashed lefties) gets an immediate chance to flip that narrative.
In every offseason from 2022-25, the Padres added a starter to their rotation after the start of camp — Sean Manaea, Michael Wacha, Dylan Cease and Pivetta, respectively. Once again, they’ll be active in their search for more starting pitching this spring.
Goodman, Tovar and Beck are most likely daily presences in their positions; otherwise, the Rockies plan a multipositional roster with left-right options. The hope is that prospects and inexperienced players who were force-fed into the lineup last season will either earn their starts and playing time or continue their development in the Minors.
Lorenzen joins Freeland to increase the experience level, Feltner could improve the group if healthy and Dollander has first-round pedigree. But experience and depth are still problems. Right-handers McCade Brown and Pierson Ohl debuted last season, and non-roster righty Valente Bellozo will compete. Gabriel Hughes and Sean Sullivan are prospects that can show in camp how close they are to being ready.
