MLB Rank 2026: Shohei Ohtani Projected for 5th MVP and .980 OPS

The MLB Rank 2026 list places Shohei Ohtani at the top with a projected .980 OPS and 213 strikeouts as he returns to full-time two-way duties.

Shohei Ohtani enters the upcoming campaign as a four-time unanimous MVP winner projected to record a .980 OPS, 45 home runs, and 20 stolen bases at the plate. On the mound, experts anticipate the 31-year-old will toss 160 innings with a 2.65 ERA and 213 strikeouts following his recovery from a second elbow surgery. This statistical output is expected to earn him a fifth MVP award and a third-place finish in Cy Young voting. Meanwhile, Aaron Judge is ranked as the premier hitter in the sport, coming off a season where he secured his first career batting title. Over the last four years, the Yankees captain has maintained a .311/.439/.677 slash line, totaling 210 home runs and 37.9 bWAR across 573 games played.

Predictions for 2026 suggest Judge will become the first player in history to achieve five career 50-home run seasons by hitting 55 homers this year. He is also projected to reach a career-high 20 stolen bases, potentially securing his fourth American League MVP in five years. Bobby Witt Jr. follows closely after a 2025 season where he posted 7.1 WAR and led the major leagues in hits and doubles. Experts forecast a 40-40 season for the Royals shortstop, supported by elite defense and a WAR ranging between 9 and 10, which would likely result in his first MVP trophy.

Pitching Dominance and Cy Young Projections

Tarik Skubal holds the title of the top pitcher in the league, entering his free-agent year with a career 2.04 ERA across six postseason starts. Analysts predict the Tigers ace will win his third consecutive Cy Young Award before potentially signing a contract worth $500 million or more. Paul Skenes, who debuted on May 11, 2024, has posted a 1.96 ERA since his arrival, the lowest in baseball by nearly 0.40 runs. Skenes averages 98.5 mph on his fastball and has recorded 320⅔ innings with a strikeout rate of 10.83 per nine innings. His 2026 stat line is projected at 18-4 with a 2.03 ERA, 251 strikeouts, and only 11 home runs allowed over 206 innings.

Garrett Crochet is another left-hander rising in the evaluations after leading MLB with 255 strikeouts and throwing over 200 innings for Boston last season. After finishing second in AL Cy Young voting previously, Crochet is projected to reach 20 wins this term. Yoshinobu Yamamoto also solidified his status after a 2025 regular season featuring a 2.49 ERA over 30 starts. Yamamoto’s postseason was highlighted by a Game 7 relief appearance on zero days' rest, contributing to a playoff run where he allowed only six earned runs in 37⅓ innings. Despite a projected limit of 20 starts due to World Baseball Classic participation, he remains a primary contender for top pitching honors.

Offensive Powerhouses and Milestone Chasers

Juan Soto reaches his age-27 season needing only five more stolen bases to hit 100 for his career, while also approaching benchmarks of 250 home runs and 1,000 walks. The outfielder previously recorded a .923 OPS in his rookie year and is expected to finish in the top three for the National League MVP race. Cal Raleigh has established himself as a top-tier catcher, hitting 91 home runs from 2022 to 2024. While 23 players in history have hit 50 home runs once, Raleigh is projected to hit 47 in 2026, maintaining his value as a defensive star who ranked sixth among all position players in WAR last year.

Julio Rodriguez is projected to join the 40/30 club with an 8.0 WAR season. Through age 24, the Mariners center fielder already ranks 10th all-time in WAR at his position and finished the second half of last year with a .290/.341/.560 slash line. In Cleveland, Jose Ramirez continues his consistent production, trailing only Mookie Betts and Aaron Judge in total WAR over the last decade with 54.9. Ramirez is projected to hit .280 with 32 home runs and 31 steals. Vladimir Guerrero Jr. enters the year following a 2025 postseason where he recorded 29 hits and eight home runs in 24 games, positioning him to challenge for the AL batting title.

Injury Recoveries and Roster Changes

Ronald Acuña Jr. returns for his age-28 season after being limited to 149 games since his unanimous 2023 MVP campaign due to a torn left ACL. Experts predict a bounce-back year with a 5-plus WAR performance as he enters the final year of his current contract extension. Francisco Lindor is recovering from surgery to address hand bone irritation and a broken pinkie toe that hampered his 2025 season. Despite these setbacks, the Mets shortstop is projected to finish with 20 home runs and 5 fWAR. Gunnar Henderson is also looking to reclaim his 2024 form, when he posted a 7.9 WAR and 154 wRC+ before a shoulder issue slowed his bat speed.

Fernando Tatis Jr. is projected to top 100 RBIs for the first time in his career as he moves into the cleanup spot for the Padres. Between 2019 and 2021, Tatis averaged 8.0 bWAR and 48 homers per 162 games, and a return to that form could place him second in NL MVP voting. Kyle Tucker, now in the Dodgers' lineup, is viewed as an 8-WAR talent if he remains healthy, having maintained a .500 slugging percentage while balancing his walk and strikeout rates. Conversely, the Chicago White Sox, Colorado Rockies, Miami Marlins, and St. Louis Cardinals are noted for having no players represented in the top 100 list.