Reasons for hope in 2026 for MLB’s worst teams: Light at the end of the tunnel for Nationals, White Sox, more

Each new year provides hope that things will be better moving forward, and it typically takes a while for those hopes to be left in a smoking husk and abandoned by the roadside. For present purposes, that means MLB teams who endured losing campaigns in 2025 may, on the occasion of the new year, entertain dreams of a better 2026. In some cases, this is quite realistic. In other cases, we’re left squinting, straining, and grunting to find a foundation for such faith. 

That brings us to what follows, and what follows is our helpful guide to hope for the hopeless. We’ll run down, in ascending order of the 2025 standings, each losing team from a season ago — 13 in all — and provide one or more reasons why 2026 may be viewed at the outset as the province of better days. Remember, it’s not a lie if you believed it at the time. 

Onward and powered by hope until further notice … 

Narrowly avoiding the record for most losses in a season prompted sweeping changes in Denver, and finally the front office is in the process of being modernized under new lead decision-maker Paul DePodesta. It’ll be some time before DePodesta’s efforts to play catch up yield fruit and the Rockies matter again in the standings, but that the process is underway is encouraging for an organization that was far too insular for far too long. 

The rebuilding process is in the final stages on the South Side of Chicago and the young talent brought in by general manager Chris Getz continues to arrive at the highest level. Ideally from the Sox’s standpoint, the capstone to the rebuild will come in the summer of 2026, when the club will make the top overall selection in the MLB Draft for the first time since 1977, when they wisely chose Harold Baines. This time around, UCLA shortstop Roch Cholowksy is the early favorite to go No. 1, but whoever it is will give the Sox a young talent with All-Star upside. 

It’s a new era in D.C., as longtime GM Mike Rizzo and longtime manager Dave Martinez are no more. In recent years, they won it all in 2019, but otherwise it has been a mostly unsuccessful rebuilding process. Now, though, they have new leadership — new young leadership. New president of baseball operations Paul Toboni is 35 years of age and his new general manager Anirudh Kilambi is just 31. Manager Blake Butera is 33. That’s an infusion of energy and, again, youth that the organization sorely needed. 

After the deep sell-off leading up to the 2025 trade deadline, the expectation in Minny was that a down-to-the-studs teardown would follow this offseason. Thus far, however, that hasn’t happened. Stalwart Twins lifer Byron Buxton doesn’t seem inclined to waive his no-trade clause and the Twins have batted down the idea of moving frontline starter Joe Ryan. As ever, health — especially for Buxton and Royce Lewis — will play a major role, but contention in the AL Central is a low bar to clear. Manager Derek Shelton’s first season with the Twins could indeed yield relevance in the standings. 

Bob Nutting remains one of MLB’s most neglectful team owners, but this winter he’s put forth at least a semblance of an effort to build a passable roster around generational young ace Paul Skenes. The trade for Brandon Lowe adds pop to the middle infield and free-agent addition Ryan O’Hearn is new on the scene after his first All-Star campaign in 2025. That’s probably not enough to contend in the NL Central, but it’s activity by the recent standards of the Buccos. 

Organizational millstone Anthony Rendon? The end of his contract, which stands as one of the worst ever from the team standpoint, is at last in sight. Rendon inked a seven-year, $245 million free-agent contract with the Angels prior to the 2020 season. While he delivered in that initial abbreviated campaign for the Halos, those marked the end of his days as a productive player. He goes into the final year of his deal having given the Angels a WAR of 3.9 in 257 games spread over five seasons. Thus far, the Angels have paid more than $206 million for that 3.9 WAR, which, again, makes this perhaps the worst contract in the annals of such things from the perspective of the club. Rendon is not likely to play at all in 2026 and the club is reportedly trying to negotiate a buyout of the final year of his contract. Whatever the outcome, the end of the thoroughly lamentable Rendon Era in Anaheim is almost over. 

The O’s were one of the most disappointing teams of all last season, but that didn’t prompt a rebuild or even a soft pivot by decision-makers. Instead, the Orioles have made some notable moves: trading for Taylor Ward and Shane Baz and signing Pete Alonso and Ryan Helsley, for instance. There’s still work to be done in the rotation, but Mike Elias and company appear willing to do what’s necessary to position the club for a rebound in 2026. That’ll be tough in the demanding AL East, but Baltimore’s operating with a sense of mission this winter. 

Let’s lay aside for the moment the disease that is owner John Fisher and the thorough uncertainty of the franchise’s eventual location and instead focus on the team on the field. While the rotation needs work and known quantities, the lineup helmed by young contributors like Jacob Wilson, Nick Kurtz, Lawrence Butler, and Tyler Soderstrom (who just agreed to a seven-year contract extension) could ferry this team to relevance and maybe even contention in 2026. And that’s to say nothing of older top-line producers like Brent Rooker and Shea Langeliers. 

The Braves almost can’t help but be healthier in the rotation, and that should help them rebound significantly from their deeply disappointing 2025. The lineup is stuffed with productive veterans and superstar Ronald Acuña Jr., fully recovered from knee surgery, should be an MVP candidate in the NL. As well, the bullpen will benefit from the addition of Robert Suarez as a lockdown setup option. The Braves will be heard from in the NL East race. 

The Rays in 2025 backslid from their usual role as plucky contenders, but were they really that bad? Yes, they lost 85 games, but if you look at their plus-31 run differential, then you’ll see Tampa Bay “deserved” a record of 84-78. Look at a more advanced tool called Third-Order Standings, and you’ll find that the 2025 Rays at a fundamental level played like an 86-win team, or good enough for contention. That means the club’s starting baseline for 2026 is significantly higher than you might think. The return of ace Shane McClanahan, who missed all of last season after undergoing arm surgery to address a nerve issue, should also be a boon. 

For the first time since 2006, a lead decision-maker other than John Mozeliak is calling the shots for St. Louis. Already, new president of baseball operations Chaim Bloom has advanced the rebuild process by dealing away Sonny Gray and Willson Contreras. Brendan Donovan, JoJo Romero, and Nolan Arenado are probably next out the door. Thus far, Bloom has focused on restocking the supply of young pitching and adding velocity and swing-and-miss to an organization that doesn’t have enough. The 2026 season probably won’t bring contention in St. Louis, but the much-needed overhaul may begin bearing fruit in 2027. Thanks in part to those trades now underway, the 2026 season figures to mark the much-anticipated big-league debut of JJ Wetherholt. 

The Marlins last season improved by 17 games in the standings and will look to make further progress in 2026. Kyle Stowers’ emergence as a sorely needed heart-of-the-order bat also helps matters. It’s possible lead operator Peter Bendix opts to deal from the Marlins’ rotation depth in order to further bolster the offense, but either way Miami is starting to emerge from the rebuild process and looking to matter in the NL East.

Like the Orioles and Braves, the D-backs were a letdown team in 2025, but the components are in place for a return to contention in 2026. Merrill Kelly is back in the rotation fold and Michael Soroka has also been added. There are, of course, persistent trade rumors regarding All-Star second baseman Ketel Marte, but if he’s traded the Snakes will get a healthy return and then they may look elsewhere to replace Marte’s production. Whatever the specifics, Arizona profiles as a bounce-back contender in the season to come.