Can you feel it? Okay, sure, so much of the East Coast remains buried under snow and ice, but hey: February is right around the corner, and that means that spring training isn't too far away.
Another MLB season is almost upon us, no matter what the weather might say, and a flurry of free agency activity in January has flipped the landscape of the league on its head. Which makes this a great time to take stock the only way we know how: with a fresh batch of MLB power rankings. Can anyone challenge the Los Angeles Dodgers for No. 1? And what does each team need to do between now and Opening Day? Let's dive in.
30. Colorado Rockies
Biggest remaining need: More trade bait
The Rockies are a mess, but in recent weeks, they’ve acquired Edouard Julien, Jake McCarthy and Willi Castro, talented players who have the potential to get traded sooner rather than later. Why not continue doing that? Adding a free agent on a one- or two-year deal that can later be flipped at the trade deadline for future assets is what smart rebuilding teams do. Just because they won’t be good in 2026 doesn’t mean they should be just ignoring free agency. Now is the time to pounce, as prices dip before spring training.
29. Chicago White Sox
Biggest remaining need: More trade bait
The White Sox are still deep in the throes of a rebuild under Chris Getz, especially after failing to get much of any future value in flipping Luis Robert Jr. to the Mets. It’s way too early to start talking about discrete needs here; what this team needs is to just keep amassing talent, whether it’s under team control for multiple years or just future trade bait. To that latter end: The signing of Ausitn Hays over the weekend is a great start, but why wouldn’t Chicago take a shot on a distressed asset like Lucas Giolito who could have a hot first half and get flipped at the deadline?
28. Washington Nationals
Biggest remaining need: A CJ Abrams trade
By trading MacKenzie Gore, the Nationals made it clear that they’re still at least two or three years away from contending. With that in mind, why not trade CJ Abrams, who is under control through 2028? Abrams is a very talented player with a lot of upside, but he’ll likely bring the Nationals back more than he’ll provide. It’s probably unlikely Abrams will still be around by the time Washington is competitive, so trading him now, when his value might not get any higher, feels like their best course of action.
27. Los Angeles Angels
Biggest remaining need: Acknowledge reality with Mike Trout
The Angels fired Ron Washington after another disappointing season and hired the young Kurt Suzuki. They found an out with Anthony Rendon and traded Taylor Ward. This sounds like an organization entering a rebuild, but we all know it's never that simple when Arte Moreno is owner. Perry Minasian remains, taking his marching orders from an owner who doesn't know the sum of his parts. Mike Trout suffers the most as a generational talent who ought to spend whatever is left of his prime (if you can even call it that anymore) on a real contender. Eventually, the Angels will come to this realization, hopefully while Trout still has something left to give.
26. St. Louis Cardinals
Biggest remaining need: Trade Brendan Donovan
If the Cardinals are really going to tear it all down, they might as well go all-in. Donovan has been floated in trade rumors all winter long, much like most veteran members of the former Cardinals core. Unlike Sonny Gray and Nolan Arenado, Donovan could land the best return of the bunch if dealt before the season – even greater than Willson Contreras' return in his trade to Boston. Donovan can play multiple infield positions and even the outfield. He's had an OPS over .750 in each of his four big-league seasons, and made his first All-Star team last year. Entering his age-29 season, he is very much in his prime, and worth trading since he doesn't match up with the Cardinals competitive window.
25. Minnesota Twins
Biggest remaining need: A clear vision for the future
The Twins are probably closer to Wild Card contention than you think. Pablo Lopez, Joe Ryan and Bailey Ober are all still here, as are Royce Lewis and Byron Buxton and 2025 rookie sensation Luke Keaschall; in the AL Central, that can go a long way. The problem is that no one takes them seriously, because everyone knows that their ownership group isn’t worth being taken seriously, and that was before they chose to part ways with president Derek Falvey. The Pohlads keep wavering on whether they want to actually own this franchise moving forward, but one thing’s for sure: They certainly don’t want to invest in it. As long as that remains the case – and Minnesota is caught between a true rebuild and trying to win – nothing else matters.
24. Miami Marlins
Biggest remaining need: A first baseman
Even after trading Edward Cabrera and Ryan Weathers, the Marlins’ rotation is an exciting one. Their lineup, though, still leaves a lot to be desired — particularly at first base, where a platoon of Graham Pauley and Christopher Morel is currently penciled in. Guys like Nathaniel Lowe and Paul Goldschmidt might not be very exciting, but signing them to be cheap one-year stopgaps could help Miami creep closer to a playoff spot.
23. Tampa Bay Rays
Biggest remaining need: One more outfielder
The Rays have had a characteristically nimble offseason, getting good future value for Baz and Brandon Lowe while making moves on the margins for veterans who fill needs like Cedric Mullins and Danny Jansen. Tampa likely views this as a transitional year, keeping their powder dry while offloading some veteran contracts and waiting for a deep farm system to begin bearing fruit. But it could be more than that if Shane McClanahan, Drew Rasmussen and Ryan Pepiot can all get healthy at the same time – and if Erik Neander can pounce on a veteran like Michael Conforto who can provide cheap pop.
22. Athletics
Biggest remaining need: Lock up their young core
As the A's head into their second season in Sacramento and an uncertain future, the one thing ownership can do to give remaining fans hope is keep this young core around longer than past versions of the Oakland franchise would. Nick Kurtz is already emerging as one of the best young hitters in baseball. Shortstop Jacob Wilson, who finished second in AL Rookie of the Year voting last season, was thankfully amenable to a new contract. Both players are worth building around.
21. Arizona Diamondbacks
Biggest remaining need: Relievers
By keeping Ketel Marte, handing 37-year-old Merrill Kelly a multi-year deal and trading for Nolan Arenado, the Arizona Diamondbacks have made it clear they’d like to remain competitive in the short term. It’s going to be difficult to do that with Kevin Ginkel and Ryan Thompson as their best relievers, though. The need for any quality bullpen arm they can find is abundantly clear, and the longer they take to find one, the more likely it is that they’ll begin the year with one of the worst ‘pens in the sport.
20. Pittsburgh Pirates
Biggest remaining need: Add another bat
Words cannot accurately describe just how bad this Pirates lineup was last season. Thankfully, president of baseball operations Ben Cherington and owner Bob Nutting are aware of that, and signed Ryan O'Hearn and traded for Brandon Lowe to help fix that problem. As productive as those two players can be, it's not enough. Eugenio Suarez was available, and the Pirates had a hole at third base, but whiffed on that opportunity. Pittsburgh could also promote shortstop Konnor Griffin, the No. 1-ranked prospect in baseball, early this season to fortify the lineup, though that comes with its own risks. Suarez does not, and should add even more power to a much-improved lineup in 2026.
19. San Francisco Giants
Biggest remaining need: A second baseman
The Giants finally added the outfielder they desperately needed in Harrison Bader, but they still have a need at second base with Casey Schmitt as their projected starter. From Ketel Marte to Nico Hoerner to Brendan Donovan to CJ Abrams, they’ve been linked to a ton of options at the position all winter. With Luis Rengifo as the best option available in free agency, the Giants ought to try hard to pull off a big trade. Landing a second baseman to round out a lineup that does have a good amount of upside, particularly with a full season of Rafael Devers, would be a nice way to end their offseason.
18. Cincinnati Reds
Biggest remaining need: Make Terry Francona's comeback worth it
Terry Francona retired as Guardians manager after the 2023 season – an undeniably good situation – only to take on a new challenge with the Reds in 2025. Cincinnati made the playoffs last season, but has done little of note this winter besides float some of their best players (Hunter Greene and Brady Singer) in trade talks. Just stop it! The Reds were one of the best stories in MLB last season, and rather than building on that success they're trying to tear it down with a manager who's in win-now mode. Eugenio Suarez, a former Red, was a good start.
17. Texas Rangers
Biggest remaining need: Rotation depth
Don't get me wrong, I love what the Rangers have done this offseason, capped off by trading for Washington Nationals pitcher MacKenzie Gore. Were they to head into the season as currently constructed, they'd be my AL West dark horse. BUT, are the Rangers really comfortable with the bottom of their starting rotation? Jack Leiter and Kumar Rocker still come with plenty of questions. Why not take a shot at a veteran like Max Scherzer or Justin Verlander, both of whom are eager for one last run at postseason glory.
16. Kansas City Royals
Biggest remaining need: Trade a pitcher for a bat
Cole Ragans, Seth Lugo, Michael Wacha, Kris Bubic and Noah Cameron is an awfully good starting rotation. And there’s even a world in which the Royals offense isn’t too bad this season, if Jac Caglianone and Carter Jensen establish themselves as big-league players and Jonathan India staves off Father Time. It’s still hard to imagine it being good enough to make true noise in the AL, though, and with all that pitching, there would seem to be an opportunity to flip one for a hitter before spring training begins.
15. Cleveland Guardians
Biggest remaining need: A viable outfielder
I love Chase DeLauter as much as the next guy, but he can’t be the only plan to fix what was one of the ugliest outfield situations in the sport last season (at least offensively). This Guards offense could be less lousy than people think if Steven Kwan returns to form and young players like DeLauter, Kyle Manzardo, Brayan Rocchio and top prospect Travis Bazzana take steps forward. Still, no ostensibly contending team needs a power boost quite like Cleveland; why not take a shot on someone like Conforto or Miguel Andujar or even Ozuna?
14. San Diego Padres
Biggest remaining need: Starting pitching
Re-signing Michael King was huge, but the Padres’ rotation isn’t in the best shape right now. King is excellent when healthy, but after making just 15 starts last season, who knows what to expect from him? Similar caveats apply to Joe Musgrove, who didn’t throw a pitch last season as he rehabbed from Tommy John Surgery; who knows what to expect from him? Nick Pivetta was great last season, but can he repeat his breakout year? JP Sears and Randy Vasquez are this team's No. 4 and No. 5 starters right now. I don’t fully trust anybody in that rotation to be healthy and/or productive all year. One more rotation arm feels like a must if the Padres want to get back to the postseason, even with their limited financial resources.
13. Detroit Tigers
Biggest remaining need: A Tarik Skubal extension
Okay, so that’s a boring answer, but it’s also the truth: Detroit’s offseason will be defined by how things shake out with its two-time reigning Cy Young winner. Of course, Scott Harris also has other work to do to upgrade this roster. The rotation needs work even assuming Skubal stays, and a more sustainable solution at third base would sure help. This feels like a logical landing spot for Giolito or Chris Bassitt or Zack Littell, or heck, maybe even Valdez if his price falls enough.
12. Houston Astros
Biggest remaining need: Acquire a left-handed bat
The Astros remain a threat in the AL West, but by their own admission they are not done adding with spring training right around the corner. The most obvious need – and one that Houston has reportedly realized – is adding a left-handed bat to make their lineup more diverse. An easy way to accomplish that is trading Isaac Paredes, who should have plenty of value as a power bat signed through 2027, for a left-handed hitting outfielder. The Boston Red Sox have a few of those in Jarren Duran and Wilyer Abreu. Just sayin.
11. Baltimore Orioles
Biggest remaining need: Starting pitching
The Orioles deserve credit for the work they’ve done so far this offseason. Sure, handing that much money over that many years to Pete Alonso might not age well, but in the short term, Baltimore’s offense could take a huge leap forward. And the pitching isn’t as far off as you might think, especially if Shane Baz benefits from a better home park and joins Kyle Bradish and Trevor Rogers as part of an underrated top three. There’s a lot of risk in that top three, though, and the O’s could still use a stabilizer atop the rotation – Framber Valdez, perhaps?
10. Atlanta Braves
Biggest remaining need: An innings-eater in the rotation
A rotation featuring Chris Sale, Spencer Schwellenbach, Spencer Strider, Reynaldo Lopez and your pick of Grant Holmes or Hurston Waldrep could very well be the best in the National League. With the injury histories most of those starters have, though, it could be disastrous as well, as we saw at times in 2025. Signing an innings-eater, whether it’s Framber Valdez on the high end or someone like Chris Bassitt or Zack Littell on the lower end, could help protect the Braves from needing to rely on Bryce Elder to make 25+ starts again (or from feeling the need to rush a young prospect to the Majors like they did with Didier Fuentes, drastically increasing their floor).
9. Boston Red Sox
Biggest remaining need: A consolidation trade
Boston pivoted from missing out on Bo Bichette and Alex Bregman by throwing a bag at Ranger Suarez, adding one more sturdy if unspectacular starter to a rotation already full of them. There’s a lot of talent on this roster, but it feels out of balance: The Red Sox have more arms and outfielders than they know what to do with, but they’re still short in the infield (and on power more generally). Can Craig Breslow solve that problem before Opening Day? His World Series hopes might depend on it.
8. Seattle Mariners
Biggest remaining need: Answer at third base
Seattle kicked off the winter by re-signing Josh Naylor, which was undoubtedly the right move. But if the Mariners truly want to run it back with their first real postseason threat in decades, there's one piece that's lacking. What the heck is this team's plan at third base? The current starter is Ben Williamson, and Eugenio Suarez just signed with the Reds. Suarez struggled after he was acquired by the M's, so it's understandable why they'd want to go in a different direction. They could trade for Brendan Donovan, who certainly fits their prototype. I am not in charge of baseball operations in Seattle, but I know a glaring hole when I see one.
7. Philadelphia Phillies
Biggest remaining need: A starting pitcher
The starting rotation is the Phillies’ greatest strength, but it isn’t quite as strong as you might expect right now. Not only did Philly lose Ranger Suarez to the Boston Red Sox, but Zack Wheeler is expected to miss the beginning of the season as he recovers from thoracic outlet syndrome. This has both Taijuan Walker, who boasts a 4.88 ERA in three seasons with the team, and Andrew Painter, who has yet to throw a big-league pitch, in the Phillies' projected starting five. Adding a veteran starter to ensure they don’t have to rely on both of those starters to begin the year feels like a must.
6. New York Mets
Biggest remaining need: One more bullpen arm
The New York Mets completely turned their offseason around, to the point where David Stearns now doesn’t have much left to accomplish. Adding a bullpen arm should be a consideration, though, especially with A.J. Minter set to miss the beginning of the year due to injury. There admittedly aren’t many options out there at this point, but as the Mets should know all too well, you can never have enough bullpen depth.
5. Milwaukee Brewers
Biggest remaining need: Add another starting pitcher
The Brewers still have a rotation surplus after trading Freddy Peralta to the New York Mets. While some around baseball are rightly furious at Milwaukee for parting ways with a young asset they helped groom into one of the best pitchers in MLB, the Brewers return is tough to argue against. But for this season, Milwaukee must learn from failed campaigns past. You can never have too much starting pitching – especially innings-eaters – and with spring training right around the corner there are plenty of those available. Perhaps someone like, say, a Jose Quintana or Jordan Montgomery could make sense to round out this group.
4. New York Yankees
Biggest remaining need: Pitching depth
Any good vibes from the long-awaited Cody Bellinger reunion was immediately quashed by Brian Cashman’s failure to swing a deal for a starting pitcher like Freddy Peralta or MacKenzie Gore. The Yankees rotation isn’t in dire shape; maybe Gerrit Cole, Carlos Rodon and Clarke Schmidt all come back healthy at some point, and top prospects like Elmer Rodriguez and Carlos Lagrange are ready for the stretch run. But that’s a lot of ifs for a long season, and there’s a dearth of impact stuff in the bullpen behind David Bednar. One more big name in either the rotation or the bullpen would go a long way.
3. Chicago Cubs
Biggest remaining need: What's the plan with Nico Hoerner?
The Cubs claim Nico Hoerner is an important member of their young core. However, he's been floated in trade talks ever since the team signed Alex Bregman and is entering the final year of his contract. Something isn't adding up. Hoerner is one of the best defensive second basemen in all of baseball. He also had one of his best offensive seasons in 2025, with a .739 OPS. His 6.2 bWAR was the highest of his career. If the Cubs don't want to trade Hoerner, then Jed Hoyer ought to extend him while they still have a chance to do so.
2. Toronto Blue Jays
Biggest remaining need: Another big bat
I remain high on the Jays, but I won’t sugarcoat it: Missing out on both Bo Bichette and Kyle Tucker really, really hurts. As things stand, Toronto’s lineup features a ton of good players but not a ton of great ones outside Vladimir Guerrero Jr.; George Springer was an MVP candidate last season, but counting on a repeat of an outlier year at age 36 doesn’t seem wise. A bat of the caliber of Bichette or Tucker would have clicked everything into place and taken some pressure off of the likes of Alejandro Kirk, Daulton Varsho, Anthony Santander and Kazuma Okamoto. I’m not sure how Ross Atkins can remedy that at this point in the offseason, but maybe a CJ Abrams trade could do the trick?
1. Los Angeles Dodgers
Biggest remaining need: Pitching depth
As you might expect, the back-to-back defending champion Dodgers don’t really have clear needs right now. Something they can never have enough of, though, is pitching depth: No pitching staff is more talented than the Dodgers’, but who, if anyone, can they really rely on in their rotation to make 30+ starts? Who, outside of Edwin Diaz and Alex Vesia, can they rely on to stay healthy all year out of the bullpen? You truly can never have enough pitching.