Ranking the toughest divisions in baseball entering 2026: AL East remains a beast

A lot goes into ranking MLB divisions. You need to consider star power, depth, and bottom feeders. The AL East is a division that consistently has star power, depth, and a lack of bottom feeders. Not only did this division consist of the two best teams in the AL last season, but it had three playoff teams and all five clubs had a considerable amount of talent.

The AL East figures to be loaded again in 2026 based on what we've seen this offseason, but just how good is this division relative to the others? Let's dive in.

6. AL Central

The AL Central had two playoff teams last season, but it felt as if the Cleveland Guardians were lucky to get there with their negative run differential, and the Detroit Tigers were eliminated by the first non-division opponent they faced in October. This division just made a major splash with the Tigers signing Framber Valdez, but does that change much of anything?

The answer is probably not. The Tigers obviously got better and are the clear favorites to win the division, but are we sure anyone else will make the playoffs? The Guardians have made no effort to improve, the Kansas City Royals still have major offensive questions, the Minnesota Twins haven't done much of anything, and while the Chicago White Sox are probably a bit better and are certainly on the right path, they still figure to be one of the league's worst in 2026.

Even the Tigers, as improved as Valdez makes them, are still probably the worst projected division winner in the AL. Maybe the Guardians surprise or the Royals' pitching carries them to October, but with likely only one playoff team and that playoff team being the weakest division winner, the AL Central feels like the worst division in the game.

5. AL West

The AL West only had one playoff team in 2025, but that playoff team made it to Game 7 of the ALCS, and the division also included an 87-win Houston Astros team and a Texas Rangers team that had it had better injury luck, it might've squeaked into the playoffs too. Oh yeah, as annoying as it is to see John Fisher care about his team now that they're out of Oakland, it'd be dishonest to say anything but the Athletics continue to show signs of improvement. That continued this winter.

The A's didn't make any major splashes, but they extended both Jacob Wilson and Tyler Soderstrom and improved their lineup by trading for Jeff McNeil. I'd hesitate to call the A's a playoff team because of their lack of pitching, but their lineup could be one of the AL's best in 2025. Having them as a projected fourth-place team shows this division's upside.

With that being said, the only surefire playoff team I see here is the Seattle Mariners, who not only re-signed Josh Naylor, but traded for Brendan Donovan. They lost Jorge Polanco and Eugenio Suarez, and they traded some talented prospects, but Jose A. Ferrer should greatly improve their bullpen and their rotation remains elite.

The Astros and Rangers are massive Wild Cards. They could both be playoff teams and, in turn, greatly improve this division's standing, but they could also falter. The Astros have questions in their lineup and rotation, and the Rangers have questions in their lineup and bullpen. Both teams have star power, but I'm not sure I like their rosters enough to peg them as playoff teams. With only one clear contender and a bottom-feeder in the Los Angeles Angels to keep in mind, this division is the second-worst in the sport, but with room for improvement.

4. NL Central

The NL Central had three playoff teams in 2025, but I'm not sure how likely that is to repeat in 2026, especially when considering the Cincinnati Reds got in despite winning only 83 games. This offseason has been a bit of a mixed bag in this division.

On one hand, the Pittsburgh Pirates have been trying to an extent, and should be improved in 2026. I wouldn't call them a playoff team, but their lineup probably won't be the worst in the sport again, which is always good. On the other hand, though, are we sure a single other team has gotten better?

The division-winning Milwaukee Brewers traded their ace, Freddy Peralta, for a package that should help them greatly in the future, but also diminished their odds of being much of a threat this season. The Chicago Cubs signed Alex Bregman and traded for Edward Cabrera, but they also lost Kyle Tucker, an MVP-caliber player. The Reds are probably a bit better, but Eugenio Suarez is an incredibly streaky hitter - who knows what he'll bring at 34 years of age? Lastly, the St. Louis Cardinals have entered a full-blown rebuild by trading Brendan Donovan, Willson Contreras, Sonny Gray and Nolan Arenado for prospects.

The Brewers always find ways to compete against all odds and the Cubs look like a sure-fire playoff team, but the Reds' lineup remains an issue with Suarez as their only notable addition, the Pirates still have work to do, and the Cardinals look like one of the worst teams in the league. It wouldn't shock me to see one or multiple of the Brewers, Reds and Pirates to exceed my expectations, but until I see that happen, this division looks like the worst in the NL to me.

3. NL West

Perhaps my most controversial take is having the NL West, the division that features the back-to-back World Series champion Los Angeles Dodgers, out of the top two. The Dodgers are great, and after adding Kyle Tucker and Edwin Diaz to their loaded roster, they're in a prime position to three-peat. The reason why I have this division only third has to do with the rest of the division.

The San Diego Padres have taken a pretty meaningful step back from last season to the point where I'm not sure they'll get back to the postseason. Yes, their bullpen, even without Robert Suarez, remains great, but their rotation is full of question marks, and their lineup still lacks thump.

The San Francisco Giants and Arizona Diamondbacks narrowly missed the postseason in 2025, but are we sure they're much better? The Giants have added big names, but refrained from adding any truly big pieces. The Diamondbacks should have a stout lineup, but their pitching, particularly in the bullpen, is not good. As for the Colorado Rockies, they're likely to be the worst team in the sport again.

So, yes, the Dodgers are absurdly good and raise the ceiling of the NL West, but the rest of the division leaves a lot to be desired. Perhaps the Padres get back to the playoffs and one of the Diamondbacks or Giants surprise people, but the uncertainty with those three teams and the lackluster Rockies in the mix, the Dodgers can only lead this division so far.

2. NL East

Only one NL East team made the playoffs in 2025, but if this offseason is any indication, that will not be the case in 2026. There's a good chance that three teams from this division will make the playoffs this season.

Philadelphia Phillies fans can (and should) complain about their lack of major offseason moves, but they're running back a slightly worse roster than the 96-win squad in 2025. Even if they win 91 games, they'll make the playoffs. The real improvements in this division come from the New York Mets and the Atlanta Braves.

The Mets completely remade their roster into one that's younger, deeper, and more improved in their rotation and defensively. They lost fan favorites, but their additions, headlined by Bo Bichette, Freddy Peralta and Devin Williams, have the Mets in a good spot. As for the Braves, they didn't undergo the kind of makeover the Mets did, but they greatly improved at their biggest positions of weakness. They re-signed Raisel Iglesias and added Robert Suarez to a bullpen that needed work, and the Mike Yastrzemski and Mauricio Dubon additions add to a bench that was one of the league's worst in 2025. Assuming they have better injury luck, they should be postseason-bound.

The Miami Marlins probably won't be a playoff team in 2026, but after being one of the league's best teams in the second half of 2025 and adding players like Pete Fairbanks and Owen Caissie, it wouldn't shock me to see this team finish .500 or better. Even with a team as bad as the Washington Nationals bringing up the rear, there are three really good teams to consider and a sneaky good one on the rise as well, allowing this division to lead the NL.

1. AL East

The AL East is almost always atop or near the top of toughest division rankings, and 2026 will be no exception. Three teams from this division made the playoffs in 2025, and there's a good chance that four, if not all five teams will be in contention this season.

The teams that made it - the Toronto Blue Jays, Boston Red Sox and New York Yankees - all figure to be among the league's best again. The Jays lost Bo Bichette and could use a big bat, but they greatly improved their rotation by signing Dylan Cease (and Cody Ponce), and Tyler Rogers adds more stability to a bullpen that needed it. The Red Sox also lack the big bat fans wanted, but their rotation, with Ranger Suarez and Sonny Gray added, is now one of the league's best, and Willson Contreras is no slouch at first base. As for the Yankees, the fan base is frustrated that Brian Cashman elected to practically run it back, but after winning 94 games last season with a lackluster roster in the first half, they should be a 90+ win team again.

The Baltimore Orioles are the team that ensures this division will be the best in the league in 2025 with the offseason they've had. I question whether giving Pete Alonso five years and trading Grayson Rodriguez for one year of Taylor Ward will be wise long-term, but there's no debating they're much improved in 2026.

The one team that got worse in this division is the Tampa Bay Rays after trading Brandon Lowe and Shane Baz, but are we sure they'll even be that bad? The Rays almost always exceed expectations, and even if they don't make the playoffs, they should be a 75+ win team. Having that as the worst in a division is pretty impressive and shows that the AL East remains the cream of the crop.

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