MLB Predictions 2026: Who will win pennants, World Series and awards

The Detroit Tigers open up their 2026 campaign on Thursday in San Diego against the Padres, and the excitement for the team’s opening day can be felt from Lakeland all the way to the Motor City.

AJ Hinch’s roster looks like a beefed-up version of last year’s — one that started hot, bringing the best record in baseball into the All-Star break, only to go ice-cold in the second half. The Tigers still made it to the playoffs, but their epic collapse allowed the Cleveland Indians to snatch the American League Central crown from them in embarrassing fashion.

Detroit fell in the wild-card round to the Seattle Mariners in a series that took all five games, ultimately succumbing in a 15-inning affair. That elimination game was the longest winner-take-all game in MLB history.

Now, it is a new season with a few new — and one notably old — faces, and as they say, hope springs eternal before the first pitch is thrown. As is our custom, the Bless You Boys staff came together in roundtable fashion to discuss our predictions for the boys of summer, using the following format.

Many of our responses are pretty much what you would expect from this group, but as always, there were a few spicy submissions as well. Take a look at what we have to offer ahead of the first pitch on Thursday.

Patrick O’Kennedy:

Playoffs

NL Wild Card- Padres, Pirates (okay, just kidding, Padres and Mets)
AL Pennant- Tigers over Jays
NL Pennant- Dodgers over Phillies

Ashley MacLennan:

AL Division Winners: Detroit Tigers. Why not? Let’s go optimistic. Otherwise, I’d have to pick the Blue Jays and people will think I’m doing it because I’m Canadian.

NL Division Winners: Sigh. The Dodgers.

World Series: I have to pick the Tigers because — historically speaking — when I say anything else I curse the team.

League MVP: Nothing is new or fun under the sun, so it’ll be Aaron Judge and Shohei Ohtani, unless someone gets hurt or Bobby Witt Jr makes another wish on his monkey paw.

League ROY: Kevin McGonigle AL/Konnor Griffin NL

League Cy Young: Tarik Skubal threepete! and Paul Skenes. Nothing inventive here, friends.

Cannon at the Hot Corner: I’m pretty sure you get to pick a winner for each division (AL/NL West, Central, East), not just an AL/NL champion if you’d like.

MacLennan: No, I’m tired and lazy. (Tigers, Blue Jays, Mariners… Dodgers, Cubs, Phillies, I guess. Battle Royale for who wins what)

Cannon:

Division winners:

AL: Tigers, Red Sox, Mariners
NL: Brewers, Mets, Dodgers

WS: Red Sox over Dodgers. Them some freaky good pitching staffs, folks
MVPs: Bobby Witt Jr and Juan Soto
Cy Youngs: Tarik Skubal and Paul Skenes
ROYs: Kevin McGonigle and Nolan McLean

Zane Harding:

NL Division Winners —
- NL Central: Ohhh, I don’t know, the Brewers seem to know what they’re doing (I seriously considered the Pirates; this division feels weaker than usual!)
World Series: I imagine we hear a lot of Dodgers and a lot of Tigers. The last time the Tigers won, my 63-year-old father was younger than I am today… by a good margin. Dodgers
League MVPs — gets easier every year
League Cy Young —
- AL: TARIK SKUBAL (three trophy emojis) BOTTOM TEXT
- NL: Paul Skenes. Skenes is the best, Webb is about equal because he gets more IP, but we vote FLASHY

Peter Kwasniak:

I’m just throwing things at the wall:

AL Division Winners

NL Division Winners

League MVPs (BORING)

League ROY

League Cy Young (EXCITING BUT BORING)

Cam Kaiser:

AL Division Winners

NL Division Winners

World Series: Dodgers

League MVPs

League ROY

League Cy Young

The Tigers are better than Cleveland on paper, but paper didn’t seem to matter at all last year, considering the Guardians, despite a paltry Pythagorean record, pulled off the largest comeback in AL division history to win the Central.

Until I see the Guardians falter, I’m going to continue to believe that the horseshoe the size of the moon stuck up their bum will propel them and any player they touch to success when it matters.

Jay Markle:

AL East winner: New York Yankees
AL Central winner: Detroit
NL East winner: Philadelphia
NL Central winner: Chicago Cubs
NL West winner: Los Angeles Dodgers
World Series: Philadelphia

Brandon Day:

AL East winner: Boston Red Sox
AL Central winner: Detroit Tigers
AL West winner: Seattle Mariners
NL East winner: New York Mets
NL Central winner: Milwaukee Brewers
NL West winner: Los Angeles Dodgers
World Series: Los Angeles Dodgers

Mr. Sunshine: Uh, Tigers win World Series, MVP is Gleyber Torres, ROY is McG, CY is Skubal.

That’s right, I’m on the feel-good meds at the moment. NL stuff, who cares?

Fielder’s Choice:

NL East: Marlins YEAH I SAID IT
World Series: Not The Dodgers

David Rosenberg:

AL East winner: New York Yankees
AL Central winner: Detroit Tigers
AL West winner: Seattle Mariners
NL East winner: New York Mets
NL Central winner: Milwaukee Brewers
NL West winner: Los Angeles Dodgers
World Series: Detroit Tigers (YOLO)

Adam Dubbin:

The Tigers once again fail to secure the AL Central title after some significant regular-season underperformances, but make a 2006-esque run to the World Series, where they finish the job that the previous teams since 1984 could not.

Now that you know where the Bless You Boys staff stands entering the 2026 campaign, give us your takes in the comments below!

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