Baseball is back! The stars, teams and themes we can't wait to see in spring training
After an MLB offseason full of twists and turns, spring training is in the air. The New York Mets capped an offseason overhaul with a trade for ace Freddy Peralta. The Baltimore Orioles brought slugger Pete Alonso to the American League East, and Alex Bregman left the division to join the Chicago Cubs. And the…
After an MLB offseason full of twists and turns, spring training is in the air.
The New York Mets capped an offseason overhaul with a trade for ace Freddy Peralta. The Baltimore Orioles brought slugger Pete Alonso to the American League East, and Alex Bregman left the division to join the Chicago Cubs. And the defending champion Los Angeles Dodgers made the biggest splash when they inked No. 1 free agent Kyle Tucker to a four-year, $240 million deal.
Now, with pitchers and catchers reporting across Arizona and Florida this week, we’ll start seeing what those moves mean for the season ahead. We’ve asked our ESPN MLB experts to get us ready for spring training, with the stars and storylines they’re most excited to see as baseball returns for the 2026 season.
What is the one thing you are most excited about as spring training begins?
Buster Olney: Seeing how quickly some of the prospects will push decisions to get them to the big leagues. Kevin McGonigle — the Detroit Tigers‘ infielder who is compared to everyone from Dustin Pedroia to Alex Bregman — will be a factor in the big leagues this year … but when? Will Colt Emerson force his way onto the Seattle Mariners‘ roster in April, May — or sooner? And when does Konnor Griffin become a conversation in the Pittsburgh Pirates‘ camp? Nothing is more exciting in baseball than the hope these sorts of talents represent.
Alden Gonzalez: There is an energy around Dodgers camp that’s different. It has been like that since Shohei Ohtani showed up at Camelback Ranch for the first time three springs ago, and it keeps growing, intensifying with every star who’s added and every championship that’s won. This time, the overarching theme will be the Dodgers’ quest for a three-peat, amid the backdrop of a brewing labor fight that their spending has helped escalate. Kyle Tucker and Edwin Diaz are the newcomers, joining what was already one of the most star-laden rosters in baseball history.
Ohtani will be prepping for a full, no-restrictions two-way season; Roki Sasaki will be looking to establish himself in his second year; Mookie Betts, Freddie Freeman, Blake Snell and Tyler Glasnow will strive to prove that they can still perform like stars in the back halves of their careers; and young, ascendent players such as River Ryan, Emmet Sheehan, Ryan Ward and Josue De Paula, among many others, will dot the complex as fans visiting from all over the world look on. There will be no shortage of storylines. There will be no shortage of intrigue.
Jeff Passan: Pitchers used to show up at camps having not thrown for months and using the six weeks to build up their arm strength. Hitters would arrive with the belief that they’d find their swings after spending the offseason, you know, off. Today, the winter is a training ground, a time when players level up their games, and spring training reveals who took an out-of-view leap. There will be pitchers who added 2 mph to their fastballs or finally perfected a splitter. Hitters will have completely retooled their swings for maximum impact. It’s those sorts of changes that can make the difference between a team playing in October or not, and those first few weeks of spring training will reveal the winter winners.
Jesse Rogers: It’s not sexy, but seeing players use the automated ball-strike system (ABS) to make challenges will be interesting to watch. Umpires making those calls is what we’re used to. It’s what we know. Now, players can object to those calls through technology. With limited challenges per game, the strategy in using them will be fun to follow. It won’t matter so much in spring contests but watching it all unfold will be interesting.
Which player who changed teams this winter are you most interested in seeing in his new uniform?
Bradford Doolittle: I’ve never let go of the idea of Luis Robert Jr. returning to star-level production, and if that were to happen with the Mets, it would be a huge story. I don’t know that his inconsistent durability and production can be blamed on the shortcomings in the Chicago White Sox‘s organizational processes, but the White Sox were the only team he has played for. Thus, this is a true fresh start with new voices in his ear and a lot of pressure to play well sooner rather than later. I’m really interested in seeing if that puts a jolt in Robert. If not, I’d have to accept that his run as an elite player is over.
Jorge Castillo: Devin Williams‘ short stint with the New York Yankees was rocky. Now, he’s across town, tasked with replacing Edwin Díaz, a fan favorite and perhaps the best closer in baseball, as part of the Mets’ thorough overhaul. Williams’ underlying metrics suggested he was a victim of bad luck last season. He enjoyed dominant stretches and a strong finish. At the same time, he lost the closer job twice and was charged with at least one earned run in 17 of his 67 regular-season outings after giving up earned runs in 16 of his 148 appearances over his previous three seasons with the Milwaukee Brewers. Mets president of baseball operations David Stearns, who led the Brewers’ front office when Williams became one of the sport’s best relievers, believes he’ll rebound, enough to give him a three-year, $51 million contract. The Mets wanted to pair Williams with Díaz, but Díaz chose the Dodgers. Now, the pressure is on Williams to rediscover his previous world-class form.
Gonzalez: Few players can impact a culture like Alex Bregman. That’s precisely why members of the Cubs were so excited to land him this offseason, one year after falling just short in their bid for the star third baseman. A member of the team’s front office called him “a transformative presence.” More tangibly, he also lengthens the lineup, prompting Matt Shaw to move into a utility role, where he should thrive. And with the Cubs replenishing their bullpen and adding a much-needed, potential front-line starter in Edward Cabrera this offseason, Bregman looks like the player who will put them over the top in the National League Central.
David Schoenfield: After winning 101 games with a young team in 2023, the Orioles were supposed to be in the midst of nothing but good times and pennant races. Instead, they slumped to 75-87 in 2025, leading to a much-needed makeover for 2026. Their big move was signing Pete Alonso to a five-year, $155 million contract after the Mets showed little interest in bringing him back. He could be the jolt a stagnant offense needs, bringing energy and emotion to a team that lacked that in 2025. But most importantly, he brings power: Nobody on the O’s hit more than 17 home runs last year, while Gunnar Henderson led the team with just 68 RBIs.
Who is one player from our top 100 prospects list you are most looking forward to seeing this spring?
Olney: The Mets’ Nolan McLean, who was seemingly the organization’s best pitcher when he stepped on the mound near the end of last season. His mound presence was remarkable — he always looked so calm — and his ability to spin the ball was stunning. Given his relatively recent transition from position player to pitcher, he is still presumably in the early stages of learning his craft, but he already looks like he has been around for a decade. And the Mets need him to be great again.
Castillo: George Lombard Jr. is just 20 years old and posted a .695 OPS in 108 Double-A games last season, but the expectations are — perhaps unfairly — high. That’s what happens when you’re the Yankees’ top prospect, and fans are clamoring for a replacement for Anthony Volpe at shortstop. Kiley McDaniel recently ranked Lombard as 20th on his top 100 prospects list, noting that his defense, baserunning and power are the foundation for a strong, every-day player with star potential. Whether he debuts this season will depend on his performance in the minors and the Yankees’ needs, but the franchise considers him a significant part of its future. When, exactly, is unclear.
Passan: Kevin McGonigle plays with an edge. He is Philly born and raised, and always happy to illustrate that in baseball, size — he’s 5-foot-10 — does not necessarily dictate quality. There is no better pure hitter in the minor leagues than the 21-year-old McGonigle, who has done nothing but rake since Detroit thieved him with the 37th pick in the 2023 draft. Neither spot on the left side of Detroit’s infield is locked down, leaving opportunity for McGonigle to come into camp and win a job. And while the AL rookie field is loaded, the Tigers have reason to break camp with McGonigle: If he books a full year of service time (172 days on the major league roster), they’ll be able to cash in with a prospect promotion incentive draft pick should he win Rookie of the Year or place in the top three in MVP voting during his first three seasons.
Schoenfield: All eyes will be on Konnor Griffin in Pirates camp, but keep Bubba Chandler in your peripheral vision. The top pitching prospect on Kiley McDaniel’s top 100, Kiley described him as a “right-handed Blake Snell.” A right-handed Blake Snell? I’m in. With a fastball that averaged 97.8 mph in the minors, Chandler made his MLB debut late in the season, finished with 31 innings, and pushed his heater up to 98.9 mph. Though his Triple-A numbers were mediocre (4.05 ERA, 4.8 walks per nine), he walked just four batters with 31 strikeouts in the majors, where he seemed more focused. He might be ready to dominate right now, offering a lethal one-two duo alongside Paul Skenes.
What is one position battle (or rotation battle) you’ll be watching closely over the next month?
Olney: It’ll be interesting to see what choices the Toronto Blue Jays ultimately make with their surplus of corner/DH candidates. George Springer was among the best offensive players in the AL last year, and Addison Barger and Nathan Lukes were such an important part of what the team accomplished in October. Toronto added corner infielder Kazuma Okamoto on a four-year, $60 million contract — and you assume he’s going to play, given that level of investment, and how Okamoto fits the Jays’ philosophy of putting the ball in play. Anthony Santander missed most of last year with injury, after signing a $92.5 million deal. If they are all healthy, who sits?
Doolittle: With an aging roster that looks similar to last season, center field is the one spot where the Phillies can get younger and more athletic. But that depends on whether Justin Crawford can nail down the starting spot during the spring. That’s apparently the plan, so he’ll get every opportunity to do so. I love players like Crawford, with a high-average, speed-based profile. But until you see that skill set translate against big league pitchers’ scorching stuff, you have to remain a little skeptical. A lot is riding on Crawford’s ability to seize that position and enter into the NL Rookie of the Year race down the line. It’s the Phillies’ best chance to differentiate themselves from last season. That quest begins this week.
Passan: When the Mariners moved Ben Williamson in the trade that got them Brendan Donovan, they set up a battle for their final infield spot between two left-handed-hitting former first-round picks: Cole Young (21st in 2022) and Colt Emerson (22nd in 2023). Emerson is the better prospect. He is also still 20 years old, with all of 27 plate appearances in Triple-A. Young, 22, didn’t hit much in his big league debut last year but was solid at second base. He could slot there, with the versatile Donovan at third, or Emerson could take the job and play either second or third, with Donovan moving to second in the latter case. Either way, Seattle’s cadre of young position-playing prospects is on the verge of making an impact on the big league roster. The team that just missed making the World Series last year is here to stay.
Schoenfield: The Mets will be interesting to watch. Can rookie Carson Benge win the starting job in left field? He’s the No. 15 prospect, but struggled in a late-season call-up to Triple-A (.178 in 24 games). Who wins a starting job between Brett Baty and Mark Vientos? Can Baty play left field if Benge has to return to the minors? And then, there is the starting rotation. If the Mets use a six-man rotation, is Kodai Senga healthy and back to his regular velocity to be part of that rotation? Can Jonah Tong make himself a factor with a big spring and join fellow rookie Nolan McLean in the rotation? Then, there’s center field. Is Luis Robert Jr. just a more expensive Tyrone Taylor or will he find his 2023 stroke again?
Which team are you far more interested in today than you were a year ago at this time?
Castillo: The Marlins bottomed out in 2024, losing 100 games with a last-place finish in the NL East after reaching the postseason in 2023. Skip Schumaker, the NL Manager of the Year in 2023, moved on after the season. Things were grim. External expectations were low going into last year. Then, the Marlins smashed them, finishing 79-83, third in the division. The Marlins do things differently under president of baseball operations Peter Bendix. For example, they have starters throw live bullpen sessions between starts, and manager Clayton McCullough called pitches from the dugout over the final week of the season. But the future is promising, with one of the best starting rotations in baseball — even after trading Edward Cabrera and Ryan Weathers — an exciting young core of position players and a farm system that ranks 10th in baseball, according to McDaniel. Signing Pete Fairbanks to close should help win games in 2026 — maybe enough to surpass expectations again and reach the playoffs.
Doolittle: The Pirates aren’t likely to make a Blue Jays-level leap this season, but they’ve done just enough that you can dream of a Paul Skenes playoff appearance in 2026. That wasn’t the case a year ago, when Pittsburgh’s lack of activity was a source of considerable frustration. The Bucs should stay aggressive in adding offense, which has improved, but remains far from elite. But whereas the fringe playoff hopefuls in the NL East and NL West are seemingly consigned to eyeing the sixth seed as their opening to the postseason, Pittsburgh has that opportunity and a non-trivial chance at hanging in the Central title race. If that were to happen and Pittsburgh were to host that 3-6 matchup in the wild-card round with Skenes and Bubba Chandler lined up … yes, that would be very interesting.
Gonzalez: The Orioles needed a big offseason, and Mike Elias, their maligned president of baseball operations, delivered it. Pete Alonso and Taylor Ward were added to the lineup, adding much-needed right-handed hitters to the top of the order. Ryan Helsley and Andrew Kittredge were brought in to deepen the bullpen. And Shane Baz came over via trade to help stabilize a needy rotation. Adding that group to an enthralling young core of Gunnar Henderson, Jackson Holliday and Samuel Basallo, all of whom could take steps forward, gives the Orioles a legitimate chance to win a difficult AL East. But there’s a caveat here: The Orioles need to add another front-line starting pitcher, even more urgent now because Framber Valdez is off the table.
Rogers: Quick, which team hit as many home runs in the second half last year as the AL champion Blue Jays? The White Sox probably weren’t your first guess, but that’s the right answer. And that’s before they added Japanese slugger Munetaka Murakami. He’s no sure thing, but he’ll be intriguing to watch. So will shortstop Colson Montgomery, who was shipped to the White Sox spring facility to fix his swing early last season. It worked. He came up and hit 21 home runs in just 71 games. Chicago might not win the AL Central, but the team could be sneaky good at the plate if it picks up where it left off in 2025.
