By Jack Stewart
Since the early 1900’s, Major League Baseball’s opening day has become one of the most anticipated days in the sports world. All thirty teams square off, with games playing out from noon until midnight. The 2026 season will undoubtedly be exciting with numerous stories to follow.
Last year’s season ended with a dramatic October that saw the Los Angeles Dodgers win their second World Series in a row, and hopes are high for the Dodgers to complete the first 3-peat since the 1998-2000 New York Yankees. This year’s squad will keep a majority of the familiar faces that allowed the Dodgers to win two World Series, including the likes of Shohei Ohtani, Mookie Betts, Yoshinobu Yamamoto, and Freddie Freeman. In addition, they made one of the key acquisitions off this past off season with the signing of superstar outfielder Kyle Tucker. While the 3-peat has been elusive in modern baseball, if any team is the team to do it, it’s this year’s Los Angeles Dodgers.
Another team with a standout offseason was the New York Mets, who are aiming to secure their first World Series appearance since 2015. Last year, the Mets made a blockbuster signing for Dominican outfielder Juan Soto, who is undeniably one of the greatest talents of this generation. While Soto had a solid season, the Mets still failed to make the playoffs, falling a hair short of the final wild card slot. In a bold move, New York acquired Milwaukee Brewers pitcher Freddy Peralta, whose 2025 campaign saw him post a 2.70 ERA with 17 wins. Additional signings like Luis Robert Jr. and Bo Bichette will help bring more explosive bats to this Mets offense and give New York a shot at making a deep run in the playoffs.
This 2026 season also presents some exciting opportunities for the game’s biggest stars and up and coming players to make a splash. One player getting a lot of buzz in the lead up to this season has been Atlanta Braves outfielder Ronald Acuna Jr. Acuna won NL MVP in 2023, however injuries have held him back from playing to his full capabilities in both 2024 and 2025. He missed a majority of the season in 2024 and a third of games in 2025 due to an ACL tear, however 2026 presents an exciting opportunity for him and the Braves to return to their former glory. New York Yankees standout Aaron Judge is also looking to have a legacy defining season as he aims to carry on the legacies of his exceptional 2024 and 2025 performances. Both of those campaigns saw Judge take home the AL MVP award and hit 50 home runs, and adding a third entry into that incredible reputation could put Judge into the conversation as one the game’s all time great sluggers.
These past few years have also been electrifying for pitchers, with names like Tarik Skubal, Paul Skenes, and Bryan Woo quickly becoming among the most iconic in the league. Skenes, who is coming off a great World Baseball Classic performance, is looking to win back to back Cy Young awards as he continues to carry the Pittsburgh Pirates out of obscurity and into a winning position. Bryan Woo has been the standout of an incredible Seattle Mariners pitching rotation, who carried the team to their first ALCS appearance since 2001. On the back of him and catcher Cal Raleigh, the Mariners have ushered in a new era of excellence, flipping the two decade long stretch of mediocrity that has defined their 21st century identity. With so many incredible pitching talents and narratives, this year’s Cy Young race will surely be a close one.
As a sport, baseball has gained some new found traction in a decade that has been otherwise demeaning for the game. The 2025 brought plenty of old fans back to Major League Baseball and helped to secure many new fans for decades to come. This 2026 season will surely be a continuation of this success and be one of the most exciting seasons in recent memory.