Baseball's Top Insiders Drop Top 5 Bold Predictions for 2026

The 2026 MLB season is off and running. It'll be six months before we know how it's all going to shake out for the regular season, and another month before the World Series is in the books, but this is the time of year when any team and any player can dream of greatness. And the rest of us can make predictions of who will and won't fulfill their dreams.

Player development analyst Lance Brozdowski accumulated the top 'Bold Predictions' for the 2026 baseball season from some of the top analysts, insiders and former players around the sport. Here are 5 of the most notable:

Jeff Passan, ESPN:

Jo Adell will lead the American League in home runs.

The former first-round pick was a top prospect in all of baseball going back nearly a decade. Now he's the ultimate definition of "post-hype sleeper", and Adell finally broke out in 2025 with 37 home runs for the LA Angels. But Passan feels there's more:

"The man swings the bat faster than almost anyone in baseball, the third fastest bat speed in MLB last year... When you look at spring training this year, the most 110 mph hit balls belong to Jo Adell."

Adell obviously has a tall order to try to overcome not one, but two potential 60-HR men in Aaron Judge and Cal Raleigh.

----

Jon Heyman, NY Post:

Detroit Tigers will go to the World Series

The Tigers made the playoffs once again last season, but lost in the ALDS for the second straight year. They are a near shoo-in to win the weak AL Central, and something would have to go very wrong for them not to win that division again.

"I love the pick up of Framber Valdez, the rare pitcher who goes deep into games, and gives them the best one-two pitching punch in baseball with (2-time Cy Young winner) Tarik Skubal."

----

Cliff Floyd, MLB Network (1997 World Series Champion, Marlins)

Baltimore Orioles win the AL East

"I know it's a tough division, I know it sounds crazy… But... They added some pop in that lineup with Pete Alonso and Taylor Ward. If they can get that young core together with the Gunnar Hendersons, Jackson Holliday, and get Adley Rutschman back on track, this thing could be dangerous."

The O's also added some nice mid-rotation depth in Shane Baz and Chris Bassitt, but they still haven't addressed the ace-like void in their pitching staff, so unless Trevor Rogers is somehow able to replicate his insane 1.81 ERA of last year (hint: he won't be able to), they will be hard-pressed to pitch with the Blue Jays, Yankees and Red Sox of this division.

----

Ryan Dempster, MLB Network (2013 World Series Champion, Red Sox, & 2-time All-Star)

Matt Olson will lead the National League in home runs

"We saw over 50 HR a couple of seasons ago. I think he puts together a monster season down there in Atlanta and chases Shohei Ohtani off that home run captaincy he's had."

Olson has been as consistent and durable as they come. He hasn't missed a game in over four years. And while he notched 29 home runs in each of the last two seasons, and has four other 30+ HR years in the last seven seasons, he exploded for a 54-HR, 139 RBI year in 2023. Could he get back to that?

----

Rob Friedman, 'Pitching Ninja'

The Pirates will make the playoffs

This is the trendy pick making the rounds this spring. The Pirates went out and actually spent money this offseason, bringing in a couple of notable free agents and making a noteworthy trade, all to boost their offense.

But it's their pitching that has Friedman so high on them.

"I love their pitching. Obviously, everybody knows (Cy Young winner) Paul Skenes... But Bubba Chandler is also really filthy, Jared Jones is coming back, he's nasty, too. Braxton Ashcraft, Mitch Keller, lots of good arms."

It's easy to make predictions now. We'll have to wait 162+ games to see how they turn out.