Athletics
This team has arrived. I hope you’re ready.
The Athletics’ young core—Nick Kurtz, Jacob Wilson, Shea Langeliers, and Lawrence Butler—can go toe-to-toe with almost anyone in the league. What once looked like a long rebuild has quickly turned into one of baseball’s most intriguing contenders.
With their move to Las Vegas looming, the franchise suddenly feels alive again. And if this lineup continues to develop, the city could soon be home to one of the most dynamic offenses in the sport.
The concern, of course, is pitching. That’s where the cracks begin to show. Luis Severino struggled last season, and the addition of Jeffrey Springs looks more like a stopgap than a true solution.
Still, the dark days appear to be over. The Athletics have real momentum, and if the bats carry them, a Wild Card spot is well within reach.
Toronto Blue Jays
You were one bounce away from a championship.
Toronto suffered one of the most painful World Series losses imaginable. Rather than retreat, they responded aggressively.
The front office handed Dylan Cease ace-level money and brought in Japanese slugger Kazuma Okamoto to bolster the lineup. Meanwhile, the rapid rise of Trey Yesavage will be fascinating to watch. Was his breakout the real deal, or just a hot stretch?
There are other questions too. George Springer enjoyed a bounce-back season in 2025—can he sustain it? Vladimir Guerrero Jr. remains one of the five best players in baseball, but can complementary pieces like Ernie Clement and Addison Barger turn flashes of production into consistency over 162 games?
I still have the Blue Jays atop my power rankings. But I don’t have faith in their ability to replicate last season’s October success.
Prediction: ATH 2-1
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