The 2026 MLB Season has arrived.
The first pitch of the 2026 MLB Season will begin on March 25, 2026, at Oracle Field in San Francisco, California, when the New York Yankees battle the San Francisco Giants.
We polled our staff of MLB experts to get their picks for the World Series, Pennant, and Major Award champions.
For context, these are not necessarily bets our experts are making at their current market prices. These are straight-up selections based on who our experts actually believe is most likely to win, rather than actual betting value.
So, read on for our MLB Predictions and 2026 World Series Picks from our staff of MLB betting experts.
MLB Predictions: 2026 World Series Picks
Many of our staff members are, predictably, picking the Dodgers to repeat as champions. It's hard not to with their loaded cast of characters, now including Kyle Tucker and Edwin Diaz.
However, the Mets, Mariners, and Blue Jays are popular dark horse candidates for this upcoming season. I know our own Sean Zerillo is very high on Seattle entering the 2026 season.
MLB Predictions: 2026 Pennant Champions
The Dodgers and Mets are the predictable favorites among our staff members for the eventual National League winners.
However, the AL seems wide open. Our staff landed on six separate teams as their choice for the American League champs, with the Mariners (six) leading the way, followed by the Yankees, Orioles, Blue Jays, and Red Sox.
MLB Predictions: 2026 Award Winners
We're never going to get clear, consensus favorites when picking MLB Award Winners across the two leagues.
But here are the total results from our staff:
- AL MVP: Bobby Witt Jr. (3), Julio Rodríguez (2), Roman Anthony (2), Aaron Judge (2), Wyatt Langford, Junior Caminero, Gunnar Henderson, Pete Alonso
- NL MVP: Shohei Ohtani (9), Ronald Acuna Jr. (3), Juan Soto
- AL Cy Young: Tarik Skubal (4), Cole Ragans (3), Garrett Crochet (3), Logan Gilbert, Trevor Rogers, Bryan Woo
- NL Cy Young: Paul Skenes (8), Cristopher Sanchez (3), Jacob Misiorowski, Chris Sale
