1 big unknown for each MLB team in 2026

The MLB season is a long journey of ups and downs, with everyone just hoping to find the good kind of consistency within the first couple of months. But there are always unknowns going into Opening Day. And sometimes, the way those unknowns play out end up being the difference between a good season and a bad one.

With the help of MLB.com's beat writers, here's one big unknown for all 30 teams.

We know the type of player Okamoto can be, but how quickly can that translate from Japan to the big leagues? Okamoto comes over from the Yomiuri Giants with a reputation as a power hitter, and he flashed that talent in Spring Training, but the World Baseball Classic cut into how much of Okamoto we got to see. One encouraging takeaway, at least, is that he’s looked very comfortable at third base, which would allow the Blue Jays to play Addison Barger more regularly in the outfield and stretch their lineup. There aren’t many players on this roster who can change this team’s trajectory as much as Okamoto could in 2026. -- Keegan Matheson

Will new closer Ryan Helsley return to the elite form he showed earlier in his career? Who will emerge as the top high-leverage options? Is there enough MLB-quality depth in this unit to make the season a success? Those questions will all be answered over the next six months. Baltimore’s bullpen could be really good, especially if relievers such as Tyler Wells, Yennier Cano, Rico Garcia and Grant Wolfram can solidify the back end. Or the O’s could be in the market for ‘pen help by the time the Trade Deadline arrives on Aug. 3. -- Jake Rill

RAYS: The bottom two-thirds of the lineup

The Rays’ everyday lineup could begin with three of the 30 or so best hitters in baseball: Yandy Díaz, Jonathan Aranda and Junior Caminero. After that? The answer could determine the course of Tampa Bay’s season. The Rays should be able to hold their own against right-handed pitching thanks to left-handed-hitting veterans Cedric Mullins, Jake Fraley and Gavin Lux (when healthy), and speedster Chandler Simpson, although it’s unclear what they’ll get offensively from catcher and shortstop. They’ll need someone to step up in the middle of the lineup against lefties, whether that’s Mullins or someone like Ben Williamson or Jonny DeLuca. -- Adam Berry

RED SOX: Do they have enough power?

Chief baseball officer Craig Breslow started the offseason saying one of his top goals was to acquire a true power hitter. That never happened, and Breslow instead focused on upgrading the starting rotation while adding a couple of solid but not spectacular corner bats in veteran Willson Contreras and scrappy Caleb Durbin, who finished third in the National League Rookie of the Year voting with the Brewers last season. Where will the power come from? The answer could be from the blossoming young core led by Roman Anthony, Wilyer Abreu and Ceddanne Rafaela. Veterans Jarren Duran, Contreras and Trevor Story are others who might exceed power projections. -- Ian Browne

YANKEES: Can Trent Grisham repeat a career year?

The Yankees seriously considered non-tendering Grisham after he struggled to adjust to part-time duty in 2024, batting .190 in 76 games. With more playing time in 2025, he posted career bests in several offensive categories, including homers (34) and RBIs (74). That earned Grisham a qualifying offer, valued at $22.025 million, with the Yanks saying they viewed him as the third-best free agent outfielder available. General manager Brian Cashman said Grisham’s contract “looks like a bargain” in light of deals Kyle Tucker and Cody Bellinger pulled down in free agency. Perhaps, but Grisham must prove his ’25 numbers are the new norm. -- Bryan Hoch

GUARDIANS: Middle infield production

What will the Guardians get offensively from their middle infield? They're running it back with shortstop Gabriel Arias and second baseman Brayan Rocchio to start the season, and while the two were a stellar defensive combination in 2025, they logged a .637 and a .630 OPS, respectively. The Guardians are hoping for players such as those two taking a step forward at the plate in ‘26. But they also have second baseman Travis Bazzana (MLB Pipeline's No. 20 overall prospect) waiting in the wings in Triple-A, vying to make an impact in the Majors. -- Tim Stebbins

ROYALS: How much the offense will actually improve

The Royals made some moves this offseason to add to their lineup with the signing of Lane Thomas and the trade for Isaac Collins, more to help deepen the lineup than provide true impact in the middle. Perhaps the biggest move of all had nothing to do with the roster: The fences are coming in a bit at Kauffman Stadium. Kansas City will still need its stars – Bobby Witt Jr., Vinnie Pasquantino, Maikel Garcia and Salvador Perez – to star, but the new faces helping the Royals score more than they did in ‘25 will be crucial to this season. Or we could still be talking about the Royals needing an impact bat by the time the Trade Deadline rolls around on Aug. 3. -- Anne Rogers

TIGERS: What happens in center field?

Even once Detroit’s Opening Day roster is set, the Tigers’ wealth of positional versatility leaves them options on who to play at various spots and how often to play them. One of the most important spots is center field, where Parker Meadows overcame a slow start at the plate in Spring Training with the help of some swing adjustments to salvage a solid finish. His defense alone makes him a great asset in center, but if he can hit for impact, the Tigers could mix in Matt Vierling and Javier Báez there against lefties if they want more offensive impact. -- Jason Beck

TWINS: The right side of the bullpen

Minnesota actually has a pretty robust left-handed relief corps, with Taylor Rogers, Anthony Banda and Kody Funderburk. As for the right side? It’s still a work in progress. It remains an open question who would pitch the eighth and/or ninth with a lead. Cole Sands and Justin Topa each have a bit of closing experience, and Zak Kent can miss bats, but there’s no obvious candidate to close out games. -- Matthew Leach

WHITE SOX: Munetaka Murakami’s success

Murakami is the biggest impact addition made by the White Sox during this current rebuild and the most accomplished player from the Pacific Rim to ever join the franchise. But there’s still a question as to how his skills will translate when coming to Major League Baseball. He not only has to adjust to a new league but a new country. The White Sox are helping forge a smooth transition, and Murakami is a tireless worker with a very regimented routine. If he takes off offensively, the White Sox could follow as a team. -- Scott Merkin

ANGELS: Can Mike Trout return to All-Star status?

Trout, a three-time AL MVP and 11-time All-Star, got through a full season last year, playing in 130 games, but did miss a month with a bone bruise sustained in April in his twice-surgically repaired left knee. He returned with less speed than usual and was relegated to designated hitter duty the rest of the year, batting an uncharacteristic .232/.359/.439 with 26 homers and 64 RBIs. But Trout’s speed is back after a healthy offseason, reaching 30 feet per second in sprint speed for the first time since 2024, and he believes he can build on a strong offensive finish to last season. He’s also moving back to center field, which is where he’s much more comfortable, after his experiment in right last year. -- Rhett Bollinger

The Astros spent much of the offseason shopping center fielder Jake Meyers, but appear set to carry him on their Opening Day roster. He’s coming off his best offensive season and is a Gold Glove-caliber defender. What about the corners? With Jose Altuve back at second base and Yordan Alvarez slated to get most of his at-bats at DH, the Astros are turning to the young trio of Joey Loperfido, Cam Smith and Zach Cole in the corners. All three are athletic enough to play all three outfield spots, but will they hit enough to stay in the lineup? -- Brian McTaggart

The A’s plan to go closer by committee, and while that approach worked out quite successfully over the final two months of last season, it remains to be seen whether the strategy will be as effective over a full campaign. Ideally, the A’s could have one of their high-leverage options, such as Elvis Alvarado or Scott Barlow, seize the closer role at some point and run with it, allowing manager Mark Kotsay to form some type of late-inning structure. But to begin the year, the A’s will have to mix and match relievers as best they can. -- Martín Gallegos

MARINERS: Can the rotation stay healthy?

This was the prevailing adversity that the club faced in 2025, when Logan Gilbert, George Kirby, Bryce Miller and Bryan Woo each missed extended time -- yet the Mariners still went on to win the AL West for the first time in 24 years. Miller is already dealing with a left oblique issue and is expected to begin the regular season on the IL, which will force Seattle's front office to tap into its depth, likely via de facto injury fill-in Emerson Hancock. Seattle already lost Logan Evans to Tommy John surgery in January after a solid rookie season, and the club could potentially lean on No. 2 prospect Kade Anderson later this summer. But keeping their main five healthy over the next six months could catapult them to winning the division by a healthy margin. -- Daniel Kramer

RANGERS: Can Evan Carter stay healthy and be a major contributor again?

Carter was the “Little Savior” for the Rangers in 2023, when he hit .306 with five homers and 12 RBIs in 23 games as a 21-year-old before playing every game of the eventual World Series run. He hasn’t been fully healthy since then, dealing with nagging back issues in ‘24 and a broken wrist in ‘25. And hanging in the back of that subplot has been his struggles against left-handed pitching throughout his professional career. It seems that manager Skip Schumaker believes Carter has earned the right to face more lefties in 2026. Now he’s got to make the most of all the opportunities he gets in order to change the narrative. -- Kennedi Landry

The Braves lost Spencer Schwellenbach (elbow surgery) at the start of camp and Spencer Strider (oblique) at the end of camp. In between, they lost depth courtesy of injuries suffered by Joey Wentz (torn ACL) and Hurston Waldrep (elbow surgery). The top three starters are 37-year-old Chris Sale, Reynaldo López and Grant Holmes. The latter two members of this trio suffered season-ending injuries last year. How this rotation will survive over 162 games is definitely a great unknown. -- Mark Bowman

Morel, whom the Marlins signed to a one-year deal as a bounceback candidate, is expected to be the club's primary first baseman -- a position he hadn't played until this spring. Miami hopes that Morel can rediscover his 2022-23 form, when he slugged 42 homers with a 113 OPS+, rather than his '25 numbers (11 homers, 90 OPS+). The Marlins could use Morel's power after finishing with the fourth-fewest homers in the Majors in 2025. -- Christina De Nicola

METS: How good will Kodai Senga actually be?

Spring Training is one thing. Senga needed to re-establish himself following injury-plagued down years in 2024 and ‘25, and he absolutely did so with a 1.86 ERA over three Grapefruit League outings. He hit 99 mph on the radar gun and looked every bit the frontline starter he was in 2023. But the regular season is quite another animal, and Senga still must prove he can withstand the rigors of a long season. If he continues down this path, the Mets will have another top-of-the-rotation arm to pair with Freddy Peralta and Nolan McLean. But if he falters? Well, we’ve seen that movie before. -- Anthony DiComo

NATIONALS: Late-inning bullpen

Last year, the Nationals traded closer Kyle Finnegan to the Tigers and tabbed Jose A. Ferrer as the new closer. Then in December, they traded Ferrer to the Mariners. Now, they enter the season without a clearly defined closer. The Nats could fill the role by committee after high-leverage options stood out in camp. Right-hander Cole Henry, who earned two saves and finished 13 games last season, is the likely top candidate. The Nats also have been impressed by righty Clayton Beeter, who was 1-0 with a 0.00 ERA and 12 strikeouts in 6 1/3 innings during Spring Training. -- Jessica Camerato

Justin Crawford has looked big league ready this spring. He tripled just the other day against Cy Young winner Tarik Skubal. It was his fourth extra-base hit of the spring. Crawford has also made some nice plays in center field. He doesn’t need to be a savior for the Phillies. Not even close. He just needs to hit enough in the nine hole and catch the baseball. If he exceeds those modest expectations, the Phillies will be thrilled. -- Todd Zolecki

When the Brewers extended Woodruff a qualifying offer and he accepted, it locked in the highest single-season salary for a pitcher in franchise history. And yet, nobody knows exactly what to expect. Woodruff, Milwaukee’s longest-tenured pitcher, had shoulder surgery at the end of 2023, spent all of ‘24 rehabbing and then returned for 12 incredibly promising Major League starts in ‘25 (7-2, 3.20 ERA) before a lat strain signaled that he was simply out of bullets. Woodruff and the Brewers devised a buildup that emphasized being healthy in September and October rather than being ready for Opening Day. How many starts will he deliver? Will it work if the “angry” fastball that made him great never fully returns? Considering the youthful rotation options they have around Woodruff, the Brewers have a lot riding on those answers. -- Adam McCalvy

CARDINALS: Can Jordan Walker be the man in St. Louis?

In 2022, Walker was the top prospect in the Cardinals’ organization. Four years later, the Cardinals are wondering whether he will ever reach his potential. Walker has been inconsistent in the batter’s box and he had a Spring Training to forget. However, he worked hard in the hitting lab at Roger Dean Chevrolet Stadium to correct his swing, slow things down and be ready for any pitch coming to the plate. For Walker to be successful, he must spread the ball all over the field. He decided to stop thinking too much at the plate and just hit the ball. We’ll see how that goes once the season starts. -- Bill Ladson

CUBS: Matt Shaw, super utility man

Shaw was the Cubs’ regular at third base in ‘25 and ended the year with some down-ballot Rookie of the Year votes and as a finalist for a Gold Glove Award. When the Cubs signed Alex Bregman, Shaw was asked to move off third and try his hand at being a super sub for both the infield and outfield. The 24-year-old Shaw is athletic enough to play all over the field, but there were ups and downs this spring as he learned new positions. Offensively, Shaw also had an up-and-down showing last year, posting a .556 OPS in the first half and an .839 OPS after the All-Star break. Shaw is hoping to be a steady part of the lineup in ‘26, so it will be interesting to see how the Cubs try to make that happen. -- Jordan Bastian

If there’s a guy who could unexpectedly tilt the lineup in the right direction, it’s Henry Davis. Davis came up through the Minors with most of the rotation, and his teammates love him … he just still hasn’t hit like anyone thought he was going to. The top overall pick of the 2021 MLB Draft out of Louisville, Davis was coveted for his elite bat-to-ball skills. The 26-year-old is known for his work ethic, so it’s certainly not for lack of trying. If he can get something to click this season, the Bucs gain a huge asset and better balance in the lineup. -- Dawn Klemish

Cincinnati's top prospect and baseball’s No. 22 overall, Stewart will be playing his first full Major League season. Still only 22, the right-handed hitter led the club in September with five home runs and then showed dedication to learning first base in the offseason and learning there on the fly in the big leagues. He also dropped 26 pounds and put together an impressive Spring Training. The Feb. 3 signing of Eugenio Suárez should take pressure off Stewart to produce some of the offense that was missing for the club overall in 2025. If Stewart can build from his small sample of last season, he could be an NL Rookie of the Year candidate. -- Mark Sheldon

GM Mike Hazen received some criticism for not doing more to improve a bullpen that struggled mightily last year, but several of the higher-profile closers on the market were out of Arizona’s price range. Instead, the Diamondbacks tried to be opportunistic, getting Paul Sewald on a one-year deal after seeing his velocity increase this past offseason and adding the hard-throwing Jonathan Loáisiga. There is more depth than in the past with Andrew Hoffmann, Kade Strowd and Drey Jameson, among others, and the Diamondbacks expect to get A.J. Puk back before the All-Star break and Justin Martinez sometime in the second half. Will it be enough? We’ll have to see. -- Steve Gilbert

Sasaki had a redemptive postseason, when he thrived in a new relief role. He will start this season in the Dodgers' rotation, but he has not done much to give the team confidence this spring (15.58 ERA in four starts). If we learned anything from his bullpen stint, it's that it may only be a matter of putting things together for Sasaki, who dominated in Nippon Professional Baseball and came to the Majors with sky-high expectations last year. He'll get the chance to do so at the big league level. -- Sonja Chen

GIANTS: Manager Tony Vitello

The Giants are taking a massive gamble on Vitello, who became the first college coach to be hired to manage in the Majors without having any prior experience in professional baseball. Vitello will face a big learning curve as he adjusts to navigating a 162-game season and a clubhouse full of veterans for the first time, but the Giants believe his fiery energy and his track record of developing players at the University of Tennessee will help the club finally escape the .500 doldrums and emerge as a playoff contender this year. -- Maria Guardado

“A $20 million player for pennies on the dollar,” was how Manny Machado described the Padres’ signing of Nick Castellanos earlier this spring. And, no, Castellanos isn’t the player he was when he signed with Philadelphia four years ago. But the Padres aren’t the ones paying out that contract. They’re only paying the league minimum, and Castellanos has impressed this spring. For a team that struggled against lefties and desperately needed more pop, this could be the perfect fit. Or… well, there’s a reason it ended the way it did in Philadelphia. -- AJ Cassavell

As camp entered its final days, it wasn’t clear that Dollander would claim a spot at the back of the rotation. But he was the ninth overall pick in 2023 for a reason – overpowering stuff, especially his fastball. Routinely able to get to two strikes, Dollander must find the ability to put hitters away – not only with the strikeout but with the pitch-count-saving ground ball. The Rockies expect him to rise to the front of the rotation. Whether it’s now or later, Dollander will have the chance to begin realizing that future. -- Thomas Harding