When will it end? Is this the year that some team gets it together and takes them down? Of course, I’m referencing the back-to-back World Series champs Los Angeles Dodgers. They’ve dominated the league the past two seasons. Toronto came close to dethroning them in the World Series last year, but no dice. Can another team take them down this year? Let’s see. Here’s our 2026 NL East preview.
What Happened in 2025:
Philadelphia retained their NL East crown for a second-straight season in 2025 but it didn’t matter much come time for playoffs. The Phillies had a pass in the first round of the postseason just to be quickly dismantled by the Dodgers in the NLDS. They lost some guys in the offseason and will have to compete with the big-spending Mets. Speaking of New York, they had a collapse after spending lots of cash and had just 83 wins in 2025, marking a huge disappointment for their egotistical owner. The Braves struggled mightily while Miami made some noise that resulted in very little and the Nats were at the very bottom.
Best Players to Watch:
Braves – Chris Sale – Chris Sale has taken over as the ace in the Braves rotation and earned his first Cy Young award two seasons ago. He’ll be 37 by the time the season starts, and I want to see how much gas he has.
Mets – Bo Bichette – The Mets big offseason addition was the Blue Jays shortstop who will take over at third base for NY. Big bat, bad fielder. Let’s see how he does in the big city.
Phillies – Christopher Sanchez – He took a massive step forward in 2025 and will be in talks to win a Cy Young award this season as he becomes the ace in Philly alongside Zach Wheeler.
Marlins – Xavier Edwards – His stock has been building the past few seasons, and the Marlins second baseman is now poised for a breakout year.
Nationals – Dylan Crews – Should’ve been a ROTY candidate but looked like a bust instead, this is a huge year for one of the Nats former top prospects.
Biggest Addition and Subtraction:
Addition: Bo Bichette certainly turned heads when he signed with the Mets, leaving the Blue Jays behind. The contract is structured in a way where New York could be on the hook for quite a bit of cash if Bichette doesn’t live up to the numbers he put up in a contract year in Toronto.
Subtraction: The Mets might have added but they also lost big in the closer and first base categories. Edwin Diaz left New York to chase a trophy with the Dodgers in LA and Pete Alonso opted for a fresh start with the Orioles.
Division Winner:
Philadelphia Phillies, 96-66: Philly still has the deepest lineup and best rotation in the NL East. I have no question that they can win the division, but can they make some noise in the postseason when it really counts?