1 early-season development each team can believe in

It's still too early to tell exactly how the 2026 season will play out, but every team has seen at least one key player or position group get off to a strong start.

With the help of MLB.com's beat writers, here's one early-season development every club can have faith in.

Jump to: AL East | AL Central | AL West | NL East | NL Central | NL West

American League East

Blue Jays: The value of Andrés Giménez
Last year in his first season with the Blue Jays, we barely saw glimpses of the real Giménez. Quad and ankle injuries nagged him and his offense never quite came to life, so his defense alone wasn’t enough to provide enough value. Now that Giménez has taken over the shortstop job, though, his entire game seems to have come to life. The confidence he gained from being part of Team Venezuela’s World Baseball Classic win cannot be overstated, either, and if Giménez can do just a bit more at the plate while playing Gold Glove-caliber defense, that’s one extremely valuable baseball player. -- Keegan Matheson

Orioles: The emergence of Jeremiah Jackson
A former prospect in the Angels' system who spent four seasons at Double-A across three organizations, Jackson was a surprise beneficiary of the O’s 2025 Trade Deadline fire sale. He played fairly well during his first MLB stint over the final two months of last season. But this year, he has taken it to another level. Entering Saturday, the 26-year-old utility player led the team with 17 RBIs and a .317 batting average while ranking second in hits (19) and in home runs (five). And all five of those homers came over his previous seven games. This is a breakout player worth watching moving forward. -- Jake Rill

Rays: The lineup can score in different ways
Are the Rays going to be one of the Majors’ top-scoring teams? Probably not. But they have three dangerous hitters near the top of the order in Junior Caminero, Jonathan Aranda and the still-underrated Yandy Díaz. And the supporting cast, including Chandler Simpson and a handful of platoon hitters, has kept the line moving. That’s the important part here, perhaps best exemplified by Simpson: The Rays aren’t striking out. Entering Saturday, only the Blue Jays (132) had fewer punchouts than Tampa Bay’s 136. Caminero, Aranda and Díaz will bring the thump. The rest of the group should, at least, make the group deeper than anticipated. -- Adam Berry

Red Sox: Wilyer Abreu is primed for his best all-around season
Abreu was a standout defender in his first two seasons, with a pair of Gold Glove Awards to show for it. He now looks like he is ready to be a more consistent run producer at the plate. Not only did Abreu get trimmer in the offseason, but he shortened his swing and is back to hitting to all fields. He is now an everyday player instead of someone who sits against most lefties. For a team that doesn’t have an excess of power, there’s a chance Abreu will lead the Red Sox in home runs this season. -- Ian Browne

Yankees: Ben Rice is a future All-Star
The Yankees have repeatedly said they view Rice as a middle-of-the-order bat who'll be giving opponents fits for years to come. Thus far, the 27-year-old has shown nothing to suggest otherwise. Rice entered play Saturday second in the AL in on-base percentage (.459), carrying a 1.205 OPS to go along with a Baseball Savant page bathed in red. The next step in Rice's development will come with increased opportunities against left-handed pitching. -- Bryan Hoch

AL Central

Guardians: Parker Messick's dominance
Messick has picked up where he left off last season, when he shined down the stretch after his Aug. 20 MLB debut. Through four starts, the rookie lefty has a 1.05 ERA with 25 strikeouts and only seven walks over 25 2/3 innings. He's been stellar against expected contenders in the Dodgers, Cubs, Braves and Orioles, and threw a near no-hitter on Thursday against Baltimore. Messick pitches with a fearlessness that’s impressive for a guy his age, and that makes it easy to believe he’ll have staying power this year. -- Tim Stebbins

Royals: Glove love
Kansas City has seen a less-than-ideal start from its offense, but one thing hitters can do to still help their team win is play good defense, and the Royals are still doing that. The Gold Glove left side of the infield in shortstop Bobby Witt Jr. and third baseman Maikel Garcia is making another early bid with six and four Outs Above Average, respectively. Another good start defensively? Right fielder Jac Caglianone, who has really taken to right field after learning the position last year and is tied for the Major League lead in outfield assists with two. -- Anne Rogers

Tigers: Casey Mize’s splitter is elite
Aside from one rough outing on a frigid night in Minnesota, Mize has been filthy so far this season. And his splitter, the wipeout pitch that made him the top overall pick in the 2018 Draft, is looking as good as it has been since he left Auburn and turned pro. He’s allowing a .138 average (4-for-29) off the pitch with one extra-base hit and a 35.7% whiff rate, both the best numbers he has posted off the pitch in his big league career. Statcast rated the splitter at minus-11 in pitcher run value last year; it’s at plus-3 already this season. -- Jason Beck

Twins: Taj Bradley is a dude
There’s a lot to like from the Twins in the early going, from the unexpected production against left-handed pitching to the emergence of Mick Abel. But the most impressive, and also most believable, is the torrid start of Bradley. He’s re-found his splitter, and it’s made him utterly nasty to face. Will he maintain a 1-something ERA all year? Of course not. But he looks like a pitcher who is legitimately making The Leap. -- Matthew Leach

White Sox: Munetaka Murakami is as expected. Actually, he’s better
The White Sox became an international brand almost immediately from the time the first baseman from Japan agreed to a two-year, $34 million deal. That attention has grown stronger across Major League Baseball and beyond, with Murakami showing his talent with the bat is elite. He has started more as a three-true-outcomes sort of player: home runs, walks and strikeouts. But there’s so much more there for the focused, hard-working talent, as evidenced by his 431-foot grand slam against the Athletics on Friday. -- Scott Merkin

AL West

Angels: Mike Trout's resurgence
Trout had a series for the ages, homering in four straight games at Yankee Stadium and five times total in the series. He’s back to looking like his MVP-caliber self after making a slight tweak in his mechanics, as he’s now slightly stepping back for swinging. He’s making contact at an elite rate and has cut down on his strikeout rate while proving plenty of power. He’s returned to center field and is running the fastest he has since tearing his meniscus in his left knee in April 2024. -- Rhett Bollinger

Astros: Yordan Alvarez is an MVP candidate
Alvarez entered Saturday leading the Major Leagues in OPS (1.229), on-base percentage (.479), slugging percentage (.750) and total bases (54) while being tied for third in walks (18). That was before he slugged his MLB-leading ninth home run of the season in his first at-bat Saturday night. He has nine homers in just 95 plate appearances after hitting six homers last year in 199 plate appearances (he played in only 48 games because of injuries). Alvarez is on a historic home run pace for the team and could threaten Jeff Bagwell’s franchise record of 47 homers, set in 2000. -- Brian McTaggart

Athletics: Shea Langeliers is the best catcher in baseball
Langeliers carried a hot 2025 second half through Spring Training and now into the start of the '26 season as he leads all MLB catchers in most offensive categories. With a few hitters in the A’s lineup getting off to slow starts, Langeliers is the catalyst that makes this offense go, and don’t be surprised to see him representing the club at this year’s All-Star Game in Philadelphia. -- Martín Gallegos

Mariners: Their rotation has returned to elite
That's not to say this wasn't true in 2025, but that group saw significant injuries to Logan Gilbert, George Kirby, Bryce Miller and Bryan Woo. And in '26, they may actually have a logjam. When Miller (oblique strain) returns from the IL -- penciled in for one month from now -- Seattle could have a pressing decision to face on the group, especially given the emergence of Emerson Hancock, who at this rate, isn’t going anywhere. Overall, the Mariners' rotation entered the weekend leading the sport with 3.1 WAR, per FanGraphs. -- Daniel Kramer

Rangers: Brandon Nimmo is the leadoff hitter the Rangers coveted
Texas was looking to revamp the offense this offseason. The biggest move towards that was swapping Marcus Semien for Nimmo in a trade with the Mets. It’s already paid off, with Nimmo batting in the leadoff spot and playing right field. Through the end of Friday’s matchup with the Mariners -- when he hit a leadoff homer to start the game -- he’s hitting .316 with a .937 OPS, setting the tone for a Rangers offense that’s looking to match the pitching production. -- Kennedi Landry

National League East

Braves: Deep lineup
The Braves are tied for the Major League lead in runs scored, despite slow starts by Ronald Acuña Jr., Austin Riley and Michael Harris II. Mauricio Dubón and Dominic Smith could cool off, but all three of those aforementioned stars have already shown they’re ready to heat up. This Atlanta lineup might not be as powerful as the 2023 version, but it is deeper and capable of remaining the game’s most productive. -- Mark Bowman

Marlins: Born to run
Since Spring Training, when they shouted out the fastest runners in the organization around the Jupiter Academy, the Marlins have emphasized improving their baserunning and capitalizing on their youthful athleticism. So far, so good, as Miami tied with Milwaukee for the most baserunning runs (three) in the Majors, entering Saturday. This type of aggressiveness won't come without its outs on the bases (MLB-high-tying 11), but the Marlins believe in the payoff (25 steals, third in MLB). -- Christina De Nicola

Mets: Nolan McLean is already the staff ace
The Mets entered this season with trade acquisition Freddy Peralta nominally atop their rotation depth chart. But while Peralta has held his own, McLean’s superior arsenal and ability to go deeper into games has already made him a more trusted arm. That trend should only continue as the 24-year-old McLean gains additional experience and exposure to the league. He’s a gem. -- Anthony DiComo

Nationals: These kids can hit
Through their first 20 games of the season, the Nats racked up 112 runs scored -- 23 more runs than the 2025 club scored in as many games. And it’s not just an improvement in scoring; the team batting average is also up from .231 in 20 games in 2025 to a .261 average through 20 games in '26. The change? A new coaching staff and, alongside them, new technology that has improved players’ preparation to match in-game situations. As the prep continues, there’s every chance the hitting will continue to trend up. -- Paige Leckie

Phillies: The young stars will be OK
Both Andrew Painter and Justin Crawford are Top 100 prospects, according to MLB Pipeline. But until they play in the big leagues, nobody really knows what they will do in the big leagues. But Painter has played the part of a future top-of-the-rotation starter, while Crawford has looked like a future leadoff hitter. -- Todd Zolecki

NL Central

Brewers: Ready to run
The Brewers came into Saturday as MLB’s leader with 30 stolen bases, and that’s no fluke. Besides being blessed with speed, they hired a new first-base coach over the winter in Spencer Allen to maximize efficiency on the basepaths, which includes both stealing bases and taking the extra base wherever possible. At the moment, that kind of super-aggressive outlook is a necessity, since the Brewers are playing without three of their top hitters: Christian Yelich, Jackson Chourio and Andrew Vaughn are all on the injured list. -- Adam McCalvy

Cardinals: Jordan Walker is reaching his potential
The Cardinals were wondering if Walker would ever reach his potential after he was named the organization’s top prospect in 2022. He had a tough time making contact during the next three years. This season is a different story, however. Walker is St. Louis’ most productive hitter and entered Saturday with a slash line of .315/.375/.685 with a NL-leading eight home runs. Working in the hitting lab at Roger Dean Chevrolet Stadium during March has paid dividends for Walker, who has slowed things down in the batter’s box and is ready for any pitch coming to the plate. The Cardinals often complained about Walker hitting too many ground balls over the years. Entering Sunday’s action, Walker’s launch angle is at 15.7 degrees, up from the 10.3-degree mark he recorded last year. A more upright stance has helped improve that number. -- Bill Ladson

Cubs: Nico Hoerner has found another gear
What Hoerner brings to the Cubs is hardly a secret. The second baseman plays elite defense (see: two Gold Glove Awards), brings plus speed (123 steals from 2022-25) and has been one of the hardest players in the game to strike out (49 in 649 plate appearances in '25). Hoerner boasts one of baseball’s elite contact rates, helping him perform well in the clutch (.371 average with RISP last year). Out of the gates this season, Hoerner is hitting at an even higher level and is near the top of the WAR leaderboards on both FanGraphs and Baseball-Reference. A subtle swing change has helped, and this hot start is a continuation of a dynamic September and postseason last year. Fresh off signing a six-year, $141 million extension, Hoerner looks like he has unlocked an even better version of himself for the North Siders. -- Jordan Bastian

Pirates: Oneil Cruz's offensive consistency
For the first time in his big-league career, Cruz is putting it all together in the batter’s box. It helps that Cruz is hitting left-handers, going 10-for-24 (.417) with three homers against them entering Saturday’s action. Last year, he had a .102 batting average (11-for-108) vs. southpaws. Cruz changed his stance against lefties in '26 and is making better swing decisions. Cruz is also doing better against offspeed and breaking pitches. Last year, he was an automatic out, going a combined 42-for-256 (.164) against those pitches. This year, Cruz is 13-for-42 (.310) with three homers. By consistently getting on base, Cruz entered Saturday tied for the Major League lead with nine stolen bases. -- Bill Ladson

Reds: Elly De La Cruz has raised his game hitting right-handed
Last season, the switch-hitting De La Cruz had five of his 22 overall home runs in 200 right-handed at-bats. His OPS was also more than 200 points lower from the right side than left. In 2026, De La Cruz showed marked improvement. Entering Saturday, he already has four homers in only 26 right-handed ABs and six dingers overall. His OPS is better righty (1.066) than lefty (.819). The 24-year-old has shortened his right-handed swing, which allows him to see the ball longer and make better decisions while flexing some opposite-field power. -- Mark Sheldon

NL West

D-backs: The rotation is strong and deep
Through their first 20 games, Arizona starters had the fourth-best ERA in the National League. The starter who had disappointing numbers, Brandon Pfaadt, was sent to the bullpen when Merrill Kelly was activated off the injured list. The D-backs essentially have six starters, and come the All-Star break, they’ll get Corbin Burnes back. The performance of the starters has taken some of the pressure off a bullpen that struggled mightily last year. -- Steve Gilbert

Dodgers: The rotation is a strength once again
While the Dodgers have the less-proven trio of Roki Sasaki, Emmet Sheehan and Justin Wrobleski behind Yoshinobu Yamamoto, Tyler Glasnow and Shohei Ohtani, they have gotten a lot of value out of their starters early on. L.A. has gotten 13 starts of six or more innings through its first 19 games, tied with the Mariners for the most in MLB. Sasaki hasn't given the Dodgers a ton of length in his starts, but even with him being an unknown, having five reliable starters is more than most teams could ask for. -- Sonja Chen

Giants: Daniel Susac’s offensive potential
Susac was expected to serve as Patrick Bailey’s backup this year, but he’s begun to earn more playing time behind the plate due to his red-hot start to the season. The 24-year-old rookie entered Saturday batting .524 (11-for-21) with a 1.260 OPS over his first nine games, which has earned him starts over the slumping Bailey early this year. Bailey still brings value with his Gold Glove defense, so the Giants could have more of a timeshare between their two young backstops moving forward. -- Maria Guardado

Padres: Ramón Laureano's success in the leadoff spot
Laureano takes some of the toughest at-bats on the Padres. He’s also a serious power threat. Laureano’s early-season OPS is sitting around .900 -- which is worth believing in, because last season it was .855. New manager Craig Stammen had talked about finding the right table-setter for his trio of Fernando Tatis Jr., Jackson Merrill and Manny Machado in the 2-3-4 spots. It took him a week or two. But he seems to have found it. -- AJ Cassavell

Rockies: An adjusted pitching strategy pays dividends
Manager Warren Schaeffer noted that past Rockies teams have worn out their bullpens early, so he built his bullpen around guys capable of multiple innings. Through the first 20 games, future rotation leader Chase Dollander had 23 strikeouts in 19 innings, former starter Antonio Senzatela had a zero ERA and 15 strikeouts in his first 12 1/3 innings, and Zach Agnos struck out 13 in his first 13 1/3 innings. The hope is the strategy can be a way of combating the challenge of keeping a bullpen healthy and effective in Colorado's atmosphere. -- Thomas Harding