Each team’s top projected player in ’26

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Spring Training games are slated to start Friday, meaning MLB’s biggest stars will be back in action. But with so many great talents in the game today, who will be every team’s top player in 2026?

To determine that, it’s time to examine the projections from FanGraphs Depth Charts (a combination of the Steamer and ZiPS projection systems, with expected playing time allocated by FanGraphs staff).

By Wins Above Replacement, here is the top projected player for each club entering 2026.

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

American League East

Blue Jays: and (4.9 WAR)
By virtue of his value behind the plate, Kirk's 2025 fWAR (4.7) well exceeded Guerrero's (3.9), but Guerrero's offensive ceiling is too high to be overlooked, even after another inconsistent year. Kirk is projected not just for the highest WAR season of his career but for the second highest among catchers, trailing only (6.4), while Guerrero's potential output splits the difference between his last two seasons (.295 AVG, 34 HR, 95 RBIs).

Orioles: (6.0 WAR)
Perhaps the most important mystery surrounding the Orioles is what we should expect from Henderson after he followed up an MVP-caliber 2024 (.529 SLG, 37 HR, 155 OPS+) with a much less eye-catching 2025 (.438 SLG, 17 HR, 121 OPS+). But given his age (still 24 as of Opening Day) and the shoulder injury he played through in '25, we can assume we haven't seen his peak, and FanGraphs seems to agree that last year wasn't truly a reflection of his capabilities, projecting 29 home runs and a .490 SLG for Henderson in 2026. Just below him, Orioles projected within the 3.5-4.0 WAR range include (4.0), (3.9) and (3.6).

Rays: (4.8 WAR)
Caminero hit 45 home runs in his age-21 season, a baseline that could be a blessing or a curse going forward. But FanGraphs offers optimism, with Caminero among just five hitters projected to hit the 40-homer mark (behind , , and Raleigh). His projected 4.8 WAR ties perennial MVP candidate José Ramírez atop the leaderboard at third base. Among his teammates, only (3.0) is projected at or above 3 WAR in 2026.

Red Sox: (5.8 WAR)
"Second only to " was the theme of Crochet's 2025, which he finished with 5.8 WAR (second in the AL, fourth in MLB), a 2.59 ERA and an MLB-best 255 strikeouts in 205 1/3 innings (11.2 strikeouts per nine). If things pan out as projected, we're in for more of the same in 2026 -- a slightly elevated 2.91 ERA but still a 5.8 WAR (second, again, to Skubal) and about 11.2 K/9. New acquisitions (3.7 WAR) and (3.4) lag behind Crochet by a considerable margin; leads Boston’s position players with a projected 3.5 WAR.

Yankees: (7.3 WAR)
Judge is hitting .326 with a 1.152 OPS since the beginning of the 2024 season. He hit 58 home runs in 2024 and followed with 53 in '25. He's coming off back-to-back 10+ WAR seasons, and now he's a batting champ, too. Projection models aren't built for this, so although he does have the highest projected position-player fWAR in baseball, it's just as likely an MVP-worthy 43-homer, 7.8-WAR season is underestimating him, even in his age-34 campaign. Other Yankees projected over 3.0 WAR: (3.9), (3.3), (3.2) and (3.1).

AL Central

Guardians: José Ramírez (4.8 WAR)
One of MLB’s most consistent stars, Ramírez was recently rewarded with a seven-year, $175 million extension with the Guardians through 2032. The veteran third baseman is coming off a 30-homer campaign with a career-high 44 steals, posting a .282/.360/.503 slash line and racking up 6.3 WAR. He was also one of MLB’s best defenders at third base, totaling +7 Outs Above Average in 2025.

Royals: (6.7 WAR)
Witt’s 8.0 WAR in 2025 trailed only Judge (10.1) and Raleigh (9.1) among hitters, and the Kansas City shortstop is still just 25 years old. Witt finished in the top five in AL MVP voting for the second straight season, batting .295 with 23 homers, 38 steals and an .852 OPS, while claiming both the Gold Glove and Silver Slugger Awards at short (plus the AL Platinum Glove). The all-around star is projected to lead the Royals in WAR by a considerable margin, with pitcher (4.1 WAR) his nearest teammate.

Tigers: (6.3 WAR)
Skubal is coming off back-to-back Cy Young seasons, posting a 2.21 ERA in 2025 with 241 strikeouts in 195 1/3 innings. He led all pitchers with 6.6 WAR in 2025 after leading the AL with 6.0 WAR in 2024, and his 2026 projection would put him in between those two stellar seasons. Skubal is the ace of a talented rotation that also features , and free-agent additions and .

Twins: (3.6 WAR)
Buxton’s 2025 was his best season to date with a .264/.327/.551 slash line, 35 homers, 24 stolen bases and a career-high 5.0 WAR. It’s hardly a coincidence that he played in 126 games, his healthiest season since 2017 (when he played in a career-high 140 games). An elite hitter and baserunner with above-average range in center field, Buxton has been staying on the field and living up to his immense potential of late. If he can do it again in 2026, he has every chance to be the best player on a young Minnesota squad.

White Sox: (2.5 WAR)
Montgomery absolutely mashed after his callup to the Majors on July 4, socking 21 home runs in just 71 games for Chicago down the stretch. He also flashed an impressive glove, totaling +6 Outs Above Average at shortstop in his half-season stint. All told, he racked up 2.7 WAR as a rookie and is projected for a similar total in 2026, which would be tops on a young squad that also features young hitters , and -- each projected for 2.1 WAR -- and Japanese slugger (2.2).

AL West

Angels: (4.3 WAR)
Neto has unquestionably been the Angels’ top player each of the last two seasons, leading the club with 3.5 WAR in 2024 and 3.1 WAR last season. Neto has been well above average with the bat (112 OPS+ in 2024, 117 OPS+ in ‘25), has played solid defense at shortstop and has been a member of the 20-20 club in each season. The projections see the young shortstop taking another step forward, which makes sense since Neto was worth 3.1 WAR in 128 games in '25.

Astros: (4.4 WAR)
It was a lost season for Alvarez, who only played in 48 games due to injury and posted an OPS south of .800 for the first time in his career. The good news is Alvarez is still only 28 years old and posted an excellent .393 expected wOBA, with his usual elite quality and quantity of contact. The fact that he’ll likely be the everyday designated hitter in Houston should help keep the Astros slugger on the field more often.

Athletics: (3.6 WAR)
Kurtz wasted no time acclimating to the Majors, going from the No. 4 overall pick in the 2024 Draft to the unanimous AL Rookie of the Year in 2025. In 117 games, the A’s first baseman posted a 1.002 OPS with 36 home runs, one of which traveled an MLB-best 493 feet. The projections have Kurtz taking a slight step back, but he’s still expected to be one of the top power threats in the Majors.

Mariners: (6.4 WAR)
What more can you say about Raleigh’s 2025 season? The Mariners’ backstop elevated his game to a remarkable level, bashing 60 home runs with a .948 OPS and racking up 9.1 WAR, resulting in a second-place MVP finish behind Judge. It would be perhaps a little unfair to expect a repeat of that type of performance, but the projections are still strong, pegging Raleigh for 6.4 WAR and 41 homers.

Rangers: (4.4 WAR)
By WAR (4.1), Langford was the Rangers’ top player in 2025, barely edging out ’s 4.0-win season. The 24-year-old Langford is projected to lead the club in WAR yet again, no small feat on a team that features the likes of Seager, and . Langford's game features a blend of good offense, strong baserunning and defensive chops that give him an enviable combination of a high floor and high upside.

National League East

Braves: (5.4 WAR)
Acuña hasn't had the luxury of a healthy year since that perfectly ridiculous 40-70 season, but even limited to 95 games and interrupted by yet another lower-body injury (a calf strain, in that case), he was the Braves' second-most-valuable position player last year by WAR (3.5). We're yet to really establish what an average Acuña season is, but FanGraphs has him projected for 31 home runs and 26 stolen bases, plus the fifth-highest wRC+ in MLB (152). Even if things don't go to plan, the Braves' lineup will probably have plenty to fall back on, including (projected 3.6 WAR), (3.5), (3.1) and reigning Rookie of the Year (3.1).

Marlins: (2.8 WAR)
There's some legitimate potential on Miami's roster, but the track record isn't really there. FanGraphs projects six Marlins (Edwards, , , , and ) above 2.0 WAR in 2026 and even has Stowers down for 27 home runs, but Edwards, for his contribution at second, just barely leads the pack after a respectable year hitting .283 with 27 stolen bases.

Mets: (6.1 WAR)
Reliable as they come, Soto threw the Mets a curveball when in the midst of their tumultuous and ultimately unsuccessful push for the postseason he started stealing bases -- 27 of them in the second half, to be exact, compared to 11 before the break. Another 43-38 season would be a bit outrageous, but FanGraphs does have him leading the Mets with 38 home runs and 23 stolen bases. , coming off his second 30-30 season and his fourth straight top-10 MVP finish, is projected just behind at 5.0 WAR, followed by offseason acquisitions (4.3) and (3.1).

Nationals: (3.1 WAR)
For the second year in a row, Wood is projected to lead the Nationals with 3.1 WAR. It proved a solid prediction for 2025, when he hit .256/.350/.475 with 31 home runs -- the Nats' first 30-HR season since 2019 -- and 3.3 WAR. FanGraphs doesn't quite have Wood down for another 30-homer season, however, pulling up just short with 27. , who finished just 0.2 WAR behind Wood in 2025, is projected to have another 20-HR, 30-SB season at the same WAR interval (2.9).

Phillies: (4.8 WAR)
Three pitchers exceeded 6.0 WAR last year -- both Cy Young Award winners, Paul Skenes (6.6) and Skubal (6.5), and ground-ball machine Sánchez (6.4). With now wearing a different shade of red jersey and delayed by his recovery from thoracic outlet syndrome, FanGraphs' projections position Sánchez's stellar 2025 (2.50 ERA, 1.06 WHIP, 7.6 H/9, 9.4 K/9) as his formal introduction to the ace role. Wheeler is projected at 3.3 WAR in 24 starts, but given the typical six-to-eight-month recovery period for the thoracic outlet decompression procedure he underwent in September, he could very well exceed both.

NL Central

Brewers: (4.5 WAR)
Contreras had surgery to repair a fractured left middle finger in November but should be ready to go for Opening Day, setting the stage for another strong year from the Brewers backstop. While his 2025 (.754 OPS, 17 HR, 3.6 WAR) was a bit of a step back, he was the NL Silver Slugger honoree in both 2023 and '24 at catcher and owns a career .805 OPS. Contreras has been an integral part of a Brewers team that had MLB’s best record in 2025 and aims to repeat the feat in ’26.

Cardinals: (3.6 WAR)
Winn is a sensational defender whose +21 Outs Above Average were tied for the third most in MLB in 2025, earning him his first career Gold Glove. His fielding at shortstop, a premium position, has been good enough to overcome his marginal offensive value, as Winn has a career .680 OPS after a .673 mark in 2025. He’s the top projected player on a Cardinals club that traded away several key pieces, including , and , this offseason.

Cubs: (4.7 WAR)
In 2025, Crow-Armstrong put it all together with an incredible first half, hitting 25 homers and stealing 27 bases to go with fantastic defensive ability in center field -- his +24 Outs Above Average were tied for the most in MLB. But a poor second half (.216/.262/.372 with only six homers) put a damper on PCA’s breakout season. Still, the Cubs outfielder put up 5.4 WAR and is projected to lead a talented Chicago club in ’26.

Pirates: (5.4 WAR)
Skenes has been nothing short of incredible since his 2024 debut, following up his Rookie of the Year campaign with an NL Cy Young-winning season in ’25. The Pirates phenom had a 1.97 ERA with 216 strikeouts in 187 2/3 innings, netting him 6.5 WAR. FanGraphs projects Skenes’ ERA (which sits at 1.96 for his career) to rise a bit to 2.84 in ’26, but he’s still expected to accrue twice as much WAR as , Pittsburgh’s second-highest-projected player (2.7 WAR).

Reds: (4.7 WAR)
The highly talented De La Cruz didn’t take the leap many had hoped in 2025, regressing from an .810 OPS in '24 to a .776 mark in his second full season. He did play through a left quad strain for much of the year, though, and still hit 22 homers and stole 37 bases. De La Cruz’s power-speed potential and strong arm at shortstop give him a chance to be among the best players in the Majors, let alone on the Reds.

NL West

D-backs: (4.8 WAR)
Carroll had his best season in the Majors in 2025, posting 6.5 WAR (seventh best among position players) and becoming the first 30-30 player in franchise history. At 25 years old, Carroll has already established himself as a true star and a building block in Arizona. Carroll recently underwent surgery on a broken hamate bone in his right hand, making him unavailable for the World Baseball Classic, but he could be back by Opening Day.

Dodgers: (8.4 WAR)
For the first time in Dodger blue, Ohtani was a fully operational two-way star in the second half of the season and in L.A.’s run to a second straight title. Ohtani was worth 7.5 WAR as a hitter, thanks to a 1.014 OPS, 55 home runs and 20 stolen bases, while posting 1.9 WAR and a 2.87 ERA across 47 innings. If Ohtani keeps this up over a full season, he could be on his way to a fourth straight MVP award and the fifth in his career.

Giants: (4.6 WAR)
Not the name you were expecting? Despite posting a .602 OPS last season, Bailey was still worth 3.2 WAR in 135 games thanks to his elite defense behind the dish. In 2024, Bailey racked up 4.3 WAR despite his .637 OPS, so it’s not out of the question for a bounceback to a 4-ish-win season. Bailey will have plenty of company competing for the WAR lead, with leading the Giants last season in that metric (5.5 WAR) and doing so in 2024 (5.4).

Padres: (5.4 WAR)
Somehow, Tatis is only entering his age-27 season, and he’s put together quite the career to date. In his first six seasons (including the COVID-shortened 2020 season), Tatis has clubbed 152 home runs, swiped 124 bases and transitioned from shortstop to become a premier defender in right field. Tatis does everything well on a baseball field, and it still feels like there could be another level in his game as he’s entered his prime.

Rockies: (3.0 WAR)
Injuries limited Tovar to 95 games in 2025, and his offense dipped from a .763 OPS in 2024 to a .694 OPS in '25. Tovar’s excellent shortstop defense will always give him a high floor, but his propensity to whiff and his low walk rate might lead to year-to-year volatility at the dish. If Tovar reverts back to his 2024 level, though, he profiles as one of the better shortstops in baseball.