This spreadsheet contains the results for the 2026 Team Offense Series. What does the data tell us about teams in 2026?
The Yankees and Dodgers appear to own the top two offenses again. New York beat out Los Angeles last season. In 2026, the Dodgers default lineup projects to score half a run more per game than the Yankees. That’s 0.9 runs per game more than the median projection. Note that both these teams capture about 80% of the optimum lineup. That’s important as both teams have large spreads between the best and worst batting orders, meaning they are more superstar dependent. If Shohei Ohtani or Aaron judge does down with a long injury, the offenses might be in trouble.
The Athletics, Braves, and Astros looks like the biggest movers to the upside. The A’s go from 12th to 3rd, the Braves from 13th to 4th, and the Astros from 21 to 9th. The team that now plays in Sacramento moves on the continued development of a young core. The Braves and Astros likely move on a healthier roster and some regression to the mean after down years.
The Pirates also make a big move, from last to 15th, meaning their offense should be league average. This should give them a chance to win most of Paul Skenes’ starts, and a chance to go .500 the rest of the way. That’s a recipe for a playoff berth.
The biggest falls belong to the Brewers and Blue Jays. Milwaukee drops from third to 20th. Note that the trade of Caleb Durbin hurts the offense compare to last season. The Brewers have a way of finding talent, however, so I don’t have lot of confidence in this prediction. Toronto drops from fourth to 22nd, notably losing Bo Bichette. At seasonal age 36, George Springer is unlikely to post another 4-5 WAR season.
The Cardinals fall from 19th to last as they undergo a rebuild. Both the Rockies and Guardians, which finished near the bottom of the majors in terms or runs per game in 2025, look like they will stay down.
The Twins, Royals, Cubs, and Brewers do the worst jobs of capturing the potential of the optimum lineup. The Reds, Braves, Phillies, and Angels do the best job.
Have fun with the data!