Five Early 2026 MLB Takes That Might Already Be True

A week of games is never enough time to evaluate anything in Major League Baseball. 

Unless, of course, it is enough time.

The Los Angeles Dodgers will win the N.L. West by 25 games.

This is more of a first impression of the rest of the division, and not even a "if everything goes perfectly" projection. But if the Dodgers win 110 games, which seems not far-fetched, second place needs to go 85-77 for a 25-game margin. That seems about right for the San Diego Padres and Arizona Diamondbacks, and don't even bother worrying about the San Francisco Giants or Colorado Rockies winning more than 85. (Seventy-five? Sixty-five?)

The record margin for winning a division is 23.5 games by the 1995 Cleveland Indians in the AL Central, which came in a strike-shortened season. The top mark for a full season is the 2001 Seattle Mariners, who won the AL West by 20 games, finishing with a 116-46 record. If the Dodgers win that many, they'll take the West by 30. 

Or more.

The San Francisco Giants will lose 95 games.

It's going to take new manager Tony Vitello a moment to adjust to the big leagues after serving his apprenticeship in college. 

But the Giants have had a questionable roster composition all along, which should make everyone also question how long it's going to take team president Buster Posey to transition from team legend as a catcher to credible as a major league executive.

Brian Cashman will win Executive of the Year for running it back with the New York Yankees.

The Yanks are 6-1 having played the Giants (oof), Seattle Mariners (middling start) and Miami Marlins (OK, but still meh) so far, not exactly a Murderer's Row schedule. But they look pret-ty, pre-ty good, especially with Aaron Judge not having to carry them. And without having pitchers Gerrit Cole, Carlos Rodón and Clarke Schmidt on the active roster yet because of injury rehab. 

New players include only left-hander Ryan Weathers, backup outfielder Randal Grichuk and Rule 5 reliever Cade Winquest. Well done, Cash! It's not a World Series champion yet, of course...

The Kansas City Royals need to scout their own social media more thoroughly.

You might have heard about rookie catcher Carter Jensen oversleeping and being scratched from the lineup Thursday afternoon. Jensen has a bright future if he'd just literally wake up.

Well, back in Spring Training, KC social media produced a TikTok video asking their players how many alarms and snoozes it takes for them to wake up. The answers varied, but the best one (and also the worst) came from Jensen.

"This is embarrassing," Jensen began. "I need at least, like, six-to-eight alarms. It's not good."

It was all right there in the TikTok scouting report. When people tell you who they are, believe them!

The ABS system will be good for all parties, as long as umpires keep their cool.

On a cold and wet night Wednesday, a hot mic caught umpire Andy Fletcher complaining about the Minnesota Twins challenging his strike zone.

"For God's sake," Fletcher whined after one of 11 challenges went up, including nine by the Twins -- who were right about eight of them.

As they challenged, the Twins chipped away at an 11-run deficit, losing 13-9 to the Royals but bringing the tying run to the on-deck circle in the ninth. It would have been a less competitive game without ABS.

"There will be some umpires that have an ego behind it," Twins catcher Ryan Jeffers told reporters. "But at the end of the day, I think most of them understand that it's part of the game now."