Depth over the marathon of a 162-game season helped 12 teams reach the postseason. Now, it’s the stars and standouts who will take center stage.
Here are the 26 players who will define the 2026 MLB playoffs, whether through their talent, their storylines entering October, their importance to their clubs or all of the above.
In other words, here are the people we will remember — for better or worse:
The most valuable all-around player in baseball this season, Crow-Armstrong did it all for the Cubs in a 40-40 season. It was, by fWAR, the best season by a Cubs player since Rogers Hornsby in 1929. He personifies the Cubs, who had the highest OPS and the best defense in the sport this year. They’ll need that defense to mask their pitching concerns.
He was, without question, the best hitter in baseball this year, leading all qualified players in every slash line category. And he was, without question, the reason the Astros made it to the playoffs, despite an 81-81 record. The worst playoff team in MLB history will go as far as the AL MVP favorite can carry it.
Even if he won’t be the MVP of his league for the first time since 2022, the baseball world still revolves around him. Will MLB’s modern marvel get back to looking otherworldly? Or will the injuries to his left knee and right biceps continue to make him look like a shell of himself at the plate? More than anything else, Ohtani’s health will have the biggest impact on a potential Dodgers three-peat.
Yes, he throws incredibly hard. Historically so. But Misiorowski, who’s learning how to harness his extraordinary stuff, is more than the novice flamethrower he was a year ago. He cut his walk rate nearly in half from his rookie season while leading all qualified starters in strikeouts, strikeout rate, ERA and WHIP and surrendering the lowest batting average in MLB history, transforming into the best pitcher in baseball while becoming arguably the most important piece to the Brewers’ World Series hopes.
That Caminero even made the AL MVP conversation a debate speaks to what an exceptional talent he is. On a Tampa Bay team built for contact and speed, he is the exception. Caminero led the Rays with 42 homers — 20 more than the next closest players on the team (Jonathan Aranda and Yandy Díaz each hit 22). The Rays will be relying on Caminero’s power to make a deep run.
It’s not a coincidence that the Padres had the worst offense in MLB before the break and one of the best in the second half. Tatis didn’t hit his first home run until May 30 and had just three homers through his first 82 games; then he blasted 22 homers over his next 72 games. Meanwhile, after a slow start, the Padres posted the best record in MLB from July 24 through season’s end. The Padres will go as Tatis goes.
Rotation depth is the biggest concern on Atlanta’s roster entering the postseason. There’s a lot riding on the success of their ace, Sale, who ranked third in MLB in ERA and recorded 200 strikeouts at 37 years old.
Surprise, surprise: The Dodgers won the sweepstakes for the best pitcher available at the deadline. Was it worth it? That will all depend on how much the reigning back-to-back AL Cy Young Award winner helps them over the next month.
Contreras is right up there with Alvarez as one of the most important hitters in baseball to his team’s success this season. That’s not hyperbole. Contreras finished the year with a 151 wRC+, a tally that ranked third in MLB behind only Alvarez and Crow-Armstrong. The next closest qualified Red Sox hitter was Wilyer Abreu at 112. Needless to say, his health after getting hit by a pitch on the hand a couple weeks ago will be something to monitor.
Harper wasn’t pleased last October when Phillies president of baseball operations Dave Dombrowski questioned if the two-time MVP would be elite again. He claimed Dombrowski’s comments wouldn’t serve as motivation, but a year later, you have to wonder if those words still stick with him. The Phillies, who had the lowest OPS in the National League in September, need him to be an impact player.
It’s not October yet, but Bregman’s face looked more like a Halloween mask after he got hit by a foul ball on Sept. 20. Despite suffering facial fractures, he was back in the lineup days later. And in the regular season finale, a week after the incident, he went 4-for-4 with two home runs. Bregman was the best hitter in baseball in the season’s second half, and that performance erased any doubts about what he might be able to do going forward.
He didn’t make the wild-card roster after straining his calf, so he can’t be top 10 on this list. But could he be back for the ALDS if the Yankees advance? And if he is, what version will the Yankees get? They were 41-25 with Judge in the lineup and 52-43 when he wasn’t. Obviously, the health and availability of the three-time MVP will be one of the biggest storylines of the postseason.
Is there a pitcher in October you trust more with in a must-win game or series? It’ll be fascinating to see how he builds on his postseason reputation after his heroics last October — he pitched back-to-back complete games in Game 2 of the NLCS and Game 2 of the World Series, then pitched on consecutive days in Games 6 and 7 of the World Series — earned him World Series MVP honors.
Schlittler announced his presence on a national stage last October with 12 strikeouts in eight scoreless innings against the Red Sox. A year later, he has proven himself as the best pitcher in the American League as he gets set to face Boston in the postseason once again. He’s the star of a Yankees rotation that will be their key to a deep run.
Limited again by injury, Acuña had a largely forgettable 2026 season…until late August. Over his final 26 games, Acuña slashed .337/.393/.604 with seven homers and six doubles, looking like a superstar once again. After missing the postseason during Atlanta’s 2021 World Series run and again during the 2024 wild-card series, he might be especially motivated to demonstrate what he can do on the biggest stage.
Arguably MLB’s biggest All-Star snub, Turang launched 21 homers, knocked in 100 runs and stole 19 bases this season. By fWAR, he was the fifth-most valuable position player in the sport. After a knee issue sapped much of his power in August, he bounced back in September to slash .361/.475/.602 in the season’s final month. While Milwaukee didn’t do much to change their offense after last year’s NLCS disappointment, Turang’s ascension as a star talent is a big reason why this year’s team might be different.
He’s the best reliever in baseball, and he pitches on the best bullpen in the sport. The Padres will need Miller and their relief group to be electric, given the concerns in their rotation.
The Red Sox paid a massive price to make the surprise deal of the deadline, sending three of their top prospects to Baltimore to acquire Rutschman. He’ll need to be a difference-maker for Boston to make that price worth it. After a rough August (.500 OPS), he certainly looked like a player who could swing a game or a series in September (.845).
Is it fair to put Messick, Chase DeLauter and Travis Bazzana all in one spot? Well, I make the rules here. Messick will get Rookie of the Year consideration and down-ballot Cy Young votes. DeLauter will also likely find himself on some Rookie of the Year ballots. Whatever happens to Cleveland over the next month, their rookies will play a significant role.
It’s hard to know what to expect from Jesus Luzardo, who hasn’t made a full start since Sept. 7. Zack Wheeler, meanwhile, started Sunday in the regular season finale, putting his wild-card availability into question. The Phillies’ rotation should be its biggest strength, but that will only be the case if Sánchez looks like the Cy Young contender he was all season.
King was the lone source of stability in the Padres’ volatile rotation. They’ll need his innings and dependability in the postseason to make sure their elite bullpen doesn’t get overworked.
The Red Sox scored the fewest runs in MLB in September. If Contreras doesn’t look like himself at the plate after hurting his hand last month, they’ll need someone else to step up. Anthony, who missed nearly four months, had an OPS over 1.000 over his last eight games of the season and has the talent to be that star.
The most valuable player on the team this year was Miguel Vargas. But the one who could decide how far they go? That might be Murakami, who led the White Sox with 35 homers in 127 games but also had the second-highest strikeout rate among all qualified MLB hitters. The former NPB star personifies Chicago’s all-or-nothing offense. If Murakami and Colson Montgomery launch balls out of Daikin Park, the White Sox could move on. If they struggle to put the ball in play, Chicago’s magical summer won’t continue deep into autumn.
No Judge in the wild-card series means the Yankees need to find their power elsewhere. Rice, who hit 41 home runs this season, is their best source of it. Will they get the guy who had a .948 OPS in May, a .947 OPS in July and a 1.055 OPS in September? Or the guy who had a .657 OPS in June and a .641 OPS in August?
The Brewers decided to hold onto Henderson at the deadline rather than include him in a potential Skubal deal. He rewarded them with a 2.22 ERA over 11 second-half starts. Given the uncertainty in the Brewers’ rotation after Misiorowski, Henderson’s success this October will be critical for Milwaukee.
Tucker was a league-average hitter this season in the first year of a four-year, $240 million contract in Los Angeles. It was mostly a disaster. But he started to look like a difference-maker down the stretch, slashing .333/.406/.667 with five homers over his final 17 games. If he helps the Dodgers three-peat, it will wipe away the stench of his previous six months of mediocrity.
(Honorable mention) Tyler Mahle, SP, Atlanta Braves: The Braves need a starting pitcher they can trust after Sale. Their options are limited and could be their downfall. Mahle, who had a 1.99 ERA in nine starts after getting traded to Atlanta at the deadline, is their best hope to eat up innings.
Also worth mentioning: Kyle Schwarber (DH, Philadelphia Phillies), Drew Rasmussen (SP, Tampa Bay Rays), Miguel Vargas (3B, Chicago White Sox), Hunter Brown (SP, Houston Astros), Jackson Chourio (OF, Milwaukee Brewers), Payton Tolle (SP, Boston Red Sox), Jackson Merrill (OF, San Diego Padres), Bryan Baker (RP, Tampa Bay Rays), Mookie Betts (SS, Los Angeles Dodgers), Drake Baldwin (C, Atlanta Braves), George Lombard Jr. (SS, New York Yankees), Didier Fuentes (RP, Atlanta Braves), Ethan Salas (C, San Diego Padres)
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