White Sox and Alonso shine as ESPN grades 2026 MLB preseason calls

ESPN has released grades for its 30 bold preseason predictions made in March 2026, evaluating how closely each major league club matched its forecast. The results show a mix of accurate calls and notable misses across the 2026 season. The Chicago White Sox earned the highest grade, an A+, for a prediction that proved remarkably prescient. The forecast stated that Chicago would improve by 19 wins behind reliever Grant Taylor. Instead, the team improved by 24 wins and secured a playoff berth. Taylor posted a 7-3 record with 10 saves and a 2.25 ERA over 84 innings. His performance helped turn the bullpen from 30th to 15th in win probability added.

The A+ grade also applied to a forecast that Kevin McGonigle would win American League Rookie of the Year. McGonigle finished with an .806 OPS and 7.1 WAR, the eighth-highest total for a rookie position player since 1900. He hit 18 home runs while splitting time at shortstop and third base. Pete Alonso also received an A+ for becoming the first player to lead both leagues in RBIs. He drove in 113 runs and hit 43 home runs. Cincinnati pitcher Chase Burns earned an A+ by living up to high expectations. He finished 15-3 with a 2.86 ERA and 10.8 strikeouts per nine innings over 154 frames.

Cleveland pitcher Parker Messick received an A after finishing 12-9 with a 2.56 ERA. He struck out 193 batters and recorded 6.3 WAR while making the All-Star team. Colorado catcher Hunter Goodman also earned an A. He hit 41 home runs and caught 99 of his 138 games. The Rockies offense increased from 597 runs to 752, marking the second-biggest increase in the majors. The Houston Astros prediction received an A-minus with an asterisk. Houston won the AL West as predicted, and Yordan Alvarez hit 42 home runs while winning the batting title at .316. However, the team finished at 81-81 and was outscored by 32 runs.

Several predictions landed at B+ after falling just short of the mark. Athletics closer Mason Miller carried a 0.81 ERA until August 24 before fading to a 1.67 mark. He recorded 129 strikeouts, the most by a reliever since Josh Hader in 2019, but did not post a sub-1.00 ERA. Milwaukee’s Jackson Chourio hit .291 with 25 home runs and 4.9 WAR. An injured list stint that lasted until May 4 cost him an All-Star nod. Philadelphia’s Jesus Luzardo went 14-5 with a 2.86 ERA before shoulder inflammation. Cristopher Sanchez finished 18-7 with a 2.91 ERA and 8.1 WAR. Tampa Bay’s Junior Caminero earned a B by hitting 42 home runs at age 22.

The misses included Boston’s rotation, which was picked to lead the AL in ERA for the first time in 24 years. The Red Sox ranked fourth at 3.92 after Garrett Crochet made only six starts with a 6.30 ERA. Kansas City’s Bobby Witt Jr. was projected for 9.5 WAR and 92 extra-base hits. He finished with 6.7 WAR and 52 extra-base hits while missing 19 games. Arizona’s Geraldo Perdomo hit .262 with nine home runs and 5.1 WAR, falling short of a 20-homer season. Texas veterans Nathan Eovaldi and Jacob deGrom both finished with 4.20 ERAs, missing sub-3.00 targets.

The defending champion Dodgers were picked to win 110 games but instead won 100. Kyle Tucker flopped, and Freddie Freeman hit one home run after the All-Star break. Mookie Betts scuffled until September, while Will Smith played only 73 games. Shohei Ohtani, Tyler Glasnow, and Blake Snell combined for only 36 starts. The exercise also looks ahead to 2027. It projects Chase Burns as a top-five starter and notes that Hunter Goodman remains under team control for three more years. Jacob deGrom enters the final season of his five-year deal worth $37 million. The Dodgers again appear likely to win 100 games.