With the MLB season underway, many teams have already made crucial trades and pickups, so let’s look at a few teams that could be hot this year.
Bo Bichette to the Mets, Pete Alonso to the Orioles, and Alex Bregman to the Cubs. These new additions could make or break a team. With spring training in full swing, teams are preparing to compete for a spot in October, with several teams possibly emerging as World Series contenders.
“I think my top three teams for this season would probably be the Dodgers, Cubs, and Yankees,” West Chicago Community High School senior Ashton Aldaco said. “I think with their new players this year, they’ll all have pretty good lineups.”
DETROIT TIGERS
TThe first team is the Detroit Tigers. With Tarik Skubal and Jack Flaherty in the rotation, combined with Framber Valdez, they could have one of the best pitching staffs in the league. According to MLB, the Tigers made it to the ALDS but lost to the World Series runner up, the Tigers made it to the ALDS but lost to the World Series runner-up, the Seattle Mariners. The Tigers could be a very competitive team this year because their roster has many valuable players. For example, MLB aawarded the AL Gold Glove to Dillon Dingler, a catcher. With his glove paired with Javier Báez at shortstop and strength up the middle, they’ll have strong defense.
Offensively, they have Kerry Carpenter, who is coming off a down season, but his bat could heat up. He batted .252 last year with 26 home runs, but in previous seasons, he hit in the high .270s and low .280s, according to MLB. If he returns to that form this season, he would likely be an All-Star. Another key player to watch this year is Gleyber Torres. He batted .256 last year, also according to MLB. If he has a productive season, the Tigers will be a legitimate World Series contender.
“Framber Valdez was a good signing coming off a solid year with the Astros,” senior and lifelong baseball fan Noah Jezior said. “I could see a 90–100 win season from the Tigers, but they do have division rivals who are getting better, like the White Sox and Royals.”
NEW YORK METS
The Mets have added several key pieces this offseason, including Bo Bichette, Luis Robert Jr., and Freddy Peralta. These additions could push them deep into the playoffs this year. Bo Bichette is expected to play third base this year, which is a new position for him. When he was with the Blue Jays last year, he played shortstop and even some second base. For the Mets to go far, Robert needs to improve at the plate. He has struggled in recent years with his batting average but has the potential to be a very good player if he can hit consistently.
On the pitching side, picking up Peralta was a good choice because he is an experienced pitcher with strong stuff. In 2025 with the Brewers, he had a 2.70 ERA, according to Baseball Reference.
For a starter, that is exceptionally impressive, and teams will be challenged by him if he can replicate that performance. A downside is that they lost Edwin Díaz to the Dodgers, who was their dominant closer. However, with the players they gained this offseason, they should still have a strong year.
“I think the Mets will do well this year because they are spending lots of money on good players like Francisco Lindor and Juan Soto and have a solid team,” sophomore baseball player Aidan Folan said.