Hot Topics of the 2026 MLB Season

The 2026 Major League Baseball (MLB) season got off to a hot start, with star players donning different jerseys, teams having different records than anticipated, and the introduction of the Automated Ball-Strike Challenge System. Despite new changes, the classic sport is still the same as always: full of burning questions and statistics that seem too shocking to be true. 

For some underrated players, this season has been their career best. Los Angeles Angels starting pitcher José Soriano had always been a mediocre pitcher, with below-average win/loss percentages and nowhere to stand out. However, he has been off to a phenomenal start, with his strikeout total on track to surpass his personal best. However, when an unsuspecting player has a sudden hot streak, there is always uncertainty as to how long it will last. Soriano is already progressing at a slower rate compared to the first few games of the season. He began the season with six wins in six starts before ultimately going 1-5 in his last six games. On the other hand, there are also players who continue to deal, throwing gem after gem, the most significant being San Diego Padres reliever Mason Miller. Miller has recently become one of the best relievers in the league, but he is certainly making a statement this season. He currently holds a 0.72 Earned Runs Average and 17 saves already. Miller is definitely a top player right now, but the same question stands: will it last, or will it cool down? 

All New York fans know that the Mets have not started off well. They currently have a 26-34 record and are fourth in the division. With the loss of veteran outfielder Brandon Nimmo in the offseason and shortstop Francisco Lindor injured, the Mets are relying on their superstar, left fielder Juan Soto. While he has been putting up good numbers and getting on base, the rest of the lineup and the pitching have been subpar and unstable. Their ace, Nolan McLean, has good and bad appearances, but the offense’s inability to bring in runs has resulted in many losses. Manager Carlos Mendoza said in an interview, “We’re having a hard time putting rallies together, and the biggest thing is our inability to drive the ball out of the park.” Soto is the only player in the lineup with a Wins Above Replacement (how many wins a team achieves with a certain player in their lineup) above one, which is already low for his standard. In the same division, the Atlanta Braves are currently the best team in baseball, with a 40-20 record. While they are not benefiting from anyone phenomenal, their top batters, center fielder Michael Harris II and second baseman Ozzie Albies, have been consistently reaching base. Alongside the lineup is a rotation led by veteran Chris Sale, who is still their ace and putting up zeroes. While the rest of the starting pitchers aren’t big names, they have still been able to strike out batters and get a long outing. The main factors for the Braves’ success this season are their consistency and ability to get on base and drive in runs, as well as keeping a solid rotation.

The Automated Ball-Strike Challenge System (ABS) had been previously tested in-game during Spring Training and the Minor Leagues, but this is the first season in which it is used for Major League games. Only pitchers, batters, or catchers are allowed to challenge the pitch immediately after the pitch. It grants each team two challenges through nine innings. They lose a challenge for each one that is incorrect, and teams will have at least one challenge available for each extra inning, even if they have used up all challenges previously. Challenges will not be available when a position player is pitching. So far this season, there have been 53 percent overturns in 3,677 attempts across batters and fielders, according to Baseball Savant. 

Milwaukee Brewers catcher Reese McGuire was asked what he would change about the system in an interview, and he said, “Maybe getting two on offense and two on defense per team. That could be a good tweak. And maybe more of the percentage of the baseball in the zone needs to be a strike, instead of a 1/10 of the ball. Maybe there is a better version of what’s a strike.” Many other players also mentioned the potential change where there would need to be a greater percentage of the ball in the strike zone in order to be counted as a strike. Currently, challenged balls at the very edge of the zone have been overturned, and under the implementation of a new change, many of the close calls will not be changed. We’ve already seen instances where a close call changed the outcome of the game, striking out the last batter instead of risking a late comeback victory. Overall, ABS is a new feature to this historic sport, and is currently serving well as an innovative addition.

Over the past 60 games of baseball, we’ve already been shocked by how players are performing, the reliability of teams, and the impact ABS has had on the sport. Since there are still over 100 games of baseball to play, there’s a lot left to be revealed and a lot of room for major changes. An underdog team or player could suddenly burst into a positive streak, or a top team or player could fall in the standings.