Players I'm Excited to Watch in 2026 (AL East)

Orioles

Adley Rutschman

I’m still a believer in Adley Rutschman. A prospect as highly touted as he was, and only 2 seasons removed from a 126 wRC+ season in 2023, doesn’t simply fall off the map.

After that strong 2023 season, Rutschman regressed in 2024 and declined further in 2025, posting a .220 average with a .673 OPS while missing 63 games due to oblique injuries. What makes the drop in production particularly curious is that his quality-of-contact metrics remained virtually unchanged. His barrel rate (7.5%) and hard-hit rate (38.6%) remained steady, while his average exit velocity actually increased by 1 mph.

His plate discipline also remains elite. In 2025, he ranked in the 88th percentile in chase rate (21.7%), 94th percentile in whiff rate (14.5%), 83rd percentile in strikeout rate (15.6%), and 80th percentile in walk rate (11.0%). Despite a below average bat speed (70.3 mph), it is identical to the mark he posted in 2023 when he slugged .435 SLG with 31 home runs.

Where some fluctuations appear is in his batted-ball direction and stance metrics. In 2023, Rutschman went the opposite way 31.5% of the time. That figure dropped sharply to 23.6% in 2024 before rebounding to 25.5% in 2025. Coinciding with that shift, his average point of contact moved farther out in front of the plate. In 2023, he made contact an average of -3.1 inches (relative to the front of home plate), compared to -0.9 inches and -1.0 inches in 2024 and 2025, respectively. The change was even more pronounced from the left side, where most of his offensive production comes, moving from -4.5 inches in 2023 to just -1.3 inches in 2025.

His batting stance angle has also fluctuated significantly. He began 2023 at 16 degrees open, widened to 22 degrees open in 2024, and then closed back down to 13 degrees open in 2025. Meanwhile, his bat attack direction at impact shifted from 2 degrees toward the opposite field in 2023 to 3 degrees pull-side in 2024 and 1 degree pull-side in 2025.

Given the overall stability in his plate discipline and contact quality, it’s fair to wonder whether his lingering oblique issues, an injury known to be stubborn and sap power, played a meaningful role in his downturn. While his defense has also taken a slight step back, a fully healthy Adley Rutschman still has the profile to be a deadly middle of the order bat for Baltimore. 

Red Sox

Connelly Early

I hope Boston structures its rotation in a way that gives Early ample opportunity for starts. In what may be the deepest rotation in baseball, featuring Garrett Crochet, Ranger Suárez, Sonny Gray, Brayan Bello, and Johan Oviedo, Early currently projects as the sixth starter, likely working in either a six-man rotation or filling in via spot starts.

In 4 regular season starts in his debut 2025 season, Early posted a 2.33 ERA and a 1.09 WHIP. Though the sample was small, his 13.50 K/9, 1.86 BB/9, and 33.9% whiff rate showcased tremendous upside.

One aspect of Early’s game that stood out was his pitchability. Holding a 6-pitch mix, he demonstrated a strong ability to attack lineup weaknesses and adjust. The best example came from his first 2 MLB starts, both against the Athletics, one of the more potent lineups in the league.

In his debut, he went 5.0 innings, 5 hits, 0 runs, 1 walk, and 11 strikeouts, tying the franchise record for strikeouts in a debut. His pitch mix: four-seam (31%), curveball (20%), changeup (18%), slider (17%), sinker (12%), and sweeper (2%).

One week later against the same lineup, he logged 5.1 innings, 5 hits, 1 run, 0 walks, 7 strikeouts. This time, he adjusted to sinker (28%), changeup (25%), curveball (19%), four-seam (16%), slider (8%), and sweeper (5%).

That ability to alter sequencing and usage against the same opponent in consecutive starts speaks to both his maturity as a pitcher and the game-planning alongside catcher Carlos Narváez.

Early pairs excellent command with varied pitch shapes and above-average swing-and-miss ability. Another promising development is added strength. Listed at  6’3”, 195 pounds last season, reports indicate he is now closer to 215 pounds. After averaging 93.7 mph on his fastball in 2025, a recent video with JUCO King showed him sitting at 95.0 mph, an extremely encouraging sign considering it's only February.  

Yankees

Ben Rice

In 2025, Rice made a case for himself as the 2nd best hitter in the Yankees’ lineup. His underlying metrics were among the best in the league. He ranked in the 95th percentile or higher in xwOBA, xSLG, average exit velocity, and hard-hit rate. His xBA landed in the 94th percentile, barrel rate in the 92nd percentile, launch angle sweet-spot rate in the 90th percentile, squared-up rate in the 89th percentile, and chase rate in the 91st percentile.

Rice is a good example of a complete hitter. He limits his chase, possesses a solid in-zone contact rate, and posted above-average strikeout (18.9%) and walk (9.4%) rates. His left-handed swing plays extremely well in Yankee Stadium, supported by a 25.2% pull air rate, up from 18.3% in 2024.

Rice also punished fastballs, hitting .290 with a .929 OPS against the pitch type while posting a 96.5 mph average exit velocity, 5th highest among qualified hitters. His expected stats further support his performance, as his xwOBA, xBA, and xSLG all exceeded his actual results.

One area for improvement is his performance against left-handed pitching. While he slashed .269/.356/.504 (.860 OPS) against right-handers, he posted a more modest .208/.271/.481 (.752) versus lefties. Rice is going to remain locked into the top 4 spots of the lineup and is currently slated to start at first base. Improving against same-side pitching would help stave off potential platoon discussions as Paul Goldschmidt holds a career reputation for being a lefty masher. Giancarlo Stanton’s health could also be a factor. If he is unable to play consistently, Rice could find time in the DH role. 

Rays 

Junior Caminero

Ranked number 4 on the prospect list in 2024, Caminero made an emphatic statement in 2025. He slashed .264/.311/.535 with 110 RBI, and launched 45 home runs, 2nd most in franchise history, just one shy of Carlos Peña’s 2007 record.

Featuring the 2nd highest average swing speed in the MLB (78.5 mph), Caminero ranks among the league’s elite in contact quality. His 92.4 mph average exit velocity and 51.4% hard-hit rate both landed in the 92nd percentile. He recorded 71 batted balls at 105 mph or harder, 6th most in the MLB. Much of his production came on breaking balls where his .550 SLG against such pitches ranked 6th among qualified hitters.

One of his most notable improvements came on pitches located in the outer third of the strike zone. In 2024, he hit .283 with a .522 SLG and a 42.9% hard-hit rate, clocking an average exit velocity of 91.9 mph while striking out 23.9% of the time. In 2025, he elevated those numbers to a .326 average and a .681 SLG, with a 58.8% hard-hit rate, a 95.6 average exit velocity, and a reduced 16.1% strikeout rate.

We will see how Caminero’s 2026 plays out as the Rays transition back to Tropicana Field and away from the hitter friendly Steinbrenner Stadium. However, Caminero’s raw power profile suggests he will continue making a major impact. 

Blue Jays

Addison Barger

Toronto’s 2025 offensive was explosive, leading to 105 runs during the postseason, the most in a single playoff run in MLB history. A record setting performance from Ernie Clement and a historic October from Vladimir Guerrero Jr. led the charge, but Addison Barger was firmly in the middle of it.

Appearing in 17 of 18 playoff games, Barger ranked 2nd on the team in batting average (.367) and SLG (.583). In the regular season, however, he was closer to league average, slashing .243/.301/.454 with a 107 wRC+. He demonstrated some power upside with 21 home runs and a 51.0% hard-hit rate, but his plate discipline limited his ceiling. He ranked in the 37th percentile or lower in chase rate, whiff rate, strikeout rate, and walk rate. During the playoffs, his approach improved noticeably. His walk rate climbed to 11.8% (compared to the 7.2% he held in the regular season), and his strikeout rate dropped from 24.1% to 17.6%.

Barger showed substantial growth from his rookie 2024 season to 2025, improving across nearly every stat and metric. Most notably, his hard-hit rate jumped from 38.3% to 51.0%, a 12.7% increase that would have ranked 3rd largest in the MLB had he qualified in 2024.

He also possesses one of the strongest arms in baseball The top 10% of his hardest outfield throws averaged 96.5 mph, the 3rd highest mark in the MLB. As Toronto’s starting right fielder, there is hope he can further build off of a fantastic October.