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

Athletics

Tyler Soderstrom

Soderstrom truly came into his own in 2025, ranking in the 70th percentile or better in xwOBA, xSLG, average exit velocity, barrel rate, hard-hit rate, and bat speed. He also steadily improved his plate discipline, improving from a 32.9% whiff rate and a 31.2% strikeout rate his rookie year (2023) to 25.4% and 22.6%, respectively, in 2025.

He ranked top 15 in the AL in RBI (93), batting average (.276) and OPS (.820), while his 34 doubles were 8th most in the American League. One of the more notable improvements came against non-fastballs, as he raised his wOBA against breaking balls from .206 in 2024 to .340 in 2025 and cut his whiff rate against offspeed pitches from 37.1% to 25.6%.

Despite possessing strong power indicators with elite average exit velocity, hard hit rate, and bat speed, Soderstrom’s pull air rate remains well below average at 12.1%. I do wonder if leaning more into the pull side can unlock more power beyond his 25 home runs in 2025. On the other hand, he is excellent in spraying the ball gap to gap. Soderstrom was actually more productive going the other way, hitting .455 with a .706 SLG to the opposite field compared to .331 and .663 when pulling the ball.

Perhaps most impressive was his defensive output. Drafted in the first round in 2020, Soderstrom was the A’s top ranked prospect from 2021 to 2023 as a primary catcher who started to dabble at first base. However with the emergence of Shea Langeliers, Soderstrom’s bat was too valuable to remove from the lineup so he transitioned to the outfield. In his first season as an outfielder, he posted 5 Outs Above Average and 10 Defensive Runs Saved in left field. With one of the stronger arms in the MLB, he also recorded 11 outfield assists, earning AL Gold Glove finalist honors. 

Astros

Yordan Alvarez

This may seem like an obvious choice, but with an injury-riddled 2025, it feels like some of the mystique around Alvarez has faded slightly. To be clear, this is a player who can absolutely win an MVP.

There has long been a stigma around big power hitters as “3 outcome” players, but that label doesn’t apply to Alvarez. He is as complete of a hitter that you can ask for. Excluding his injury-shortened 2025 (just 200 plate appearances), Alvarez posted an OBP above .390 in 3 straight seasons (2022-2024) while hitting at least 30 home runs each year from 2021-2024.

He also reduced his strikeout rate in 3 consecutive seasons: 24.2% (2021), 18.9% (2022), 18.5% (2023), and 15.0% (2024). Typically, higher swing speeds correlate with higher whiff rates, but Alvarez is an outlier. Despite an elite average swing speed at 76.5 mph (7th in MLB), he maintains excellent bat-to-ball skills, highlighted by an 88.9% zone contact rate in 2024 (20th in MLB).

Since 2022, Alvarez ranks 3rd in the MLB in wOBA (.406), behind Judge (.457) and Ohtani (.413). He also lands 3rd in wRC+ (168), also behind Judge who leads with 204 and just one behind Ohtani (169), despite appearing in 165 less games than him over that span. His 0.75 BB/K ratio ranks 10th highest in the MLB during that period. It’s not unreasonable to argue that Alvarez has been the 2nd most valuable hitter in baseball over the past 4 or 5 years. A healthy Yordan Alvarez is more than capable of making a serious AL MVP push.

Angels

Jo Adell

This one is more about intrigue. Adell came out of nowhere in 2025, launching 37 home runs with 98 RBI and posting a .778 OPS, a significant jump from his .649 career OPS entering the season.

A few adjustments may help explain this improvement. Adell showed major gains against fastballs, posting a .474 SLG in 2025 compared to .387 from 2020-2024. He also slightly altered his stance, widening and opening up his setup from 33.9 inches and 2 degrees open to 38.2 inches and 12 degrees open.

What’s particularly interesting is how his batted-ball profile has evolved. His batted ball in the air rate jumped from 51.5% in 2023 to 64.5% in 2024, leading to a then-career-high 20 home runs. Despite surpassing that with 37 home runs in 2025 (4th most in the AL), his air rate dipped slightly to 62.0%.

Another encouraging trend is his steady improvement in zone contact. Adell has lowered his zone whiff rate each season since 2022, reaching a career-best 16.9% in 2025. Despite the breakout and certain encouraging trends, Adell is viewed by some as a potential regression candidate. Can he build off of a great season, or will he fall back to his mean? 

Mariners

Bryan Woo

I am fully prepared for a 2026 Cy Young campaign from Bryan Woo. His smooth mechanics generate one of the most effective fastballs in the league, a four-seam that ranked 4th highest in Run Value among all MLB pitches and tied for 2nd among all fastballs, according to Statcast.

Woo’s fastball is very similar to Joe Ryan’s in terms of vertical approach angle. I explained this metric and why Ryan’s fastball is so effective in the previous post breaking down the AL Central. While Ryan’s fastball sits at -3.9 degrees VAA, Woo’s comes in even flatter at -3.74 degrees, making it even more deceptive to hitters. The results speak for themselves: a 25.5% in-zone whiff rate and a .241 opponent wOBA on the pitch which ranked 2nd lowest among starters who threw at least 300 four-seamers.

Featuring a 5 pitch mix, Woo also excels at limiting walks. His 4.1% walk rate across 2024-2025 ranks 2nd lowest among pitchers with at least 300 innings pitched, just behind rotation mate George Kirby at 4.0%. His 20.8% K-BB% ranks 11th in that span.

His excellent command is supported by a 43.3% edge pitch rate (15th among qualified pitchers in 2025), showing his ability to live around the border of the zone. However, because he operates so frequently in the zone with a 55.5% in-zone rate (1st among qualified pitchers), Woo can be susceptible to hard contact when his stuff isn’t sharp. If he can further refine his offspeed and breaking pitches, Woo will be one of the more formidable arms in baseball. 

Rangers

Wyatt Langford

I have seen some people label Langford as an MVP darkhorse, and I don’t hate the idea. With a .344 OBP and a 127 OPS+, he paired strong on-base skills with 22 home runs and 22 stolen bases in 2025.

Langford showed significant improvement against velocity, hitting .313 with a 92.7 mph average exit velocity against pitches 97 mph or harder, compared to just .125 and 85.8 mph in 2024. A heavy pull hitter, Langford appears poised to tap into more power, especially after notable gains in barrel rate (9.3% → 14.0%), hard hit rate (43.4% → 48.4%), and batted balls in the air (59.9% → 65.0%).

What is most intriguing about Langford’s potential is his fielding and baserunning abilities. A first time Gold Glove finalist in 2025, he recorded 10 Outs Above Average, while his 16 Defensive Runs Saved tied for 3rd among MLB outfielders. Langford has the tools to be an excellent all around player. Reducing his whiff and strikeout rates even slightly could unlock another level as he builds off of a solid sophomore campaign.