2026 in Preview: The Pitching Staff

Posted By on January 7, 2026

I thought about breaking this down into two posts: The Starting Pitchers and the Relief Pitchers, but they are so intertwined that I did not think that was prudent. However, before I get into that, Kyle Tucker and Bo Bichette are still unsigned – their markets simply have not developed as they hoped. Andrew Friedman is boxing out around the backboard. I know a little about rebounding: In High School, I averaged 17.1 points and 17.7 rebounds per game. I liked to clean the glass. However, I digress. If the club views Bo Bichette as a viable fit at third base, he could spend a year at second base and then transition to the hot corner for the rest of what is likely to be a lengthy contract, say 8 years at $200 million. His arm is “borderline” for 3B, I think.

You Can’t Consider the Starters Without Considering the Relievers

They say that you can never have enough pitching, but I might argue that the Dodgers are bordering on “too much.” Let’s look at the possible starters:

  1. Yamamoto
  2. Snell
  3. Glasnow
  4. Ohtani
  5. Sasaki
  6. Stone
  7. Sheehan
  8. Ryan
  9. Wrobleski
  10. Casparius
  11. Ferris
  12. Serwinowski
  13. Knack

Of course, the Dodgers only need six starters, so it’s likely that Stone, Sheehan, Ryan, Wrobleski, and Casparius will be in consideration for the bullpen, and Ferris and Serwinowski will stay in the minors. This is likely to be the rotation:

  1. Yamamoto
  2. Snell
  3. Glasnow
  4. Ohtani
  5. Sasaki
  6. Stone

Of course, there will be injuries – there always are. Barring trades, Sheehan would be the first man up. Sheehan, Ryan, Wrobleski, and Casparius will all be in bullpen consideration to go with the following pitchers:

  1. Tanner Scott
  2. Edwin Diaz
  3. Blake Treinen
  4. Jack Dreyer
  5. Alex Vesia
  6. Brock Stewart
  7. Will Klein
  8. Bazooka Graterol
  9. Kyle Hurt
  10. Edguardo Henriquez
  11. Anthony Banda
  12. Ronan Kopp
  13. Bobby Miller
  14. Paul Gervase
  15. Landon Knack

They say you can’t have too much pitching – YES, YOU CAN. The Dodgers have too much pitching, but that is good. I think you will see some trades involving Dodger Pitchers.

Let me know your thoughts!

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This article has 48 Comments

  1. Mark, you must really value Glasnow to give him 2 of the 6 starting spots. 🙂
    Of course, that does mean that if one of the Glasnows gets hurt we’ll still have the other one.

    I think, for right now, we have to pencil Sheehan in for the 6th spot, subject to trades, etc.

    Bichette – I’ve read that he’s told teams he’d be willing to play 2B. Nowhere have I read that he’s agreed to play 3B. If AF signs him to play 2B, I’m all on board, but 3B? I don’t think so.

    1. 1. Yeah, I really screwed that up. Thank You. I fixed it.
      2. I am not convinced Bo can play 3B, but that is a possibility.

  2. It’s probably best to think of the bullpen as a rotating group of guys from the minors and the DL. There is simply no way to roster them all. If Henriquez starts the year in the minors because he has options, he’ll just have to hang on until a spot opens up. By the the postseason it’s a full meritocracy.

  3. Right now Sheehan is the sixth starter over Stone and Ryan. Stone and Ryan both previously injured start the year at Oklahoma City.
    I’m still advocating for AF and BG to sign Bo Bichette to play second base as I have from day one.

    1. BINGO. Sheehan has already proven he has bounced back from his major surgery. There is no guarantee Stone or Ryan will do the same in their first year back. Plus Sheehan is just plain better than both of them anyway. 🙂

      1. Gavin Stone has completed his full rehab process and reported that he expects to head into Spring Training 2026 “full-go” with no limitations. I like both pitchers, but think Shehan will be traded.

        1. Ryan has added 20-25 pounds of muscle. He could make a big impact.
          Sheehan has the most trade value–and might wind up in a trade for Skubal.

  4. Top 10 MLB Teams by Projected WAR (2026 Season)

    Here are the top 10 teams ranked by their preseason projected total WAR for the upcoming season:
    Rank Team Projected WAR

    1 Dodgers 51.2
    2 Blue Jays 46.7
    3 Yankees 45.9
    4 Mariners 45.0
    5 Mets 43.4
    6 Phillies 43.1
    7 Red Sox 43.0
    8 Astros 42.3
    9 Padres 41.1
    10 Royals 40.8

  5. Projected 2026 Dodgers WAR by Position

    Position Projected WAR
    Starting Rotation 17.1
    Bullpen 4.7
    Designated Hitter 5.5
    Shortstop 5.1
    First Base 3.2
    Catcher 3.8
    Center Field 2.8
    Third Base 3.0
    Right Field 1.9
    Left Field 1.8
    Second Base 2.0
    Total 51.2

  6. Second base is a concern. Which ever outfield position Teo plays could be a concern. Offensively Teo will be just fine. Heck, I believe he’s even better this season. Defensively? If he reports to camp lighter as reported, he could be adequate in LEFT field. The jays really want Tucker. If that happens, doesn’t Bichette feel the need to play in LA? If you can’t beat em, join them.
    A little surprised that Freddie at first has a lower WAR than I would have expected. Second? Yeah. The outfield? Center field is the key here. Pages should bring that number up if he hits! As I said earlier, Teo in left field, with a big year offensively could also raise that number.

    Listening to mlb network this morning. Steve Phillips and company believe the Jays are as good as the Dodgers especially if they can get Tucker. We’ll see! Put Bichette in the Dodger lineup? I’ll still take the Dodgers! I guess it’s easy to pull against the 2 time champion to fail. But I bet nobody in their right mind would wager a big bundle that the Dodgers won’t be in the World Series this upcoming season! Know I wouldn’t!

    Ole Miss and Indiana will play for the national championship!

  7. Eduardo Quintero wins Dodgers Minor League award

    “Quintero, who was signed by the Dodgers as an international free agent on Jan. 15, 2023, out of Ocumare del Tuy, Venezuela, was the organization’s Branch Rickey Minor League Player of the Year last season.

    Quintero hit .306/.426/.533 with 14 home runs and 53 RBI with Single-A Rancho Cucamonga before earning a promotion to the Great Lakes Loons. Upon moving up to High-A, Quintero batted .259/.384/.440 with four doubles, one triple, five home runs and 16 RBI over 32 games.

    Across his time with both affiliates, Quintero stole 47 bases in 60 attempts. That was good for fourth among all Dodgers Minor Leaguers, trailing Kendall George (100), Jaron Elkins (62) and Esteury Ruiz (61)”.

  8. Per Matt Gelb,

    The Phillies have a meeting set with Bo Bichette in the coming days and, as circumstances this offseason have changed, so has their interest level in the star infielder.

  9. The Dodgers reached a contract agreement with Brock Stewart ($1.3 M) and Alex Call ($1.6 M). Banda is the only one left.

    1. Davalan is an interesting player. And nice to see a glowing review.
      From what I’ve read, he seems like Lenny Dykstra-type–a good contact hitter and scrappy player with a not-great arm. He’s 22 now, and expected to start the season in Ontario, but a big spring could move him up. He played some 2B in college, so perhaps the Dodgers will try to develop his versatility
      Tibbs, now 23, has had more success at AA than the more hyped prospects–Hope, de Paula, Quintero, Sirota. I think he’s ranked No. 8 on BA, and his ability to play 1B could help him advance if Freddie gets hurt.
      Kendall George needs to stay in the OF conversation too. With the new rules, his speed is more of a weapon. He may not have a big future with the power-packed Dodgers, but he could be a key piece in a trade.
      And then there’s Ko, the young slugger from Taiwan….
      So many strong OF prospects. Who will be traded–and for whom?

  11. I’m a big Tunink fan. Video I saw of him the day we drafted him reminded me of what Bellinger looked like on the day we took him. Belli subsequently went through a lot of changes in his swing but I’ll settle for a Bellinger-like Dodger career out of Tunink.

    I think Davalan could get to Dodger Stadium before any of the Big 4 (JDP, Hope, Sirota, Quintero).

    We’re going to have outfielders coming out of our ears in a couple of years. Hopefully AF/BG can sort out the wheat from the chaff and trade some of the lesser guys before their trade value tanks.

  12. The inaugural 2026 MLB power rankings from major sports media place the Los Angeles Dodgers at the top, followed closely by the Toronto Blue Jays and Seattle Mariners. These “way-too-early” rankings, released in early January, are based on offseason moves and early 2026 outlooks.

    Rank Team Sources
    1. Los Angeles Dodgers MLB.com, ESPN, Yahoo Sports
    2. Toronto Blue Jays MLB.com, ESPN, Yahoo Sports
    3. Seattle Mariners MLB.com, ESPN, Yahoo Sports
    4. New York Yankees ESPN, Yahoo Sports
    5. Philadelphia Phillies MLB.com, ESPN
    6. Boston Red Sox ESPN, Yahoo Sports
    7. Milwaukee Brewers ESPN, Yahoo Sports
    8. Atlanta Braves ESPN
    9. Chicago Cubs ESPN, Yahoo Sports
    10. Baltimore Orioles ESPN

      1. There is no need. But it generates clicks and gives people like us something to yak about.

  13. JUST NO
    Manfred = Idiote
    During a Thursday radio interview on WFAN in New York with Craig Carton and Chris McMonigle, the commissioner revealed that MLB had discussed holding an in-season tournament similar to the NBA Cup. In addition, the league also explored the idea of a split schedule.

    “We’ve talked about split seasons. We’ve talked about in-season tournaments,” Manfred said. “We do understand that 162 (games) is a long pull. I think the difficulty to accomplish those sort of in-season events, you almost inevitably start talking about fewer regular-season games.”

    2. I wish they would just leave the game alone. Absolutely nobody would give two shits about an in-season tournament.

      1. It’s effing stupid. WHO CARES about some mid season bullspit? Win the ring or STFU. Personally I think the NBA has ruined themselves with all their nonsense. I know their viewership #’s are still good, but I totally lost interest. What? Are you going to brag you won some mid season tournament? It’s like bragging you took 4th place.

  14. Dodgers Claim Ryan Fitzgerald

    “The Dodgers have claimed infielder Ryan Fitzgerald off waivers from the Twins, reports Alden González of ESPN. Minnesota designated him for assignment a week ago when they acquired Eric Wagaman from the Marlins. The Dodgers had an open 40-man spot due to trading outfielder Esteury Ruiz to the Marlins last month, which prompted the Fish to designate Wagaman for assignment.

    Fitzgerald, 32 in June, just got to make his major league debut. After years grinding away in independent ball and the minor leagues, the Twins called him up to the show last year a bit before his 31st birthday. He stepped to the plate 53 times in 24 games and produced a .196/.302/.457 batting line while playing all four infield positions. He stole just one base but his sprint speed was ranked in the 79th percentile of big leaguers last year. He had a better batting line of .277/.367/.469 in Triple-A last year, though that was aided by a .349 batting average on balls in play”.

    1. They also signed infielder Andy Ibanez to a major league deal. Some roster maneuvering coming for sure. Max Kepler was suspended for 80 games for PED use. Kepler spent last season with the Phillies. He is a free agent.

    2. We’ve also signed infielder Andy Ibanez to a major league deal, which means we would now be at 41 on the 40-man roster. Looks like AF is getting ready for some other moves.

      1. These both seem like moves to offset Edman and Kike going onto the 60. They are both DFAs waiting to happen. I think one is out of options.

        1. I think Fitzgerald still has two option years while Ibanez is out of options. They can probably use Fitzgerald at OKC when the dust settles although roster spots may be scarce.

          They can’t put Kike on the 60-day until they sign him so if they plan to bring him back they may very well drag their feet on that one.

    1. I found it fascinating that on the question “who hoards prospects the most?” we didn’t get even one vote.

      Maybe I’m the only one, but I think we definitely hang on to some of our guys too long where we could be trading for needs we have.

      1. The Dodgers have quietly changed their prospect methodology in the past 5 years, with more emphasis on teenagers. They haven’t stopped drafting older players, but the cycle is longer with the youngsters. I still believe that they could have held on to Michael Busch, and he could have played 2B or LF. He is an above-average athlete. We don’t know how Hope and Ferris will develop. I always say that player development progress is not linear. They all have different paths. Witness: Ryan O’Hearn.

  17. From The Athletic:

    Yeah, Indiana did that to Oregon
    Football coaches will often tell you it’s hard to beat the same team twice. No one told Indiana.

    The No. 1 Hoosiers obliterated No. 5 Oregon last night in the Peach Bowl semifinal of the College Football Playoff, 56-22. The onslaught began on the first play from scrimmage, when short but thunderous Indiana cornerback D’Angelo Ponds jumped a Dante Moore pass and ran it back for a 25-yard pick-six. Oregon mounted a touchdown drive after that but then fell into a black hole. Squish. A year after the Ducks lost 41-21 to Ohio State at the Rose Bowl, Indiana arguably inflicted even more damage than the 2024 national champions did:
     The Hoosiers had 21 points off turnovers in the first half, which they ended with a 35-7 lead after a sad Oregon field goal attempt came up short from 56 yards.

    Heisman-winning QB Fernando Mendoza and receivers Charlie Becker and Elijah Sarratt repeatedly reenacted that picture of Dwyane Wade throwing an alley-oop to LeBron James. You know the one. The Ducks played the role of the Milwaukee Bucks, as Indiana’s wideouts clowned them over and over.

    Indiana’s defensive front (despite multiple injuries) destroyed Oregon’s offensive line. The Ducks, with a brigade of injured tailbacks, could not run the ball. Garbage time inflated the numbers, but Indiana’s defensive front dominated the first half.

    And so we’ve got our national title matchup: Indiana vs. No. 10 Miami. Truly unique. The Hoosiers opened as 7.5-point favorites (per BetMGM) for the Jan. 19 game that happens to be at Miami’s home stadium. Indiana enters with a 15-0 record and, as Until Saturday’s Jason Kirk writes today, a potential “best team ever” case if they win.

    Yes, this is Indiana, and yes, this is the sport of football. But at this point, helmets clearly do not intimidate the Hoosiers. They’ve dispatched Oregon (twice), Ohio State and Alabama all in one undefeated run to the title game. These legacy programs were no match for Indiana’s steady excellence.

    Plenty of time between now and the 19th, but I love this matchup:

    Schematically, we get to watch Miami’s outstanding pass rushers (led by future top NFL pick Rueben Bain Jr.) chase after the reigning Heisman winner. Also, the Miami secondary against Indiana’s wideouts will be a treat. But so will Miami freshman receiver Malachi Toney’s efforts to keep torching much older defensive backs.

    The character drama will be great, too. Indiana’s transformative head coach, Curt Cignetti, is against a literal son of Miami, Mario Cristobal, who’s trying to restore The U to its former glory atop the sport. Cristobal doesn’t like talking about Miami’s efforts to get “back,” but good luck escaping that subtext here, with the Canes coincidentally reaching the championship game in a year when it’s being played in Miami.

    The early Pulse pick: Indiana wins. This is just one of those teams.

    Full Disclosure: We have never had a team and a coach like this at Indiana. What a ride

    The COO of our Company has a nephew who is Miami’s ticket manager. He can get tix at face value! 😉

  18. And just how many tix can you get Mark? You do have a plethora of friends here at LADT

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