Atlanta Braves – Drake Baldwin, Michael Harris II, Austin Riley
It speaks volumes to the talent in the division that the reigning National League Rookie of the Year is merely an honorable mention on the top 10 list. However, Baldwin ends up falling just short.
Last season, the catcher slashed .274/.341/.469, good for a 124 wRC+, and hit 18 home runs in 124 games. His 3.1 fWAR ranked ninth among catchers with at least 250 plate appearances.
He’s not the only Brave coming up just short, as Michael Harris II rode a tremendous second half into the proverbial sunset last season. He’s always been someone with tremendous talent, especially as a defender, but his offense had consistently gone down every season of his career thus far.
Then, something clicked for him in the second half of 2025, as he posted a 130 wRC+ with 14 home runs and a .299 batting average over his final 273 plate appearances. If you can pair comfortably above-average offense to his defense, you’ve got a perennial five-win player patrolling Atlanta’s center field. If you can pencil him in for a 130 wRC+, you’re talking MVP race from at least a value standpoint.
As for Riley, it really boils down to health. In his three fully healthy seasons in MLB, he posted 5.1, 5.9, and 5.2 fWAR, respectively. He’s seen his production take a hit since 2024, but that’s coupled with injury struggles that undoubtedly contributed to his merely mortal production.
This is a guy, when healthy, capable of hitting over 30 homers and challenging the 100-RBI plateau. For the Braves to return to October, they’ll need a return to that form of Riley at the hot corner.
Washington Nationals – CJ Abrams
The Nationals are wisely hitting a hard reset going into 2026. Sure, they’ve been rebuilding for several years, but it somewhat felt like they were still going nowhere fast.
One of the lone remaining pieces of what looked like their post-Juan Soto core is Abrams, who saw himself in many trade rumors this winter. Last year was a career year for him, but it still feels like there’s more in there for the young shortstop — including perhaps a position change in the future.
In 2025, Abrams posted career highs in fWAR, batting average, wRC+, and hits. The downside, however, was that he did the bulk of his damage through the All-Star break, then collapsed in the second half. Now, he wasn’t alone as far as second-half tailspins for the Nationals, but he’s way too talented for that kind of prolonged poor play.
Does he finish the 2026 campaign in the nation’s capital? Only time will tell. But he does enter 2026 as the first guy off the top 10 players in the division.
