Five Non-Playoff Teams You Should Buy Stock in for 2026
Of the teams that missed the playoffs this past season, here are the ones to buy stock in heading into 2026.
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The 2025 MLB season is officially in the books — the Los Angeles Dodgers are repeating champions, and free agency is fully underway. We are about to embark on some exciting months for baseball fans as the hot stove begins to heat up.
While the 2025 season only recently ended, it’s never too early to start looking ahead toward 2026. Today, we will be looking at the teams that fell short of postseason contention this past year and determine which of those ball clubs are best positioned to take a major step forward next season.
The teams on this list come in all different shapes and sizes, from teams that boast some of MLB’s highest payrolls to longtime bottom dwellers that are finally starting to emerge out of a rebuild.
The 2025 season may not have gone the way some teams were hoping for, but there are several ball clubs whose stock is rising heading into next season. Here are five non-playoff teams fans should buy stock in for 2026 before it’s too late.
New York Mets (2025 Record: 83-79)
It’s hard to start this conversation off with any team other than the New York Mets.
The 2025 season was a whirlwind for the Mets. They were one of the best teams in MLB through the first handful of months, as they went into June 1 tied with the best record in the National League.
However, things fell apart in Queens in the following months, ending the year tied with the Cincinnati Reds for the No. 6 seed but missing the postseason due to a tiebreaker. But the Mets showed flashes of greatness throughout the 2025 season, and there’s too much talent on this roster to believe that Soto’s second year with the Mets won’t yield better results.
The impending free agency of Pete Alonso and Edwin Díaz does complicate things a bit, though, as they obviously have been essential pieces for this ball club.
However, a return to the Mets this offseason is very much in play for both players, and even if they don’t return to Queens, there’s reason to believe that the front office will do everything in its power to replace them with Steve Cohen’s lucrative budget.
What’s more, any team that has superstars like Juan Soto and Francisco Lindor leading the pack is always going to be in the postseason conversation.
The Mets finished with the fifth-best wRC+ in MLB this past season (112), finishing top 10 in runs scored and top five in home runs. Of course, Alonso was a major part of that offensive success, but much of their lineup should look like it did this past season.
On the pitching side of things, the Mets head into 2026 with perhaps the favorite to win 2026 NL Rookie of the Year in Nolan McLean. Since McLean made his MLB debut on August 16, he pitched to a 2.06 ERA across eight starts, which was the fourth-lowest ERA in MLB over that stretch.
That is a huge boost for a rotation that is in need of stability heading into 2026.
The club returns David Peterson, who was an All-Star in 2025, Sean Manaea and Kodai Senga, who each battled through injuries in 2025, and Clay Holmes, who threw to a very respectable 3.53 ERA in his first year as an MLB starter.
The team also has hurlers Jonah Tong and Brandon Sproat, two of the Mets’ top prospects, at their disposal. They each made their MLB debuts in 2025 and should be in the pitching plans next season in some capacity.
This is a Mets rotation that finished 18th in MLB with a 4.13 ERA, but, again, they battled through numerous injuries in 2025. The Mets are likely going to target a big-time starter this offseason either via free agency or the trade market, meaning better days are likely ahead for this pitching staff.
Things didn’t go their way this season, but there is still loads of talent on this roster, and the Mets are always expected to be active in free agency. It wouldn’t surprise anybody to see the Mets contend for the National League pennant in 2026.
Texas Rangers (2025 Record: 81-81)
Similar to the Mets, the Texas Rangers didn’t have the season they were hoping for in 2025. However, the talent on this roster is glaring, and there’s reason to believe they will bounce back next season.
The talent doesn’t just reside on one side of the ball, either — the lineup, by all accounts, should perform better in 2026 after a down year, and the pitching staff that was one of the best in baseball in 2025 should continue their success into next season.
The Rangers’ offense took a major step back in 2025, finishing 26th in MLB in OPS, 25th in wRC+, and 22nd in runs per game. Those results are staggering considering the amount of talent in their lineup.
Among Rangers hitters with at least 300 plate appearances, only two finished with a wRC+ greater than 100: Corey Seager (138) and Wyatt Langford (118). Seager should continue to produce stellar results when he’s on the field, and Langford is in a great position to continue his development as an MLB player and take a step forward in 2026.
Beyond those names, many of the other hitters in their lineup that disappointed this past season are better than the results indicated. While bounce backs are never a guarantee in baseball, the chances of this offense repeating as a bottom-10 offense in the sport next season is unlikely.
The pitching staff as a whole was the best in MLB this season, ending with the lowest ERA in baseball at 3.49. The rotation ended with the best ERA in the sport at 3.41, and the bullpen ended with the fifth-best ERA at 3.62.
The pitching staff does face a bit of turnover this offseason, but the Rangers’ rotation is still loaded with talent. Jacob deGrom and Nathan Eovaldi will be back to lead the rotation, followed by Jack Leiter and Kumar Rocker, who will look to take a step forward as middle-of-the-rotation arms.
Trade deadline acquisition Merrill Kelly is hitting the open market, leaving a pretty big vacancy in their rotation, but a reunion with the 37-year-old is not out of the question. If they don’t bring Kelly back, this team will need to add another noteworthy starter to pair with deGrom and Eovaldi at the top — both of whom have their share of injury concerns.
Additions to the pitching staff need to be made this offseason, but I expect the Rangers to get back into postseason contention in 2026.
Baltimore Orioles (2025 Record: 75-87)
The Baltimore Orioles were one of MLB’s biggest disappointments in 2025, but there’s reason to believe that better days are ahead.
It was a disastrous season from the start this past year. The team carried a 21-36 record into the month of June thanks to a pitching staff ERA of 5.36 that was the third-highest mark in MLB and a team wRC+ of 93 that was in the bottom third of baseball. The dreadful start led to the firing of skipper Brandon Hyde in the middle of May.
But this lineup was decimated by injuries all season long, and at full strength this offense still has the firepower to compete with the top teams in the American League.
The Orioles only had two hitters play over 100 games this season: Gunnar Henderson (154) and Jackson Holliday (149). Much of their young core was largely unavailable throughout the season, as Colton Cowser, Adley Rutschman, and Jordan Westburg all spent an extended period of time on the IL.
With the lineup getting back to full health, along with a full season of Samuel Basallo, this offense is far better than its 96 wRC+ from 2025 suggests.
Ultimately, the pitching staff will need to take a major step forward in 2026 in order for this team to see better results.
Trevor Rogers was one of the best arms in MLB upon his return to the bump in 2025, throwing to a dazzling 1.81 ERA that was the second-lowest mark in MLB (min. 100 IP). He looked like a frontline arm and headlines the rotation heading into 2026. Whether or not he can stay healthy, though, remains to be seen.
The rest of the rotation comprises of Kyle Bradish, who returned from Tommy John surgery in August, Dean Kremer, Tyler Wells, who returned from his elbow surgery in September, and Cade Povich, who carries a 5.20 ERA in 192 career MLB innings. Moreover, Grayson Rodriguez is expected to miss time in 2026 after undergoing elbow surgery in August.
While some of their arms have had their moments, that’s not a rotation that’s ready to compete for an AL pennant just yet. There will need to be additions to this pitching staff this offseason, and I think Mike Elias and Co. will do what’s necessary to get this team back to its winning ways.
With a new season comes a fresh start, and that’s exactly what the doctor ordered for Baltimore. Perhaps a changing of the guard at manager is what this team needed, and with a few roster enhancements, the Orioles will look to get back into contention in 2026.
Athletics (2025 Record: 76-86)
The Athletics ended up with the AL Rookie of the Year, Nick Kurtz, and the runner up, Jacob Wilson, which sure bodes well for their bright future ahead. After years of being MLB bottom feeders, the pieces are starting to come together for the A’s.
Offensively, they established numerous core pieces of their lineup in 2025. Kurtz and Wilson were two of the brightest young players in the game this past season, the organization extended outfielder Lawrence Butler before the season, Shea Langeliers emerged as a top-five catcher in baseball in 2025, among several other enticing pieces placed throughout the lineup.
Overall, it was an offense that finished 10th in MLB with a 105 wRC+ and eighth in OPS, and that’s with Kurtz getting a late start to the season on top of missing some time with a strained hip flexor, and Wilson missing a month with a strained hamstring.
This is a budding offense with room to grow in 2026.
The pitching staff is the major question mark and will be the deciding factor in this team taking a leap in 2026.
The Athletics’ pitching staff as a whole finished with the fourth-highest ERA in baseball at 4.71, including a bullpen ERA of 4.53 (24th) and a starting rotation ERA of 4.85 (27th). Even when those numbers are adjusted for park factor and compared against the rest of the league, the A’s still finished with a staff ERA- of 112, ranking 26th in MLB.
The departure of Mason Miller certainly hurts this bullpen heading into 2026, and there are a lot of question marks in the rotation that is headlined by Luis Severino (4.54 ERA) and Jeffrey Springs (4.11 ERA).
Luis Morales (3.09 ERA in 46.2 IP) and Jacob Lopez (3.96 ERA in 84.0 IP) led the rotation in ERA and will be a part of the rotation in 2026. Still, it remains to be seen what kind of ceiling that group of arms has heading into next season.
Likewise, there’s always uncertainty regarding how much the A’s are willing to go out and spend in free agency– major roster additions are few and far between for this organization. It feels as if additions are needed for this team to take a major step forward.
That said, this has the makings of one of the better young offensive units in MLB, and if their blooming stars can take yet another step forward in 2026, perhaps the offense can lead this team back into playoff contention.
San Francisco Giants (2025 Record: 81-81)
The San Francisco Giants are in a prolonged stretch of mediocrity following their last playoff bid in 2021, going 321-327 across their last four seasons. There were stretches in 2025 where they looked like they were going to compete for a playoff spot, but it ultimately never came to fruition.
However, despite ending the year at .500, it really feels as if the tides are turning in the Bay Area.
If we have learned anything over Buster Posey’s young tenure as president of baseball operations, it’s that he is doing everything in his power to get this team back to the postseason and break out of this stretch of middling baseball.
It started last offseason when the Giants brought in Willy Adames as their marquee free-agent addition to help lead a culture change in San Francisco. Then, Posey pulled off one of the most shocking trades in recent memory, acquiring Rafael Devers from the Boston Red Sox in the middle of June.
This is a lineup that needed power, and Posey went out and acquired plenty of that over the last year. These are tone-setting moves for the ball club heading into the 2025-26 offseason.
The top half of the lineup has little concern, as Jung Hoo Lee, Adames, Devers, and Matt Chapman create a foundational top four in the lineup. Even Heliot Ramos has gone through incredibly hot stretches throughout his young career, but consistency will remain a point of emphasis for him in 2026.
After the No. 5 hitter is where the questions lie for the offense.
Bryce Eldridge is one of the premier power-hitting prospects in the sport and will get runway in 2026, but Casey Schmitt, Patrick Bailey, and Luis Matos (the Giants’ projected No. 7-9 hitters, per RosterResource) have all been well-below average big-league hitters to this point. A major step forward for the offense will hinge upon getting more consistency from the back of the order.
On the pitching side of things, the Giants only had four starters throw 50 or more innings: Logan Webb, Robbie Ray, Landen Roupp, and Justin Verlander. The first three remain focal points of the rotation heading into 2026, while Verlander is set to once again hit the open market.
It will be a fight for the final two spots in the rotation among several different candidates. They have plenty of young options who will be vying for a rotation spot, but solidifying the back of the rotation should be near the top of San Francisco’s priority list this offseason.
The bullpen was one of the best in MLB this past season, ending with the fourth-lowest ERA in baseball at a 3.48. However, Tyler Rogers and Camilo Doval are no longer with the organization, and Randy Rodríguez will miss a large chunk of the 2026 season after undergoing Tommy John surgery.
While there are still plenty of talented names in that bullpen, how the ‘pen will fare in 2026 without some of their key arms from 2025 remains to be seen. This is an area that will likely be addressed via free agency in the coming months as well.
Following their recent hire of Tony Vitello as manager, Buster Posey and Co. are leaning into this new era of Giants baseball. While it’s a risky hire no doubt — bringing in a manager with no experience managing at the professional level — it’s a hire that can spark a ball club. It’s fresh, new, and innovative, and I applaud Posey for pulling the trigger on such an unorthodox hire.
While it’s been a few years since the Giants have been a threat at the top of the National League standings, this is a ream that is trending in the right direction and is surrounded by good vibes heading into the winter months.
Written by
Joey Peterson is a graduate of the University of Wisconsin-Madison and an editor for Just Baseball. Joey covers the Milwaukee Brewers, along with general MLB topics…