Blissful Thanksgiving, everybody. Within the phrases of an awesome chicken I as soon as met, “Gobble, gobble.” Thanksgiving is just not a vacation historically related to baseball, however for those who’re studying a baseball web site on Thanksgiving Day, you recognize that in a simply world, each vacation is one related to baseball.
So in the present day, on Turkey Day, we offer you an previous Thanksgiving staple, one we do yearly round these components: We provide you with one thing for which each crew’s fanbase could be grateful. Even when the 2025 season didn’t go the way you wished it to, there are nonetheless silver linings and causes to really feel fortunate.
OK, so clearly that was about as tough a method to lose a World Collection as humanly doable. (A few occasions over, actually.) However let’s not miss the forest for the bushes right here: The Blue Jays simply reached the World Collection for the primary time in 32 years, and so they did so in inspiring, downright heroic trend. A yr in the past, we had been questioning if this window of competition was about to slam shut on Toronto. Now it seems prefer it’s simply getting began.
The underside fell out this yr, however the Orioles aren’t nonetheless stacked with the younger offensive expertise that obtained everyone so enthusiastic about this crew within the first place. We’ll see how they tackle the pitching, however the basis of younger hitters is the envy of a lot of the sport.
Will probably be fantastic to be again dwelling once more, received’t it? George M. Steinbrenner Area was a stunning non permanent host for the Rays in 2025, however the Trop might be again open in 2026 … with a shiny new roof and a grateful fanbase. That may solely be excellent news for the crew.
The Crimson Sox are by no means speculated to miss the playoffs three consecutive seasons, so ending that skid is one thing to be thankful for proper there. However the younger expertise base is beginning to take over in Boston, they swung a deal for stable starter Sonny Grey and it positive seems like that is going to be a perennial contender once more.
Yankees followers received’t be actually grateful till they win one other World Collection, so for now, they’ll must make do with, effectively, having the very best hitter in baseball and maybe the very best right-handed hitter of all time.
A wonderful query from Cleveland.com this week: Is José Ramírez near passing Bob Feller as the very best Cleveland baseball participant of all time? That we will even ask that query speaks to how fortunate Guardians followers are to have him nonetheless, and eternally.
Bobby Witt Jr. took a slight step again this yr and was nonetheless one of many 10 finest gamers within the sport, and the Royals get to construct round him for the subsequent decade. They’ll all the time be contenders with him round.
We’ll see how this offseason goes, however as for proper now, they’ve Tarik Skubal, the very best pitcher within the sport. He’s a back-to-back American League Cy Younger Award winner who, don’t overlook, has led Detroit to the postseason for 2 straight years, heights the crew hadn’t reached in a decade.
It’s a interval of transition for the Twins, however it’s undeniably cool that they’ll get to be a part of the Area of Goals Sport subsequent yr. Will probably be a reminiscence their followers will always remember.
Don’t look now, however the White Sox are slowly however certainly enhancing. The younger gamers are beginning to present up, and it’s not that tough to see competition on the horizon sooner fairly than later.
Actually, simply getting to place Nick Kurtz in your lineup day-after-day is sufficient to be grateful for, however the A’s have much more happening than simply that. This crew is loaded with bats, and nearly all of them are 28 years previous or youthful. Get this crew some pitching and look out.
Getting to look at Mike Trout, even this model of Mike Trout, remains to be a present. However as we noticed from the Grayson Rodriguez commerce, one factor you may all the time depend on from the Angels is that they’ll all the time be inventive in making an attempt to enhance their fortunes.
It was principally a misplaced season for Yordan Alvarez, however he ought to be again and wholesome in 2026, which implies Astros followers get to look at the most effective hitters in baseball day-after-day, as typical, subsequent yr.
As soon as they get previous how the AL Championship Collection ended, the Mariners enter 2026 with two of essentially the most thrilling gamers in baseball in Cal Raleigh and Julio Rodríguez, they’ve a loaded pitching employees, they’re including neatly round their core and so they look primed for his or her finest period in 20 years.
Skip Schumaker was unquestionably essentially the most sought-after supervisor available on the market, and the Rangers obtained him. His new period ought to be an thrilling one, and one that also has some actual stars to paved the way. And Jacob deGrom is wholesome once more!
The Braves have endured some rotten luck over the previous two years, which has obscured the truth that it is a roster that is still loaded with cost-controlled expertise. With a brand new supervisor however a steady base, it’s obtained to be time for that luck to show, sure?
As poorly as final season ended, Mets followers could be grateful that they’ve an bold entrance workplace and possession group that’s as determined for his or her crew to win as their followers are.
The Nationals haven’t fairly been able to launch the final couple of years, however there’s nonetheless some intriguing younger expertise right here, and eventually, James Wooden goes to place all of it collectively. Possibly it’s this yr.
The Phillies are some of the fascinating groups in baseball this offseason, with as a lot as urgency as anybody. However that urgency is due to simply how arrange they’re to win: You don’t have expectations as excessive because the Phillies for those who don’t have the gamers who can meet them.
The postseason success hasn’t fairly been there, however let’s not get it twisted: That is the best period of Brewers baseball of their whole franchise’s historical past. Milwaukee has made the postseason 11 years ever; seven of these appearances have been within the final eight years.
After some false begins, the Cardinals are actually restructuring this yr, with new president of baseball operations Chaim Bloom able to make some actual, large, lasting adjustments. If anybody wanted proof of that, he offered it by agreeing to commerce Grey to Boston on Tuesday.
We’ll see in regards to the probabilities of Kyle Tucker returning, however the emergence of Pete Crow-Armstrong and another younger gamers have Cubs followers dreaming of the subsequent nice period of Cubs baseball. And, after all, they’ll all the time be grateful for Wrigley Area. Who isn’t?
They get to look at Paul Skenes take the mound of their uniform each fifth sport. What a present.
For the primary time in a decade, they broke by way of to make the playoffs in a full season. Additionally they have each the supervisor (Terry Francona) and the burgeoning famous person (Elly De La Cruz) to do it once more.
The D-backs had three NL Silver Slugger Award winners this yr: Corbin Carroll, Ketel Marte and Geraldo Perdomo. And there’s little motive to assume they received’t be even higher in 2026.
If Dodgers followers can’t discover issues to be grateful about proper now, I’m unsure what to inform them.
New supervisor Tony Vitello ought to convey innovation and pleasure right here, and don’t overlook: Rafael Devers is now right here all yr, from the very starting.
The Padres have one of many deepest and most loyal fanbases in all of baseball, and whereas they haven’t caught the Dodgers but, they nonetheless are having certainly one of their finest eras ever.
The second half of the yr was higher than the primary half, and that’s trigger for some hope. As is the truth that the Rockies lastly turned to somebody exterior the group — new president of baseball operations Paul DePodesta – to attempt to information them again to competition.
