Spring training 2026: Stars, teams, themes we want to see - ESPN

After an MLB offseason full of twists and turns, spring training is in the air.

The New York Mets capped an offseason overhaul with a trade for ace Freddy Peralta. The Baltimore Orioles brought slugger Pete Alonso to the American League East, and Alex Bregman left the division to join the Chicago Cubs. And the defending champion Los Angeles Dodgers made the biggest splash when they inked No. 1 free agent Kyle Tucker to a four-year, $240 million deal.

Now, with pitchers and catchers reporting across Arizona and Florida this week, we'll start seeing what those moves mean for the season ahead. We've asked our ESPN MLB experts to get us ready for spring training, with the stars and storylines they're most excited to see as baseball returns for the 2026 season.

Buster Olney: Seeing how quickly some of the prospects will push decisions to get them to the big leagues. Kevin McGonigle — the Detroit Tigers' infielder who is compared to everyone from Dustin Pedroia to Alex Bregman — will be a factor in the big leagues this year… but when? Will Colt Emerson force his way onto the Seattle Mariners' roster in April, May — or sooner? And when does Konnor Griffin become a conversation in the Pittsburgh Pirates' camp? Nothing is more exciting in baseball than the hope these sorts of talents represent.

Which teams are about to get a whole lot better? We break down five potential breakouts.
Bradford Doolittle »

Alden Gonzalez: There is an energy around Dodgers camp that's different. It has been like that since Shohei Ohtani showed up at Camelback Ranch for the first time three springs ago, and it keeps growing, intensifying with every star who's added and every championship that's won. This time, the overarching theme will be the Dodgers'