Top 10 Moments From the 2026 MLB Season

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The MLB season is in full swing, with players and clubs having already begun to define how the remainder of the season will go. Even though we’re less than a quarter of the way through the 2026 season, historic and memorable moments have already been produced.

With that in mind, here’s a look at 10 of the top moments from the MLB season thus far.

Adell Robs Three Bombs

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Los Angeles Angels outfielder Jo Adell had maybe the greatest defensive performance in MLB history. He robbed three home runs from the Seattle Mariners, arguably winning the game for the Halos. It was a 1-0 win over Seattle, so each of the robberies mattered.

The first two were relatively standard, though certainly impressive. But the third was spectacular. Adell traveled all the way to the right field foul pole before leaping over the wall to make the grab. What resulted was a narrow win for the Angels and a magical game for Adell, who later donated the glove to the Hall of Fame.

Miller Ties Franchise Record With Scoreless Streak

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The San Diego Padres have enjoyed a stretch of success this season that has allowed them to remain in contention. The Friars are second place in the NL West, just a game back behind the Los Angeles Dodgers. That’s due, in large part, to Mason Miller.

The Padres closer authored an historic scoreless streak, starting last season and going for 34 2/3 innings. It ended on a controversial foul call against the Chicago Cubs but he supplanted Cla Meredith for the San Diego record of scoreless innings pitched. That dominance has earned him a place in the conversation for the NL Cy Young award. It’s yet to be won by a reliever since Eric Gagne did in 2003.

1. Cubs, Braves Outpacing All Expectations

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The clubs that have exceed expectations more than any have been the Atlanta Braves and the Cubs. The two are off to ridiculously hot starts. Atlanta’s offense has been the benchmark of MLB, and their rotation has been just as good. They’re tied for MLB’s best record at 27-13.

The North Siders have been just as good, sharing the title of best record with Atlanta. That’s due to the Cubs already having two win streaks of 10-plus games. It’s only the fifth time in history that an MLB team has had multiple distinct 10-game win streaks before playing their 40th game.

Murakami Proves the Doubters Wrong

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Prior to this offseason, Munetaka Murakami was viewed as the premier international free agent. He was viewed by many to receive an expensive multi-year contract before ever taking an at-bat in MLB. But then … the offers never came. Murakami ended up taking a two-year, $34 million contract with the Chicago White Sox. He’s spent this season making every club feel stupid for not signing him.

Murakami is tied with Aaron Judge for the MLB lead in home runs with 15. He’s been a legitimate “three true outcomes” player, with nearly every at-bat ending in a strikeout, walk or home run. That has helped the Sox to a record just three games below .500, and a third place standing in the AL Central.

Ohtani Making His Bid for the Cy Young

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The debate is over. Shohei Ohtani is the greatest baseball player of all time. Despite already having four MVP awards and attaining the first 50-50 season in MLB history, he’s yet to win the Cy Young award. The narrative that it was the only award Ohtani couldn’t win has started to change this season.

The righty owns an MLB-best 0.97 ERA across 37 innings. He’s also struck out 42 batters and authored a 0.81 WHIP. If Ohtani can keep that up over a full season, he’ll have no trouble collecting his first Cy Young.

Alvarez Rebounds From Injury

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Yordan Alvarez has been on an historic tear to begin the season. Despite slowing down recently, the slugger still ranks in the top ten of MLB hitters in almost every offensive category. He’s been one of the few bright spots in what’s been a difficult stretch for the Houston Astros.

The slugger had a difficult 2025, struggling with a myriad of injuries that only allowed him to play in 48 games. But Alvarez’s performance so far this season has marked him as one of the best hitters in the game. If he can keep it up, he could be well on his way to beating out Judge for the AL MVP award.

An Historic Rookie Class

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The next generation is here in full force. One of the best rookie classes in MLB history is headlined by Travis Bazzana, Chase DeLauter, Parker Messick, Kevin McGonigle, Nolan McLean, Murakami, Cam Schlittler Sal Stewart and JJ Wetherholt. Those eight have heated up the race for Rookie of the Year, not only being great “for a rookie,” but actually leading their clubs into contention.

Should this group continue to produce the way it has, it would mark an incredible class of rookies that hasn’t been seen in years. Of the eight, Stewart and Wetherholt have been the steadiest offensively while Messick has been the Cleveland Guardians‘ ace.

A Wide Open American League Cy Young Race

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With the news that two-time AL Cy Young winner Tarik Skubal will require elbow surgery, and with the Boston Red Sox’s Garret Crochet uncharacteristically struggling to open the season, the race for the AL Cy Young is wide open. Four candidates have separated themselves. José Soriano of the Angels, Max Fried and Schlittler of the New York Yankees and the Toronto Blue Jays‘ Dylan Cease have each taken charge.

Soriano got off to a spectacular start before looking human in his last few starts. Fried and Schlittler have headlined one of the best Yankees rotations in recent memory. Cease has put up ridiculous strikeout numbers (66) with his new club and has authored a 2.58 ERA.

But, Skubal’s return is somewhat imminent, with his return now speculated to come in 4-6 weeks. He could still win the award if he dominates upon his return. But the southpaw will be fighting an uphill battle in his hopes to win a third consecutive Cy Young.

DeLauter Clubs Four Straight Nukes

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Guardians rookie Chase DeLauter planted himself firmly in MLB history as just the second player with four home runs in his first three career regular-season games. He joined Trevor Story, who was the first to accomplish the feat in 2016.

The Guardians outfielder has stayed hot, hitting .295/.378/.527 with a .905 OPS. He’s making a run for the AL Rookie of the Year award, competing against fellow AL Central rookie Kevin McGonigle of the Detroit Tigers. But DeLauter’s early power has since dissipated, with the rookie only clubbing two long balls since then. If he can rediscover that power, DeLauter will be the premier rookie of the 2026 class.

Trout Looking Vintage

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Mike Trout has been finally looked like himself again. He’s off to a terrific start with 11 homers and a .947 OPS. He made headlines by being the first player in history to club five home runs against the Yankees in New York.

But Trout has recently been the subject of trade rumors, with many wondering if the Angels will attempt to get something in return for him while his stock is high. The problem is that the veteran is owed $185.5 million through the 2030 season. The question is whether or not the trade would be worth it without the Halos eating a major chunk of his contract.

Until then, Los Angeles has been mired in fifth place in the AL West with a 15-25 record. Trout has been stuck with a losing club for most of his career. The Angels have only had three seasons with a winning record since Trout debuted in 2012. It would certainly be nice for him to have a shot at winning it all for once in his storied career.