Redemption Stories in Baseball: The Candidates to Return in 2026
Personal stories of overcoming adversity always captivate sports fans, and baseball is undoubtedly prolific in this type of narrative. Each season, we see players who, after reaching the top, face difficulties, either due to poor performance or, more commonly, due to injuries. These athletes are forced to start over with a new team, and sometimes, they manage to rediscover the greatness that characterized them.
- Age 27 years or older.
- One season with 2 WAR or more in their career, or at least 3 WAR in the three seasons prior to their decline.
- Less than 2 WAR in the previous season.
- Change of team.
- 2+ WAR or an improvement of 2 or more WAR year over year.
These are the six most likely candidates for the 2026 comeback list, based on projected WAR by FanGraphs, along with the archetype of the 2025 success story that most closely resembles them:
Ha-Seong Kim
2025 Recovery Archetype: Ramon Laureano Kim, who was a key figure with 5 WAR in 2022 and 2023 with the San Diego Padres, seeks to rebuild his promise as an infielder with good defense, contact skills, and plate discipline. He could draw inspiration from Laureano, known for his glove and bat in Oakland before injuries and poor performance led him to wander through waivers. Laureano finished with Baltimore and then was traded to San Diego, where he continued to bat above average.Michael King
2025 Recovery Archetype: Merrill Kelly After accumulating 6.3 WAR between 2023 and 2024 with the Yankees and Padres, King was limited to 15 starts in 2025 due to inflammation in his right shoulder and left knee. Although his ERA was lower than expected, with an unusually high FIP of 4.42. King is expected to recover and be able to replicate Kelly’s performance.Luis Arraez
2025 Recovery Archetype: Gleyber TorresAlthough there is no perfect comparison for Arraez, his unique skills with the bat make him a singular player. However, a parallel can be drawn with Torres, another infielder whose value seemed to have diminished. Torres responded with 2.6 WAR through better plate discipline and less deficient defense. Arraez could do the same, as being a full-time first baseman with only 34 walks is hard to sell.
Zac Gallen
2025 Recovery Archetype: Merrill Kelly or Jesus Luzardo After rejecting an offer from Arizona to test free agency, Gallen is an ideal candidate for recovery in 2026. Although his performance declined in 2025, Gallen could benefit from a lower HR/FB rate in 2026, considering that the overall quality of his pitching remained unchanged.Cedric Mullins
2025 Recovery Archetype: Harrison Bader Mullins, despite having decent numbers with the bat, couldn’t prevent the Orioles’ downfall in early 2025. He was traded to the Mets, where he couldn’t prevent a collapse in the playoff race. This will leave him looking for a new team in 2026. However, he can still be a valuable left-handed hitter with speed and experience in the outfield.Willi Castro
2025 Recovery Archetype: Harrison Bader or Ramon LaureanoCastro already had a recovery period in his career, averaging almost 3 WAR per season in 2023-24 after leaving Detroit. Now he will have to do it again, as a decline in his defense and a terrible period after the trade deadline with the Chicago Cubs sunk his value in 2025. Despite his worrying expected statistics, it would not be a surprise if Castro recovered above 2 WAR next season.
Other pitching candidates: Zach Eflin, Patrick Sandoval. Other batting candidates: Marcell Ozuna, Amed Rosario.
