2026 MLB Trade Deadline Superlatives, Five Weeks Later

It’s been more than five weeks since the MLB trade deadline, and with less than three weeks remaining in the regular season, we’ve already gotten a good idea of which deals worked for contenders and which haven’t. Rental players have already played more than half the games they’ll end up competing in for their new teams, so enough time has passed that we can confidently assess how many trades worked out for the “buyers” involved.

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Some big names changed teams at this year’s deadline as contenders did their best to fill holes for a mad dash down the stretch. Other teams scooped up prospects as they retooled their rosters with an eye on the future. At the time, we graded those moves as a projection. Now we can look back with clearer eyes.

Let’s hand out some superlatives as we look back on what was an active trade deadline.

Best Hitter: Liam Hicks, Rays

Hicks was a big pickup for the Rays, as he represented a significant upgrade at catcher over incumbent starter Nick Fortes. While the price to land him from the Marlins was steep, as three prospects went to Miami, including third baseman Brayden Taylor, it has also paid off in a big way.

Hicks is slashing .310/.402/.494 for the Rays, with a wRC+ of 150, which is tops on the team since the deadline. He has four home runs, 17 RBIs and a minuscule strikeout rate of 9.8%. In addition to those numbers, he’s been solid behind the plate and boasts a 1.1 fWAR over 28 games.

Hicks has produced more than any other hitter traded at the deadline and hasn’t even hit his arbitration years yet. The 27-year-old is under team control through the 2030 season. Tampa Bay did an outstanding job securing his services.

Honorable mention: Luis García Jr., Yankees

Best Pitcher: Tarik Skubal, Dodgers

This one isn’t surprising. The competition is closer than you’d expect, and Skubal hasn’t been quite as good as we’ve become accustomed to over the past few years, but the two-time Cy Young winner has outperformed every other pitcher dealt at the deadline.

The Dodgers sent outfielder Zyhir Hope and pitchers River Ryan and Brady Smith to the Tigers to make the deal happen. It’s a pure rental, as Skubal is set to hit free agency after the season. That’s a steep price for a guy who could leave in a few months, but the return for Detroit felt light given how good Skubal had been over the past few years.

Since the deal, the 29-year-old lefty is 2–2 with a 2.93 ERA, 1.12 WHIP and 48 strikeouts against 10 walks in 48 innings. His FIP of 2.54 ranks fourth in baseball among qualified pitchers since the deadline, and his fWAR (1.4) is tied for third. Considering Shohei Ohtani won’t pitch again this year, his acquisition could prove invaluable to Los Angeles.

Honorable mention: Tyler Mahle, Braves

Worst Hitter: Taylor Ward, Mariners

The Mariners needed another outfield bat and acquired Ward from the Orioles in an attempt to jump-start their lagging offense. Unfortunately, he’s been one of baseball’s worst hitters since arriving in Seattle in exchange for reliever Alex Hoppe and minor league pitchers Brock Moore and Harrison Kreiling.

Ward has slashed just .115/.216/.141 with no home runs and five RBIs with the Mariners. Since the deadline, his fWAR (-0.8) ranks 247th out of 249 hitters with at least 80 plate appearances, while his wRC+ (13) ranks 248th. Yikes. Considering he doesn’t offer much defensively, this has been a pretty disastrous deal for Seattle.

Luckily for the Mariners, Ward will be a free agent after the season, so they aren’t saddled with a multiyear deal. Still, he has only contributed to Seattle falling further out of the American League playoff race.

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Must be mentioned: Heliot Ramos, Yankees

Worst Pitcher: Luis Castillo, White Sox

Adding Castillo at the deadline felt like a smart move for a White Sox team needing a veteran arm as it chased an AL Central title. Chicago was in search of someone with experience to front its rotation and banked on a veteran three-time All-Star. Castillo was struggling but felt like a prime candidate for a change-of-scenery bounce-back. That hasn’t happened.

Since arriving on the South Side, Castillo has made six starts, and White Sox fans are probably wishing he hadn’t. He’s 1–2 with a 7.52 ERA, 1.71 WHIP, 23 strikeouts against eight walks, and 22 earned runs allowed in 26 1/3 innings. Since the deadline, his fWAR (-0.2) ranks 150th out of the 153 pitchers with at least 20 innings pitched; his FIP (6.44) is also 150th, while his ERA is 147th.

The worst part is that the 33-year-old is due $24.15 million next season. His contract also holds a $25 million vesting option for 2028 if he pitches 180 innings. That feels unlikely. Still, Chicago is on the hook for a big chunk of money to a rapidly diminishing starter.

Must be mentioned: Casey Mize, Padres

Best Prospect: Jefferson Rojas, Mets

Rojas was one of the top-ranked prospects dealt at the trade deadline, along with former Dodgers farmhand Zyhir Hope (traded for Tarik Skubal), former Blue Jays prospect Arjun Nimmala (traded for Jose Soriano) and former Red Sox pitcher Anthony Eyanson (traded for Adley Rutschman). The Cubs shipped Rojas to the Mets in exchange for Clay Holmes and Tyrone Taylor, with the 21-year-old infielder instantly becoming the Mets’ top prospect-and he’s only enhanced his standing.

Despite just missing a spot on our midseason top 50 prospects update, Rojas has a lot of talent and is a huge addition to New York’s farm system. He immediately joined the team’s Double A affiliate in Binghamton and has slashed .283/.341/.602 with nine home runs, 29 RBIs and a wRC+ of 137 in 28 games.

While you could make an argument for a few other players here, Rojas has improved his status since moving into the Mets’ system. He’s shown the tools that got him signed for $1 million out of the Dominican Republic in 2022 and, at this rate, he could make his MLB debut in ’27.

Honorable mention: Anthony Eyanson, Orioles

Best Under-the-Radar Pickup: Tyrone Taylor, Cubs

Taylor was essentially a throw-in to the Holmes deal for the Cubs and looked primed to be a backup outfielder and defensive replacement as Chicago raced towards the playoffs. He’s become much more than that.

While he has only garnered 62 at-bats since the deadline, Taylor is slashing .393/.435/.544 with a 175 wRC+ that ranks eighth among all MLB hitters with at least 60 plate appearances in that time. The 32-year-old had generated 0.5 fWAR through 67 games with the Mets before the deal and already has logged 0.9 fWAR in his first 23 games with the Cubs.

No one expected Taylor to be a key piece to a playoff run, but he’s carved out a spot as a versatile outfielder who’s been raking for Chicago since his arrival.

Honorable mention: Tyler Wells, Rays

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