The MLB Trade Rumors free-agent prediction contest is open for entries through Thursday, November 13 at 11:00 p.m. Central. Entrants choose destinations for MLBTR’s top 50 free agents, may revise picks until the deadline, and must use their real names if they want to appear on a public leaderboard. Winners will be declared on March 25, 2026, once the list of signings is complete, and cash prizes plus Trade Rumors Front Office memberships will be awarded to top finishers.
Key takeaways
- The contest accepts picks for MLBTR’s top 50 free agents; deadlines close on Nov. 13 at 11:00 p.m. Central time.
- Prizes: $500 for first place, $300 for second, and $100 for third; one-year Trade Rumors Front Office memberships for each entrant finishing in the top 15.
- Winners will be announced on March 25, 2026; any free agent still unsigned by that date is excluded from scoring.
- Entrants’ full names will be published on a public leaderboard; entries with inappropriate names will be removed.
- Email addresses are collected to notify winners; winners must respond within one week to claim prizes.
- If a player signs before the entry window closes, that player will be removed from the contest pool.
- Submissions are editable until the Nov. 13 cutoff; after submission, entrants receive a Google Forms email with a button to revise picks.
Background
MLB Trade Rumors (MLBTR) runs an annual prediction contest tied to its top-50 free-agent rankings. The contest leverages the site’s high-engagement offseason readership and its widely followed free-agent tracker to encourage fan participation and conversation. Over past offseasons, similar prediction formats have been used by outlets to drive traffic and community involvement while offering modest cash and subscription incentives.
The 2025-26 edition keeps the same basic mechanics: entrants pick destinations for the top 50 free agents on MLBTR’s list, and scoring depends on correct matchups once players sign. The contest framework balances ease of entry (simple picks via a form) with transparency (a public leaderboard that updates as signings occur). MLBTR states clearly that any entrant worried about name publication should refrain from entering.
Main event
To enter, participants follow the contest link on MLBTR, fill out their picks for each of the top 50 free agents and provide a full name and email address. Picks can be edited up until the Nov. 13, 11:00 p.m. CT deadline; the contest excludes any player who signs before the entry window closes. After submission, entrants receive a confirmation email from Google Forms containing a button to revise selections.
Once the pick window closes, MLBTR will publish a public leaderboard that tracks entrants’ correct predictions as players sign with teams. The site will display entrants’ full names on that leaderboard and will delete entries with inappropriate names. Email addresses collected are used to notify winners; MLBTR requires winners to respond to the notification within one week to claim prizes.
Scoring and tiebreakers are specified in the rules. The primary ranking is by number of correct picks; ties are resolved by summing the ranking positions of correctly predicted free agents and favoring the lower total. For example, a contestant with correct picks ranked #6 and #14 (total 20) would win a tiebreak over someone with correct picks ranked #1 and #21 (total 22).
The contest awards cash and memberships: $500 for first place, $300 for second, $100 for third, and one-year Trade Rumors Front Office memberships for every entrant finishing in the top 15. Winners will be publicly announced on MLBTR on March 25, 2026, after which unpaid or unclaimed prizes may be handled according to the contest’s administrative policies.
Analysis & implications
The contest is a low-cost engagement tool that benefits both MLBTR and its community. For MLBTR, it deepens offseason readership and channels attention to the site’s free-agent coverage; memberships as prizes also encourage users to try the paid Front Office product. For fans, the contest adds a gamified layer to tracking signings and can enhance interest in lesser-followed free agents who factor into leaderboard outcomes.
Publishing entrants’ full names on a public leaderboard raises modest privacy and doxxing concerns. MLBTR mitigates this by warning potential entrants and promising to remove entries with inappropriate names, but participants should understand that their identities will be visible to anyone who visits the leaderboard. Collecting emails solely to notify winners is typical for contests, yet entrants should assess how comfortable they are sharing contact information.
The March 25, 2026 resolution date means the contest spans much of the offseason and into spring; that timeframe reduces the influence of early signings (since players who sign before the entry window close are excluded) but keeps the competition dependent on the timing of late deals. The tiebreaker methodology — summing rankings of correct picks — encourages contestants to correctly predict higher-ranked players rather than just accumulating low-ranked correct guesses.
Comparison & data
| Item | Detail |
|---|---|
| Entry deadline | Nov. 13, 11:00 p.m. Central |
| Contest scope | Top 50 MLBTR free agents |
| Prize pool | $500 / $300 / $100 (top three) + Top 15 Front Office memberships |
| Winners announced | March 25, 2026 (unsigned players excluded) |
The table above summarizes the contest’s primary dates and awards. These mechanics aim to strike a balance between an accessible entry window and a definitive endpoint tied to player signings. The explicit exclusion of players who sign before the close reduces ambiguity for early deals, while the March announcement date ensures a complete accounting of the offseason market.
Reactions & quotes
“We’re going to use entrants’ full names on it. So, if that concerns you, please do not enter the contest.”
MLB Trade Rumors (contest announcement)
MLBTR’s announcement reiterates the public nature of the leaderboard and the site’s stance that entrants uncomfortable with name publication should not participate. That clear instruction is intended to limit disputes about privacy after posting.
“We will award $500 to first place, $300 to second place, and $100 to third place.”
MLB Trade Rumors (contest announcement)
The prize breakdown is straightforward and emphasizes that the contest is primarily promotional and community-building rather than a large-scale sweepstakes. The addition of Front Office memberships as prizes also ties the contest to MLBTR’s subscription product.
Unconfirmed
- Exact number of entrants expected — the announcement does not provide an estimate of participant volume or historical entry counts.
- Any secondary use of collected email addresses beyond winner notification and contest administration is not specified in the announcement.
- Procedures for redistributing unclaimed prizes after the one-week response window are not detailed publicly.
Bottom line
The MLBTR free-agent prediction contest offers a simple, clearly governed way for fans to engage with the offseason market and test their forecasting against a public leaderboard. Key facts — Nov. 13 entry cutoff, top-50 scope, prize amounts, and a March 25, 2026 winners’ announcement — are stated up front, and the site provides straightforward rules for tiebreakers and exclusions.
Potential entrants should weigh the modest prizes and community visibility against the requirement that full names will be displayed publicly. If you intend to participate, make your picks before Nov. 13 at 11:00 p.m. CT and keep an eye on your confirmation email from Google Forms so you can edit entries if needed.