Every year, the PLL offseason grades 2026 version tells a different story — and this one is no exception. The PLL offseason is short, chaotic, and consequential — roster decisions made in November and December will determine who’s holding the Atlas Cup in late summer. Eight teams. Eight offseason grades. Here’s the honest assessment of who actually improved themselves and who just moved deck chairs around.
Atlas LC — B+
Atlas came into the offseason needing to shore up their midfield depth and they did exactly that. They retained their core offensive pieces, which was the priority, and added positional depth that addresses the specific breakdowns that hurt them in last year’s playoff push. Not a flashy offseason. A smart one. Those are worth more.
Cannons LC — B
The Cannons made targeted moves that show a coaching staff that understands where their roster has holes. They’re not trying to be a different team — they’re trying to be a better version of the team they already are. That kind of organizational clarity is underrated in a league where panic moves happen every winter. Grade this up if their young talent develops on schedule.
Chaos LC — C+
Chaos had a frustrating offseason because the moves they made look fine on paper but don’t obviously address the team’s core problem, which is defensive consistency. Adding offensive talent to a team that can’t stop anyone is rearranging priorities in the wrong direction. They’ll be entertaining. They might not be playoff-caliber entertaining.
Chrome LC — A-
Chrome did the most important thing a contending team can do in the offseason: they kept their best players happy and under contract while making a couple of smart additions at positions of need. They don’t look dramatically different on paper, but they’re deeper and healthier going into the season than they were this time last year. That’s the goal.
Redwoods LC — C
The Redwoods had a quiet offseason when they needed a loud one. There are real questions about their roster construction that the offseason didn’t answer. When a team finishes a season with structural problems and the response is incremental moves, you either trust that the coaching staff has a plan that isn’t visible yet — or you wonder if they’ve identified the problem correctly. Jury’s out.
Waterdogs LC — B-
The Waterdogs made some interesting additions and lost one piece they probably didn’t want to lose. Net-net it’s a slight improvement, but the ceiling question remains unanswered. They need their top players to perform at All-PLL level for this team to be a genuine contender. The offseason didn’t change that calculus much.
Whipsnakes LC — A
The Whipsnakes are doing what championship-caliber programs do: they’re not settling. They retained core pieces, addressed specific weaknesses, and added the kind of veteran depth that makes a team dangerous in late August when everyone is worn down. If you’re picking a championship favorite right now, the Whipsnakes’ offseason deserves serious weight in that conversation.
California (Expansion) — Incomplete
Grading an expansion team’s offseason before they’ve played a game is unfair, so we won’t fully grade them here — but the early roster construction is interesting. They’re clearly trying to be competitive from day one rather than building through multiple painful seasons. Whether that approach works in the PLL’s unique format is a legitimate question. We’ll revisit this grade in August.
PLL Offseason Grades 2026: The Bottom Line
Chrome and the Whipsnakes won the winter. Meanwhile, the Redwoods and Chaos need to show something in the spring schedule or their offseason grades look worse in retrospect. Every year someone comes out of nowhere in the PLL playoff weekend — the format demands it. But the teams that build right in the offseason give themselves the best shot at being that team.