American League Team Grades
Photo Credit: TruColor
As of May 17th, we are a little over a quarter of the way through the MLB season. The league has had its fair share of underwhelming teams, surprise playoff contenders, and new star players. Based upon current standings and preseason projections, here are the grades for each MLB team.
Baltimore Orioles (27-14): A
Hopes were high heading into the season for the O’s, who won a remarkable 104 games in 2023. With the additions of Corbin Burnes and Craig Kimbrel, and with new prospects such as Jackson Holliday looming in the minors, many projected Baltimore as a possible World Series champion. Though Holliday’s first stint in the majors didn’t pan out (.059/.111/.170), the Orioles have been neck and neck with the Yankees for the AL East lead. Gunnar Henderson has led a team that leads the league in homeruns (64) with 12 of his own. Paired with a top-10 pitching staff in ERA (3.29), the Orioles look dangerous.
Boston Red Sox (22-22): B+
The Boston Red Sox were expected to be the worst team in the toughest division in the league. However, they have proven to be a bit of a surprise team in 2024, mainly due to stellar starting pitching. As a rotation, they lead the league with a combined 2.62 ERA. Tanner Houck, Kutter Crawford, and Brayan Bello are all young pitchers who have excelled for what was expected to be a below average Red Sox squad. Furthermore, Tyler O’Neill has been a shocking all-star caliber player, hitting to the tune of 10 homeruns and a .925 OPS. A hot streak or a cold streak could be the deciding factor as to whether the Red Sox sell or buy at the deadline.
Chicago White Sox (14-30): F
In the Southside, things could not be going worse. The White Sox have an AL-worst 14-30 record. They have the worst OPS in the league, are tied for the fewest home runs, and the least runs scored in the league. Aside from solid starting pitching from Garrett Crochet (70 K) and Eric Fedde (2.60 ERA), the White Sox have been atrocious. It will be interesting to see if the White Sox will shop Luis Robert Jr., as well as how many other players will find themselves in new threads following the trade deadline.
Cleveland Guardians (27-17): A
Aside from the White Sox, the AL Central has been fun to watch, no team more so than the Cleveland Guardians. Boasting a stellar 27-17 record, and a +48 run differential, there aren’t many things going wrong in Cleveland. Steven Kwan is hitting for a ridiculous .353 batting average, and Josh Naylor has swatted 12 home runs already. Emmanuel Clase is even better than ever, with 12 saves and an 0.42 ERA. He headlines a bullpen that leads the league in ERA and batting average against. The Guardians are holding off the Royals (1.5 GB) up to this point, and the race between both those teams and the Minnesota Twins will be intriguing to follow throughout the summer.
Detroit Tigers (21-22): B-
Tarik Skubal is a bona fide ace. The southpaw has dominated hitters all season, and has the second best ERA (2.02) for any American League starter. Unfortunately, hitting has been lackluster for the Tigers, who sit in fourth in the surprisingly competitive AL Central. At 21-22, they’ll have to start hitting better to support a pitching staff that ranks sixth in the league in ERA. If only Javy Báez could return to his 2018 self.
Houston Astros (19-25): D
Houston, we have a problem: could the dynasty finally be over? After an awful 6-14 start, the Astros will need to play catch up to regain their throne atop the AL West. Lucky for Houston, neither the Mariners nor the Rangers have begun to pull away from the pack. Jose Altuve (.865 OPS) and Kyle Tucker (1.000 OPS, league-leading 13 HR) have mashed, but the weakness has been in the pitching. Aside from Ronel Blanco (2.09 ERA, 1.06 WHIP), who was just given a 10-game foreign substance suspension on Tuesday, the pitching has not been up to typical Astros standards. Key offseason pickup Josh Hader has not been the lockdown closer the Astros expected (4.74 ERA). The Astros have been improving as of late, so there is definitely still time for Houston.
Kansas City Royals (26-19): A
That Bobby Witt Jr. extension looks better and better every time he steps to the plate. He leads the AL with a 2.8 WAR, shining with the bat, the glove, and on the basepaths. At age 34, Salvador Perez continues to mash as well, raking for a .323/.390/.542 slash line. The pitching staff has improved immensely from last year. After a 5.17 team ERA in 2023, the Royals now rank 10th in the league with a 3.46. The trio of Seth Lugo, Brady Singer and Cole Ragans will be crucial in leading the Royals to a potential playoff spot.
Los Angeles Angels (16-28): D-
Just when it looked like we were about to get a full season of prime Mike Trout, he goes down with a torn meniscus. Though he may return eventually, Trout is expected to miss at least a month. With no Shohei Ohtani anymore either, things are as bad as anticipated for the Angels. Tyler Anderson has had a strong second year for the Halos (2.92 ERA, 1.14 WHIP) but it’s a silver lining for what has been a 16-28 season thus far.
Minnesota Twins (24-19): B+
The Twins were a favorite to win the AL Central, but now find themselves in third halfway through May. As well as the Guardians and Royals have played, the Twins will need to step up their game if they want to contend for the division title. Max Kepler (.304/.356/.500) and Ryan Jeffers (.283/.365/.614) have headlined the offense, and the starting rotation of Pablo López, Bailey Ober, Joe Ryan, and Chris Paddack has been formidable. The Twins have 11 games against the Guardians and 10 against the Royals over the rest of the season, which will be crucial matches to determine playoff positioning.
New York Yankees (30-15): A+
No Gerrit Cole? No problem. The Yankees have dominated all season, both on the mound and at the plate. Carlos Rodon, Luis Gil, and Clarke Schmidt have all improved considerably upon their 2023 campaigns, and Nestor Cortes and Marcus Stroman have held their own as well. They rank second in team ERA, as the bullpen has also done well. Closer Clay Holmes has a 0.00 ERA through 18 relief appearances. The duo of Juan Soto (.920 OPS) and Aaron Judge (.948 OPS) has proven terrifying for opposing pitchers. Combined with a strong sophomore showing from Anthony Volpe, and a home run resurgence from Giancarlo Stanton (9 HR), as well as healthy Anthony Rizzo and Alex Verdugo, the Yankees have established themselves as the team to beat in the American League.
Oakland Athletics (19-27): C-
You would be hard-pressed to find a preseason projection that didn’t put the A’s at 30th. You can’t blame sportswriters for that; with the controversy regarding the owner and the move to Las Vegas, as well as one of the most underwhelming rosters in baseball, Oakland’s season has been a pleasant surprise. Mason Miller (0.98 ERA, 18.90 K/9) has been the most electric reliever in baseball, decimating hitter after hitter with a fastball consistently hitting 102-103 MPH, and a slider that buckles even the best of MLB sluggers. The A’s have even been crushing the ball, placing 4th in the league with 55 home runs. Though they sit at 19-27, they are fourth in the AL West, just behind the Houston Astros after being swept by them. It isn’t the prettiest of the seasons, but it has been much better than anticipated.
Seattle Mariners (24-20): A-
With both the Rangers and Astros getting off to slow starts, the AL West was the Mariners to seize. Yet, with a 24-20 record they only stand 1.5 games in front of the second-place Rangers. Their pitching staff ranks seventh in team ERA (3.33) but the offense is 23rd in runs scored. Julio Rodriguez has not been the star slugger they need him to be; Instead, Cal Raleigh has actually led the offense (10 HR, .759 OPS). If the Mariners wish to keep their lead in the division, it comes down to the bats.
Tampa Bay Rays (23-22): B
The Rays were actually favored over the Yankees in a number of preseason power rankings going into 2024. In fairness, the Rays have been nothing short of consistent, having made the playoffs the last five seasons. However, the Rays roster has been decimated by injury, leaving them right around the .500 mark. Randy Arozarena is off to a slow start, only posting a .587 OPS despite having eight home runs. Isaac Paredes has been hot though, hitting at a .305 clip with eight dingers. Once the Rays get key pieces such as Shane McClanahan, Brandon Lowe and Taylor Walls back, they should rebound.
Texas Rangers (23-22): B-
The Rangers may have experienced an early championship hangover in April. The 2023 World Series champs are hanging on to a winning record by a thread. Corey Seager is experiencing the worst of it, only mustering a .670 OPS. Adolis García continues to crush homers, and Marcus Semien has been as good a defender as anyone, racking up 10 Outs Above Average. Top prospects Wyatt Langord and Jack Leiter have yet to pan out though, and the pitching staff only ranks 18th in ERA. A Jacob deGrom return could be an important asset to a Texas Rangers repeat.
Toronto Blue Jays (19-23): D
The window may have closed for Toronto, who once was anticipated to become a league powerhouse ripe with young talent. A playoff team last year, the lineup has relegated to subpar production, scoring a lowly 3.62 runs per game. Bo Bichette has regressed tremendously, only hitting .227. Vladimir Guerrero Jr. is hitting .275 but lacking his usual pop, only hitting four home runs to this point. On the pitching front, Yusei Kikuchi and Jose Berríos both sport sub-3.00 ERAs, but typical stars Kevin Gausman (4.95 ERA) and Chris Bassitt (5.06) have been underwhelming. Combined with a bad bullpen, the Blue Jays are trending downwards. They could become potential sellers at the trade deadline if things don’t improve fast.