National League Team Grades
Photo Credit: Ho Kok You
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.
Arizona Diamondbacks (21-23): C
The D-backs narrowly made the playoffs last year, but then shocked the world by fighting their way to a World Series appearance. The team looked to improve in the offseason, bolstering their rotation with Eduardo Rodriguez and Jordan Montgomery while also adding a potential power bat in Joc Pederson. Unfortunately, Rodriguez has been sidelined all season with a shoulder strain and Montgomery has struggled thus far. Despite a solid start to the season from Ketel Marte (.289/.337/.526) and Zac Gallen (2.86 ERA, 9.2 K/9), the Diamondbacks find themselves at 21-23. If Corbin Carroll can return to his 2023 Rookie of the year form, and the pitching staff can improve (4.21 Team ERA), they could still make a playoff push.
Atlanta Braves (26-14): A
Preseason favorites to win the World Series, the Braves have gotten the job done, despite a season-ending injury to ace Spencer Strider. Chris Sale has had a resurgent season, pitching to the tune of a 2.54 ERA and 0.89 WHIP in 8 starts, while Reynaldo Lopez has looked like a Cy Young candidate (1.34 ERA, 8.98 K/9). The lineup has been stout, with Marcell Ozuna massacring baseballs (.327/.405/.619, 12 HR). If Ronald Acuña Jr. and Matt Olson can find their swing again, the Braves can be the most legitimate title threat in the NL.
Chicago Cubs (25-20): A-
It has been the season of Shota Imanga. The 30-year-old Japanese rookie has been lights out, leading the league with an incredulous 0.96 ERA. His ERA is the lowest through an MLB pitcher’s first eight career starts since Fernando Valenzuela (0.50) in 1981. Mike Tauchman has been a standout hitter (.263/.385/.421) and the Cubbies find themselves just out of first place in the NL Central by two games.
Cincinnati Reds (19-25): D+
Man, Elly De La Cruz is fun to watch. The human highlight reel leads the leagues with 30 stolen bases, 13 more than the next closest, and has an .894 OPS. The rest of the offense has not followed suit; their team OPS is 24th in the league. Pitching-wise, the Reds have looked remarkably average. Through May 16th, they actually have a +2 run differential, but a 19-25 record. It wouldn’t be shocking to see a mild improvement in their record as the season progresses.
Colorado Rockies (15-28): D
Don’t look now, but the Rockies are on a league-best seven game win streak. Despite an awful start to the season, this late surge has been a bright spot for what was expected to be an unflattering Rockies team. Ryan McMahon has hit well (.304/.384/.472) and Austin Gomber has defied the Coors Field effect up to this point, possessing a 3.02 ERA. The Rockies won’t be making a playoff push anytime soon, but their streak has been fun to watch.
Los Angeles Dodgers (29-17): A+
To be fair, anything less than what the Dodgers have done would’ve been a disappointment. Adding Shohei Ohtani to what was arguably the best lineup in the league felt like a nightmare scenario for the rest of the league, and thus far it has been. Ohtani has proven that he’s an MVP candidate without even pitching, leading the league in batting average, slugging percentage, OPS, and hits. As if that wasn’t enough, Mookie Betts is having one of his best seasons, and Teoscar Hernández, Will Smith, and Freddie Freeman are all hitting like all-stars. Tyler Glasnow is striking out more hitters than any other pitcher, and Jordan Yamamoto has settled down after an iffy start. Top that off with the fourth best bullpen by ERA (3.05) and you have yourself a downright terrifying team.
Miami Marlins (13-32): F
At least Jazz Chisholm Jr. is fun to watch. The Marlins rattled off seven straight losses before winning their first game of the season. It hasn’t gotten much better since, as they easily have the worst record in the MLB at 13-32. Keep in mind, the Marlins made the playoffs last year. They shipped off Luis Arraez to the Padres and are clearly sellers at the deadline. Buyers may look into players such as Bryan De La Cruz (9 HR) or Tanner Scott (2.00 ERA, 6 SV) in July.
Milwaukee Brewers (26-17): A
William Contreras might be the best hitting catcher in baseball. He has a remarkable .359 batting average and a .987 OPS. He is just one piece of a Brewers lineup that ranks third in runs scored and fourth in home runs. Brice Turang is hitting .300, and Rhys Hoskins has pounded nine home runs. The Brewers sit atop the NL Central, outpacing a strong Chicago Cubs team. If Devin Williams returns from injury and continues to be one of the best relievers in baseball, the Brewers should repeat as champions of the NL Central.
New York Mets (20-23): C+
The Mets pitching rotation was a red flag from the get go, and so it’s no surprise they rank 23rd in starter ERA. Luis Severino has rebounded nicely from a dismal season with the Yankees last year, but it has not made up for the absence of Kodai Senga. Francisco Lindor (.2194/.268/.365) is having a slow start, and the rest of the lineup hasn’t fared much better. Pete Alonso (10 HR) is anticipated to be a trade target for a number of teams who need to add another slugger. At 20-23 the season is far from over, but it has been a middling start for the Mets.
Philadelphia Phillies (31-14): A+
The best record in baseball speaks for itself. Trea Turner is hitting .343 and Alec Bohm is right behind him at .333. Bryce Harper and Kyle Schwarber are sending balls out of the park left and right, and the Phillies infield has looked as good as anyone’s through the first 40 games. Ranger Suárez (1.37 ERA, 0.76 WHIP) is nothing short of dominant, and Zach Wheeler (65 K) has had his usual filthy stuff. As good as they’ve looked, the Phillies could improve with the addition of a strong outfielder. Candidates include Tyler O’Neill and Jo Adell. Regardless, the Phillies are looking like a threat to repeat their World Series run of just two years ago.
Pittsburgh Pirates (20-25): C
Despite the clear abundance of young talent Pittsburgh has- Paul Skenes, Jared Jones, O’Neil Cruz, to name a few- they don’t appear ready to become a playoff team. They are one of the lowest-scoring offenses in the league, headlined mainly by Connor Joe (.285/.356/.500), Cruz (7 HR), the Pirates have struggled to put runs across. Skenes’ debut was exciting, but will do little to offset what is a below-average pitching staff. They have good pieces to build around though, and the Pirates could pose a legitimate threat in a few years’ time.
San Diego Padres (22-24): C-
It feels as if there are massive hopes for the Padres every year, just for them to not live up to the hype. Even after losing Juan Soto and Blake Snell, it felt as though a team that was adding Michael King, Dylan Cease, and eventually Luis Arraez should compete. Unfortunately, the Padres find themselves below .500, despite productive starts from Jurickson Profar (.322/.412/.513) and Jake Cronenworth (.265/.335/.469). Manny Machado and Xander Bogaerts are both having down years, and Joe Musgrove hasn’t fared much better. Hopefully the Padres can turn their season around to give the Dodgers, the only team with a winning record in the NL West, a challenge.
San Francisco Giants (20-25): D+
The Giants overhauled their lineup in an effort to improve upon their lackluster 2023 season (79-83). They added Jordan Hicks and Blake Snell to the rotation, Jung Hoo Lee and Jorge Soler in the outfield, and Matt Chapman for third base. Of those, Hicks is the only one to be considerably productive, posting a 2.44 ERA through nine starts. Snell and Soler both had below average starts, Lee is out with a shoulder injury, and Chapman has not been his usual Gold Glove self. Michael Conforto is having a strong season (.821 OPS) but otherwise the Giants have been underwhelming at best.
St. Louis Cardinals (18-25): D-
The Cardinals were not expected to be NL powerhouses, but they also weren’t supposed to be this abysmal. Paul Goldschmidt is in the worst season of his career, hitting a measly .206 with a .591 OPS. Nolan Arenado isn’t the star the Cardinals need either, only swatting three homers thus far to the tune of a .683 OPS. Only the Blue Jays and White Sox have scored less runs in 2024. The veteran pitching staff can only rely on Sonny Gray and Kyle Gibson so much, as the rest of the staff has struggled to contribute productively. At least Ryan Helsley (13 SV) has been good.
Washington Nationals (20-22): C+
When your best returning players are Patrick Corbin and Lane Thomas, hopes are not exactly high for a World Series title. Expecting to finish near the bottom of the barrel, the Nats have actually had a fairly solid start. At 20-22, Washington is third in the NL East. CJ Abrams (.261/.324/.490) has made a step up from his 2023 campaign, and Luis Garcia Jr. has been a pleasant surprise at second base. When Thomas and Joey Gallo come back from injury, the Nationals could actually have a formidable lineup. Jake Irvin (3.55 ERA) and MacKenzie Gore (3.38 ERA) have been solid, and a reliable 3.43 bullpen ERA has supplemented an otherwise shaky starting rotation.