1 thing each team can improve upon the rest of the way

No matter what its record is, every MLB team knows there's always room for improvement.

With the help of MLB.com's beat writers, here's one thing each club is seeking to improve this season.

All stats updated through Saturday's games

Jump to: AL East | AL Central | AL West | NL East | NL Central | NL West

American League East

Blue Jays: Health
Is there a magic potion the Blue Jays could pass around the clubhouse? Injuries have defined their season so far, and while the lineup hasn’t done nearly enough around Kazuma Okamoto and Vladimir Guerrero Jr., every conversation we have around this team’s struggles must be tied to the Blue Jays’ health. With Addison Barger back and Alejandro Kirk getting closer, that excuse won’t last much longer, so the Blue Jays need to get things rolling in the right direction soon, especially with such a grueling stretch of schedule ahead. No number of pleasant surprises are enough to counter the sheer number of injuries they’ve faced so far, which have made this season feel like an uphill climb. -- Keegan Matheson

Orioles: Defense
The O’s haven’t been playing clean enough baseball -- plain and simple. The most impactful recent miscue came Thursday night, when third baseman Coby Mayo committed a two-out throwing error in the bottom of the ninth inning that allowed the Marlins to walk it off for a 4-3 win. But Baltimore’s sloppiness has been an issue for much of the first month-plus of the season. Entering Sunday, the Orioles’ -2 Defensive Runs Saved was tied for 20th in MLB, while their -9 Outs Above Average put them 24th. There’s no one player to blame here. The O’s team defense hasn’t been up to par thus far. -- Jake Rill

Rays: Power production
The Rays are playing remarkably well, better than anyone expected when the season began, so it’s hard to find too much fault in anything they’re doing. But manager Kevin Cash recently noted that the lineup should have the ability to knock the ball out of the park more often than it has, and the numbers back that up. The Rays are tied for 26th in the Majors with 31 homers on the year, and their .373 slugging percentage is tied for 23rd. They’ve gotten by just fine with pitching, defense, timely hitting and athleticism on the basepaths. But it wouldn’t hurt to get a little more power at the plate from sources other than Junior Caminero, Jonathan Aranda and Yandy Díaz. -- Adam Berry

Red Sox: Performance at home
Most of the best teams in Red Sox history have taken full advantage of the ballpark’s quirky dimensions. So far, this group hasn’t been able to do so nearly enough. In particular, the offense has been mostly cold at Fenway Park, not able to take advantage of the Green Monster. The Sox hit just seven homers in their first 17 home games before belting a pair on Friday night against the Rays. Perhaps as the weather warms up, so, too, will Boston’s bats. The team’s overall play at home -- the Red Sox have a 7-11 (.389) record at Fenway -- has been one of many issues thus far. -- Ian Browne

Yankees: Setting the table
The Yankees’ offense has been rolling, even without getting much production from the leadoff spot. Entering Sunday, New York ranked last in the Majors with a .171 batting average among their leadoff hitters, most notably Trent Grisham. Yankees manager Aaron Boone believes Grisham’s luck will turn, pointing to batted-ball metrics that suggest he’s been unlucky, just as Ben Rice was in 2025. Getting more ducks on the pond for Aaron Judge could never be a bad thing. -- Bryan Hoch

AL Central

Guardians: Lineup anchors getting going
The Guardians entered Sunday ranked 24th in the Majors in runs per game (4.12). It’s an improvement upon 2025 (3.97) while lineup anchors such as Steven Kwan (.587 OPS), Kyle Manzardo (.562) and José Ramírez (.748) have had varying starts to the season at the plate. That trio settling in further could take the offense to another level, given the encouraging production of returning and up-and-coming players such as Chase DeLauter, Brayan Rocchio, Daniel Schneemann, Travis Bazzana and Angel Martínez. -- Tim Stebbins

Royals: Performance with runners in scoring position
After a dreadful start to the season, the Royals offense is starting to come around, but there’s still one major category in which they need to improve: Runners in scoring position. They are tied for 24th in the Majors this season with a .238 batting average in scoring situations. What’s magnifying the issue is the way the middle of the order has performed in those situations; Vinnie Pasquantino is slashing .125/.250/.125 with runners in scoring position, and Salvador Perez has a .182/.269/.273 slash line. There’s lots of time left for that to turn around, and Pasquantino and Perez have a track record of doing so, but it would certainly help the Royals’ offense keep rising. -- Anne Rogers

Tigers: Road performance
Comerica Park has been a fortress for the Tigers, who have a 12-6 home record despite all their injuries. But their inability to find any momentum on the road is a big reason behind their struggles to get over .500. They lost 16 of their first 22 road games for just the fourth time in the past 25 years. Two of their six road wins came in San Diego during their season-opening series, the only road series they’ve won so far this season (although they split a four-game series in Boston). Their inability to convert road opportunities has haunted them, but they’ll have more chances this week with a three-game series at the Mets. -- Jason Beck

Twins: The bullpen
The Twins continue to shuffle through pitchers -- with Yoendrys Gómez the latest addition in hopes that he can miss some bats -- but they just have not found any consistency. Roles remain unsettled, and late leads are perilous. There are some pitchers here who have done the job at the Major League level, but the performance must improve. -- Matthew Leach

White Sox: Outfield production
This answer could have been outfield or catcher, which are two areas of pronounced early struggles for a team off to a somewhat surprising start. But the White Sox outfield ranks 30th in extra-base hits, 28th in slugging percentage, 27th in OPS and RBIs, 25th in on-base percentage and 24th in batting average. Internal help is on the way, with Austin Hays and Everson Pereira working their way back from injury, and Braden Montgomery -- the team’s top prospect and No. 28 overall, per MLB Pipeline -- recently being promoted to Triple-A Charlotte and just one step away from Chicago. -- Scott Merkin

AL West

Angels: The bullpen
The club’s relievers have struggled all season, and closer Jordan Romano was designated for assignment after several rough outings. But Kirby Yates and Alek Manoah were just reinstated from the injured list, and Ben Joyce is expected to return soon. Until then, the Angels will have to count on younger relievers like Ryan Zeferjahn, Sam Bachman and Chase Silseth to carry the load. They still don’t have a set closer, but Zeferjahn seems most likely to take over that role. -- Rhett Bollinger

Astros: Throw strikes
Astros pitchers entered Sunday leading the Major Leagues with 205 walks, which was 16 more than any team and 22 more than any other American League foe. That’s one of the reasons their team ERA of 5.56 is the highest in MLB and nearly a run higher than the 29th-worst ERA in MLB -- the Orioles' 4.84 . Astros pitchers are throwing a Major League-high 18.0 pitches per inning, which is putting strain on a pitching staff that has ace Hunter Brown, closer Josh Hader and a handful of other arms on the injured list. -- Brian McTaggart

Athletics: Bullpen effectiveness
The A’s have done their best to mix and match relievers based off matchups on a given day, but they’ve already left several wins on the table this season as the bullpen is already at 10 blown saves on the year. If the A’s are going to maintain their first-place spot in the AL West, they’ll need to sort out and solidify their late-inning options to close out games. -- Martín Gallegos

Mariners: Right-on-left production
Seattle’s numbers against left-handed pitching have been far from stellar in general, but the Mariners’ .200 average vs. southpaws is actually being raised by its left-handed hitters. Julio Rodríguez and Randy Arozarena have been solid, but combining Seattle’s new right-handed platoon bats (Rob Refsnyder and Connor Joe) with switch-hitters Cal Raleigh and Leo Rivas, you get an ugly 14-for-126 total vs. left-handers for a .111/.200/.214 slash line with just five extra-base hits and 42 strikeouts. -- Josh Kirshenbaum

Rangers: The little things
It’s been a rough 10 days or so for the Rangers in a number of categories, including -- but not limited to -- hitting with runners in scoring position, starters going deep into games and more. One thing that has been echoed game after game has been the need to play clean baseball. Texas isn’t piling up errors in the box score, but the number of popups lost in the sun or bad reads on line drives and miscommunication on ground balls has been more than anybody wants. The Rangers' margin for error has been thin, and turning it around thats with playing clean baseball. -- Kennedi Landry

National League East

Braves: Steal wisely
This is admittedly nitpicking for a Braves team off to an all-around excellent start, but Atlanta has had some trouble on the basepaths so far in 2026. The club’s 21-for-31 (67.7%) stolen-base success rate is the second-lowest in the Major Leagues, with Ronald Acuña Jr. caught four times -- tied for the most in MLB -- and Ozzie Albies and Mauricio Dubón a combined 0-for-5 on steal attempts. The Braves undeniably have speed to go with the contact and power skill in their lineup, but they haven’t been picking the best spots to run this season. -- Theo DeRosa

Marlins: Get the lineup outside the Big 3 going
Liam Hicks, Otto Lopez and Xavier Edwards have been among the most productive NL bats so far this season. Outside of them, however, the lineup has been floundering. Although 2025 All-Star Kyle Stowers did hit his first homer of the season Saturday, he has yet to really find his swing in his return from a hamstring injury. Plus, rookie Owen Caissie has been striking out at a high rate, and former leadoff batter Jakob Marsee is hitting below the Mendoza line. -- Christina De Nicola

Mets: Pretty much everything
That’s not an attempt to be facetious. Outside of Clay Holmes and Juan Soto, virtually no one on the roster has come close to meeting expectations. While some have improved in recent days as the Mets have mustered a few wins, the team needs better health from its position players and more power production. The bullpen must be more consistent and the pitchers at the back end of the rotation must throw well enough to prove they belong. So, yeah, it’s a long list. -- Anthony DiComo

Nationals: Cut back on errors
The Nationals have committed a league-high 38 errors this season. They lead all teams with 19 fielding errors, and they rank first in throwing errors. Notably, shortstop CJ Abrams is tied for second among all players with seven errors, and 22-year-old third baseman Brady House is tied for fourth with six. The pitching staff also ranks second in the category with seven. In response, first-year manager Blake Butera has increased the intensity of pregame drills to try to replicate game action. -- Jessica Camerato

Phillies: Hit left-handed pitching
The Phillies have suffered terribly this season against left-handed pitching. Phillies right-handed hitters entered Sunday’s game against Colorado with a combined .599 OPS against left-handed pitching, the second-lowest mark in baseball. Simply put, Trea Turner, Alec Bohm, Adolis García and others have not hit enough. They need to be better. -- Todd Zolecki

NL Central

Brewers: Power
The Brewers have been without Christian Yelich (calf), Jackson Chourio (hand) and Andrew Vaughn (hand) for most of the season, so perhaps it’s not surprising to see them lagging in power production. They went into Sunday tied for last in the Majors with 25 home runs, dead last in isolated power (.114) and 28th in slugging percentage (.355). But Chourio and Vaughn returned to the lineup at the start of last week, and Yelich has been hitting and running the bases as he nears a return. The Brewers aren’t built to lead the league in homers, but a bit more pop will make a big difference. -- Adam McCalvy

Cardinals: Relievers, we have a problem
Taking closer Riley O'Brien and Gordon Graceffo out of the mix, the Cardinals’ bullpen had a 5.69 ERA with 65 walks in 106 innings entering Sunday. St. Louis can’t afford to overuse O’Brien and Graceffo, so pitchers such as Ryne Stanek, the oldest reliever on the team, need to step up. St. Louis is not paying him $3.5 million to put traffic on the bases. Justin Bruihl and Matt Svanson have also been around the block and must do better in high-leverage situations. Maybe they can learn a thing or two from JoJo Romero, who leads the National League with 11 holds. George Soriano seems to be coming around after a slow start. In his last eight games, Soriano has allowed one run in his last seven innings. -- Bill Ladson

Cubs: Begin inquiring about pitching help
The Cubs have been on a historic run of late, winning 15 consecutive home games at Wrigley Field and already having two double-digit win streaks overall. The offense has been firing on all cylinders, while the pitching staff has been performing well amid a steady stream of injury issues. In the rotation, Cade Horton is out for the year, Justin Steele recently had a setback in his comeback bid and, most recently, Matthew Boyd needed left knee surgery. The Trade Deadline is still two-plus months away, but the Cubs should start looking into a potential impact arm to add to the rotation. More bullpen depth should be on Chicago’s to-do list, too. -- Jordan Bastian

Pirates: A new leading man?
Just when the Pirates thought he was reaching his potential in the batter’s box in mid-April, outfielder Oneil Cruz has slumped badly and has a slash line of .194/.248/.347 with 39 strikeouts in his last 22 games. As recently as Friday against the Giants, manager Don Kelly put Cruz down in the order, placing him fifth, with Jared Triolo at the top spot. This is not permanent. Jake Mangum -- currently on the injured list with a hamstring strain -- has seen action from the leadoff spot, but he seems better suited in the bottom of the order. It will be interesting to see if the Pirates would consider Brandon Lowe as a table-setter. Currently the No. 2 hitter in the lineup, Lowe has experience from the top spot – all with the Rays -- and has a career slash line of .259/.347/.512 with 25 homers. -- Bill Ladson

Reds: Too many walks for the bullpen
A big reason for the club's early success in close games, Cincinnati's relievers collectively had MLB's best ERA (2.83) through April 28 and have mostly struggled since, posting a 9.00 ERA over the last 11 games. The biggest issue is too many walks. The Reds' bullpen leads MLB with 103 walks, 15 above the Nationals for the most in the NL. Now they're trying to get by without closer Emilio Pagán, who will miss 1-2 months with a left hamstring strain, so the group will have to rally to regain its edge. -- Mark Sheldon

NL West

D-backs: Offensive consistency
For the last three seasons, the Diamondbacks offense was a clear strength for the team. In 2024, for instance, they led all of baseball in runs scored. This year, though, the offense has been inconsistent and a big reason is that their chase rate is up. It’s something that manager Torey Lovullo has cited a lot recently and the organization seems perplexed at why this has become an issue. Designating Alek Thomas for assignment and calling up top prospect Ryan Waldschmidt, who doesn’t chase pitches, was a step towards trying to improve that area. -- Steve Gilbert

Dodgers: Set the tone from the top
The Dodgers' offense has shown some streaky tendencies in the first month and change, and it feels like they would be more consistent if Shohei Ohtani were performing up to his usual standards. Ohtani is slashing .248/.382/.431 and has yet to hit his stride at the plate the way he has on the mound. He is just one part of a deep lineup, but when he's hitting to his capabilities, he changes the tone of the offense. The Dodgers have gotten by fine without a hot-hitting Ohtani, but they'll need him and their other stars to step up over the course of the season. -- Sonja Chen

Giants: Get the offense going
The Giants have underperformed across the board this season, but the most alarming trend has been the futility of the offense, which entered Sunday last in the Majors in runs and walks and was tied for last in homers. San Francisco expected Rafael Devers, Willy Adames and Matt Chapman to carry the lineup, but the veteran trio hasn’t produced consistently enough to start the season, leaving the club’s pitching staff with very little margin for error. The Giants recently promoted a pair of rookies -- top prospect Bryce Eldridge and catcher Jesus Rodriguez -- to try to spark their lifeless offense, but it’s hard to see them turning it around if their stars don’t break out of their collective slumps soon. -- Maria Guardado

Padres: Star production
The Padres have gotten by with an injury-riddled rotation. Their bullpen has been mostly excellent. Their role players and their bench pieces have been solid. It feels like a fairly complete roster (though the rotation question marks will linger). If there’s one area for improvement it’s this: The Padres need their stars playing like stars. Fernando Tatis Jr., Jackson Merrill and Manny Machado have struggled. They’ve combined for just 10 homers and a sub-.700 OPS. If that trio gets going, the ceiling for this roster feels high. -- AJ Cassavell

Rockies: Better right-handed hitting
The Rockies have become matchup heavy, partly because manager Warren Schaeffer and the new front office wanted to balance the roster. But some of the strategy is by necessity, as several right-handed hitters are having difficulties. Shortstop Ezequiel Tovar's average has dipped below .200, but his glove keeps him on the field daily. Center fielder Brenton Doyle and corner outfielder Jordan Beck, who were in the lineup daily last season, have become platoon players because of their struggles against right-handed pitching. Also, right-handed hitting catcher Hunter Goodman, who had close-to-even splits during his All-Star performance last season, has become a reverse-split player, with greater consistency against righties than lefties. -- Thomas Harding