The 2026 season is in full swing.
As is the case with baseball -- "you can't predict baseball" is a common phrase for a reason -- there have been plenty of surprising developments. We asked each of the 30 team beat reporters about the biggest surprises so far this season.
Here's what they had to say.
The following numbers are entering Sunday's games.
Jump to: AL East | AL Central | AL West | NL East | NL Central | NL West
American League East
Blue Jays: Vladimir Guerrero Jr.’s slow start
Blue Jays fans spent all offseason dreaming on a new era of Vladimir Guerrero Jr. What if he could take his postseason -- with eight home runs and a 1.289 OPS over 18 games -- and stretch it across a full season? Well, the opposite has happened. Guerrero has just three home runs and his at-bats through the first two-and-a-half months have not looked like the Guerrero of old. Surely, he’ll come around and have a hot streak that will correct these season-long numbers, but the Blue Jays need that to happen soon. Until Guerrero turns this around, it’s going to be hard for the Blue Jays to take off. -- Keegan Matheson
Orioles: Brandon Young has been the best starter in the rotation
Young began the season at Triple-A Norfolk, where he wasn’t even the next man up to be recalled if a hole opened in Baltimore’s rotation, as he was behind Dean Kremer and Cade Povich. But injuries to Zach Eflin (Tommy John surgery), Kremer (right quad strain) and Povich (left elbow inflammation) have brought an extended opportunity for Young, who is having a breakout season. The 27-year-old right-hander owns a 3.04 ERA through 10 starts, and he’s been even better of late, recording a 1.69 ERA over his past four outings, including a seven-inning scoreless gem vs. the Mariners on Wednesday. -- Jake Rill
Rays: Three starters are putting up ace-level production
For anyone who’s paid attention, it’s no surprise to see Drew Rasmussen putting up top-of-the-rotation numbers. He was an All-Star last season for a reason. But who had veteran starter Nick Martinez, who signed a one-year deal at the beginning of Spring Training, with a top-three ERA (2.43) in the American League? And who predicted that Shane McClanahan, even with a couple expected speed bumps after losing 2 1/2 seasons due to significant injuries, would almost immediately return to his two-time All-Star form? They’ve given the Rays a three-headed monster atop their rotation, and they’re a huge reason Tampa Bay has spent most of this season atop the AL standings. -- Adam Berry
Red Sox: Payton Tolle’s swift emergence
Tolle showed flashes when he was a late-season call-up last year, but wasn’t ready to hold down a regular rotation spot. It has been the opposite in this, his official rookie season, as the lefty has pounded the strike zone with a variety of pitches since his promotion on April 23. Tolle’s improvement at the age of 23, just two years after he was taken with the 50th overall pick in the Draft, has helped Boston cushion the indefinite loss of ace Garrett Crochet due to injury. -- Ian Browne
Yankees: José Caballero stakes his claim at shortstop
The Yankees thought they knew what to expect with Caballero – game-changing aggression on the basepaths and defensive versatility. They expected to survive April with him at shortstop and then hand the position back to Anthony Volpe. But Caballero’s glovework has been better than advertised (5 Defensive Runs Saved entering play Sunday), prompting a real debate within club circles about how they best align to prevent runs. -- Bryan Hoch
American League Central
Guardians: Brayan Rocchio
Rocchio's early struggles last year prompted his option to Triple-A Columbus in May. He was recalled to the Majors in July and played better down the stretch, but his 2026 breakout has been a pleasant surprise. Rocchio has a .274/.353/.399 slash line and a 111 OPS+ in 69 games, well above what he produced over his first three seasons (75 OPS+). The 25-year-old ranks fourth on the Guardians in RBIs (32) while batting ninth as a quasi second leadoff hitter. Rocchio has also played good defense at shortstop (+2 Outs Above Average) since he slid over from second base after Gabriel Arias went on the IL on April 7 with a left hamstring strain. -- Tim Stebbins
Royals: The emergence of Daniel Lynch IV
Entering Spring Training this year, Lynch’s role was clearly defined as a reliever rather than being built up as a starter and then getting moved to the bullpen. He’s been much more than just a reliever, though, in the early part of the year – he’s been the Royals’ best one. Armed with smoother and more consistent mechanics that have led to more velocity and more strikeouts, Lynch entered Sunday with a 1.86 ERA with 29 strikeouts and has thrived in a high-leverage role, which has been even more important with the overall shakiness of the Royals ‘pen. -- Anne Rogers
Tigers: Riley Greene swaps power for plate discipline
Greene’s breakout 36-homer season in 2025 came at a price, as he set a franchise record with 201 strikeouts. He spent his offseason focusing on better swing decisions and fewer whiffs. While his whiff rate has fallen just incrementally, his chase rate has taken a big drop. More importantly, his contact has improved, with a hard-hit rate in the top 10 percent and average exit velocity nearing career highs. His walk rate has also jumped, placing him in the top 20 percent of MLB hitters. -- Jason Beck
Twins: Yoendrys Gómez, ace reliever
When the season started, Gómez was not in the Twins’ bullpen picture, because he was on another team. But the Rays designated him for assignment and Minnesota, in dire need of relief help, took a flyer. He’s been outstanding, narrowing his pitch mix and racking up 19 strikeouts in 15 1/3 innings to help stabilize a bullpen that is steadily improving. -- Patrick Donnelly
White Sox: The offense as a whole
It would be easy to point to outfielder Tristan Peters, who went from battling for a roster spot out of Spring Training to becoming a force offensively and defensively. Or how about third baseman Miguel Vargas, who has emerged as an American League MVP candidate. Let’s not overlook the massive home run power of Munetaka Murakami, who has made a number of teams regret they didn’t pursue him more stridently as a free agent from Japan. But the nod goes to the entire team, taking a step from competitiveness after the 2025 All-Star break to a division leader in mid-June of the current campaign. -- Scott Merkin
American League West
Angels: Walbert Ureña’s breakout season
Ureña surprisingly made the club as a reliever, then made a spot start when Ryan Johnson landed on the injured list and has run with his opportunity. The rookie right-hander has posted a 2.44 ERA with 55 strikeouts in 55 ⅓ innings. The 22-year-old has absolutely electric stuff and is the kind of starting pitcher the Angels have been looking to develop for years. -- Rhett Bollinger
Astros: The emergence of Spencer Arrighetti
After missing most of last season with a pair of injuries, Arrighetti didn’t make the Opening Day rotation because of the status and contracts of the five starters who were ahead of him. A rash of arm injuries early in the season forced the Astros to bring him up in mid-April, and he’s been their best starting pitcher. He was 7-1 with a 2.21 ERA and 1.19 WHIP in his first 10 starts, holding the opposition to a .185 batting average. Arrighetti had five quality starts under his belt and the Astros were 9-1 in games he started. -- Brian McTaggart
Athletics: Zack Gelof’s resurgence
Somewhat of a forgotten man in Spring Training coming off a couple of injury-riddled seasons, Gelof is back to looking like the player who broke out as a promising rookie for the A’s in 2023. He entered Saturday on a 17-game hitting streak, longest current active streak in the Majors and an ongoing career high, batting .343 (23-for-67) over that stretch. Having also increased his versatility to third base and all three outfield spots in addition to second base, Gelof has re-emerged as a key player for the A’s. -- Martín Gallegos
Mariners: Emerson Hancock is the rotation’s top All-Star candidate
Within a six-man group that already includes four previous All-Stars, it's Hancock who's emerged as the likeliest to be a selection to this year's Midsummer Classic. Entering Sunday, he leads the team with a 2.74 ERA, and more telling, the club is 8-5 in his starts. The former Georgia Bulldog has always had potential, as the No. 6 overall pick in the 2020 MLB Draft. And though it's taken a little longer, he firmly looks the part. -- Daniel Kramer
Rangers: Ezequiel Duran
The Rangers have endured injuries to their two best hitters in Corey Seager and Wyatt Langford. But super utility extraordinaire Duran has found himself as the most valuable Texas hitter in 2026. After becoming a valuable piece in 2023, when he filled in at shortstop during another Seager injury, Duran had fallen off with a slash line of .237/.278/.309 between 2024-25. But now, he looks even better than he did in ‘23, slashing .288/.339/.439 while making starts at shortstop (20), second base (19), left field (7), third base (6) and right field (3). -- Kennedi Landry
National League East
Braves: Mauricio Dubón’s clutch gene
The right-handed-hitting utility player’s existence as a positive presence isn’t shocking to most in the Braves organization, but what’s surprising is how outsized Dubón’s impact in big moments has been. Since being acquired from the Astros this past November, Dubón has delivered when it matters most: Entering Sunday, Dubón was hitting .345 with 32 RBIs in 64 plate appearances with runners in scoring position. When it gets to two outs, he gets even better -- sporting a .393 average and 1.202 OPS in those situations. For a Braves lineup that’s kept on chugging despite a slew of injuries to its stars, Dubón has played a key role in keeping the momentum going. -- Matthew Ritchie
Marlins: Liam Hicks
After skipping the Triple-A level and holding his own as a Rule 5 Draft pick in 2025 (95 OPS+), the 27-year-old has emerged in an All-Star-worthy first half despite starting '26 as a bench player. He entered Sunday with a team-leading 13 homers, which are already seven more than he slugged last season. His 51 RBIs are the most among Major Leaguers whose primary position is catcher. -- Christina De Nicola
Mets: Jared Young
Raise your hand if you expected MLB’s most expensive lineup to be anchored by a 32-year-old coming off a meniscus tear who spent a year resurrecting his career in Korea before joining the Mets two offseasons ago on a modest free-agent contract. Anyone? Well that’s precisely what’s happening in Flushing, where Young has batted cleanup most nights against right-handed pitchers. His OPS is comparable to that of Juan Soto. -- Anthony DiComo
Nationals: MLB’s top offense?
If you predicted coming into 2026 that the Nationals would boast the Majors’ most productive offense in mid-June, well, you must be a clairvoyant. Washington ended play Saturday with 382 runs, tied with the Dodgers for the most among any MLB team and more than half of their 2025 season total (687). And they’re doing it early, with an MLB-best 56 first-inning runs. That’s gone a long way toward helping Blake Butera’s club surprise so far in the NL East. -- Jessica Camerato
Phillies: Brandon Marsh
Trea Turner took home the Phillies’ first batting title since 1958 last season. There’s a chance the franchise won’t have to wait nearly as long for its next one, though few would have seen this candidate coming. Marsh has gone from a platoon outfielder the past few years to an everyday hitting machine this season, giving him a legitimate chance to be a first-time All-Star. -- Paul Casella
National League Central
Brewers: Kyle Harrison
The surprise is not that Harrison is good; even though he came to the Brewers with parts of three years in the big leagues, he’s still just 24 years old and still developing. The surprise is how good. Before taking his lumps on the Brewers’ last trip to Las Vegas to play the A’s in a stadium that makes Coors Field look like a pitcher’s park, Harrison had a 1.57 ERA, and for the season he has the highest strikeout rate (31.3 percent) and the lowest walk rate (7.3 percent) of his career through his first dozen starts. Some folks were stunned when the Brewers gave up popular, young third baseman Caleb Durbin in the six-player swap with the Red Sox that landed Harrison, but so far the deal looks like a steal for the Brewers. -- Adam McCalvy
Cardinals: Jordan Walker
The Cardinals were wondering if Walker would ever reach his potential in the big leagues. A top prospect in the organization in 2022 and ‘23, Walker struggled mightily once he reached the big leagues and never had a full season in The Show prior to 2026 because of inconsistency in the batter’s box and with the glove. This year is a different story. Not only is Walker a force in the batter’s box -- a slash line of .298/.353/.562 with 18 homers and 56 RBIs backs that up -- Walker also improved a ton in the outfield. Now, if Walker is not in the starting lineup, the team wants him in the game as a defensive replacement. -- Bill Ladson
Cubs: Ben Brown’s performance
After a tough season last year that made Brown’s role unclear, the righty began this season as a multi-inning reliever for the Cubs. It was soon evident how his focused offseason had paid off. Armed with a new sinker, Brown was dominant as a bridge arm, and proved crucial early on as Chicago’s bullpen was riddled with injuries. Then, when setbacks hit the rotation, Brown got his opportunity and has not looked back. The hard-throwing righty now has a 1.74 ERA overall and 1.49 ERA in seven starts for the North Siders, emerging as an unexpected All-Star candidate and one of the positive stories of the first half for the Cubs. -- Jordan Bastian
Pirates: Top-10 offense
The Pirates ended 2025 with the fewest runs (583) and lowest OPS (.655) in baseball. After a few offseason additions, Pittsburgh is top-10 in both categories through the second week of June. The acquisitions of Brandon Lowe and Ryan O’Hearn have packed a punch in the middle of the order, while Spencer Horwitz has surprised in the leadoff spot with a career-high .386 OBP and .846 OPS. -- Aiden Stepansky
Reds: JJ Bleday
Non-tendered by the A’s after a rough 2025 season - both offensively and defensively - Bleday was signed to a one-year, $1.4 million contract by the Reds and then didn’t make the Opening Day roster. But since getting recalled April 25, the lefty-hitting Bleday has emerged as one of Cincinnati’s top hitters and at times, has carried the club through tough times and was the NL Player of the Month for May. Batting .265 with a .912 OPS and 11 homers, he is worthy of All-Star consideration. -- Mark Sheldon
National League West
D-backs: RHP Michael Soroka
Soroka, who was an All-Star and runner-up in NL Rookie of the Year balloting with the Braves in 2019, missed the 2021-22 campaigns with a torn Achilles. Upon returning, he posted a 4.91 ERA from 2023-25 for the Braves, White Sox, Nationals and Cubs. But so far this season, he’s been fantastic, with a 3.11 ERA over 14 starts for the D-backs. -- Manny Randhawa
Dodgers: Roki Sasaki's impressive turnaround
While the Dodgers had hoped to see the version of Sasaki they have unlocked over the past month and a half -- 3.86 ERA in his past seven starts -- it came as somewhat of a surprise that he has gone from finding his footing to performing at the big league level so quickly. You can point to his harder splitter or his revitalized fastball, but the real difference maker may be his confidence after seeing results as a Major League starter. -- Sonja Chen
Giants: Casey Schmitt’s breakout season
Schmitt started to flash some promising right-handed pop last year, but he’s really come into his own this season, emerging as the Giants’ most consistent hitter. Schmitt has made himself even more invaluable through his defensive versatility, as he can play all over the infield and learned to play left field on the fly this year. -- Maria Guardado
Padres: The struggling superstars
Hitting is hard. Maybe it isn’t surprising that Manny Machado has struggled. Or Jackson Merrill. Or, until very recently, Fernando Tatis Jr. But that all three of them have struggled? This badly? It’s borderline shocking. On paper, the Padres should have a top-10 offense or so. But they rank at or near the bottom in almost all offensive metrics. The biggest reason? Those struggling stars, who spent much of the season with their collective OPS sitting around .600. -- AJ Cassavell
Rockies: Troy Johnston's offensive production
Johnston produced consistently during his time in the Marlins system but wasn't called up until last year and was placed on waivers after the season. The Rockies, figuring it was a low-risk move for a guy with a Minor League option, claimed him for depth. On the bubble for the Opening Day roster until late in camp, Johnston has made himself indispensable in the batting order. Going into the weekend he was tied for the MLB lead with 20 doubles, and among the top 10 among all qualified players in batting average. -- Thomas Harding