2016 Early-Season Approval Ratings for All 30 MLB Teams
Contrary to the knee-jerk reactions we see after every half-inning, much less every game, one month does not guarantee success or failure in Major League Baseball. Sure, teams would rather sprint out to an early division lead than try and dig their way out of a hole, but there's a lot of baseball yet to be played.
Still, we can only judge a team based on the games they've already played. Actually, that's not entirely true. We can judge a team based on the games they've already played—and compare those results to the expectations surrounding the team heading into the regular season.
That's exactly how we'll come up with our approval ratings, where what works for one team will fall flat with another.
Seeing as how nobody is ever fully satisfied, we'll cap our approval ratings at 85 percent. There's always room for improvement.
Arizona Diamondbacks (12-16)
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Team Overview
It didn't take long for Arizona manager Chip Hale to notice the bigger, more enthusiastic crowds at spring training.
"They’re excited about the D-backs," he told the Arizona Republic's Bob McManaman in February. "They’re excited about the evolution. It’s been a fun offseason for us. But that (was the) offseason, now we’re in (camp), and we’ve got to get going and prove it on the field. It doesn’t matter what it says on paper.”
An increase in attention and expectations was to be expected, of course, after an offseason that saw Arizona sign Zack Greinke to a six-year, $206.5 million deal and trade three players, including last year's top overall draft pick, Dansby Swanson, to Atlanta for Shelby Miller.
But both Greinke and Miller have struggled, as has most of the rotation, wasting the efforts of a lineup that has been one of baseball's best.
Approval Rating: 40 percent
Whether you bought into the idea that Arizona would challenge for the National League West title, the D-backs were, at worst, expected to be a legitimate contender for a wild-card berth. They've not looked the part thus far.
Atlanta Braves (7-19)
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Team Overview
Outside of general manager John Coppolella, who predicted a better record for his Atlanta squad than its 67-95 finish a season ago, few had high hopes for a Braves team that sits in the midst of rebuilding.
Ideally, some of the team's young pitching would have taken the next step in their development, keeping things close enough for a lineup that features veterans Erick Aybar, Freddie Freeman and Nick Markakis to squeak out some wins.
Instead, Atlanta's lineup has been one of the least productive in baseball, putting added pressure on a pitching staff that, outside of ace Julio Teheran, hasn't been up to the challenge. But it's not all bad news at Turner Field.
Top prospects Ozzie Albies and Dansby Swanson will arrive at some point during the regular season, giving the Braves their first look at what they hope will be their double-play combination and cornerstone pieces of the roster for years to come.
Approval Rating: 20 percent
Things have gone just about as poorly as they possibly could have for the Braves, but knowing there's help on the way offers some hope for the future.
Baltimore Orioles (15-10)
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Team Overview
The offseason additions of Pedro Alvarez, Yovani Gallardo and Mark Trumbo weren't thought to be enough to push Baltimore past an improved Boston club or Toronto, the defending American League East champion, but lo and behold, it was the Orioles that sat atop the division for all of April.
Manny Machado continued his ascent into another level of superstardom, earning AL Player of the Month honors, while Chris Tillman (3.24 ERA, 1.08 WHIP) has thrown the ball as well as he ever has, giving a shaky rotation that's already without the injured Gallardo a much-needed boost.
With a dangerous offense, one of the game's premier bullpens and a rotation that, if healthy, should be capable of keeping things close enough for the bats to do damage, the Orioles look like a legitimate threat in what appears to be a wide-open division.
Approval Rating: 75 percent
News that the team will be without shortstop J.J. Hardy for at least a month after he suffered a hairline fracture in his left foot casts a shadow over the team heading into May, but you can't argue with the results so far.
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Boston Red Sox (15-11)
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Team Overview
After an offseason that saw Boston sign David Price for $217 million and trade for Craig Kimbrel, there was no shortage of predictions that the Red Sox, once again, were going to go from worst to first. Heading into Tuesday's action, that's exactly what they'd done, sitting atop the AL East standings.
"It's still early," third baseman Travis Shaw told ESPN's Scott Lauber, "but early or not, you still want to be first place and that's what we are."
Shaw (.312 BA, .895 OPS) and the rest of the lineup have been clicking, leading the AL in multiple categories, including runs scored, batting average and on-base percentage. That's been crucial to the team's success, for the pitching staff that, with a few exceptions, hasn't been as sharp as it needs to be.
That includes Price, who has gone 4-0 and leads the AL with 49 strikeouts but boasts an unsightly 6.14 ERA, delivering only three quality starts in his first six appearances in a Red Sox uniform.
Approval Rating: 60 percent
Expectations are always high in Boston, so while the Red Sox have sat atop or within striking distance of first place in the division for much of the season, that's not enough for some. A shaky pitching staff must improve if the Red Sox hope to put some distance between themselves and the rest of the AL East.
Chicago Cubs (19-6)
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Team Overview
The Chicago Cubs have spent all but one day this season either tied for or alone in first place atop the National League Central. That fateful day came nearly a month ago, April 8, following a 3-2 loss against Arizona in the team's fourth game of the year.
Good luck trying to identify a weakness with the Cubs, who barely flinched after losing Kyle Schwarber for the season after the slugger tore multiple ligaments in his left knee.
Dexter Fowler is playing like a MVP and Jake Arrieta looks even better than he did last year when he won the NL Cy Young Award, while newcomers Jason Heyward and Ben Zobrist have solidified one of the best defenses around.
Approval Rating: 85 percent
Anyone caught complaining at Wrigley Field should be forced to participate in one of manager Joe Maddon's "theme road trips" when the players get decked out in outrageous outfits and then paraded around the ballpark.
Chicago White Sox (19-8)
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Team Overview
Last year, the Chicago White Sox proved once again that being declared one of the offseason's biggest winners doesn't guarantee success, finishing 10 games below .500 (76-86) despite having added a pair of All-Star caliber arms, Jeff Samardzija and David Robertson, to the mix.
So it was fair to be somewhat skeptical of the White Sox after yet another busy offseason that saw the additions of All-Star third baseman Todd Frazier, the versatile Brett Lawrie and veteran outfielder Austin Jackson.
While that trio has had varying degrees of success thus far, with Lawrie the one real standout, it's the team's pitching staff that has powered the team's early-season surge to the top of the AL Central.
Chris Sale, Jose Quintana and a resurgent Mat Latos have anchored a phenomenal rotation, while the bullpen has pitched to an MLB-low 1.60 ERA, with Matt Albers, Nate Jones and Robertson allowing a total of two earned runs over more than 35 combined innings of relief.
Approval Rating: 85 percent
A slow start from All-Star first baseman Jose Abreu (.240 BA, .646 OPS) is one of the few negatives to point to on a team that took down the defending division champions in both the AL West (Texas) and AL East (Toronto) in consecutive three-game series last month.
Cincinnati Reds (10-17)
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Team Overview
If last season's trades of Johnny Cueto and Mike Leake signaled the beginning of the rebuilding process in Cincinnati, the team's decision to part with Aroldis Chapman and Todd Frazier this winter—and its failed attempts at moving Jay Bruce and Brandon Phillips—kept expectations low for the Reds in 2016.
The team's former general manager and current president of baseball operations, Walt Jocketty, talked about building a foundation over the winter when the Cincinnati Enquirer's C. Trent Rosecrans asked him how you sell a fanbase on a massive rebuild.
"I think what we have to do is sell the future—you have to sell the fact that you're going to have some fun, young, aggressive ballplayers," Jocketty said. While the rotation features a number of intriguing young arms, Billy Hamilton and Eugenio Suarez are the only players that fit that description in the lineup.
While there's plenty of blame to go around for Cincinnati's record this year, much of it rests on the bullpen. Per WCPO.com's Jon Fay, the group has already set a new MLB record by allowing at least one earned run in 20 consecutive games.
Approval Rating: 25 percent
It's hard to buy what the Reds are selling when veterans like Bruce, Phillips and Joey Votto not only remain the faces of the franchise, but block the young, aggressive ballplayers Jocketty mentioned. Case in point: Jose Peraza should be gaining valuable experience as the team's everyday second baseman, not Phillips.
Cleveland Indians (11-12)
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Team Overview
Cleveland has been a trendy pick as a dark-horse contender ever since Terry Francona took over as manager, and rightfully so. The Indians have averaged 86 wins a season under his leadership and headed into the season boasting one of baseball's most dominant rotations.
But the rotation has been good, not great, and finds itself without (arguably) its best pitcher, Carlos Carrasco, who is out until at least late May with a strained left hamstring. Things haven't been great in the bullpen, either, with Bryan Shaw and Cody Allen allowing a combined 18 earned runs in 21.1 innings.
The offseason additions of veteran bats Marlon Byrd, Rajai Davis and Mike Napoli has done little to spark a lineup that has struggled to score, though the return of a healthy Michael Brantley should bring the Tribe a much-needed uptick in offense.
Approval Rating: 50 percent
Cleveland's biggest problem is twofold: The Indians lack significant depth, with their best prospects still another year or so away from contributing, and they don't have the budget for a significant in-season addition.
Colorado Rockies (12-14)
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Team Overview
At some point, Colorado will figure out how to put together a quality major league pitching staff. While things aren't quite as bad on the mound as they've been in the past, they're far from ideal.
Rockies starters sit right around league average when it comes to walks and strikeouts per nine innings, but rank near the bottom of the majors in ERA, WHIP and innings pitched. That inability to pitch deep finds the bullpen carrying a heavy load, posting mediocre numbers as a result.
As usual, Colorado boasts a dangerous, high-scoring lineup, powered this year by Nolan Arenado, Carlos Gonzalez and rookie Trevor Story, the early favorite in the National League Rookie of the Year race.
Approval Rating: 30 percent
Arenado has firmly established himself as one of baseball's 10 best all-around players and a perennial MVP candidate and Story has been tremendous, but until Colorado's arms catch up to its bats, the Rockies can't be considered a serious threat in the National League.
Detroit Tigers (14-11)
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Team Overview
Coming off a disastrous 2015 that saw the team sell at the trade deadline (Yoenis Cespedes and David Price), Detroit spent big in the offseason, signing free agents Justin Upton and Jordan Zimmermann in an attempt to get back into contention while the window remains open for the team's aging core.
While Upton has only recently shown signs of life after a brutal start, Detroit's lineup has more than enough talent to pick up the slack. Nick Castellanos, Ian Kinsler and Victor Martinez have been the early standouts, helping to keep Detroit one of the highest-scoring teams in the game.
Zimmermann has been phenomenal at the front of the rotation, but Mike Pelfrey, Anibal Sanchez and Justin Verlander have all been woefully ineffective. Luckily for them, the offense and a much-improved bullpen have been able to atone for their mistakes more often than not.
Approval Rating: 60 percent
The rotation, after Zimmermann, is a major concern. While youngsters like Matt Boyd, Michael Fulmer and Daniel Norris provide some insurance, they're all relatively unproven. But owner Mike Ilitch has no problem spending money, and he'll take on a bad contract (James Shields, perhaps?) if he thinks it'll help.
Houston Astros (9-18)
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Team Overview
Expectations have never been higher in Houston, where the Astros, fresh off an 86-win season that saw them take eventual World Series champs Kansas City to five games in the American League Division Series, were picked by Sports Illustrated to win the World Series in 2016.
But they've looked anything like contenders, with the team's rotation a big part of the problem.
Reigning AL Cy Young Award winner Dallas Keuchel and the rotation haven't come close to replicating last year's performance when they were among the best in baseball, while the bullpen has delivered solid results despite a poor showing from the team's biggest offseason acquisition, Ken Giles.
But a lack of offense has contributed to the team's minus-36 run differential, the team hitting only .225 on the year—and .198 with runners in scoring position.
Approval Rating: 10 percent
On paper, the Astros have far too much talent to be this bad. But it's fair to wonder whether they've bought into the preseason hype just a bit too much and if last year's late-season collapse, when they dropped 19 of their last 34 games and blew a 5.5-game division lead, still weighs heavily on their heads.
Kansas City Royals (14-12)
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Team Overview
Expectations are always through the roof when the last game you played the previous year resulted in a World Series victory and the obligatory parade through the streets. Even with the free-agent departures of Johnny Cueto and Ben Zobrist, anything short of a dominant start to the season was going to be lacking.
What's lacking in Kansas City is offense. Only two everyday players—Eric Hosmer and Salvador Perez—have an OPS above .700, with perennial MVP candidate Lorenzo Cain and Alex Gordon, re-signed over the winter to a four-year, $72 million deal, among those failing to produce.
The rotation hasn't been great and issues far too many walks (especially Yordano Ventura, with 20 free passes in 27 innings), but they've kept things close enough most nights to give the Royals a chance to win, and that's really all you can ask for. The bullpen, with Wade Davis and Kelvin Herrera, remains a strength.
Approval Rating: 40 percent
There's no reason to think Cain and Gordon won't come around offensively, which could be all the boost the Royals need to get back to their winning ways. Still, hanging around .500 and sitting in third place is a bad look for the defending champs, no matter how early in the season it may be.
Los Angeles Angels (12-15)
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Team Overview
Serviceable, solid and spectacular. That's not the answer to a Jeopardy! question, but rather how you'd describe Yunel Escobar, Kole Calhoun and Mike Trout, the only three everyday players carrying their own weight on offense in Los Angeles.
As for Albert Pujols, who has become an all-or-nothing hitter, and the rest of the Angels lineup, well, take your pick of descriptive four-letter words that begin with "S."
Garrett Richards and Hector Santiago have been the bright spots on a mediocre rotation that still trots Jered Weaver and his 83 mph fastball out to the mound every fifth day, while the bullpen has been surprisingly effective despite its inability to strike out the opposition.
Approval Rating: 30 percent
The Angels have too many holes on offense, a lack of quality arms and one of the weakest farm systems in baseball. Short of owner Arte Moreno giving GM Billy Eppler the green light to take on bloated contracts, it's hard to see how the Angels can add the pieces they need.
Los Angeles Dodgers (14-13)
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Team Overview
Don't take the 106 runs the Los Angeles Dodgers have scored as an indication the offense is clicking, for that's about as far from the truth you can get. The Dodgers scored 25 of those runs—nearly a quarter of their offense for the year—in their first three games of the season against San Diego.
They've scored an average of 3.3 runs per game since then, not nearly enough offense to support a mediocre pitching staff.
Take the rotation, for example, where Clayton Kershaw and Kenta Maeda have pitched to a combined 1.73 ERA. On the other end of the spectrum, Scott Kazmir, Ross Stripling and Alex Wood have combined for a 4.98 ERA.
Approval Rating: 50 percent
That the Dodgers have managed to keep pace with San Francisco atop the division is remarkable considering how unproductive the lineup has been. But it's hard to argue with the idea that the Dodgers have blown a chance to put some early distance between themselves and their division rivals.
Miami Marlins (13-12)
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Team Overview
Miami has gone on a tear after starting the season 5-11, winning eight of its past nine games—including a four-game sweep over the Los Angeles Dodgers in Chavez Ravine—to get back over the .500 mark.
Christian Yelich (.337 BA, .958 OPS) is showing why pundits were so high on him as a prospect, while Giancarlo Stanton (8 HR, 20 RBI) has finally gotten himself going, leaving the yard five times over that nine-game stretch.
The rotation hasn't been nearly as sharp as it needs to be with a collective 4.84 ERA and 1.40 WHIP and three starters—Adam Conley, Jose Fernandez and Tom Koehler—all averaging more than four walks per nine innings.
Erratic command has plagued the back end of the bullpen as well, with David Phelps and A.J. Ramos walking 15 batters in 26.1 innings of work. But along with Kyle Barraclough, they've only allowed three earned runs on the year while striking out well over a batter per inning.
Approval Rating: 50 percent
Miami has climbed back into earshot of New York and Washington atop the NL East, but with Dee Gordon serving an 80-game suspension for performance-enhancing drugs and no real way to replace him atop the lineup and questions about the rotation, their success may be short-lived.
Milwaukee Brewers (11-15)
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Team Overview
Firmly entrenched in rebuilding mode after losing 94 games in 2015, Milwaukee wasn't supposed to be relevant, really, at any point during the regular season.
But someone forgot to tell that to the team's offense, which has had no trouble scoring runs thanks to the efforts of Ryan Braun (.372 BA, 1.048 OPS), Jonathan Lucroy (.321 BA, .828 OPS) and Chris Carter (.287 BA, 1.069 OPS), who sits among the league leaders in home runs, RBI, slugging percentage and OPS.
But the starting rotation has been absolutely horrific, with Jimmy Nelson (3.05 ERA, 1.17 WHIP) the team's only starter with an ERA below 5.00 or a WHIP below 1.80. That helps to explain why the Brewers have been outscored by 35 runs thus far.
Approval Rating: 60 percent
A better-than-expected start to the season might have some thinking the Brew Crew can play spoiler down the stretch, but a lack of capable, much less quality starting pitching makes that unlikely. The hot starts enjoyed by Braun, Carter and Lucroy may do nothing more but expedite their departures via trade.
Minnesota Twins (8-19)
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Team Overview
While not even the most ardent Twins fan was predicting a World Series appearance in 2016, expectations were trending upward in Minnesota after Paul Molitor's club emerged as a surprise contender last season.
But a brutal 0-9 start to the year quashed those good vibes out of the gate, and the Twins have struggled to get back on track ever since.
They're not scoring (95 runs, 25th in baseball) and the starting rotation, aside from the injured Ervin Santana (3.15 ERA, 1.40 WHIP) out with a lower-back strain, has been ineffective.
The lone bright spot has really been the bullpen (3.23 ERA, 1.36 WHIP), which comes as something of a surprise considering the team got only two innings out of All-Star closer Glen Perkins, who has been sidelined with a strained shoulder.
Approval Rating: 25 percent
There's lots of young talent either on Minnesota's roster or biding its time in the upper levels of the minors, but the Twins may spend more time trying to dig themselves out of that nine-game hole they created than they do clawing their way up the AL Central standings.
New York Mets (16-9)
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Team Overview
It's true: The defending National League champion New York Mets have only spent one day with part of the NL East lead—and that was three games into the season. But few teams have been as hot as the Mets, who have gone 12-2 over their last 14 games and are hot on the trail of first-place Washington.
Whether it's offense or pitching you're looking for, the Mets have plenty of both. Tied for fourth in the big leagues with 36 home runs, newcomer Neil Walker (9 HR, .912 OPS) has made New York forget all about Daniel Murphy, whose free-agent defection to division-rival Washington ruffled some feathers in Flushing.
The rotation has been outstanding as expected despite a less-than-stellar showing from Matt Harvey (4.76 ERA, 1.56 WHIP, 6.6 K/9), with Jacob deGrom, Noah Syndergaard and the ageless wonder, Bartolo Colon, picking up the slack.
Approval Rating: 75 percent
Harvey's struggles are most definitely a concern, but the Mets are one of the few teams with a rotation deep enough to withstand a less-than-stellar performance from their presumptive ace.
New York Yankees (8-16)
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Team Overview
The expectations in the Bronx haven't changed in decades: World Series or bust. So far, the 2016 New York Yankees look like a complete bust.
The team can't hit and, as a result, isn't scoring, tied with Tampa Bay for the lowest run total in all of baseball. Think about how ridiculous that sounds for a second: The Bronx Bombers rank dead last in runs scored.
Pitching isn't a strength for this team either. Masahiro Tanaka (2.87 ERA, 0.96 WHIP) is the only starter with a sub-5.00 ERA, Andrew Miller (0.00 ERA, 0.40 WHIP) the only reliever with a sub-3.00 ERA.
If there's a bright spot, it's that the Yankees seem to have finally found a long-term replacement for Robinson Cano at second base in Starlin Castro, who despite cooling off after a torrid start to the year has been the team's most reliable bat.
Approval Rating: 10 percent
The Yankees aren't rebuilding, but they're most definitely in a transitional phase. There's too much talent in the lineup for their offensive woes to continue, but the pitching staff, especially the rotation, is as inconsistent and unreliable as they come.
Oakland Athletics (13-15)
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Team Overview
Expectations were low in Oakland on the heels of a 94-loss campaign in 2015 and a relatively mundane offseason that saw the team add complementary pieces to the lineup (Khris Davis and Jed Lowrie) and gamble on 36-year-old starter Rich Hill, who made a total of four major league starts last year.
While the A's don't look nearly as bad as they did last season, they don't look great, either.
Despite the additions of Davis and Lowrie, the offense remains mediocre and struggles to score runs. Hill (2.53 ERA, 1.22 WHIP) has been terrific, but staff ace Sonny Gray has struggled (4.84 ERA, 1.44 WHIP) and the rotation as a whole (4.47 ERA, 1.46 WHIP) remains largely unimpressive.
Oakland's bullpen has been impressive, however, with a sparkling 2.46 ERA and 1.03 WHIP that are among the best in the league.
Approval Rating: 50 percent
The lack of a true difference-maker in the lineup makes it difficult to believe Oakland can stay in contention for the duration. But the A's have hung around so far, and that's more than many people thought they were capable of.
Philadelphia Phillies (16-11)
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Team Overview
In their first full year of a rebuild, Philadelphia wasn't supposed to be any good. And offensively, they're not, trotting out one of baseball's most anemic lineups on a daily basis. But it's a different story in the rotation.
They're not quite Roy Halladay, Cole Hamels and Cliff Lee, but Aaron Nola (2.93 ERA, 0.80 WHIP), Jerad Eickhoff (4.15 ERA, 1.12 WHIP) and Vincent Velasquez (1.44 ERA, 0.89 WHIP) have gotten off to terrific starts, keeping things close enough for Philadelphia to pick up some wins.
It's a surprising, yet welcome development for the Phillies, who despite a dearth of impact bats may not be nearly as far away from contending as originally thought.
Approval Rating: 80 percent
Nobody expected the Phillies to post a winning record at any point this year, so that they're five games above .500 is something to be celebrated. They don't have the bats to keep this up, but fans have gotten a taste of what the future could hold, especially in the rotation.
Pittsburgh Pirates (15-12)
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Team Overview
After three consecutive trips to the playoffs—including back-to-back losses in the National League Wild Card Game—Pittsburgh entered 2016 with the expectation that this would be the year the Pirates finally embark on a deep postseason run.
While the team's offense and defense remain among the game's elite, the pitching staff has not been able to replicate its past success. Pirates starters rank 15th in ERA (4.34) and 25th in WHIP (1.48), its bullpen 21st in ERA (4.19) and 25th in WHIP (1.40).
But help is on the way, with top prospects Tyler Glasnow and Jameson Taillon both expected to make their debuts at some point during the season, which should help fix what ails the bullpen as well.
Approval Rating: 60 percent
Pittsburgh has managed to stay within striking distance of Chicago atop the NL Central, but the team's inability to work its magic with wayward pitchers as they've successfully done in the past is a concern. That said, it's nearly impossible to disapprove of a winning record.
San Diego Padres (11-16)
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Team Overview
San Diego won the offseason heading into 2015 only to fall flat during the regular season, so expectations for 2016 were tempered, especially after the team traded All-Star closer Craig Kimbrel to Boston for a package of prospects and watched Ian Kennedy and Justin Upton depart as free agents.
The Padres have rebounded from a brutal start that saw them get outscored 20-0 by the Los Angeles Dodgers in their first three games of the season, but after Wil Myers (.315 BA, .860 OPS) and Matt Kemp (.301 BA, .920 OPS), who have both managed to stay healthy so far, the offense has been lacking.
So too has the presence of the team's ace, Tyson Ross, who has been on the disabled list with inflammation in his right shoulder since getting shelled by the Dodgers on Opening Day. Even without Ross, the rotation has been solid, albeit unspectacular, with a 3.92 ERA and 1.35 WHIP.
The bullpen has been woefully ineffective, however, pitching to a 5.09 ERA and 1.46 WHIP, with Ryan Buchter, Brad Hand and Fernando Rodney the only standouts.
Approval Rating: 20 percent
With little chance of keeping pace with teams like Los Angeles and San Francisco in the NL West, San Diego's approval rating this season rests on whether the team is able to move some of its high-priced veterans (Kemp, Derek Norris and James Shields) at the trade deadline—and what it gets in return.
San Francisco Giants (15-13)
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Team Overview
It's an even year, so we all know what the expectations are in San Francisco—another World Series crown, especially after the offseason additions of starters Johnny Cueto and Jeff Samardzija and a table-setter atop the lineup in Denard Span.
While Cueto, Samardzija and staff ace Madison Bumgarner have been good, Giants pitching has been anything but great. The rotation sits with a bloated 4.64 ERA thanks to the struggles of Matt Cain and Jake Peavy, while the bullpen has delivered an unimpressive 4.12 ERA and 1.32 WHIP.
That so-so showing on the hill has helped to undermine the efforts of a lineup that has been one of the best in baseball despite slow starts from Span, Matt Duffy and Brandon Crawford.
Approval Rating: 65 percent
It hasn't been pretty, and the back end of the rotation is a major concern, but the Giants sit atop the NL West and you can't complain about first place.
Seattle Mariners (15-11)
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Team Overview
After nearly reaching the playoffs in 2014, Seattle fell flat in its postseason pursuit last year, losing 86 games and, as a result, cleaning house after the season, hiring a new general manager (Jerry Dipoto) and new manager (Scott Servais).
Seattle's rebuilt bullpen has been one of baseball's best (2.47 ERA, 0.92 WHIP), with its new late-inning trio of Steve Cishek, Joel Peralta and Nick Vincent all exceeding expectations with the game on the line.
The back end of the rotation hasn't been quite as impressive, with Hisashi Iwakuma and Wade Miley off to slow starts, but Felix Hernandez and Taijuan Walker have been tremendous, both pitching to an ERA below 2.00.
Tremendous isn't how you'd describe Seattle's lineup, which has put plenty of runs on the board despite the lack of a .300 hitter and struggles from Nori Aoki, Leonys Martin and Kyle Seager, all three hitting below .230 with an OPS no higher than .710.
Approval Rating: 65 percent
Iwakuma and Miley have shown signs of life in the rotation, while history tells us that, eventually, Aoki and Seager are going to hit. While the Mariners only lead the AL West by a half game, they've got the pieces to stay in contention all year long and, perhaps, finally end their 14-year absence from the postseason.
St. Louis Cardinals (13-14)
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Team Overview
St. Louis won 100 games and its third consecutive NL Central crown in 2015 thanks to terrific pitching and solid defense. After losing Jason Heyward in free agency and Jhonny Peralta to a thumb injury, the Cardinals figured to follow the same blueprint in 2016.
While the pitching has been good, it hasn't been great, and the defense, specifically in the middle of the infield, has been rough. But the Cardinals lineup has transformed into a modern-day Murderers' Row, tied with Colorado for the lead in home runs and the Chicago Cubs for the lead in runs scored.
One person not surprised by this offensive explosion? Cardinals general manager John Mozeliak, who warned ESPN.com's Mark Saxon of the coming onslaught back in January:
"I certainly understand the critics who are concerned about our offense, but I don’t think they’re giving us credit for the potential bounce you may see. Now, if that bounce doesn’t happen, then they’re right, we’re going to be short and it’s going to be tough scoring runs. But I have a lot of confidence in our club.
"
St. Louis has gotten production from familiar names (Yadier Molina, Brandon Moss, Stephen Piscotty) and unfamiliar names (Aledmys Diaz, Jeremy Hazelbaker) alike, helping to make up for Matt Carpenter and Randal Grichuk, who have been scuffling at the plate.
Approval Rating: 40 percent
The Cardinals and their fans aren't used to seeing the team below .500, but they've managed to keep the surging Cubs within their sights in spite of their early-season mediocrity. A return to form for the pitching staff (Mike Leake and Adam Wainwright, specifically) would go a long way toward getting St. Louis back on track.
Tampa Bay Rays (11-14)
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Team Overview
Expectations never seem to change in Tampa Bay, with the Rays always considered a contender in the AL East despite its financial limitations due to what seems like a never-ending supply of quality pitching and just enough offense to squeak out wins.
That theory has been put to the test this year, with the Rays having one of baseball's most anemic, and quite frankly, offensive, offensive attacks. Logan Forsythe (.322 BA, .974 OPS) is the team's lone standout in the lineup, with Corey Dickerson and Evan Longoria slow to get going out of the gate.
The pitching staff remains solid, but ace Chris Archer (5.01 ERA, 1.58 WHIP) hasn't delivered the kind of results the Rays have come to expect from him, putting added pressure on the bullpen and the rest of the rotation to pick up the slack.
Approval Rating: 35 percent
While the division is wide-open for the taking, Tampa Bay needs Archer, Dickerson and Longoria to break out of their funks if it has any chance of keeping pace with Baltimore, Boston and Toronto, one of which is eventually going to start gaining ground on the rest of the once-powerful AL East.
Texas Rangers (15-12)
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Team Overview
With a lineup featuring established veterans like Shin-Soo Choo, Prince Fielder and Josh Hamilton, scoring runs wasn't expected to be an issue for the Texas Rangers in 2016. And it hasn't been—despite getting little-to-no production from any of the aforementioned former All-Stars.
Instead, it's been the typically offensively challenged Elvis Andrus, the ageless Adrian Beltre and hotshot rookie Nomar Mazara who have powered the Rangers' attack.
All five starters—Cole Hamels, Derek Holland, A.J. Griffin, Colby Lewis and Martin Perez—have ERAs below 3.75. Griffin (2.00 ERA, 1.08 WHIP) and Holland (2.79 ERA, 1.03 WHIP) have been particularly impressive. With Yu Darvish nearing a return to action, that group only stands to get better.
As a result, one of those arms could wind up in the bullpen, which could use some help. Only three teams—Colorado, San Diego and Cincinnati—have seen their relievers pitch to a higher ERA than Texas has.
Approval Rating: 55 percent
The bullpen issues are a concern, as is Fielder's overall lack of production, but the Rangers have managed to stay at or near the top of the AL West in spite of those issues. Still, there are too many unanswered questions for their approval rating to climb any higher.
Toronto Blue Jays (13-15)
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Team Overview
Despite losing David Price in free agency, the expectations for the defending AL East champion Toronto Blue Jays heading into the season were simple—do it again.
Considering the talent the Jays boast in their lineup, that didn't figure to be too much to ask. After all, the Jays returned essentially the same group that crossed home plate an MLB-high 891 times last season, nearly 130 times more than the second-place New York Yankees, who finished with 764 runs.
But that group hasn't been up to the challenge. Edwin Encarnacion, Russell Martin and Troy Tulowitzki have all stumbled out of the gate, with both Martin and Tulo hitting below .200 with a combined seven extra-base hits and 17 RBI.
The pitching staff as a whole has been solid, its numbers skewed by the struggling R.A. Dickey (5.73 ERA, 1.61 WHIP) and Drew Storen (9.00 ERA, 1.67 WHIP).
Approval Rating: 35 percent
The lineup is far too talented for Toronto to not be one of the highest-scoring teams in baseball. Eventually, Tulo is going to hit. With enough pitching to keep things close, the Jays, despite a mediocre start, are poised to make a run at the second consecutive division crown.
Washington Nationals (18-8)
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Team Overview
Here's everything you need to know about the state of pitching in Washington: Max Scherzer (3.55 ERA, 1.18 WHIP) has been the Nationals' worst starting pitcher thus far, while Jonathan Papelbon (4.50 ERA, 1.42 WHIP) is the only pitcher with an ERA above 3.60 and a WHIP above 1.30.
That's exceptional, and it helps to make up for the team's lack of offense. Washington is hitting only .238 with a .712 OPS, numbers that would be even worse if it wasn't for the efforts of Daniel Murphy (.376 BA, 1.044 OPS) and Bryce Harper (.256 BA, .989 OPS).
Approval Rating: 70 percent
The Nationals need their other bats to start hitting, as the pitching staff is going to hit a bump or two along the way. But Washington owns baseball's third-best record and remains atop the NL East standings, and you can't find fault with that.
Unless otherwise noted, all statistics courtesy of Baseball-Reference.com, FanGraphs and MLB.com and are current through games of May 3.
Hit me up on Twitter to talk all things baseball: @RickWeinerBR.
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