MLB Report Card Grades for All 30 Teams at the Start of June
It's getting late early in the 2018 Major League Baseball season.
June has arrived, and with it comes a fresh chance to re-evaluate all 30 teams in MLB. We're going to do just that by grading their performances based on their strengths, weaknesses and anything else that might be relevant.
We'll go in alphabetical order by city, starting now.
Arizona Diamondbacks
1 of 30
Record: 28-27, 2nd in NL West
In no time at all, the Arizona Diamondbacks have gone from a 21-8 juggernaut to a 7-19 disaster.
An offense that was weak to begin with was the worst in MLB in May. And whether it's due to injuries (A.J. Pollock, Steven Souza Jr., Jake Lamb) or slumps (Paul Goldschmidt), the reality is that Arizona's offense is now scoring fewer runs per game than all but three teams.
"We're very well aware of what's going on, and this has been a really tough grind," manager Torey Lovullo said.
The D-backs haven't been sunk completely, however, because their run prevention continues to be a strength. Even during their recent funk, they've managed a respectable 3.95 ERA. That's a testament to a starting rotation that's weathered injuries well and to a defense and bullpen that have been truly fantastic.
Arizona only has half of a great team. But that half is no joke.
Grade: C
Atlanta Braves
2 of 30
Record: 32-23, 2nd in NL East
Perhaps the most impressive thing about the Atlanta Braves' rise are the dragons they have slain. Their 25-16 record against winning teams is the best in the National League.
The lion's share of the credit belongs to an offense that leads the NL with 278 runs scored. Although it regressed slightly in May and will now be without uber-prospect Ronald Acuna Jr. for a while with a mild ACL sprain, it's still hard to see it as anything other than a deep unit with an impressive balance of veteran and youthful talent.
But if it wasn't already, it's high time to shower praise on Atlanta's pitching staff. The starting rotation (3.59 ERA) and bullpen (3.72) have each pulled their weight.
If one negative must be mentioned, there is the fact the Braves defense is only in the middle of the pack in efficiency. But that's more of an imperfection than a flaw.
Grade: A-
Baltimore Orioles
3 of 30
Record: 17-39, 5th in AL East
At any given moment, the story of the 2018 Baltimore Orioles has been that Manny Machado is great and everyone else is somewhere between bad and "meh."
With a 1.004 OPS and 16 homers, Machado is doing what he must to line himself up for a record free-agent payday. But even despite his heroics, Baltimore's offense ranks dead last in the American League in OPS.
Although Dylan Bundy and Kevin Gausman have had their moments, Orioles starters still have a 5.45 ERA. It doesn't help that they haven't gotten enough support from their bullpen or really any support from the least efficient defense in MLB.
In short, there are good reasons why this is the worst team in baseball.
Grade: F
Boston Red Sox
4 of 30
Record: 39-17, 1st in AL East
The Boston Red Sox are a relatively modest 22-15 since getting off to a 17-2 start. Chief among the questions that have arisen during this stretch is the quality of their pitching staff.
Still, said pitching staff ranks second in the AL with a 3.56 ERA. And it's strongest in the most important places, as the team's ace (Chris Sale) and closer (Craig Kimbrel) are among the best in the business.
Then there's the offense, which leads MLB with 301 runs scored.
That's mostly the doing of Mookie Betts and J.D. Martinez, who have combined for 35 home runs. They're the best hitting duo the Red Sox have had since at least Manny Ramirez and David Ortiz, and the lineup is plenty deep around them even after the jettisoning of Hanley Ramirez.
And for all the chatter about the Red Sox having played an easy schedule, only one team has a better record against winning clubs. Clearly, they're not complete frauds.
Grade: A
Chicago Cubs
5 of 30
Record: 29-23, 2nd in NL Central
The Chicago Cubs have by far the best run differential (plus-78) in the National League. It has been a joint effort between an offense that leads in runs per game and a pitching staff that ranks second in ERA.
So why does it feel like they have been a massive disappointment?
In part because they've been extremely hit-or-miss on a game-to-game basis. They've had a habit of ending up on either side of blowouts. In non-blowout games, they're two games under .500.
Also, the Cubs haven't been a well-oiled machine on both sides of the ball.
Their lineup has had to put up with slumps by Anthony Rizzo and Jason Heyward and growing pains on the part of Ian Happ. And while their bullpen has been terrific, their starting rotation has been a mixed bag that sure could use more help from $126 million man Yu Darvish.
In all, this team isn't yet as good as the sum of its parts.
Grade: B-
Chicago White Sox
6 of 30
Record: 16-37, 5th in AL Central
The Chicago White Sox are like if the Orioles had a few more silver linings.
Jose Abreu is having a characteristically excellent season, and when healthy, Matt Davidson has been one of the most improved hitters in MLB. Elsewhere on offense, Yoan Moncada, Tim Anderson and Yolmer Sanchez have also been useful.
In addition, the White Sox have at least one exciting young pitcher in Reynaldo Lopez. The 24-year-old has hit a bump in the road of late, but he still boasts a solid 3.80 ERA in 11 outings.
Nonetheless, Chicago ranks last in the AL in runs allowed per game and is second to last in runs scored per game. And any silver linings have rusted whenever it's faced stiff competition, as its 3-21 record against winning teams is the worst there is.
Grade: F
Cincinnati Reds
7 of 30
Record: 20-37, 5th in NL Central
After starting 3-15 under Bryan Price, the Cincinnati Reds have been a comparatively competent 17-22 under Jim Riggleman.
More than anything, they have hit better under him. The trio of Joey Votto, Scooter Gennett and Eugenio Suarez should take a bow for that, as they're the ones carrying an otherwise skimpy lineup.
The bullpen trio of Raisel Iglesias, Jared Hughes and Amir Garrett should also take a bow. They've combined for a 1.68 ERA over 85.2 innings.
Alas, the Reds are simply a bad team. And they're going to stay that way until they renovate their starting rotation. Its MLB-worst 5.76 ERA is only the latest in a line of embarrassing results.
Grade: D
Cleveland Indians
8 of 30
Record: 29-25, 1st in AL Central
As you may have heard, the Cleveland Indians have a bullpen problem.
Its 6.02 ERA is the worst in MLB, and even Cody Allen and Andrew Miller have had a tough time fighting the good fight. The former has a pedestrian 3.18 ERA, and the latter has put up a 4.40 ERA in the rare times when he's been healthy.
If the Indians can figure this problem out, however, they should immediately take off.
With help from the healthy and resurgent Michael Brantley, their offense recovered from a slow start to post the best OPS of any team in May. They also have a rotation headed by an excellent front four. Corey Kluber, Carlos Carrasco, Trevor Bauer and Mike Clevinger have combined for a 2.90 ERA.
And while it's not the most impressive feat, Cleveland is doing what the AL Central leader should be doing: beating up on bad teams to the tune of a 19-9 record.
Record: B-
Colorado Rockies
9 of 30
Record: 30-26, 1st in NL West
With just a .715 OPS to this point, the Colorado Rockies are flirting with a dubious distinction: the worst offense in the history of the franchise.
However, things are looking up. The Rockies went from a .676 OPS in April to a .757 OPS in May. Such things can happen when Nolan Arenado gets hot and assorted teammates flock to his support.
In the meantime, the Rockies don't have to fret too much about their pitching.
Their rotation has a 4.33 ERA despite the Coors Field disadvantage, and it bodes well that the worst pitcher within it (Jon Gray) is striking out 10.5 batters per nine innings. Their bullpen has been more of a mixed bag, but Wade Davis and a healthy Adam Ottavino have been arguably MLB's best relief duo.
There's no escaping the sense that the Rockies are atop the NL West by default. But if their bats can keep warm, they may just stay there.
Grade: B-
Detroit Tigers
10 of 30
Record: 25-30, 2nd in AL Central
At pretty much every turn this season, the Detroit Tigers have been not good but better than expected.
They have been carried by a handful of players on both sides of the ball. Rising stars Jeimer Candelario and Nicholas Castellanos are carrying the offense, which will soon have the resurgent Miguel Cabrera back from injury. On the mound, they're being led by Matt Boyd's breakout and Francisco Liriano's resurgence.
It's also easy to tell that this is the most athletic team the Tigers have had in years. They've tended to rank toward the bottom in defensive efficiency. This year, they rank 11th.
All the same, this is a team that doesn't really excel at any one thing. And it shows when they play good teams, against whom they're 10-17. Ultimately, their biggest saving grace is that they have a cushy home in the AL Central.
Grade: C-
Kansas City Royals
11 of 30
Record: 20-36, 4th in AL Central
Nobody is going to confuse the Kansas City Royals for a good team, but they did get better in May.
Their 13-15 record was a vast improvement over the 7-21 record that came before. Their offense—specifically, Whit Merrifield, Jon Jay and Alex Gordon—showed up to the tune of a .734 OPS.
Other positives abound. Jakob Junis is maintaining an under-the-radar breakout as a future ace. And with Kelvin Herrera, Brad Keller and Kevin McCarthy cleaning up, the back end of Kansas City's bullpen has been in vintage form.
Still, what happened before May can't be erased, hence this team ranks 13th in the AL in runs per game and last in the league with a 5.26 ERA. This leads to a minus-79 run differential and, as per usual of AL Central clubs, little hope (7-19) against quality competition.
Grade: D-
Houston Astros
12 of 30
Record: 35-22, 1st in AL West
After dominating with an .823 OPS in 2017, the Houston Astros offense has regressed to resemble something more like its 2016 self: overly reliant on Jose Altuve, Carlos Correa and George Springer.
A bright side, however, is that Alex Bregman caught up to those three in May, boosting his OPS from .741 to .807.
Also, it sure helps that the Astros are blowing away everyone else by allowing only 2.81 runs per game.
Despite some shortcomings in their bullpen (looking at you, Ken Giles), it's not a bad overall unit. There's also not much more to be said about Justin Verlander, Gerrit Cole and the team's rotation, which has earned its sparkling 2.54 ERA. And not to be overlooked is the team's defense, which is tops in the AL in efficiency.
Although the Astros' record doesn't say it, their plus-123 run differential makes a compelling case that they are MLB's best team.
Grade: A
Los Angeles Angels
13 of 30
Record: 30-26, 3rd in AL West
The Los Angeles Angels have handled losing teams with a 15-7 record, so it's a tough break that there's only one of those within the AL West.
Still, the Angels have a case for being better than their overall record indicates.
Their plus-27 run differential gets at how well their attack is balanced between their offense and their pitching. The former has a strong core in Mike Trout, Shohei Ohtani, Andrelton Simmons and Justin Upton, and the latter is better than it gets credit for.
Sure, Ohtani pitches like an ace when it's his day. But he's only one of five starters who had a 3.25 ERA or better in May. That's pretty good evidence that the team knew what it was doing when it settled on a six-man rotation for 2018.
The Angels will be hard-pressed to catch the Astros. But at this point, they should be a wild-card favorite.
Grade: B
Los Angeles Dodgers
14 of 30
Record: 26-29, 3rd in NL West
Although the Los Angeles Dodgers were a 16-26 mess through their first 42 games, their modest minus-four run differential gave hope of a turnaround.
Sure enough, they have won 10 of their last 13 games. The effort has been spearheaded by a pitching staff that's put up a 2.31 ERA. Further injury trouble for Clayton Kershaw and Kenta Maeda will make it tough to keep that up, but they have a shot as long as Walker Buehler and Kenley Jansen keep rolling.
The Dodgers must nonetheless be held accountable for all that came before. Their offense has been unreliable from Day 1 en route to a pedestrian .715 OPS, and what good pitching they've gotten has been undercut by Alex Wood's regression and the soft underbelly of their bullpen.
The Dodgers were so weak early on that it wasn't even good teams who beat up on them. It was bad teams, who still boast a 17-12 record against the defending NL champs.
Grade: C-
Miami Marlins
15 of 30
Record: 20-35, 5th in NL East
If there's one thing to say in the defense of the Miami Marlins, it's that their offense isn't as pitiful as its MLB-worst 3.4 runs per game would suggest.
Led by J.T. Realmuto and Justin Bour, Miami's lineup has six regulars with an above average OPS+ (i.e., north of 100). Only three teams have that beat, including the Astros and New York Yankees.
Still, it's hard to excuse how the Marlins' lineup depth hasn't translated to many runs on a regular basis. And when you add that to the fact their desolate pitching staff ranks second-to-last in the NL with a 4.89 ERA, it makes a lot of sense that the team has MLB's worst run differential at minus-95.
In short: Bad team is bad.
Grade: F
Milwaukee Brewers
16 of 30
Record: 36-21, 1st in NL Central
The Milwaukee Brewers have only had one bad stretch this year. That was between April 2 and 16, when they went 5-9.
Either side of that, however, is a season-opening three-game sweep and a 28-12 run that's catapulted them to the top of the National League.
Dormant for much of March and April, their offense finally awoke with a .779 OPS in May. Their bullpen, meanwhile, continued to dominate. Led by strikeout machine Josh Hader, it has an MLB-best 2.45 ERA.
Then there's the overlooked aspect of Milwaukee's rise: its defense. It quietly leads all of MLB in efficiency, which is one reason the team's rotation has survived its strikeout deficiency.
In all, this is the most fully functional unit in the senior circuit.
Grade: A
Minnesota Twins
17 of 30
Record: 22-29, 3rd in AL Central
In fairness to the Minnesota Twins, they haven't had a fair shot to take off this season.
They've been without staff ace Ervin Santana the entire year. And as soon as they activated slugging third baseman Miguel Sano from the DL, speedy center fielder Byron Buxton had to go back on it. Joe Mauer is also on the shelf.
What's been keeping the Twins afloat is their rotation trio of Jose Berrios, Jake Odorizzi and Kyle Gibson (who've combined for a 3.53 ERA) and offensive breakouts on the part of Max Kepler and Eddie Rosario.
Alas, this hasn't been enough to save the Twins from mediocrity. Their offense ranks 14th in the AL in OPS and their Berrios-Odorizzi-Gibson trio has been undercut by a bullpen with a meltdown problem. The whole team has been especially out of its depth (11-20) against winning clubs.
Grade: C-
New York Mets
18 of 30
Record: 27-26, 4th in NL East
The New York Mets are worth watching when it's Jacob deGrom's turn to pitch.
The formerly long-haired righty has been one of the better pitchers in baseball for several years, but nothing he's done in the past compares to what he's doing right now. He's put up a 0.45 ERA over his past seven starts, with 55 strikeouts in 40.1 innings.
Otherwise, the Mets are a sinking ship.
They're 16-25 since getting out to an 11-1 start. The injury bug has sidelined many of their stars, including Noah Syndergaard and Yoenis Cespedes. Beyond that, their pitchers have managed just a 4.65 ERA during this stretch despite all the deGrominance. The club's characteristically inefficient defense hasn't helped.
At this point, the Mets' best hope of salvaging something from 2018 involves a sale at the trade deadline.
Grade: C
New York Yankees
19 of 30
Record: 35-17, 2nd in AL East
It still feels like the New York Yankees are waiting for things to click.
Although Aaron Judge is living up to his rookie year and Gleyber Torres is having a star-making rookie campaign of his own, the Yankees need Giancarlo Stanton and Gary Sanchez to settle into grooves and for Didi Gregorius to hit more like he did in April.
The Yankees also have issues on the mound. Luis Severino has been an ace, but the rest of the rotation has struggled to maintain consistency. And outside of Aroldis Chapman and Chad Green, nobody in the team's vaunted bullpen is meeting expectations.
And yet, the team is enjoying MLB's highest OPS and a perfectly respectable 3.83 ERA. It's also beat up on winning teams like no other, with a 20-7 record.
It makes you wonder what the Yankees will do when things finally click.
Grade: B+
Oakland Athletics
20 of 30
Record: 28-28, 4th in AL West
There have been times when the Oakland Athletics have looked on the verge of breaking out, but their journey to .500 has mostly been a two steps forward, two steps back affair.
The bright spots are there. Sean Manaea, Daniel Mengden and Blake Treinen are having breakout years on the mound. Lineup-wise, Jed Lowrie continues to be an underrated hitter, and Matt Chapman is arguably the best defensive player in baseball today.
The biggest problem the A's have, however, is that their supposedly dangerous offense has lost its way. Its ugly .308 on-base percentage is a gateway to inconsistency, so it's no wonder it slumped to a .640 OPS in May.
Despite their surprises, the A's don't have enough pitching depth to carry them. And everything has gotten magnified opposite winning teams, against whom they are just 13-24.
Grade: C
Philadelphia Phillies
21 of 30
Record: 30-23, 3rd in NL East
There are plenty of things the Philadelphia Phillies could use. To name just a few: an impact bat, extra rotation depth and a shutdown reliever.
Yet what they have is mostly working fine.
Thin though it is, their rotation is headed by one of baseball's best one-two punches in Aaron Nola and Jake Arrieta. They've combined for a 2.22 ERA over 129.2 innings.
And while it's not especially dangerous, Philly's lineup generally gets enough production out of its depth. That was especially so in May, when the team managed a .731 OPS despite a brutal slump on the part of Rhys Hoskins (who's now injured).
The Phillies also know what to do when they play at Citizens Bank Park. Their 19-9 record at home is the best in the National League. As long as they keep that up, they won't exit the playoff race.
Grade: B
Pittsburgh Pirates
22 of 30
Record: 29-26, 4th in NL Central
The Pittsburgh Pirates were in first place in the NL Central as recently as May 17. To that point, they seemed to be a classic case of a team that's better than the sum of its parts.
Or maybe not, as they have since lost nine of their past 12.
Their offense generally has more of a high floor than a high ceiling. It remains competitive by way of its ability to put the ball in play with an NL-low 19.4 strikeout percentage, but it doesn't up the pressure on teams with either walks or home runs.
The Pirates also suffer from a lack of stability in their starting rotation. Things may change depending on how Joe Musgrove's return pans out, but to this point it's lacked a true stopper. A bullpen with a 4.18 ERA has picked up only so much slack.
Grade: C+
San Diego Padres
23 of 30
Record: 24-33, 5th in NL West
Given the excitement generated by Eric Hosmer, Christian Villanueva, Franchy Cordero and, most recently, Franmil Reyes, one might think the San Diego Padres at least have a competent lineup.
Not really.
Nobody strikes out more frequently than they do, and their .659 OPS is better than only the Marlins'. Throw in the team's NL-worst defensive efficiency, and their lineup is their biggest flaw.
The team's pitching hasn't been much good, either, but it did emerge as a silver lining in May. Led by Tyson Ross and Brad Hand, Padres pitchers managed a 3.95 ERA for the month. The latter is part of a bullpen that's quietly been among the best with a 3.23 ERA.
On the off chance that San Diego's lineup can live up to its potential, the NL West could be in for a surprise.
Grade: D+
San Francisco Giants
24 of 30
Record: 26-30, 4th in NL West
If nothing else, the San Francisco Giants are getting the extra offense they needed.
They have gone from 3.9 runs per game in 2017 up to 4.1 runs per game. Brandon Belt is finally realizing his slugging potential, and Buster Posey, Brandon Crawford, Evan Longoria and Andrew McCutchen have provided solid support around him.
There's also something to be said of the quality of the back end of San Francisco's bullpen. Hunter Strickland, Sam Dyson, Tony Watson and Reyes Moronta have combined for a 2.27 ERA in 99 appearances.
What the Giants have been sorely lacking is good starting pitching. Take out Johnny Cueto and the 0.84 ERA he posted when healthy, and Giants starters have just a 5.36 ERA. That's the pits.
Thus, time to state the obvious: Madison Bumgarner's looming return can't come soon enough.
Grade: C
Seattle Mariners
25 of 30
Record: 33-22, 2nd in AL West
The Seattle Mariners' two most expensive players are Felix Hernandez and Robinson Cano. One has a 5.83 ERA. The other is serving an 80-game suspension.
Yet there they are. Winning games.
They racked up 17 of their wins in May, and it was largely thanks to a pitching staff that posted a lower ERA than every AL team except the Astros. James Paxton is continuing to flesh out his ace resume, and Wade LeBlanc, Mike Leake and Marco Gonzales found their strides.
Seattle's other strength is an offense that, even without Cano, is short on easy outs. Its lineup avoids strikeouts and keeps the hits coming by way of a respectable .257 batting average.
The Mariners' record is probably a little too good to be true. But it's not a total accident.
Grade: B
St. Louis Cardinals
26 of 30
Record: 29-24, 3rd in NL Central
Alas, Alex Reyes went back on the DL just a day after coming off of it. The St. Louis Cardinals' rotation will have to continue to make do without him.
On the bright side, that's doable. St. Louis' starters already boast MLB's third-best ERA at 3.02 and it will soon have Carlos Martinez (who has a 1.62 ERA in eight starts) back from injury. With him alongside Miles Mikolas, Michael Wacha and Jack Flaherty, the Cardinals will have a rotation that can match up with anyone.
All St. Louis would need then is a reliable offense and bullpen.
Their lineup followed a .709 OPS in March and April with a .706 OPS in May. It won't get off the ground until it starts getting more from Marcell Ozuna and Dexter Fowler.
Their bullpen, meanwhile, is fresh off posting a 5.10 ERA in May. Jordan Hicks, Bud Norris and Sam Tuivailala know what they're doing. Everyone else needs to catch up.
Grade: B-
Tampa Bay Rays
27 of 30
Record: 28-26, 3rd in AL East
It's a crying shame that the Tampa Bay Rays took a step toward selling with their trade of Alex Colome and Denard Span.
They are 25-14 since opening the season at 3-12, and it mostly has to do with a lineup that's compiled a .781 OPS in this span. It's all about grinding out at-bats, as their overall .262 average and .334 OBP rank among the best in baseball.
This lineup also plays good defense. The only AL team with a better efficiency rating is in Houston.
That was of use to a pitching staff that found its stride with a 3.25 ERA in May. Some of that is also owed to Kevin Cash's creative use of the arms at his disposal. The excellent worked turned in by Chris Archer and Blake Snell certainly helped, too.
Ultimately, this is the most under-the-radar good team in MLB.
Grade: B
Texas Rangers
28 of 30
Record: 24-34, 5th in AL West
You gotta give the Texas Rangers pitching staff this much credit: at least it's consistent.
It had a 4.75 ERA in March and April and a 4.80 ERA in May. Cole Hamels and Bartolo Colon are doing their utmost to steer the ship, but there's just not enough quality around the two of them to keep things on course.
It would take a lot of offense to account for such a staff, but the Rangers don't have much of that, either. They strike out more than any AL team. And with Adrian Beltre and Elvis Andrus sidelined for much of the year, Nomar Mazara and Shin-Shoo Choo have been left to carry too heavy a burden.
Adding to the Rangers' misery is that they've played only 17 games against losing teams. Such is the peril of playing in this year's AL West.
Grade: D
Toronto Blue Jays
29 of 30
Record: 25-31, 4th in AL East
The Toronto Blue Jays are stuck in it right now.
They've lost 13 of their past 17 games and been outscored by 35 runs in the process. Both their offense (.667 OPS) and pitching (5.47 ERA) have gone cold.
The Blue Jays were actually pretty good before all this came to pass, as they started 21-18 on the strength of a plus-10 run differential. And it's only fair to note that much of their current struggle derives from a bout with the injury bug. Name a Blue Jays star, and chances are he's hurting.
Still, it's not surprising that they've found themselves in this position.
They came into the year with the sort of roster that would need much to go right and little to go wrong if they wanted to compete in the AL East. It was a tall order that always had the potential to lead to a deep pit.
Grade: C
Washington Nationals
30 of 30
Record: 32-22, 1st in NL East
Once upon a time, the Washington Nationals were 11-16 and buried deep in the NL East.
They are 21-6 since then.
Their pitching staff's ERA during this stretch? A microscopic 2.38. The bulk of the credit goes to Max Scherzer and the rest of a rotation that has a 2.81 ERA for the season, although the team's bullpen also came alive in May with a 3.19 ERA.
No thanks to injuries to key players like Adam Eaton and Daniel Murphy, Washington's offense has had a harder time heating up. But Bryce Harper has done his part by blasting 18 homers, and Matt Adams deserves a spotlight for the 12 homers he's hit in only 150 plate appearances.
It took a while, but the Nationals look more or less like the Nationals.
Grade: B+
Stats courtesy of Baseball Reference, FanGraphs and Baseball Prospectus and up to date through games on Wednesday, May 30.
