MLB Team Report Card Grades 60 Games Through 2024 Season
School may be out, but the 2024 MLB season only just finished its first trimester. The average team has played 60 games, with 102 still to go.
So, let's crack open their report cards.
This should be a "you know the drill" sort of situation, but good records naturally necessitate good grades and bad records naturally necessitate bad grades.
However, the minutiae also matters. Not just things like run differentials, but also specific strengths and weaknesses and positive or negative progress. The letter grades may be simple, but they capture more holistic progress reports.
We'll proceed in alphabetical order by city and discuss both the good and the bad for all 30 teams.
Arizona Diamondbacks: C-
1 of 30
Record: 29-33, 4th in NL West
Run Differential: Minus-1
What's Good
The National League champs have occasionally gone off for runs in big bunches, going 11-2 in the 13 games in which they've scored at least seven times.
Also, it's a nice defense the Snakes have. Their 21 Outs Above Average are six more than any other team. A special shoutout is owed to Ketel Marte and Christian Walker, who have 15 total OAA in addition to 12 home runs apiece.
What's Bad
This has generally been a "blah" start for the D-backs, and it's not getting better. Zac Gallen's hamstring strain is the latest blow to an underachieving rotation, and Corbin Carroll's ongoing struggles are that much more noticeable now that the whole lineup is slumping.
Atlanta: B
2 of 30
Record: 34-25, 2nd in NL East
Run Differential: Plus-36
What's Good
Even without Spencer Strider, Chris Sale and Atlanta's other starters have been racking up so many whiffs that they actually lead MLB in swinging-strike rate. As such, their 3.73 ERA undersells the work they've done.
And the bullpen? It's not too shabby, either. It ranks sixth in MLB with a 3.39 ERA, and you're not going to spot a weak link in there even if you squint really hard.
What's Bad
With Ronald Acuña Jr. out for the year with an ACL tear, it'll be that much harder for Atlanta's lineup to reverse what's by far the biggest offensive decline of 2024. This team has also generally been punching down, collecting 22 of its wins against losing teams.
Baltimore Orioles: A
3 of 30
Record: 39-21, 2nd in AL East
Run Differential: Plus-87
What's Good
The Orioles' offense is scary. And not just in the sense that it co-leads MLB in scoring 5.10 runs per game. It's also very deep and otherwise sitting on league-best marks for slugging (.444) and OPS+ (119).
Despite some injuries, Baltimore's Corbin Burnes-led pitching staff is also doing just fine to the tune of a 3.24 ERA. You can see why, then, that the O's have handled even tough American League East customers with a 13-5 record.
What's Bad
Good vibes aside, the Orioles should be shopping for an impact starter and reliever as the July 30 trade deadline approaches. And with only a .539 OPS to his name, Cedric Mullins is hitting so poorly that he's rightfully losing playing time in center field.
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Boston Red Sox: C+
4 of 30
Record: 31-31, 3rd in AL East
Run Differential: Plus-26
What's Good
Some of the early shine has worn off recently, but the Red Sox still boast the most improved pitching staff of 2024. There should be Cy Young Award buzz for Tanner Houck, who has a 1.85 ERA through 12 starts.
As this is otherwise the first official year of Rafael Devers' 10-year, $313.5 million extension, it's encouraging to see him carrying the offense with a .956 OPS and 13 long balls.
What's Bad
Devers aside, Boston's offense has been wildly hit or miss all year. And the defense has mostly just missed with 44 errors, which co-leads MLB. Winning clubs have been able to exploit these weaknesses by way of a 25-16 record against Boston.
Chicago Cubs: C
5 of 30
Record: 31-31, 2nd in NL Central
Run Differential: Minus-10
What's Good
Though Shōta Imanaga has been humbled a bit lately, he, Javier Assad and Jameson Taillon are nonetheless excelling as a rotation trio. They've made 32 starts and combined to post a 2.47 ERA, with only 158 hits allowed in 175 innings.
Meanwhile, you can't fault the lineup for a lack of patience. Cubs hitters have drawn 213 walks, good for fifth in MLB.
What's Bad
Nobody is happy about the Cubs' 14-22 record since April 27, but what should really alarm them is a bullpen that leads the NL with 16 losses and a supposedly strong defense that's toward the bottom of MLB in efficiency and Outs Above Average.
Chicago White Sox: F-
6 of 30
Record: 15-47, 5th in AL Central
Run Differential: Minus-140
What's Good
The White Sox approach something close to watchable when Erick Fedde or Garrett Crochet is on the hill. They have a 3.38 ERA between them, and the latter is also striking out a league-leading 12.0 batters per nine innings.
It's also been fun to watch Michael Kopech give the radar gun a workout. He's thrown 94 pitches of at least 100 mph, the third-most of any pitcher.
What's Bad
Jeepers, what a mess. And especially offensively, as these White Sox are on track to be the first team since 1972 to average under three runs per game. It's so bad that Sox pitchers have given up almost twice as many homers (81) as their batters have hit (47).
Cincinnati Reds: C-
7 of 30
Record: 29-33, 5th in NL Central
Run Differential: Plus-11
What's Good
The Reds have gotten more fWAR from 26-and-under starters than any other team. We're talking about Hunter Greene, Andrew Abbott, Nick Lodolo and Graham Ashcraft, who all have good stuff.
And even if he's cooled off lately, Elly De La Cruz remains hard to look away from. With 10 homers and 32 stolen bases, he's the closest thing this season has to the 2023 version of Ronald Acuña Jr.
What's Bad
Despite the four-game win streak they're on now, the Reds have lost 24 of their last 38 games. The offense just isn't clicking, but what really hurts is a 2-11 record in one-run games. Some of that is bad luck, but this team also gives more than it takes in late and close spots.
Cleveland Guardians: A-
8 of 30
Record: 40-20, 1st in AL Central
Run Differential: Plus-81
What's Good
You're looking at the team with the best home record in MLB at 21-7. And lest you think the Guardians have beaten up on weak competition, they have winning records against all three AL divisions and in interleague play, to boot.
It always helps to have an offense that co-leads MLB in scoring, and Cleveland's bullpen does a fine job of keeping leads safe. Its 2.38 ERA is the best in baseball by a substantial margin, and it likewise boasts the league's highest whiff rate.
What's Bad
The Guardians are a good team, but this much success feels untenable. José Ramírez, Steven Kwan, David Fry and the hot-and-cold Josh Naylor are carrying too much weight on offense, while their Shane Bieber-less rotation notably ranks dead-last in fWAR.
Colorado Rockies: F
9 of 30
Record: 21-40, 5th in NL West
Run Differential: Minus-97
What's Good
The Rockies played some sneaky-good baseball for a minute there in May. They went on a 13-7 run at one point, highlighted by sweeps of the Texas Rangers and San Diego Padres.
Let's also take this opportunity to do the rare deed of praising Rockies pitchers. Namely, starter Austin Gomber, who has a 3.06 ERA, and late-inning relievers Jalen Beeks and Victor Vodnik, who had a combined 2.85 ERA before Beeks had a rough one on Wednesday.
What's Bad
Shouldn't a team that plays home games at Coors Field be scoring more than 4.08 runs per game? For that matter, shouldn't that same team try to avoid having a pitching staff with MLB's lowest strikeout rate and a defense with its second-lowest efficiency?
Detroit Tigers: C+
10 of 30
Record: 31-31, 4th in AL Central
Run Differential: Minus-3
What's Good
A fun fact about Tigers pitchers is they have the highest whiff rate in the American League. Tarik Skubal, Jack Flaherty and Reese Olson, especially, have been an unlikely elite starting trio to the tune of a combined 2.56 ERA.
Meanwhile, Riley Greene's breakout is ongoing. Through 61 games, he has a .796 OPS and already as many homers (11) as he had in 99 games last season.
What's Bad
The Tigers are only scoring 4.19 runs per game, yet their offense somehow feels worse than that. Maybe it's because Spencer Torkelson is a bust again. Maybe it's because Javier Báez is arguably the worst everyday player in MLB. Whatever it is, it's not good.
Houston Astros: D+
11 of 30
Record: 28-35, 3rd in AL West
Run Differential: Minus-3
What's Good
The Astros have gone 16-11 since falling 12 games under .500 on May 8. In a related story, the pitching has gone from a 5.05 ERA before then to a 3.24 ERA during this stretch.
There's otherwise never been anything too wrong with this offense. It leads the American League with a .257 average. And with 19 homers in 60 games, Kyle Tucker has a puncher's chance of breaking the franchise's single-season record of 47.
What's Bad
Recent stability notwithstanding, it's hard to feel good about Houston's pitching staff amid a wave of terrible injury news. And at some point, this team will have to pick on others that are ostensibly its own size. The Astros are 10-25 against clubs with winning records.
Kansas City Royals: B+
12 of 30
Record: 36-26, 2nd in AL Central
Run Differential: Plus-71
What's Good
Yeah, yeah. Bobby Witt Jr. has a shot at a second straight 30-30 homer season, and the Royals offense leads MLB with a .310 average with runners in scoring position.
Where the Royals have really improved on last year's 106-loss dud, though, is on the mound. Their ERA is down from 5.17 to 3.60, with the starters leading the way with a 3.17 ERA. And once Michael Wacha is back, the rotation won't have any weak links.
What's Bad
Setting aside how the offense doesn't go very deep and how the bullpen has been vulnerable, the bigger reason to doubt the Royals has to do with who they've beat up on. To wit, 23 of their 36 wins have come against teams with losing records.
Los Angeles Angels: F
13 of 30
Record: 24-38, 5th in AL West
Run Differential: Minus-51
What's Good
There are solid individual pieces in Anaheim, including on offense. Luis Rengifo is batting .327 and it's encouraging to see erstwhile top prospect Jo Adell co-leading the team alongside Taylor Ward with 11 homers apiece.
Otherwise, Tyler Anderson is having a best year that nobody seems to be noticing. He has a 2.37 ERA through 12 starts, and he even leads all MLB hurlers with 3.3 rWAR.
What's Bad
This was a doomed team even before Mike Trout had surgery to repair a torn meniscus, and it will remain doomed even after he returns. Heck, the Angels can't even give their fans a good show, as they've gone 10-21 at home.
Los Angeles Dodgers: A-
14 of 30
Record: 38-25, 1st in NL West
Run Differential: Plus-81
What's Good
The Dodgers haven't been below .500 at any point this season, which is about what you'd expect from a team coming off a $1.2 billion offseason.
Despite Shohei Ohtani's recent slump, he, Mookie Betts and Freddie Freeman have been more or less as advertised in combining for a .923 OPS. The Dodgers have also hit on Tyler Glasnow and Yoshinobu Yamamoto, who have almost five times as many strikeouts as walks.
What's Bad
It nonetheless feels like the Dodgers are less than the sum of their parts, and this has to do with how many parts they're missing. They need more lineup depth and greater stability behind Glasnow and Yamamoto, whether it comes from the injured list or the trade market.
Miami Marlins: F
15 of 30
Record: 21-41, 5th in NL East
Run Differential: Minus-88
What's Good
The Marlins have one of MLB's better back-end bullpen duos in Tanner Scott and Declan Cronin. Both have topped 20 appearances and are working on ERAs in the 1.00s.
This has otherwise been something of a rebound year for Jazz Chisholm Jr. His average and slugging percentage are down relative to 2023, but his OBP is up, and he and Bryce Harper co-lead MLB with two grand slams apiece.
What's Bad
The Marlins are the lowest-scoring team in the National League and only the Rockies and White Sox are allowing runs at a higher rate, so...yeah, it's about as bad as it looks. The only other "fun" note I have concerns how they're also 2-19 against left-handers.
Milwaukee Brewers: B+
16 of 30
Record: 36-26, 1st in NL Central
Run Differential: Plus-58
What's Good
Of all the surprising developments in 2024 so far, the Brewers being an offensive powerhouse is perhaps the biggest. After placing among the dregs with a .385 slugging percentage in 2023, they're slugging .408 and averaging 4.94 runs per game this year.
And yet, this offensive attack is about balance. The Brewers are the only NL team that's gotten at least five homers from nine different guys, but they're also 82-for-95 in stolen bases.
What's Bad
Though the Brewers also boast a 3.75 ERA, it feels fragile. They've already used 11 different starters and even the 4.10 ERA they've produced doesn't pass the smell test. If regression happens, this figures to be what drives it.
Minnesota Twins: B-
17 of 30
Record: 33-28, 3rd in AL Central
Run Differential: Minus-2
What's Good
The Twins' slow start to the year is a distant memory by now. They were once six games under .500 on April 21, but they're 26-15 since then and would be in the playoffs if the season ended today.
What the Twins really do well is avoid hurting themselves. Their pitchers have issued 154 walks, the second-fewest in MLB. Likewise, their defenders own the lowest total of errors with a pile of only 23.
What's Bad
Those things aside, the Twins haven't excelled at much else. It also bears noting just how much of their overall success they owe to beating up on bottom-feeding teams. They're 18-4 against clubs with losing records and 15-24 against everyone else.
New York Mets: D
18 of 30
Record: 27-35, 4th in NL East
Run Differential: Minus-29
What's Good
The Mets deserve some recognition for resurrecting Luis Severino and Sean Manaea. And despite Edwin Díaz's disappointing return to action following last year's knee injury, their bullpen has even Cleveland's beat in strikeout rate.
Otherwise, don't be too quick to write off this lineup. The Mets have seven regulars with an OPS+ of at least 100, something even the cross-town Yankees can't say.
What's Bad
Silver linings aside, this just isn't working. At least one aspect of this team has been short-circuiting every step of the way, and especially amid a 15-27 run since April 21. Jorge López may have been out of line, but he wasn't wrong.
New York Yankees: A+
19 of 30
Record: 44-19, 1st in AL East
Run Differential: Plus-115
What's Good
The Yankees are tied for the best record in MLB and all alone atop the run differential heap, so I could stop here and that A+ up there wouldn't need any further justification.
Just for fun, though, let's tip our hat to the potentially historic Juan Soto-Aaron Judge duo for driving an offense that leads MLB in home runs and OPS. And to Luis Gil, Clay Holmes and the other core members of a pitching staff with an MLB-low 2.79 ERA.
What's Bad
Though the Yankees only seem to be getting stronger, it still feels like they need another hitter. Also, their pitching dominance is built on a flimsy foundation. Most notably, no pitching staff has ever stranded runners at the rate this one is.
Oakland Athletics: D-
20 of 30
Record: 25-38, 4th in AL West
Run Differential: Minus-64
What's Good
Rarely has such a lousy team been such a pleasant surprise, and there are plenty of individual members of the A's who can claim credit for that. Especially on offense, where 18 different hitters have contributed at least one homer to the team's fifth-ranked sum of 74.
And as much as we all love Mason Miller and his triple-digit heat, he's only one guy in a bullpen with a fifth-ranked 3.38 ERA
What's Bad
Oakland's starting pitching, on the other hand, is even worse than its 4.87 ERA signals. Five of the team's six most oft-used starters are either on the IL or have been DFA'd, so you can see why the A's have a 4.90 ERA between the first and sixth innings.
Philadelphia Phillies: A
21 of 30
Record: 44-19, 1st in NL East
Run Differential: Plus-104
What's Good
The Phillies have been on a good run in recent years, but this season is seeing them make the leap to something more like "terrifying."
Bryce Harper and the offense are scoring 5.08 runs per game, placing just a hair behind Baltimore and Cleveland for the MLB lead. Meanwhile, the pitching staff has a 22-strikeout lead for the top spot, for which much is owed to a rotation with a league-best 2.64 ERA.
What's Bad
Yet have the Phillies been living too charmed of a life? I bring it up only because they've played just six games against teams with a winning record. The Yankees, who have the exact same record, have played 22 more games of this sort.
Pittsburgh Pirates: C
22 of 30
Record: 29-32, 4th in NL Central
Run Differential: Minus-20
What's Good
The Pirates are arguably lucky to be so close to .500 despite having such an underwater run differential, but that's what good starting pitching can do for a team.
Bucs starters are in the top 10 of MLB with a 3.60 ERA even though Paul Skenes, last year's No. 1 pick, only recently arrived. He, fellow rookie Jared Jones and Mitch Keller make for an intimidating threesome that already has a combined 3.28 ERA.
What's Bad
This said, the Pirates are well short of being an actual good team. They're a downright bad one offensively, including by way of a .229 average and only 55 home runs. Some quality pieces are there, but they have yet to jell.
San Diego Padres: B-
23 of 30
Record: 32-33, 2nd in NL West
Run Differential: Plus-7
What's Good
The Padres haven't really found their stride offensively, yet they lead MLB with a .258 average. It helps that they've gotten the best of Luis Arraez, who's hit .381 since coming over from Miami.
Padres pitchers otherwise miss their share of bats, and the team in general has a bit more fight than it did in 2023. Whereas they went 40-51 against winning teams then, they're 17-13 in those games this year.
What's Bad
This feels like a team with barely any room between its floor and ceiling, and it'll take more than just Manny Machado breaking out of his slump to fix that. Hopefully, Yu Darvish, Joe Musgrove and Xander Bogaerts will come back from injuries and aid the effort.
San Francisco Giants: C-
24 of 30
Record: 30-33, 3rd in NL West
Run Differential: Minus-28
What's Good
The Giants' starting duo of Logan Webb and Jordan Hicks is a fun one, especially for those who dig ground balls. They rank fourth and sixth, respectively, in ground-ball rate among qualified starters.
More generally, it wasn't long ago that the Giants were the hottest team in MLB. They played 12 games between May 15 and May 28 and won 10 of them.
What's Bad
So much of this roster is either broken (i.e., Blake Snell and Jung Hoo Lee) or malfunctioning (i.e., Jorge Soler and Camilo Doval). It's also shocking to see a team with defenders like Matt Chapman, Nick Ahmed and Thairo Estrada at the bottom of MLB in defensive efficiency.
Seattle Mariners: B
25 of 30
Record: 35-28, 1st in AL West
Run Differential: Plus-7
What's Good
Say what you will about how the Mariners are fortunate to be seven games over .500 while they have just a plus-seven run differential, but they've been winning the games that really count. Namely, they're 13-5 against other AL West teams.
Otherwise, no slander against this pitching staff will be tolerated. Mariners starters lead the AL in innings, while the bullpen is second to only Cleveland's in swinging-strike rate.
What's Bad
Maybe firing Brant Brown will help, but this offense has been bad news. That the Mariners are third from the bottom of MLB in scoring is bad enough. That they have easily the league's highest strikeout rate is arguably worse.
St. Louis Cardinals: D+
26 of 30
Record: 29-31, 3rd in NL Central
Run Differential: Minus-45
What's Good
The Cardinals went on a nice run between May 12 and May 29, winning 12 out of 15. It allowed them to catch up while the rest of the NL Central took something akin to a nap.
More generally, the Cardinals are enjoying having Masyn Winn's glove and Nolan Gorman's bat up the middle, as well as all three of their new starters. Sonny Gray, Lance Lynn and Kyle Gibson have a combined 3.33 ERA.
What's Bad
The Cardinals have scared nobody on either side of that 12-3 run in May, and they figure to continue struggling until Willson Contreras is healthy and Paul Goldschmidt and Nolan Arenado come back online. The trajectory of the latter two isn't exactly encouraging.
Tampa Bay Rays: C-
27 of 30
Record: 31-31, 4th in AL East
Run Differential: Minus-47
What's Good
Even with a six-game losing streak mixed in, the Rays are 17-13 since May 3. Isaac Paredes has gotten more support offensively during this stretch, most notably from reigning AL batting champ Yandy Díaz.
The bullpen has also been instrumental of late, and it's not even all Garrett Cleavinger's doing. The Rays' six most oft-used relievers have a 1.79 ERA since May 3.
What's Bad
The Rays should be more like 10 games under .500, and that's merely the big picture of unsustainability. This is a bad offensive team that notably has only 48 homers, or 31 fewer than the pitching staff has allowed.
Texas Rangers: C+
28 of 30
Record: 30-32, 2nd in AL West
Run Differential: Plus-13
What's Good
Corey Seager was cold at the outset of 2024, but now he's sitting on a 1.091 OPS and 11 homers in 28 games since May 3. Between him, Marcus Semien, Adolis García and upstart Josh Smith, the core of the Rangers' lineup remains scary.
And despite so many notable pitching absences, did you know Rangers hurlers are fourth in swinging-strike rate? It's true.
What's Bad
What we're beholding is a World Series champion merely trying to stay afloat until the second half. It hasn't been fun to watch, and now Seager's recent hot streak is under threat of being put on hold because of a hamstring injury.
Toronto Blue Jays: C-
29 of 30
Record: 29-32, 5th in AL East
Run Differential: Minus-44
What's Good
Let's be clear about at least one thing: Toronto may be in last place, but it's easily the best of the six last-place teams around MLB.
And there may be some daylight ahead. Vladimir Guerrero Jr. and Bo Bichette both found their strokes in May after both were cold in April. On the other side of the ball, Kevin Gausman and Chris Bassitt have also been coming around.
What's Bad
The Blue Jays' offensive decline is as undeniable as it is severe, and they're now scoring 1.33 fewer runs per game than they did in 2021. That simply can't continue, as neither the pitching nor the defense is good enough to save this team.
Washington Nationals: D
30 of 30
Record: 27-34, 3rd in NL East
Run Differential: Minus-25
What's Good
The Nationals deserve props for how much their pitching has improved in 2024. Their ERA is down more than a run from 5.02 to 4.03, and they've allowed only 52 home runs.
The Nats otherwise lead the majors with 95 stolen bases, and they've notably held their own with an 8-9 record within the NL East. Atlanta knows, as it's lost three of four to Washington.
What's Bad
Of course, all those stolen bases are necessary in light of the 48 homers the Nationals have produced on offense. And the good times for this team have generally grown stale, as it's lost 16 out of 24 since moving a game over .500 back on May 10.
Stats courtesy of Baseball Reference, FanGraphs and Baseball Savant.
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