MLB Report Card Grades for All 30 Teams at the End of April
April is drawing to a close, and the first round of MLB report cards are due.
There's a ton of baseball left, meaning none of these grades are final. Consider them a progress report on how all 30 teams fared during the initial lap of the 162-game marathon.
A couple of things to keep in mind:
- We're grading on a curve. Teams will be judged on stats and win-loss totals, but it's far worse for an expected contender to be mired below .500 than it is for a rebuilding franchise.
- All grades are fluid. We've got approximately a month's worth of data to work with, but a good or bad week in early May could turn any report card upside down.
American League West
1 of 6
Houston Astros (14-8)
The Astros have been firing on all cylinders, with an offense that ranks seventh in baseball with a .760 OPS and a pitching staff that's tied for fifth in the game with a 3.48 ERA.
Dallas Keuchel—who won the American League Cy Young Award in 2015 but plummeted to earth last season—has been a resurgent revelation, while the lineup is clicking despite a slowish start by stud shortstop Carlos Correa.
The 'Stros aren't running away with the AL West, but they look like clear division favorites.
Grade: A
Los Angeles Angels (12-12)
The good news for the Angels is they're in second place; the bad news is they probably won't stay there.
The Halos were dealt a devastating blow when ace Garrett Richards landed on the 60-day disabled list with a strained biceps, leaving the starting rotation in a state of disarray.
Reigning AL MVP Mike Trout remains the best player in baseball, yet the Angels rank in the bottom third in runs scored.
It was a decent month in the standings, but the prognosis isn't rosy in Anaheim.
Grade: C+
Oakland Athletics (10-12)
An afterthought in most preseason prognostications, the A's have hung around .500 despite losing four straight. They deserve credit for that.
They also rank in the bottom third in team ERA and runs scored, and they own a minus-17 run differential. The record's not bad considering, but place your bets on executive vice president of baseball operations Billy Beane going into sell mode by the trade deadline.
Grade: C
Texas Rangers (10-12)
The two-time defending AL West champs have wobbled out of the chute.
On offense, Texas ranks 28th in the game with a .219 team batting average but is tied for fourth with 31 home runs. The pitching staff, led by the ace duo of Yu Darvish and Cole Hamels, ranks among the top 10 in ERA.
The Rangers' plus-11 run differential is second in the division behind Houston's plus-14, meaning they should be above .500. Their grade suffers accordingly, though there's hope for the Lone Star State's other October contender.
Grade: C-
Seattle Mariners (10-13)
The Seattle Mariners have scored enough to win. They lead the American League with 109 runs and have augmented the core of Nelson Cruz, Robinson Cano and Kyle Seager with the likes of rookie Mitch Haniger and shortstop Jean Segura.
Their pitching, meanwhile, ranks second-to-last in the Junior Circuit with a 4.58 ERA.
Add the fact that ace Felix Hernandez landed on the disabled list with shoulder inflammation, and there's cause for genuine panic in the Pacific Northwest.
Grade: D+
American League Central
2 of 6
Cleveland Indians (12-9)
After opening the season at 5-6, the AL champions have won seven of their last nine.
Shortstop Francisco Lindor has added power to his already-enviable skill set, cracking six home runs and teasing next-level superstar potential.
There are nits to pick, including ace Corey Kluber's plus-4.00 ERA, but overall the Indians resemble what they are: odds-on division darlings.
Grade: B+
Chicago White Sox (11-9)
A rebuilding project no one expected to contend, the White Sox are above .500 and own the Central's best run differential at plus-13.
They've done it largely on the strength of a pitching staff that ranks second in the game with a 2.92 ERA. Plus, they have exciting talent waiting in the wings, including infielder Yoan Moncada, the top position-player prospect in the game, according to MLB.com.
Can the honeymoon last? Probably not. But Chicago gets credit for a strong month, and the future is bright on the South Side.
Grade: A
Detroit Tigers (11-10)
The Tigers are eschewing a rebuild of their own and opting to go for it with an aging core. After a solid start, they've lost six of their last 10.
Detroit isn't sunk; the offense is tied for seventh in the game with 104 runs scored. The pitching staff, on the other hand, checks in dead last with a 5.29 ERA, while the bullpen owns an even more atrocious 6.72 ERA.
A plus-.500 record buoys the Tigers' grade, but there are red flags in the Motor City.
Grade: B-
Minnesota Twins (10-11)
The Minnesota Twins rank near the middle of the pack in runs scored and team ERA. They've scored 88 runs and allowed exactly as many. They've lost seven of their last 10, yet they're hanging around .500.
That counts as progress for a young team that broke out in 2015 but backslid to a 59-103 record last season. They're still waiting on touted outfielder Byron Buxton to match the hype, and they likely won't be a serious postseason contender.
When you're coming off a 100-loss campaign, however, you take your positives where you find them.
Grade: B
Kansas City Royals (7-14)
Losers of seven straight and eight of their last 10, the Kansas City Royals are a shell of the team that won the pennant in 2014 and hoisted a Commissioner's Trophy in 2015.
They rank last in baseball in runs scored (54), batting average (.203) and OPS (.587), and they haven't pitched well enough to make up the difference, particularly in the bullpen.
General manager Dayton Moore sounded a semi-optimistic note.
"Right now this is certainly the group of players that we believe in," Moore said, per Rustin Dodd of the Kansas City Star. "There simply is not enough sample size in 2017 to abandon or pull the plug or chart another course."
Fair enough. As Aprils go, though, this one was unequivocally lousy.
Grade: D
American League East
3 of 6
Baltimore Orioles (14-6)
Coming into the season, the conventional wisdom was that the Orioles would hit a lot of home runs but their pitching might falter.
So far, they're tied for 15th with 26 home runs, yet rank third with a 3.41 ERA.
To be fair, everyone knew Baltimore's bullpen was stout, and it has been despite closer Zach Britton's forearm issue. The starters, though, have held up their end despite losing ostensible No. 1 Chris Tillman to a shoulder injury.
The AL East figures to be a dogfight to the end. For now, the O's boast alpha status.
Grade: A
New York Yankees (13-7)
The Yankees have owned the Bronx, going 8-1 at home. The up-and-coming Bombers have also won seven of their last 10 and sit just one game out of first place.
They've done all of that while getting just five games out of stud catcher Gary Sanchez, who went down with a biceps strain. Another youngster, right fielder Aaron Judge, has picked up the slack with seven homers, while veterans such as Starlin Castro, Chase Headley and Jacoby Ellsbury have kicked in.
On the pitching side, ace Masahiro Tanaka got off to a shaky start, but the Yanks pace baseball with a 2.90 ERA.
Grade: A
Boston Red Sox (11-10)
The near-consensus division favorites entering the season, the Red Sox have been mostly mediocre in the early going.
Boston ranks in the bottom third in runs scored (78) and OPS (.699) and its starting rotation, minus the injured David Price, sports a 4.11 ERA.
There's too much talent on the roster for the Sox not to make a push, but for now disappointment is the buzzword in Beantown.
Grade: C-
Tampa Bay Rays (11-12)
A perennially sexy sleeper pick, the Rays have been surprisingly effective on offense, scoring the fourth-most runs (102) in the Junior Circuit.
Their starting pitching has been a bit less than advertised with a 3.84 ERA, and it's worth asking if the bats can keep it going.
For a small-market fish in a pond full of big spenders, though, Tampa Bay is holding its own.
Grade: B
Toronto Blue Jays (6-16)
We'll keep this short and not so sweet: The Blue Jays have the worst record in baseball. They lost their top hitter, Josh Donaldson, to a calf injury. They have a negative-23 run differential and have gone an abysmal 2-7 at Rogers Centre.
For a club that's made the playoffs two straight seasons and has designs on another run, that's an awful look.
Grade: D-
.png?w=256)
National League West
4 of 6
Arizona Diamondbacks (15-9)
Just about everything went wrong for the Diamondbacks in 2016, to the point where us media types got sick of trotting out the phrase "snakebitten."
So far in 2017, Arizona is on a comeback path.
They're third in baseball with a .788 OPS and second with 132 runs scored. The starting pitching ranks fourth with a 3.47 ERA, boosted by the reemergence of $200 million-plus man Zack Greinke, who defined bust in his first year with the D-Backs.
The West is a deep, competitive division, but don't expect the Snakes to slither away.
Grade: A
Colorado Rockies (14-9)
The Rockies are nipping at the Diamondbacks' heels for both the division lead and the title of sleeper pick made good.
They can hit—what else is new?—as they rank fourth with a .770 OPS and are tied for fourth with 109 runs scored.
The pitching, meanwhile, has held its own away from Coors Field, posting the seventh-best road ERA (3.52) in either league.
Walks have been an issue, as Nick Groke of the Denver Post outlined, and right-hander Jon Gray is out with a foot fracture. But new skipper and former hurler Bud Black has this group on the right track.
Grade: A-
Los Angeles Dodgers (11-12)
The Dodgers have won four straight division titles and have the game's gaudiest payroll. Anything less than dominance is a letdown.
A plus-15 run differential suggests their record is more an anomaly than a harbinger of doom. Clayton Kershaw is still the best pitcher on the planet, and shortstop Corey Seager is laughing in the face of a sophomore slump.
Still, sub-.500 is sub-.500, and it won't cut mustard in the home of the Dodger Dog.
Grade: C-
San Diego Padres (9-15)
The Padres were supposed to be a rebuilding also-ran and that's precisely what they've been. In fact, with a minus-41 run differential, that 9-15 record could be on the lucky side.
First baseman Wil Myers is putting together another All-Star caliber season and outfielder Manuel Margot looks like a star in the making, but it's going to be a long, loss-filled season in San Diego.
Grade: C
San Francisco Giants (8-15)
After watching their even-year magic fizzle in 2016, the Giants have limped out of the odd-year gate.
As if looking up at the lowly Friars wasn't bad enough, San Francisco lost ace Madison Bumgarner to a dirt bike accident that damaged his formerly indestructible left shoulder.
The promotion of rookie infielder Christian Arroyo has given the offense a shot in the arm, but things have been mostly dreary by the Bay.
Grade: D
National League Central
5 of 6
Chicago Cubs (12-9)
The Cubs are the champions and baseball's most complete team. What would it take for them to earn an "A"? An undefeated record? A cure for the common cold? A President Trump impression even better than Alec Baldwin's?
In all seriousness, the Cubs have mostly done what everyone expected them to do. They've hit (tied for fourth with 109 runs scored), pitched (seventh with a 3.65 ERA) and fielded (second-best team defense, per FanGraphs).
They're dinged only by impossibly high expectations, which is what's known as a good problem to have.
Grade: B+
Milwaukee Brewers (12-11)
The story in Milwaukee has been Eric Thames, who returned to the big leagues from a stint in Korea and has gone on an absolute tear, bashing 11 home runs with a 1.393 OPS.
He's also responded to the doubters by taking two (ahem) "random" drug tests, and delivering the quote of the year, per MLB.com's Adam McCalvy: "I have lots of blood and urine."
Overall, the Crew have been a pleasant surprise, with a winning record and plus-16 run differential. They may sink eventually in the top-heavy NL Central. For the moment, like Thames, they should enjoy the ride.
Grade: B+
St. Louis Cardinals (11-11)
After starting the season 3-9, the Cardinals have won eight of their last 10 and crept back to .500. Their starting pitching ranks fifth in baseball with a 3.49 ERA and the offense has begun to pick it up, scoring 19 runs over the last three games.
A .500 record and third-place standing won't sit well with a fanbase accustomed to annual contention, but the signs are pointing in the right direction for St. Louis.
Grade: B-
Cincinnati Reds (10-12)
The Reds were a fun early story, as they opened the season 8-4. They've gone 2-8 since and appear headed for their eventual home in the division basement.
Still, there are positives aplenty, including the emergence of third baseman Eugenio Suarez and the best team defense in the game, per FanGraphs.
Grade: B
Pittsburgh Pirates (9-12)
The Pittsburgh Pirates have been battered from all sides en route to a last-place April. The gut-punch, however, was the 80-game performance-enhancing drug suspension slapped on center fielder Starling Marte.
The Bucs could pick up the pieces. There's still enough talent in the lineup, rotation and bullpen to compete for a playoff berth.
From a performance and morale standpoint, however, this was an April to forget.
Grade: D
National League East
6 of 6
Washington Nationals (16-6)
The best record in baseball? Check. A huge comeback season from 2015 NL MVP and hirsute lineup anchor Bryce Harper? Double check.
Toss in the continued ascent of speedster Trea Turner, bushels of hits from Daniel Murphy and sub-2.00 ERAs from Max Scherzer and Gio Gonzalez, and it's tough to imagine how things could be going much better in the nation's capital.
Well, in terms of baseball at least.
Grade: A
Philadelphia Phillies (11-9)
Winners of six straight and eight of their last 10, the Phillies have climbed above .500 and into second place.
They've done it by feasting on division competition, as all half-dozen of their recent wins came against NL East foes (the Nats excluded).
Philadelphia is tied for 14th in runs scored (95) and for 22nd in ERA (4.13). With their stable of promising arms and a lineup balanced by youth and veteran pieces, however, the Phils could be a factor.
Grade: B+
Miami Marlins (10-10)
The Miami Marlins have been perfectly mediocre thus far, with a .500 record and middle-of-the-pack team stats on offense and on the mound. There have been bright spots, including seven homers from Giancarlo Stanton and the continued rise of fellow outfielders Marcell Ozuna and Christian Yelich.
The biggest story in South Beach, though, is the possible sale of the team to a group led by former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush and Yankee captain Derek Jeter.
Off-field drama overshadowing the play on the field? How very Marlins.
Grade: C for performance, A for intrigue
Atlanta Braves (8-12)
On one hand, the Braves opened the season with a perfect 4-0 at shiny new SunTrust Park. On the other hand, they've lost three straight at home since and six of their last 10 overall.
First baseman Freddie Freeman is hitting like an MVP contender and touted rookie shortstop Dansby Swanson has shown flashes despite a .138 average.
Atlanta, though, has a minus-12 run differential and a .400 winning percentage. Even with properly calibrated expectations, there's nothing shiny about that.
Grade: C-
New York Mets (8-13)
Thursday was not a good day for the Mets.
First, ace Noah Syndergaard was scratched from his start with a tired arm, per Brian Lewis of the New York Post. Then, during the game, slugger Yoenis Cespedes suffered a pulled left hamstring and had to be helped off the field.
Even without those potentially devastating losses, the Mets are limping. They've lost six straight and nine of 10. Syndergaard was dealing, but their vaunted rotation owns a pedestrian 3.96 ERA overall. The offense, meanwhile, ranks dead last in the NL with a .209 average.
Swift returns from Syndergaard and Cespedes will help, but New York's problems go much deeper.
Grade: D-
All statistics and standings current as of Thursday and courtesy of MLB.com and Baseball Reference unless otherwise noted.
.png?w=480)
