10 things we learned from MLB’s first month

That sure went quick.

Small-sample-size caveats abound, let’s not spend too much time on conclusions from the first 28 days of a 183-day season. It's OK not to ignore them, too, though. There's a lot of fact and fiction to wade through over the first month of the season, a stretch that's already seen multiple players hit double-digit homers and a pair of teams fall victim to double-digit division deficits. Yes, a lot can happen in April, and here’s what we think we’ve learned so far:

1. Syndergaard's the stud we expected him to be

One of the early highlights of the 2016 campaign has been hammer-wielding superhero Noah Syndergaard. Thor's striking out left-handed batters almost every second plate appearance (40.3 percent) and the 23-year-old flamethrower already has more Ks than Zack Greinke, Chris Sale, and Stephen Strasburg. Syndergaard's 26 swings and misses April 12 were the most by a Met in 15 years, and he didn't surrender his first homer until Sunday. He's the hardest throwing pitcher in the majors, and his slider is so good it's funny. Should be an hilarious season, then, for the Mets’ big right-hander.

2. Chicago White Sox might be for real

"Might" being the operative word. The White Sox were an average team offensively in April, ranking 15th in runs and managing a measly .701 OPS. They’ve received surprisingly strong performances from Mat Latos, Brett Lawrie, and Melky Cabrera. While their success could be attributed at least in part to the schedule - their first six series came against the Padres, Athletics, Indians, Twins, Rays, and Angels - it might not be all smoke and mirrors with the South Siders, who have the most wins in the majors and quite possibly the best pitcher in baseball in Sale. The White Sox closed out the month with back-to-back sweeps of the Rangers and Blue Jays, and a four-game split in Baltimore.

3. Ortiz should reconsider his retirement plans

Forty is the new thirty in Boston, where early on, David Ortiz is trying to put together one of the greatest final seasons in MLB history. Ortiz has his Red Sox in first place through 25 games, thanks in large part to his league-leading 11 doubles and the AL’s fourth-best OBP (.417), slugging (.634), and OPS (1.051). He's stealing bases, hitting homers for young fans, and earning praise from his rivals, all of which begs the question: is there anything Super-Papi can't do?

4. Perhaps A-Rod should reconsider, too

Alex Rodriguez intends to play at least one more season, but April certainly didn't inspire any confidence that he’ll do so at a productive level. The soon-to-be 41-year-old labored through a sore oblique to hit just .185 with six extra-base hits for his struggling Yankees during the first month, before a strong showing at Fenway this weekend raised his average above the Mendoza line and his OPS to a respectable .749. A-Rod’s big series in Boston - which he capped with a homer, double, and five RBIs on Sunday - moved him to within single digits (eight) of 700 career homers.

5. PEDs are still a thing

Not since 2013 has baseball suspended this many prominent players. In a span of a week, last year’s NL batting champ, Dee Gordon, and Blue Jays first baseman Chris Colabello each received 80-game suspensions for testing positive for steroids. The surprising suspensions came a couple months after Jenrry Mejia’s third violation triggered a lifetime ban, which happened to follow the offseason Al Jazeera scandal involving Ryan Zimmerman, Ryan Howard, and allegations of HGH use. That's a speedster, journeyman, reliever, and two more sluggers implicated for those keeping score. If the scoreboard gets too lopsided by the end of the season, expect to see tougher penalties discussed during this winter's CBA negotiations.

6. NL is more than just good pitching

Perhaps in an effort to prove they don’t need a ninth position player in their lineup, National League teams outscored their DH-friendly brethren through the first month of play. The Senior Circuit accounts for six of the top seven run-producing teams - and four of the top five clubs in homers - entering Monday. That's not to say all teams in the NL are created equally. The Rockies, who lead the majors with 39 homers, have 17 more homers than the Dodgers (17) and Braves (5) combined.

7. Money can't buy you wins

At least not in April. The Giants and D-Backs stumbled through the first month without a lot to show for their offseason investments, each winning fewer games than the Phillies while contributing to MLB’s only non-winning division. The new acquisitions weren't necessarily the problem - Johnny Cueto and Jeff Samardzija pitched well, and Zack Greinke has earned the right to have a rough month without comment - but neither club nor their fanbases expected a half-billion dollars in free-agent spending to look like this after four weeks.

8. AL East is as unpredictable as ever

The Blue Jays have a losing record, the Yankees are seven games under .500, and Chris Archer has served up the most homers in the majors. It’s shaping up to be another weird season in the East. More excitement is in store for May, when Ortiz takes his farewell tour to the Bronx, and Toronto plays 11 of its final 15 games this month against the division. Of course, there was plenty we didn’t necessarily learn, but were reminded of in April: Josh Donaldson is still making it rain, Manny Machado wants that MVP, and three of the AL’s top-five scoring teams are from the East.

9. You don't need to win to lead a division

Apparently, .500 baseball will suffice. After dumping on the Giants and D-Backs, we'd be remiss not to mention the rest of the NL West in this space. The offseason’s most intriguing division battled through key injuries during the first month to finish April with five losing records. The Dodgers needed Clayton Kershaw to single-handedly stop a six-game skid. Shelby Miller, the guy the D-Backs traded the No. 1 pick for, looks lost. The story so far has been more about Trevor Story than Greinke, Cueto, or even Kershaw. Struggles aside, the last-place Padres are only 3 1/2 games out of first place, so while the West might not produce a 90-win Wild Card team, the race could be quite compelling, nonetheless.

10. There's a lot we still haven't learned

Like how Latos managed a better ERA than Kershaw, or how Ian Kennedy emerged from April looking like a bargain. We’re still waiting on the clock to strike midnight on Story’s magical run, and at the rate Jake Arrieta is pitching, it's possible we haven't even seen the best of the Cubs dominant right-hander. David Price has allowed the most earned runs in the majors, Robinson Cano is hitting like it’s 2013, and Jose Altuve has as many homers as Edwin Encarnacion, Prince Fielder, and Justin Upton … combined. Yes, it's still very early.