MLB Roundtable: Best AL/NL team, who is underachieving most?
With the MLB season underway, theScore's MLB editors Josh Goldberg, Tom Ruminski, Simon Sharkey-Gotlieb, Brandon Wile, and Ben Wrixon look at some early storylines.
Who is the best American League team?
Tigers: Detroit is proving last season wasn't a fluke, but rather a sign of things to come. The Tigers boast a rotation with four legitimate starters, including ace Tarik Skubal, and a bullpen that owns the second-lowest ERA in the majors. On paper, the lineup doesn't look incredibly imposing, but collectively it's been a force. The team ranks second in runs, fifth in OPS, and sixth in home runs. Manager A.J. Hinch is a proven winner and does an incredible job of getting the most out of his players. This isn't a case of Detroit beating up on a weak division, either, as the team is 11-11 against teams .500 or better. - Wile
Yankees: New York's plus-61 run differential is a better indicator of the group's talent than its pedestrian 21-16 record, and simply having Aaron Judge, the best hitter on planet Earth, elevates this lineup above the rest in the AL. He's a huge reason this group leads the AL in home runs (62) and ranks second in runs scored (206) despite several injuries and slow starts. Late-game execution has been the real issue, as Devin Williams has already sunk the team on several occasions with meltdowns in big spots. Some ninth-inning stability is all this team really needs to go on a run. - Wrixon
Mariners: The AL West leaders are 17-6 since April 11. Seattle's bats have come alive during the torrid stretch, averaging over six runs per contest while collectively slashing .271/.359/.457 with 37 homers. What's been even more impressive is the Mariners are winning without their top two starting pitchers, as George Kirby has yet to pitch this season because of a shoulder injury and Logan Gilbert is recovering from a flexor strain. - Ruminski
Who is the best National League team right now?
Dodgers: Injuries are once again decimating the Dodgers. They're down to four regular starters with Tyler Glasnow and Blake Snell on the IL; key hitters Teoscar Hernández and Tommy Edman are also out, as are relievers Evan Phillips and Blake Treinen. Freddie Freeman missed a few weeks in April, and Mookie Betts has taken a bit longer than usual to heat up. Meanwhile, all three of their main division rivals got off to red-hot starts, ensuring this year's NL West will be very competitive. But none of that has stopped the defending champions from posting an NL-best 25-13 record. Until they say otherwise, the Dodgers are still kings of the Senior Circuit. - Sharkey-Gotlieb
Mets: New York's success this season has surprisingly been defined by its rotation. Its starting pitchers - Clay Holmes, Kodai Senga, David Peterson, Griffin Canning, and Tylor Megill - currently lead MLB in ERA. Pete Alonso is a legitimate MVP candidate, and Juan Soto is rounding into form at the plate. The Mets and Dodgers could be on another collision course to meet in the NLCS for a second consecutive season. - Goldberg
Cubs: The rotation is banged up, and the loss of Justin Steele is a major concern, but no team has been tested this season like Chicago, which has continued to roll. The Cubs lead the NL Central and own one of the majors' best run differentials despite playing the most difficult schedule of any team. The offense is what really sets this team apart; the Cubs are first in the majors in runs, hits, and stolen bases, while sitting third in OPS and home runs. Kyle Tucker is a legitimate MVP candidate, while Pete Crow-Armstrong, Seiya Suzuki, and Michael Busch are among the team's qualified hitters with an OPS over .800. Armed with a top-10 farm system, the Cubs are expected to be aggressive at the trade deadline in order to make this team a World Series threat. - Wile
Which team is underachieving most?
Orioles: There were plenty of questions about the state of this year's Orioles after their bizarre winter, but not even the most pessimistic folks could have seen this coming. Only the Pirates, White Sox, and Rockies own a worse record than Baltimore, and only Colorado owns a worse run differential than the O's minus-69. Much of that can be attributed to a pitching staff that's been atrocious, even after accounting for injuries to Grayson Rodriguez and Zach Eflin. But it's not just the arms at fault. Baltimore ranks 26th in total offense (2.2 fWAR) and 17th in wRC+ (96). Cedric Mullins is its only qualified hitter with an OPS above .800. The Orioles have now lost seven straight and sit 7 1/2 games out of first - a deficit that already feels much, much bigger. - Sharkey-Gotlieb
Rangers: Texas was a popular pick to win the AL West heading into the season but has disappointed thus far. While many expected its lineup would need to overcome its thin pitching, it's actually been the opposite. The Rangers look lost at the plate. They've scored fewer runs than the Chicago White Sox. Big names like Adolis García, Marcus Semien, and Joc Pederson have been dreadful, Jake Burger got demoted to the minor leagues, and the team already fired its offensive coordinator. That magical 2023 World Series run is starting to look like an outlier season. - Wrixon
Blue Jays: Toronto entered the season as a potential wild-card team if things broke right, so it's not exactly shocking to see the club struggling with many of the same issues - lack of power, starting depth, and bullpen implosions - that resulted in a last-place finish in the division in 2024. The Blue Jays are pretty fortunate to be only four games out of the AL East lead since their pythagorean winning percentage is that of a club with a 14-22 record due to a minus-36 run differential. A recent 5-12 stretch makes matters look worse than they appear, but it's tough to make excuses with the fifth-highest payroll in baseball. - Ruminski
Who is the biggest challenger to Judge for AL MVP?
Bobby Witt Jr.: The All-Star shortstop finished second in voting behind Judge last year as one of MLB's true five-tool superstars. A 9.0 fWAR season is likely needed to even get in the conversation with Judge, and Witt can definitely get there again if he hits 30 homers, steals 50 bases, and continues to play excellent defense. He's already been worth 2.5 fWAR with five homers and 13 stolen bases. It's unlikely that anyone will match Judge's offensive counting stats, but Witt could eclipse him in all-around value if he continues playing at his current pace. - Wrixon
Alex Bregman: The fit at Fenway Park was not overstated. Bregman's been even better than expected in his first season in Boston. The 31-year-old is second in MLB in doubles, third in the AL with a .988 OPS through 38 games, and has hit a team-leading nine home runs to go with 30 RBIs, all while solidifying third base. But Bregman's production isn't just inflated by playing half his games in a hitter's park, as he owns a 1.009 OPS on the road this season. With his solid defensive ability, elite offensive skills, and durable track record, expect Bregman to be in the hunt for his first MVP all season. - Wile
Cal Raleigh: Big Dumper is the best catcher in baseball right now. He sits among the AL leaders in fWAR while combining incredible power at the plate withs strong defensive play. Raleigh is on pace for the first 40-homer season of his career as the Mariners look poised to get back to the postseason after missing out the past two years. A catcher hasn't won MVP since Buster Posey took home the NL award in 2012. - Goldberg
What has been the most eye-catching stat early on?
Trent Grisham's 10 homers: The Yankees outfielder has somehow become Babe Ruth. But all jokes aside, the 28-year-old has already surpassed his 2024 homer total of nine in just 31 games this season. Grisham is also on pace to shatter his career high of 17 homers, set in 2022. It's hard to imagine this run is sustainable over a full campaign, but stranger things have happened, and his Baseball Savant page is covered in red. - Ruminski
Mariners' 124 wRC+: If you say that you predicted the Mariners would be own the league's second-best wRC+ through six weeks of play, you're a liar. Nobody predicted this. But it's happened, and it shows just how good of a team these Mariners are. Seattle's suddenly potent offense seems to be well-rounded; the team ranks second in OBP (.340), fourth in homers (51), and seventh in runs scored (185). The plus-31 run differential, which ranks third in the AL, would suggest this is all sustainable, even if Jorge Polanco doesn't finish the season with a SLG above .700. The Mariners have mashed their way to the top of the AL West, and they don't seem ready to let it go. - Sharkey-Gotlieb
Matthew Liberatore's WAR: Liberatore has been one of the more pleasant surprises through the start of the season. The Cardinals left-hander is inside the top 10 among all MLB starting pitchers with 1.4 fWAR in his first seven starts. The 25-year-old utilizes a deep arsenal to keep hitters on both sides of the plate off balance. The former top prospect's FIP (2.31) is also lower than his 3.07 ERA, suggesting even better performances could be on the horizon. - Goldberg