With one quarter of the MLB season in the books, the strengths and weaknesses of teams are becoming much clearer. Here, we lay out where each team in both leagues is lacking.
Arizona has had a relatively strong start, but closer remains a major issue. The 40-year-old Fernando Rodney has converted nine saves but has allowed 15 runs in only 13.2 innings.
Atlanta revamped its rotation in the offseason by adding Bartolo Colon, R.A. Dickey and Jaime Garcia, but the additions haven't gone as planned. Colon, in particular, has struggled at age 43, and the team has the sixth worst rotation ERA in baseball.
Dylan Bundy and Wade Miley have been extremely effective, but the Baltimore rotation has struggled from there. Kevin Gausman and Ubaldo Jimenez each have ERAs above 6.00. The team did get Chris Tillman back from a shoulder injury recently.
Boston lost David Price in spring training and has struggled to fill in at the end of the rotation as a result. The Red Sox also lost Steven Wright for the year after posting an 8.25 ERA in five starts, and Drew Pomeranz has also struggled.
The Cubs banked on Brett Anderson as their fifth starter after allowing Jason Hammel to walk in free agency. Anderson has an ERA above 8.00 and is on the DL, a familiar place for him. The good news is that Eddie Butler did fare well in his first start filling in.
Chicago's hitting splits this season are odd to say the least. The White Sox rank eighth in OPS vs. lefties but second to last against right-handers. The result has been the third lowest run total in the AL, with top hitters Jose Abreu and Avisail Garcia batting from the right side.
Cincinnati's rotation didn't look good on paper before Homer Bailey and Anthony DeSclafani suffered injuries. The team has relied on veteran Bronson Arroyo and a host of youngsters. Amir Garrett has been the lone bright spot for a rotation that ranks only ahead of the injury-ravaged Mets in NL ERA.
Cleveland's rotation should get better if Corey Kluber's back can get healthy, but the Indians currently have the fifth worst starters ERA in baseball. Danny Salazar has also struggled this season.
Trevor Story was spectacular in his rookie season last year, but he's struggled so far this year. He's now on the DL with a shoulder injury after posting a .685 OPS. For the season, Rockies shortstops have a .676 OPS.
Detroit's bullpen has the worst ERA in baseball (5.60) and has already removed Francisco Rodriguez from the closer role. They Tigers hope Justin Wilson can help fix some of the issues, but they go much deeper than the closer role.
There are few issues to speak of for the first-place Astros, though the end of the rotation has been mediocre. Joe Musgrove has a 5.02 ERA in seven starts, while Mike Fiers has a 5.75 ERA and has allowed an incredible 16 home runs in 36 innings.
Kansas City's offense has been historically bad through 37 games. They're scored only 119 runs with a .646 OPS. Sitting in last place in the AL Central, it's becoming clear that a fire sale is on the horizon.
As usual, the Angels' lineup has struggled aside from Mike Trout and a few others. In particular, center fielder Cameron Maybin has been poor with a .185 batting average, and Danny Espinosa is hitting just .147.
The Dodgers had an injury-prone roster coming into the season, so it's not surprising that they've had plenty of injury issues. They're currently without Adrian Gonzalez, Logan Forsythe and Andrew Toles in the lineup. The rotation has also lost Hyun-Jin Ryu, Scott Kazmir, Kenta Maeda and Rich Hill at various points in the year.
Miami's rotation has the third worst ERA in baseball, which isn't surprising as it looked like a clear weakness coming into the year. Wei-Yin Chen is now on the DL, and Edinson Volquez has struggled with his control.
Neftali Feliz has been temporarily removed from the closer role after struggling earlier this season. He has an ERA above 6.00 through 19 appearances.
The Twins are rolling with former top prospect Byron Buxton through thick and thin. He's started to hit more but is still batting just an atrocious .173-1-4 with 38 strikeouts in 31 games.
Who would have thought the Mets' rotation would be their downfall? It's now the worst in baseball due in large part to injuries for Steven Matz and Noah Syndergaard. Of course, Matt Harvey and Robert Gsellman have also pitched especially poorly.
New York has been one of the league's early surprised, getting great hitting and good pitching from the front end of the rotation. The back end of the rotation, in particular CC Sabathia, has really struggled. He has a 5.77 ERA through seven starts and could be at risk of losing his rotation spot soon.
Oakland has received some pleasant surprises in the lineup and rotation. Right field has been a major issue, however, with Matt Joyce's struggles (.661 OPS) leading the way. The team has a .620 OPS at the position.
While Jeremy Hellickson has been satisfactory, Aaron Nola has spent much of the first six weeks on the DL and Jerad Eickhoff has struggled. Also, the Phillies removed Jeanmar Gomez from the closer role early in the year, and the bullpen continues to struggle.
Pittsburgh has had incredibly bad luck this season, from Jung Ho Kang's visa issues to Starling Marte's PEDs suspension to Jameson Taillon's cancer surgery. The Pirates have scored the third fewest runs in baseball, but that's only one of their many issues.
Where do we start? The Padres rank fourth worst in runs scored and have the fifth worst ERA despite playing their home games in a pitcher's park. They clearly dumped this season, so the poor performance comes as no surprise.
San Francisco's hitting has been terrible, and the pitching has almost been just as bad without ace Madison Bumgarner. The Giants can at least expect to get Bumgarner back around the All-Star break, but the anemic offense could have bigger issues, especially with the performance of the outfield.
Seattle's 4.63 ERA (ranked 25th) isn't great, and the Mariners now have four starting pitchers on the DL. James Paxton and Felix Hernandez could return in short order, but it's been a bloodbath in the Seattle rotation.
St. Louis ranks 20th in OPS vs. lefties, as usual staple Randal Grichuk has struggled to come through against them. Right-handed bat Jhonny Peralta has also been on the DL for much of the season.
Low-budget teams often have issues with depth, and that's been the case for Tampa Bay this season. The bullpen has struggled on the back end, with Jumbo Diaz and Austin Pruitt both posting ERAs above 5.00 at this point. Fortunately, the team has found reliable arms in Alex Colome, Tommy Hunter, Chase Whitley and Danny Farquhar.
To say the Rangers have had issues against lefties would be an understatement. They have a league-worst .555 OPS against them. Six of the team's regulars are hitting below .200 against left-handed pitching. The bullpen has also been poor.
Toronto's has been arguably the most disappointing team in baseball this year, and it's easy to see why when looking at the DL transactions. J.A. Happ, Aaron Sanchez, Josh Donaldson and Troy Tulowitzki are just a few of the key players who have missed time.
Washington's incredible offense has kept the team afloat despite an awful performance by the bullpen. Initial closer Blake Treinen lost the job early in the season, while replacements Shawn Kelley and Koda Glover have spent time on the DL.
Seth Trachtman is a fantasy sports expert and diehard Kansas City Chiefs fan. He doesn't often Tweet, but when he does, you can find him on Twitter @sethroto.
More must-reads:
Get the latest news and rumors, customized to your favorite sports and teams. Emailed daily. Always free!