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An unexpected bright spot from each MLB team

Arizona Diamondbacks second baseman Ildemaro Vargas (6) Rick Scuteri-Imagn Images

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An unexpected bright spot from each MLB team

By Aaron Somers, David Hill, Eric Smithling, Taylor Bretl, Zachary Cariola, John Perrotto | Last updated May 5, 2026 5:40 PM ET

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The calendar may show that it's early in May, but most MLB teams have played 35-36 games and roughly one-fifth of the regular season is complete. There is a lot of baseball left to play this season, but there have been plenty of surprises around the league.

Diamondbacks nomadic-infielder Ildemaro Vargas is leading the majors with a .382 batting average. Japanese import and White Sox first baseman Munetaka Murakami is tied for the MLB lead in home runs. Six starting pitchers (Justin Wrobleski, Cam Schlittler, Davis Martin, Clay Holmes, Nick Martinez, and Jose Soriano) all have ERAs under 2.00.

If the postseason began today, the Athletics would win the AL West, and the White Sox would be an AL Wild Card. The two clubs combined to go 136-188 (a .419 winning percentage) in 2025.

This week, Yardbarker's team of MLB writers got together to identify some of the unexpected bright spots we've seen across the league.

(Team records and statistics are entering play on Tuesday unless otherwise noted.)

NL East

Atlanta Braves pitcher Bryce Elder (55) Dale Zanine-Imagn Images

Atlanta Braves (25-11) | RHP Bryce Elder | Elder struggled with results in both 2024 (6.52 ERA in 10 starts) and 2025 (5.30 ERA in 28 starts). 2026 has proven to be the opposite thus far, as Elder maintains a 1.88 ERA and 1.05 WHIP through his first seven starts (43.0 IP). His ability to get ahead of hitters -- a 60.5% first pitch strike percentage -- has been crucial.

Washington Nationals (16-19) | OF Daylen Lile | Lile established himself as someone to watch on the Nationals' roster last season, batting .299 with an .845 OPS and nine homers in 91 games. The offensive numbers may have cooled off some this season (.246 with a .681 OPS), but he's provided Gold Glove-caliber defense in left field (five defensive runs saved) and leads the NL in putouts (62).

Miami Marlins (16-19) | IF Xavier Edwards | Edwards showed signs of being a star player last season after getting a chance to play every day, batting .283 with a .695 OPS in 139 games. This season, Edwards is proving that last season wasn't a fluke, as he's fifth in hitting in MLB (.333) and walked more (19) than he's struck out (15), which is putting himself in line to be the National League's starting second baseman at the All-Star game.

Philadelphia Phillies (15-20) | IF Edmundo Sosa | Overall, the Phillies have not found a lot of offensive production from a lineup with the third-worst batting average (.225) and fourth-worst OPS (.667) in the majors. Sosa may be the lone bright spot in the lineup outside of Bryce Harper and Kyle Schwarber. Sosa is hitting .277 with a .710 OPS and might see himself with more playing time should Bryson Stott and Alec Bohm continue to struggle.

New York Mets (13-22) | OF MJ Melendez | Signed as a free agent after four failed seasons with the Kansas City Royals (.215/.685), Melendez has benefited from a change of scenery. In 15 games with the Mets, Melendez is batting .297 with a .907 OPS and has been a great replacement for the struggling Carson Benge (.192/.579).

-- Zachary Cariola

NL Central

Chicago Cubs left fielder Michael Conforto (20) Nathan Ray Seebeck-Imagn Images

Chicago Cubs (23-12) | OF Michael Conforto | Even though he’s in a limited role, mainly used as a bench bat, Conforto has been a sneaky bat when called upon, slashing .323/.436/.548 in 31 at-bats. Five of his 10 hits have gone for extra bases, with his most recent being a pinch-hit walk-off home run against division rival Cincinnati Reds on Monday.

St. Louis Cardinals (21-14) | RHP Gordon Graceffo | Graceffo has been one of the most reliable arms out of the Cardinals' bullpen, already making the second-most appearances on the team with 15. Through 18 2/3 innings, he’s posted a 1.93 ERA with a 2-0 record, two holds, and a save.

Cincinnati Reds (20-15) | DH/1B Nathaniel Lowe | Lowe has been a key run producer for the Reds, slashing .262/.342/.569, with five home runs and 15 RBI in 24 games. Even though he’s mainly been used as a designated hitter, Lowe can fill in at first when needed, logging 18 innings this season with no errors.

Pittsburgh Pirates (19-16) | RHP Yohan Ramirez | Most of the Pirates' offseason focused on adding to the lineup. Those efforts have borne results, but it's the Pirates' bullpen that has been the real surprise so far. Ramirez leads the group with 21.2 IP, posting a 2.08 ERA with 24 SO.

Milwaukee Brewers (18-16) | OF Brandon Lockridge | With Jackson Chourio missing the first 33 games of the season because of a hand injury, Lockridge stepped into a bigger opportunity, appearing in 26 of those games in the outfield. Lockridge batted .280 with 10 RBI. He has also been perfect on the basepaths, stealing five bases without getting caught once.

-- Taylor Bretl

NL West

Los Angeles Dodgers pitcher Justin Wrobleski (70) Jonathan Hui-Imagn Images

Los Angeles Dodgers (22-13) | LHP Justin Wrobleski | Few would have predicted that Wrobleski would be leading the Dodgers in wins on May 5. Yet the 25-year-old left-hander is 5-0 with a 1.25 ERA in five starts and one relief appearance. Those are impressive numbers for a pitcher who just reached one full year of major-league service time.

San Diego Padres (20-14) | C Luis Campusano | Campusano was once considered a top prospect in the sport, with Baseball America ranking him No. 36 before the 2021 season. However, the 27-year-old has never fully gained traction in the major leagues. This year may mark a change, as he is hitting .300/.352/.600 with three home runs in 17 games.

Arizona Diamondbacks (16-17) | IF Ildemaro Vargas | Vargas has spent 10 seasons in the major leagues but has just 1,421 plate appearances. Now, he is earning regular at-bats as he leads the majors in hitting, sporting a .382/.406/.657 slash line with an already career high six home runs in 26 games. He drew plenty of attention with a 27-game hitting streak that ended last Saturday.

San Francisco Giants (14-21) | DH/IF Casey Schmitt | Schmitt has been one of the Giants’ few productive hitters. The 27-year-old is hitting .308/.359/.542 with a team-high five home runs in 29 games. He leads the Giants with 16 RBIs as the primary designated hitter and adds versatility by playing all four infield spots.

Colorado Rockies (14-22) | RHP Tomoyuki Sugano | After a disappointing first major-league season in 2025 with the Orioles, Sugano has been the Rockies’ best starter. The 36-year-old is 3-2 with a 3.41 ERA in seven starts after going 10-10 with a 4.64 ERA the year before. Sugano previously played for 12 seasons in Japan's Nippon Professional Baseball.

-- John Perrotto

AL East

New York Yankees shortstop Jose Caballero (72) Vincent Carchietta-Imagn Images

New York Yankees (24-11) | SS Jose Caballero | The Yankees' plan at shortstop entering the season was for Caballero to "hold down" the position until Anthony Volpe returned from offseason shoulder surgery. Instead, Caballero has produced a better-than-expected .261/.313/.412 line with an AL-leading 13 stolen bases. The 29-year-old has played so well that New York optioned Volpe to Triple-A upon the completion of his minor league rehab assignment to keep Caballero's bat in the lineup consistently.

Tampa Bay Rays (22-12) | RHP Bryan Baker | Tampa Bay entered the season with questions at the back of their bullpen. The team allowed Pete Fairbanks to leave in free agency, and aside from Griffin Jax, there didn't appear to be a logical candidate to step into the closer role. Baker posted a league-average 4.06 ERA (101 ERA+) in 68.2 IP in 2025 with the Orioles and Rays, but the 31-year-old has stepped his game up this season. In 15 appearances totaling 13.2 IP, Baker has a 2.63 ERA (164 ERA+) and nine saves.

Toronto Blue Jays (16-19) | RHP Louis Varland | The Jays have spent much of the early part of the season playing shorthanded. Cody Ponce and Max Scherzer, two offseason signings to bolster the rotation, have combined to throw just 21.0 IP, and the former will miss the rest of the year with a sprained ACL. Backstop and team leader Alejandro Kirk played in just five games before fracturing his thumb. When Jeff Hoffman imploded in the closer role, the Jays needed to shift, and Varland has been among the best relievers in the AL, allowing just a single earned run in 17.0 IP (0.53 ERA) with 28 SO and four saves.

Baltimore Orioles (15-20) | LF Taylor Ward | Wanting to add to the offense, the Orioles made a bold move early in the offseason by trading RHP Grayson Rodriguez to the Angels for Ward. The O's knew that Ward could provide some power to the lineup after he hit a career-high 31 2B, 36 HR, and 103 RBI in 2025. Those numbers came with a .228/.317/.475 line, which Ward has only improved upon in Baltimore, as he's hitting .288/.423/.416 with an AL-leading 13 doubles so far this season.

Boston Red Sox (14-21) | 1B Willson Contreras | Boston's efforts to adjust the lineup during the offseason focused mainly on run prevention, rather than offensive output. Entering the season, not a single player on the club was projected to hit 20 HR. The absence of power was a concern, but Contreras has done what he could to help fill the void. The veteran first baseman has adapted to a new clubhouse smoothly and is hitting .270/.381/.475 with a team-leading 7 HR and 21 RBI.

-- Aaron Somers

AL Central

Detroit Tigers starting pitcher Keider Montero (54) Lon Horwedel-Imagn Images

Cleveland Guardians (18-18) | LHP Tim Herrin | Herrin has begun to develop a pattern where he struggles in odd-numbered years and is a formidable part of the bullpen in even-numbered years. That has been the case thus far as he has yet to allow an earned run in 13 appearances spanning 10.1 innings. His ability to generate weak contact and ground balls has made him an important part of the middle of the Guardians bullpen.

Detroit Tigers (18-18) | RHP Keider Montero | Montero failed to make the Tigers' Opening Day rotation but has emerged as a key part of their starting five. He has posted a 3.48 ERA and a 1.010 WHiP in his 33.2 innings, striking out 25 batters with seven walks, as he has already established a season-high in both bWAR and fWAR.

Chicago White Sox (17-18) | 1B Munetaka Murakami | There was no questioning Murakami’s power potential when he signed his two-year, $34 million contract with the White Sox. However, his elevated strikeout rates in Japan raised questions as to whether or not he would make enough contact for his raw power to matter. Murakami entered Tuesday tied with a major league-leading 14 homers as he has been a bargain in the early going.

Kansas City Royals (16-19) | OF Kyle Isbel | Isbel was going to have a starting role on the Royals due to his defense, but little was expected offensively. Instead, Isbel has the highest OPS+ (122) of any Royals player with at least 15 plate appearances. He has been a surprisingly solid part of the lineup for a team that has been starved for offense.

Minnesota Twins (15-20) | RHP Taj Bradley | A consensus top-100 prospect ahead of the 2023 season, Bradley was unable to live up to expectations with the Rays. He is making the most of his fresh start in Minnesota, posting a 2.85 ERA and a 1.220 WHiP over his 41 innings, striking out 44 batters with 15 walks. Bradley’s 1.4 bWAR leads the Twins as he has begun to establish himself as a building block in Minnesota.

-- David Hill

AL West

Los Angeles Angels pitcher Jose Soriano (59) Patrick Gorski-Imagn Images

Athletics (18-16) | The bullpen | A surprising leader atop the division, the Athletics have gotten more substantial production from the bullpen than a season ago. Per Baseball Reference, in 2025, Athletics relievers ranked No. 23 in wins above average; they’re tied for No. 2 through 34 games this year. Hogan Harris and Joel Kuhnel have been effective in set-up and closer roles, while the hard-throwing Luis Medina and right-hander Jack Perkins, arguably the team’s best reliever, give the Athletics depth for the middle innings. Per Baseball Savant, Medina’s fastball averages 97.1 mph. At the same time, Perkins has one of the league’s highest strikeout rates (30.9 percent) and lowest walk rates (5.5 percent), fanning 17 hitters while walking three in 55 batters faced across 13.1 innings.

Seattle Mariners (18-18) | The state of the AL West | A popular pick to win the AL pennant before the season, the Mariners are off to a mediocre start, including being swept in a recent home weekend series by the Kansas City Royals to fall three games below .500. While Seattle has sleepwalked through the first part of the season, so, too, has the rest of the AL West, arguably the worst division in baseball. The Athletics are the only team in the division with a winning record, and the Mariners are the lone squad with a positive run differential (plus-3), leaving the West up for grabs heading into the middle portion of the season.

Texas Rangers (16-18) | 3B Josh Jung | Jung’s monster April seemed impossible after he failed to reach base in the first four games of the season while going 0-for-17 with seven strikeouts at the plate. Since April 1, however, few batters have been hotter than Jung, who’s slashed .381/.440/.629 with 16 extra-base hits, including four home runs, and 19 runs batted in while walking 10 times and striking out 12. He’s currently responsible for the major’s third-longest active hit streak (12 games), showing no signs of slowing down after failing to launch in March.

Houston Astros (14-22) | 1B Christian Walker | Walker was a huge disappointment in the first season of a three-year, $60M contract last year, slashing .238/.297/.421 in 154 games, posting his lowest batting average and on-base percentage since 2019. He’s much more comfortable in Year 2, producing a .308/.385/.562 slash line through 36 games. Walker’s strikeout rate has declined from 27.7 percent in 2025 to 17.4 percent in 2026, and he’s notched an extra-base hit in 11.8 percent of his at-bats, the 11th-highest rate in MLB.

Los Angeles Angels (13-23) | RHP Jose Soriano | The last-place Angels appear headed for a long season, but Soriano has been one of the few bright spots. Before getting dinged for five earned runs in four innings on Monday, Soriano led the majors with a microscopic 0.84 ERA through seven starts (it’s currently 1.74). Soriano has limited the damage when batters make contact, only giving up six extra-base hits at a league-low rate of 3.2 percent.

-- Eric Smithling

Eric Smithling

Eric Smithling is a writer based in New Orleans, LA, whose byline also appears on Athlon Sports. He has been with Yardbarker since September 2022, primarily covering the NFL and college football, but also the NBA, WNBA, men’s and women’s college basketball, NHL, tennis and golf. He holds a film studies degree from the University of New Orleans

Aaron Somers

Aaron Somers has more than a decade of experience writing about sports and has been published in numerous outlets, but baseball is and has always been his biggest passion. You can follow him on BlueSky, @AaronJSomers.

David Hill

Based in the mountains of Vermont, Dave has over a decade of experience writing about all things baseball. Just don't ask his thoughts on the universal DH.

Taylor Bretl

Taylor Bretl writes about Major League Baseball with a focus on the Milwaukee Brewers. He is founder of Around the Globe Baseball.

Zachary Cariola

My name is Zachary Cariola and I have been a sports fan for as long as I can remember. My areas of expertise are MLB, NBA, and NFL. When I’m not writing, I love spending time with my family and learning history.

John Perrotto

John Perrotto has covered Major League Baseball since 1988, including over 20 World Series, All-Star Games, and MLB Winter Meetings. He has won awards at the national, state, and local levels and has been a Hall of Fame voter since 1998. Perrotto is based in the Pittsburgh area and has been inducted into the Beaver County and Geneva College sports halls of fame

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