Just Past Season’s Quarter Pole, MLB Has Major Disappointments, Big Surprises

The Rays and Braves are among the biggest surprises, while the BoSox and Mets continue to befuddle experts.

Juan Soto of the New York Mets reacts after an at bat during the 9th inning against the New York Yankees at Citi Field in the Queens borough of New York City on May 15, 2026. Ishika Samant/Getty Images

Many preseason predictions had the big-spending New York Mets and the traditionally low-budget Tampa Bay Rays at opposite ends of the performance spectrum. Just past the quarter pole in the Major League season, however, both are in unexpected positions.

The Rays, who consistently take their budget more seriously than most teams, are ahead of the game, given their market and factoring in that the New York Yankees can outspend any team if they decide to toss a truckload of financial eggs into the basket.

And so to see the Rays in first place in the American League East is as shocking for the Yankees as it is for the rest of baseball. That’s mainly because the Yankees, according to Spotrac.com, are No. 3 out of the 30 big league teams in terms of payroll, and the Rays are No. 24.

The Mets, who lead the payroll standings at just above $335 million, have flopped harder than a Broadway play that only draws friends and family.

Here’s the breakdown:

Make-A-Wish Mets

Juan Soto might as well be reclassified as a journeyman slugger. He burst onto the scene as a 19-year-old budding superstar with power and hitting skills that were deemed Hall of Fame-worthy. Soto was the second-youngest player in history to go deep in his first World Series game when he led the Washington Nationals to the championship in 2019.

He’s now a player on his fourth team, and his name only conjures up disenchantment over the 15-year, $765 million deal he signed—the largest in professional sports history—back in September of last year.

Soto is not the only reason the Mets are in last place in the division, six games under .500 through Sunday’s action, but between him and Francisco Lindor, the level of underperformance is leaving Mets fans wishing for more.

Holes in These BoSox

The Boston Red Sox came into the season with a playoff-or-bust tag on the windshield of what appeared to be a shiny sports car, but were the first team run off of the road leading to success, throwing skipper Alex Cora to the side on April 25.

Boston also cashed out on five of Cora’s coaches at the time, but the team remains eight games under .500. And while injuries and poor performances have also played a role in the bad start, the organization itself shares part of the blame for mixed messages and communication breakdowns that have led to on-field failures.

K.C. and the Showcase Kid

A strong showing last season had many believing in Bobby Witt Jr. and the rest of the Kansas City Royals as division contenders in the American League Central.

But as great as Witt has been in his four-plus seasons at the big league level, he hasn’t been able to lift the Royals this year.

K.C. is 24th in run differential in MLB at minus-21, and 7–17 on the road. It’s not a winning formula on any level, and something needs to change before fans can expect the situation to improve.

Baltimore Flop

The Baltimore Orioles deserve honorary mention in this category. The team looked on track for a strong run this season, but is only in fourth place in the AL East.

“Baseball Tonight” podcast producer Taylor Schwink said in an email to The Epoch Times, “The biggest disappointment ... my favorite loser team, the Orioles.”

Baltimore has a .500 mark at home and is struggling on the road. The team is 28th at minus-44 in run differential, and is 16th in MLB in longballs (46) and tied for 22nd in hits (350). That bodes well for the Orioles, who are getting some slugging and might improve in run production with better fortune over the course of the season.

Junior Caminero of the Tampa Bay Rays reacts after hitting a home run in the third inning against the Chicago Cubs at Tropicana Field in St Petersburg, Florida on April 6, 2026. Julio Aguilar/Getty Images

Braves’ New World

On the positive side, the Atlanta Braves have emerged as a real threat to all teams in the National League.

“The most surprising for me has to be the Braves looking like a contender,” Schwink said about Atlanta in his email.

And the stats back his opinion. The team has been gaining momentum with its major league-best plus-98 run differential, just ahead of the two-time defending World Series-champion Los Angeles Dodgers.

Rays of Light

The low-budget Tampa Bay Rays are sitting pretty atop the AL East. They are fifth in the majors in ERA at 3.60, but third in stolen bases and team batting average.

Their run production is 12th, around the middle of the pack, but the fact that their biggest star is young slugger Junior Caminero, who isn’t quite yet a household name, means the whole roster is generally producing to get the squad ahead of the Yankees.

Playing Their A’s Game

The nomad Athletics get a nod here as well. The team, which isn’t set to move to Las Vegas until the 2028 season, is playing its home games at a temporary ballpark in Sacramento.

It hasn’t stopped the players on the field.

They’re at a deficit in run differential, but have a strong enough record to lead the likes of the Seattle Mariners, a playoff team last season, and the Houston Astros in the AL West.

It’s a balanced attack combined with a strong defense that has been carrying the A’s so far. It might be difficult to see the team to enjoy continued success with a .252 team batting average and tied for 12th with 51 homers, but they are No. 2 in baseball in team fielding percentage, and that can take them a long way.