No, it’s not too early and the sample size isn’t too small. At the same time, nearly 120 games remain, plenty of time for early trends to head south or trend upward – though time is dwindling for teams and individuals hoping for a turnaround.
With that, USA TODAY Sports takes a look at seven startling numbers as the season sails into the second quarter:
68: Aaron Judge’s hit total
Wait, why would someone use hits – a metric not in vogue since Ichiro Suzuki was still an All-Star – to illustrate Judge’s utter dominance? Why not his major league-leading 1.279 OPS or 252 wRC+, or even, egad, his .412 batting average?
Well, the thing is Judge has not buffed out his OPS or even his batting average by slugging home runs and taking his walks. No, his 68 hits also lead the major leagues, and puts him on a – gulp – 256-hit pace, which would be third-most all-time and just six behind Ichiro’s record 262 knocks set in 2004.
What we’re seeing here is something akin to the perfect offensive season. In a sense, Judge’s line-drive singles are nearly as impressive as his gargantuan home runs, in that he’s taking exactly what the pitcher is giving him in nearly every plate appearance.
Of course, it’d be against all odds that Judge keeps up this pace. But we’re nearly to Memorial Day and he’s still firmly north of .400. Kinda scary.
.643: Padres’ winning percentage
Over 162 games, that’s 104 wins. And while the Padres were popular favorites to snag a wild card spot, they’re actually built better than pundits even imagined.
The rotation sports a 3.38 ERA, second to the Mets in the NL, as Nick Pivetta looks like the steal of the offseason and Randy Vasquez has posted three straight excellent outings, joining the ace free-agents-to-be, Dylan Cease and Michael King. In a non-Ohtani universe, Fernando Tatis Jr. and Jackson Merrill might be 1-2 in MVP voting.
And while their vaunted farm system has thinned out a bit from years of win-now aggression, the trade deadline may represent a last go-for-it moment before an anticipated payroll draw-down in 2026. Yes, the Dodgers should be concerned.
Four: Number of AL Central teams in playoff position
Do you believe in miracles? It felt like the Central already got one last year when the Guardians, Royals and Tigers reached the playoffs – and all won at least one series. For a division featuring lower-revenue clubs that hadn’t sent a squad to the World Series since 2016, it felt highly aberrational.
Well, don’t look now, but it might be even more of a Party In The Mid-USA come October. The Tigers are now the best team in the AL. The Royals went on a 15-2 heater to climb into contention. Cleveland is Clevelanding and just hired Corey Kluber to backfill its pitching intelligentsia. And the Twins would currently be the third wild card.
Never thought we’d say this, but the big-money behemoths in the East and West might be “one-bid leagues” come October.
14-4: Twins’ record since adding Kody Clemens to roster
OK, correlation does not imply causation, but good luck figuring out the about-face going on in Minneapolis, where the Twins started out 7-15, a grim addendum to their 7-18 collapse last year.
But now, everything is coming up Rocco. Such as a doubleheader sweep of Baltimore in which catcher Christian Vazquez and Clemens each hit go-ahead three-run homers (Vazquez’s first of the year, Clemens’ second) to flip both games. A day later, DeShawn Keirsey Jr. – hitting in the nine hole like Vazquez – hit a two-run homer to open the scoring in a 4-0 win that gave Minnesota six wins in 10 days against the Orioles.
When random players end up in big spots and come through against all odds, you know you’re living well. It’s the sort of sequencing no algorithm can dial up. Beware these guys.
19-30: Combined home record for A’s, Rays
Turns out couch-surfing is no way to live that MLB life. The temporary digs for the Athletics (a self-imposed exile) and Rays (a true forces-of-nature situation) in minor league parks hasn’t gone particularly well.
The A’s rank 28th in home ERA, at 5.81, getting outscored 138-89 as opposing sluggers take to Yolo County like they’re facing Class AAA pitching; their road ERA is a top-tier 3.88.
It’s a less extreme split in Tampa Bay, where the Yankee Stadium-replica park has resulted in a 116-107 run-scoring advantage for visitors, although the Rays are getting out-homered 40-25.
It’s gonna be a long, hot summer – though at least the Rays will have the climate-controlled environs of Tropicana Field awaiting them in 2026.
23: Extra-base hits for Pete-Crow Armstrong
Crow-Armstrong entered this season with 29 extra-base hits in 439 career plate appearances; he’s nearly equaled that total in 183 PAs this season and trails only Corbin Carroll, Ohtani and Pete Alonso in the NL.
There may be no greater revelation this year than PCA, always considered an elite defender yet with questions surrounding whether his bat has come around. Well, he’s tied with Seiya Suzuki for the Cubs’ lead in home runs with 11, and has gapped a team-leading 11 doubles. It’s very early, but Crow-Armstrong is putting on an MVP-caliber performance.
1.7: Wins Above Replacement produced by Kyle Schwarber
Hey, unless you’re Shohei Ohtani, it’s not easy to rack up WAR as a designated hitter, simply because you must outslug the literal zero that you bring defensively. Yet despite playing just four games in left field, Schwarber leads Philadelphia position players in WAR.
And that only spices up what should be a fascinating free agency for the slugger. He leads the majors with 15 home runs, his .393 OBP is nearly 50 points higher than his career total and his adjusted OPS is a career-best 167.
Schwarber and the Phillies tip-toed around some extension talks this spring, but it’s now increasingly likely he’ll hit the market. He’s already more than halfway to his career-best WAR campaigns (3.5 in both 2021 and ’24). If he keeps it up, the Phillies will have to determine just how much they value his services.
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