MLB’s 10 Most Pleasant Surprises From the First Half

With the first half of the 2026 MLB season wrapping up, we have the chance to reflect upon some of the biggest breakout performances of the year. There have been a handful of pleasant surprises across the league, ranging from the emergence of an outstanding class of rookies to veteran pitchers enjoying excellent seasons late into their respective careers.

After calling out the 10 biggest disappointments of the season on Wednesday, we’re looking on the bright side here with the 10 most pleasant surprises from the first half, highlighting various trends, players and teams that have greatly exceeded preseason expectations.

Small-ball success stories

MLB — Yandy Diaz and Junior Caminero have helped propel the Rays to an AL East lead. | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

The Rays and Brewers have been two of MLB’s best teams in 2026. The two small-market sides both rank in the bottom five in total home runs but are in the top 10 in stolen bases and batting average. Milwaukee and Tampa Bay are both in a small group of teams averaging fewer than a home run per game, yet both sit atop their respective divisions. The Brewers have been dominant, owning MLB’s second best run differential at +137. Only the Dodgers (+163) are better in that regard. While most teams continue to prioritize power at the plate, the Rays and Brewers aren’t following that trend, and they’ve had a ton of success with their approach.

Chicago White Sox

It took 78 games in the 2026 season for the White Sox to match their win tally from the disastrous ’24 campaign. Chicago hasn’t won more than 61 games since ‘22, yet through 89 games this season the South Siders have already won 47 games. You’d be hard pressed to find anyone who expected the White Sox to have a record above .500 heading into the All-Star break, yet this team has defied the odds and sit atop the AL Central at 47–43. Breakout studs such as Colson Montgomery, Miguel Vargas and rookie sensation Muretaka Murakami have powered the offense, while the pitching staff full of late bloomers and journeymen has held up its end of the bargain, too.

Miami Marlins

Marlins shortstop Otto Lopez leads MLB in batting average and hits. | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Another team that didn’t elicit very high expectations this season, the Marlins (50–42) have been playing terrific baseball through the first half and currently occupy the NL’s last wild-card spot. Otto Lopez has turned into one of MLB’s best hitters, boasting a league-best .343 batting average and 124 hits. Miami has had excellent production at the plate from others such as Xavier Edwards, Kyle Stowers and Liam Hicks, too. With Max Meyer emerging as a potential ace, the Marlins seem to be in a good spot for years to come.

The NL Cy Young race

The National League is home to many of MLB’s best pitchers, and this year’s Cy Young race may end up coming right down to the wire. Jacob Misiorowski has been nothing short of dominant, and despite a rough few outings of late, Cristopher Sánchez is right on his heels. Chase Burns and Chris Sale also warrant discussion in the NL Cy Young conversation, along with Zack Wheeler, Shohei Ohtani and even Eduardo Rodriguez. It’s been a joy to watch this group of aces on the mound, and if they continue pitching at such a high level, this may end up being one of the closest Cy Young races of all time.

St. Louis Cardinals

Cardinals rookie JJ Wetherholt leads MLB in outs above average. | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Rebuilding? Not so fast. The Cardinals were expected to be at the bottom of the barrel in the NL Central. Instead, they’re six games above .500 and chomping on the heels of the Marlins for the National League’s final wild-card spot.

JJ Wetherholt has been MLB’s best defender thus far in terms of outs above average, and Jordan Walker is demolishing baseballs on a regular basis, now up to 21 homers on the year. The Cardinals don’t excel in any specific area. They aren’t in the top 10 in any key hitting categories league-wide, and they only have a +3 run differential. Still, St. Louis is winning games and is comfortably outplaying its preseason expectations.

The Nationals’ offense

Washington’s pitching has been among the worst in MLB, but the team has stayed afloat due to its prolific offense. The Nationals lead MLB in runs scored, averaging an impressive 5.37 runs per game. Much of that is due to the prolific performances of stars such as James Wood and CJ Abrams, who have combined for 44 home runs on the year, as well as Luis Garcia Jr., who has set his career-high in home runs (19) in just 86 games. Washington has collectively hit the second-most home runs (130) in MLB, has the league’s third-highest OPS (.758) and is tied for the fourth-most hits (800).

Veteran starting pitching

MLB — Eduardo Rodriguez is having a career year at the age of 33. | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

There have been some outstanding performance from experienced arms who haven’t always looked this sharp. To name a few, Eduardo Rodriguez, Sonny Gray and Nick Martinez are all enjoying career years in 2026, and Chris Sale at the age of 37 is right in the mix of the NL Cy Young conversation. After back-to-back seasons with an ERA over 5.00, Rodriguez owns a 2.25 ERA in 18 starts for the Diamondbacks. The lefty has never had a season with an ERA below 3.30, but he’s a full point below that past this season’s midway point. Martinez is also enjoying the best season of his career at age 35. He owns a 2.61 ERA and has walked just 18 batters in 100 innings. As for Gray, the three-time All-Star has a 2.61 ERA with 82 strikeouts in 89 2/3 innings and has a 10–1 record on the mound for a Red Sox team that’s seven games below .500.

Standout rookies

Much was made of the strong start to the season this year’s class of rookies had. Many of those players have maintained that high level of play throughout the first half. Kevin McGonigle, JJ Wetherholt, Sal Stewart, Parker Messick, Munetaka Murakami and Sal Stewart are among a handful of rookies that have wasted no time adapting to the big leagues.

McGonigle ranks seventh in all of MLB with 3.9 fWAR, and Wetherholt isn’t far behind at 3.6 (11th best). Messick has a 2.80 ERA in 18 starts and his 2.9 fWAR is ninth among all pitchers. Murakami, prior to his stint on the injured list, was shattering rookie home run records, enjoying an electric start to life with the White Sox, and Stewart has been highly productive with 17 home runs, a .801 OPS and 11 stolen bases in 90 games. The future is bright in MLB, and these young studs are leading the charge in that regard.

Luis Arráez’s defensive revival

Luis Arraez has been one of MLB’s best defenders in 2026. | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Since arriving in San Francisco, Luis Arráez has completely transformed on defense. Once considered a defensive liability, bouncing across various positions with limited success, the Giants have unlocked his potential as a top-tier second baseman. With former Rangers and Angels manager Ron Washington instructing him as the Giants’ infield coach, Arráez ranks sixth in MLB with 10 outs above average. He remains an effective contact hitter, currently ranking second in the league with 112 hits and a .327 batting average, but his improvements in the field could help even more to secure a long-term contract after he signed a one-year deal with the Giants last offseason.

Cam Schlittler’s dominance

Cam Schlittler’s rise to AL Cy Young favorite has been meteoric. He only just debuted in MLB last season, and although he impressed in his first stint with the Yankees, his second season has been something to behold.

Schlittler leads the AL with a 2.01 ERA. He’s struck out 131 batters in 112 innings and has only issued 21 walks on the year (he walked 31 batters in 39 fewer innings in ‘25). Schlittler has been a steady arm in the Yankees rotation, which has been even more important considering the injury woes the team has endured there. At 25 years old, Schlittler has the highest fWAR (3.6) among AL starters, and he’s held opponents to one or fewer runs in 14 of his 19 outings on the year. If Gerrit Cole, Max Fried and Carlos Rodón can pitch like they’re being paid to, the Yankees will be hard to stop in the playoffs.

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