Technically, the halfway point of the 2023 MLB season came a little over a week ago, when most teams played their 81st game of the year. But while it may not be the mathematical midway mark, the All-Star break has traditionally been a time for teams and fans alike to take stock of where things stand — an exhale before the sprint to the finish begins. So let’s do just that, assessing all 30 clubs the only way we know how: by handing out some midseason grades.
Before we get started, a disclaimer: These grades aren’t intended to just be a reflection of each team’s record so far this year; you can go look at our weekly power rankings if you want a rundown of strictly on-field performance. Rather, all of these marks are about expectations — what they were coming into the year, and whether you’ve met, exceeded or fallen short of them. A team with a winning record can still be a disappointment, while a team hovering just below .500 can offer plenty of hope for the future.
Now, let’s get to it.
2023 Midseason grades for all 30 MLB teams
Arizona Diamondbacks: A
The only thing keeping this from being an A+ is Corbin Carroll’s recent shoulder injury, which colors the franchise’s short- and long-term future. Otherwise, though, it’s been a dream year from a team of which not much was expected, as they lead the NL West two years after losing 110 games.
Atlanta Braves: A
Yes, I know, the Braves look like a Death Star right now — and an A+ was considered. But this team won the title just two seasons ago and has won five straight NL East crowns; another great year was expected, and injuries to their starting rotation give slight pause despite how dominant they’ve been of late.
Baltimore Orioles: A
A very strong start to our list. Some predicted the O’s would fall back to Earth a bit after their surprise contention last year, but that hasn’t happened — the young core has taken a step forward, while the farm remains absolutely stacked. (Grayson Rodriguez is tearing it up again in Triple-A and should be back up soon.)
Boston Red Sox: B-
Contention is always the standard in Boston, and they remain in last place in the rugged AL East. But they’re on pace to improve on last year’s record despite a rash of injuries, and they’ve placed the second-toughest schedule in the league to date. Keeping their head above water (and within shouting distance of a Wild Card spot) isn’t too bad, all things considered.
Chicago Cubs: C+
Chicago is below .500 and slumping of late, sure. But this was supposed to be a transition year, and run differential would suggest that they’re actually the best team in the mediocre NL Central — given their difficult first-half schedule, they could be primed to make a run. The long-term picture remains a bit cloudy, though.
Chicago White Sox: D+
Woof. That Chicago isn’t currently in last place is a byproduct of the misery that is the AL Central this year, nothing more. The Sox have been a roughly .500 team since their awful start, but roughly .500 simply isn’t good enough for a core that’s supposedly going on year three or four of their contention window.
Cincinnati Reds: A+
We knew that there was some optimism on the farm for Cincy, but most people were pretty down on their outlook at the start of the season. Flash forward a few months: Elly De La Cruz, Matt McLain and Andrew Abbott are taking the league by storm, more help is on its way from the Minors and they sit atop the NL Central.
Cleveland Guardians: C-
Cleveland remains very much in the mix in the Central, but it just feels like the current iteration of this team is out of gas — while last year’s just-enough-offense, lots-of-pitching routine felt plucky, this year’s version feels stale, in part because the lineup has somehow gotten even worse. This team continues to churn out starters, but are they really going anywhere meaningful as long as ownership refuses to spend?
Colorado Rockies: C
If baseball had a purgatory, it would probably be Coors Field, where the league’s weirdest franchise remains perpetually stuck between rebuilding and contending. Not much was expected of Colorado to begin the year, and not much has been given, so here we are.
Detroit Tigers: C+
Not much was expected of Detroit either, but the Tigers have at least managed to scratch and claw their way to third place in a weak division — and Riley Greene and Tarik Skubal look like pieces to build around. If the rest of their young starters can ever get healthy at the same time (and Spencer Torkelson puts it together), who knows.
Houston Astros: B-
Their recent hot streak has bumped them up a bit, but injuries and departures have taken the reigning world champs from renowned for their pitching depth to just scraping by. Still: the ceiling may be lower, but Yordan Alvarez, Jose Altuve and Jose Urquidy will be back relatively soon, and Houston is still 10 games over .500.
Kansas City Royals: D-
We knew K.C. wouldn’t be good, but we at least hoped for some signs of life. No team should be giving Oakland a run for their money at the bottom of the league, and there’s precious little to point to amid the Royals’ rebuild.
Los Angeles Angels: F
Maybe this is harsh, but the 2023 season came with a single mandate for L.A.: Get Shohei Ohtani to the postseason. Now, though, the Angels have lost seven of 10, 3.5 games back of the final AL Wild Card spot, while Mike Trout and most of the infield is on the shelf. Does it seem very likely that this team is going to make it to October, let alone convince Ohtani to resign this winter?
Los Angeles Dodgers: B-
L.A.’s other team is in a lot of ways similar to the Astros: traditional powers who’ve suffered through injury and attrition but look to be surging at the moment. For all the hand-wringing about the Dodgers and the hits they’ve taken to the rotation, they’re still just half a game back in the division.
Miami Marlins: A
The Fish have outperformed their run differential more than anyone in baseball, and their record probably isn’t a reflection of the true talent level, but what a lovely first half it’s been nonetheless. Eury Perez is a superstar in the making, and a team that seemed to be stuck in neutral entering the season is likely looking at a playoff spot.
Milwaukee Brewers: C+
The Brewers are in the hunt in the Central, but they also have a negative run differential and don’t seem to be much of a threat to make noise in the postseason. In sum: a big old shrug.
Minnesota Twins: C
You could say much the same about the Twins, but expectations were higher for this group — and you’d expect far better results for a team with the best pitching staff in all of baseball. Given the level of investment and how good their rotation (and Jhoan Duran) has been, hovering around .500 has to feel like a disappointment.
New York Mets: D
Their recent five-game winning streak has saved the Mets from getting an F, but any time your owner is calling an emergency press conference to reiterate that the manager is not getting fired, things aren’t going well. With the largest payroll in MLB history and a 100-win season in 2022, much more was expected, although there’s time to turn it around.
New York Yankees: C-
On the one hand, New York still occupies a Wild Card spot and has played baseball’s toughest schedule. On the other, the AL East isn’t getting any softer, and there’s simply no reason a Yankees team should ever be running out an outfield of Billy McKinney, Isiah Kiner-Falefa and Jake Bauers.
Oakland Athletics: C
Yes, they’ve been historically bad, but again — what did you expect? This season was less a competitive endeavor than it was an exercise in owner John Fisher forcing his way to Las Vegas, payroll be damned.
Philadelphia Phillies: C
Philly has turned it on a bit of late, but these are the reigning NL champs — who added an MVP candidate in Trea Turner over the winter. A negative run differential at this point in the year is a resounding disappointment.
Pittsburgh Pirates: C+
The Buccos started hot, but this feels about right for a team with an owner that refuses to spend despite a years-long rebuild. Still, there have been some signs from the young pitchers, and Henry Davis sure looks like a star in the making. That’s something.
San Diego Padres: F
Given how much they’ve outlaid, both in prospects and in cash, to assemble this roster, the Padres’ record so far is nothing short of a failure. There’s still plenty of time to turn it around, and their run differential is more impressive than their win-loss record, but this team is built to win the World Series right now.
San Francisco Giants: A
It may not be flashy, but the Giants just keep stacking wins thanks to a sneaky-deep lineup, a good bullpen and just enough starting pitching. Given how directionless they looked after last year, that’s a huge win.
Seattle Mariners: D+
Talk about a sophomore slump. All the good vibes from Seattle’s run to the playoffs last year have evaporated, as Jerry DiPoto simply didn’t do enough to add to the roster over the winter — and now there are serious questions moving forward.
St. Louis Cardinals: F
If an F- were available, the Cardinals would surely get one. Granted, bullpen meltdowns have made their record look worse than it probably should be, but that only gets you so far. This was supposed to be arguably the deepest roster in baseball, and instead they could wind up with their first losing season since 2007.
Tampa Bay Rays: A
The historically hot start gets an A+, but Tampa has cooled off a bit since then, as injuries have hit the rotation and the offense has come back to Earth. Still, the second-best record in baseball is nothing to sneeze at.
Texas Rangers: A+
Texas has been a step behind the Rays all year, but considering expectations coming into the season — when we were unsure what direction this team was even headed after an offseason spending spree — the fact that the Rangers boast baseball’s second-best run differential is remarkable. This team’s lineup is for real, and they’re set up to make noise in October.
Toronto Blue Jays: B-
The Jays are fighting for a Wild Card spot at 48-40, but we were supposed to be past this stage of Toronto’s ascension at this point. The talent is still there, but Alek Manoah looks like a shell of himself, while Vladimir Guerrero Jr. hasn’t taken the leap just yet.
Washington Nationals: C
Not a ton to say here, honestly. We knew the Nats would be deep into a rebuild, and sure enough, they’ve been bad — albeit not the worst in the NL, which is a win of sorts I suppose.
