The Biggest Surprises in MLB This Season

The MLB season is in full swing right now. The contenders and pretenders are separating themselves, setting the stage for MLB rumors to flow as the dog days of summer progress. To get to this point, expectations needed to be met or missed. To get to this point, we have seen a few surprises that almost no one saw coming. Which surprises stand out and who has had the breakout performances so far in this MLB season? Let’s take a look at the surprises that everyone has been talking about through the first two months of the season. The Angels Offense is as Bad as The White Sox and Rockies We have heard endlessly about the ineptitude of the Chicago White Sox and Colorado Rockies offensively, and with good reason. That said, we knew coming into the season that those two teams could be abysmal. Not too many saw the Angels offense being as bad as it has been through the first third of the season. The Angles have drawn the fewest walks in the majors while striking out the third-most times. Their walk-to-strikeout rate is currently tied for the lowest ever with the 2019 White Sox. They are 29^th in batting average, last in base percentage/strikeout rate/walk rate/runs per game, and 27^th in slugging. The Angels are bad in every possible way offensively. Spencer Torkelson Becoming an Elite Hitter MLB news covers a broad spectrum of things. Within baseball circles, one of the hottest discussions centers around how young players are performing. Since being taken as the first overall pick in 2020, Spencer Torkelson of the Detroit Tigers has been pegged as the next top-hitting superstar. It has taken some time – including major struggles in 2024 – but the 25-year-old Torkelson looks to have become the feared hitter everyone thought he could be. He’s drawing more walks, has a much higher OPS, and just looks like he’s more in rhythm. The Tigers have been a nice surprise of their own, and Torkelson has been a driving factor behind that effort. Jonathan Aranda’s Breakout The 26-year-old lefty has become a revelation when his signing came out of happenstance. The team was there to see Randy Arozarena but wound up discovering Aranda in the meantime. Now, Aranda is breaking out in a big way. Aranda is third in the majors in weighted runs created behind only Aaron Judge and Pete Alonso. He’s hitting well above .300, has double-digits in terms of extra base hits, and has an OPS north of .970. Some think it could be a fluke, but he has been a great hitter in the past. Now that he is putting it together at the Major League level, it looks like the Rays have managed to find another stud. Aaron Judge Judge continuing to be the best hitter in baseball isn’t necessarily surprising. Taking his game up after winning the AL MVP award in 2024 definitely is, however. Matching his numbers of a season ago would have been great. Instead, he’s threatening to hit .400 (.394), is second in home runs (25) and RBI (59), and has the most hits (98) in baseball. Judge is on pace to shatter the total base record of 457, set by Babe Ruth in 1921. Threatening to hit .400 and challenge for a Triple Crown is something that no one could have reasonably expected, even of the best hitter in the game. Judge continues to carve out his place as an all-time player, and this could be the season that takes him to a new level.