Major League Baseball’s early-season statistics reveal a blend of expected and surprising performances, according to an April 17 report. The Los Angeles Dodgers currently hold the best record in baseball, with teams like the San Diego Padres close behind. In contrast, some division leaders such as the Minnesota Twins, Tampa Bay Rays, and Pittsburgh Pirates were less anticipated.
This combination of predictable and unforeseen trends extends to individual player statistics across batting and pitching categories. Mike Trout of the Los Angeles Angels leads in runs scored with 21—a notable achievement considering his recent injury history. “It’s not utterly shocking that Trout leads the Majors in runs scored — the three-time MVP led the American League or MLB in this category four times before. It’s just that the last time it happened was a decade ago, and what we’re seeing so far in 2026 is a Mike Trout we haven’t seen in a long time due to injuries,” reads part of the analysis.
Home run leaders include Aaron Judge from the New York Yankees—an expected name—and Jordan Walker from the St. Louis Cardinals, whose early surge has surprised many observers after a challenging previous season. Andy Pages stands out by leading both batting average (.409) and RBIs (20), rebounding from struggles during last year’s postseason.
On the basepaths, Oneil Cruz has stolen nine bases for Pittsburgh while Yordan Alvarez leads both OPS (1.214) and FanGraphs WAR (1.5) for Houston despite limited defensive contributions due to his designated hitter role.
Pitching standouts include Max Fried of New York with over 33 innings pitched; Jacob Misiorowski leading strikeouts for Milwaukee; José Soriano topping ERA (0.33), WHIP (0.67), and opponents’ batting average (.103) for Los Angeles; Mason Miller (San Diego) and Paul Sewald (Arizona) sharing saves leadership; and Cam Schlittler emerging as an early WAR leader among pitchers for New York.
As teams continue through April, these trends will be closely watched to see which performances persist throughout the season.