Every day, Pinstripe Alley offers updates on what the
Yankees’ top American League opponents are up to through the Rivalry Roundup. The AL East is well-trodden ground there, but with two months completed, we’re going to take a peek around MLB as a whole and check in with each of the other five divisions. Who’s surprising? Who’s underwhelming? Who’s simply mediocre at the moment? Read on and find out.First Place: Cleveland Guardians (34-27)
Top Position Player: Brayan Rocchio (1.9 fWAR)
Top Pitcher: Parker Messick (1.8 fWAR)
Coming into May,
the Guardians sat at an even .500 but still found themselves atop the AL Central. A strong month allowed Cleveland to create a little wiggle room between them and the even mark. Their run differential now also sits in positive territory, if only barely at a +1. That said, this still looks more like a division winner by default than a powerhouse. The Guardians continue to rely on strong pitching and timely contributions at the plate, which has been their formula for most of recent memory.
Offensively, Cleveland has largely treaded water, currently ranking 18th in MLB in runs scored. As expected, José Ramírez remains the engine that makes everything go, but shortstop Brayan Rocchio has emerged as the club’s most pleasant surprise. Now in his fourth season, Rocchio is on pace for the best year of his career with a .779 OPS and four home runs. Much of that success can be traced to improved plate discipline, as he has cut his strikeout rate significantly and needs just one more home run to match last season’s total with less than half the games played.
Part of Cleveland’s May surge may also be tied to the arrival of Travis Bazzana. The second baseman enjoyed an impressive first full month in the majors, slashing .327/.416/.500 with three home runs and eight stolen bases. With Steven Kwan and Kyle Manzardo both struggling to produce consistently, Bazzana has helped add much-needed length and athleticism to the lineup.
As fans have come to expect, however, the pitching remains the driving force behind Cleveland’s success. The Guardians rank among the top 10 teams in ERA and the top five in strikeouts per nine innings. Starters Parker Messick and Gavin Williams have led the way. Messick owns a 6-1 record and a 2.24 ERA, while Williams has gone 8-3 with a 3.07 ERA. The bullpen is rounding into form as well, with right-handers Cade Smith and Colin Holderman joining left-hander Erik Sabrowski as trusted late-inning options for manager Stephen Vogt.
Second Place: Chicago White Sox (32-27)
Top Position Player: Colson Montgomery (2.3 fWAR)
Top Pitcher: Davis Martin (2.5 fWAR)
Other than Cam Schlittler’s emergence, there may not be a better story in baseball this season than Munetaka Murakami and the White Sox. After years spent buried in the cellar, Chicago has emerged as a young and surprisingly spicy club capable of winning on any given night. The good vibes took a blow with an injury to Murakami but calling up prospect Jacob Gonzalez helps.
The Southsiders were led in May by their three big bats: Murakami, Miguel Vargas, and Colson Montgomery who have the club within one game of the division lead. They may not wow anyone with their batting averages, but they can certainly hit the ball out of the park. The trio has already combined for 48 home runs this season.
On the mound, the White Sox appear to have an ace emerging in Davis Martin. If nothing else, the Texas Tech product is already having a career year. The right-hander is 8-1 with a 2.00 ERA through 11 starts this season. Those eight victories already represent a new career high for the fourth-year pitcher. However, as a unit Chicago’s pitching staff remains a work in progress. The White Sox end May ranked 22nd in baseball with a 4.36 ERA and 25th in walks allowed per nine innings at 3.89.
Third Place: Minnesota Twins (27-33)
Top Position Player: Byron Buxton (2.1 fWAR)
Top Pitcher: Joe Ryan (2.1 fWAR)
The Twins end May occupying familiar territory: close enough to .500 to remain relevant, but not quite good enough to inspire much confidence. Minnesota has avoided the complete collapse many predicted after last year’s roster turnover, yet they have struggled to establish any real momentum.
Offensively, Minnesota ranks among the top 10 teams in baseball in runs scored, thanks largely to the brilliance of Byron Buxton. The veteran center fielder has been on an absolute tear this season and was especially dangerous in May, slashing .273/.349/.688 with a 1.037 OPS. Buxton already has 17 home runs on the season and when healthy is one of the best hitters in the majors. Unfortunately for the Twins, the good fortune surrounding Buxton’s health appears it might come at the sacrifice of catcher Ryan Jeffers. Jeffers underwent hamate surgery in mid-May and is expected to miss at least another month.
While the offense has done its part, the pitching staff has been a different story. Minnesota enters June in the bottom third of baseball with a 4.47 ERA and a modest 7.99 strikeouts per nine innings. After a rocky April, Joe Ryan rebounded nicely in May, holding opponents to a .163 batting average and allowing just five earned runs across five starts. However, much like the offense, the Twins also had to navigate an injury scare with one of their key contributors. Taj Bradley missed most of May with pectoral inflammation before returning to the rotation at the end of the month.
The biggest issue, however, is the bullpen. To put it kindly, relief pitching has been a major problem for Minnesota throughout the first two months of the season. Manager Derek Shelton is still searching for answers once he takes the ball from his starters.
Fourth Place: Kansas City Royals (22-37)
Top Position Player: Bobby Witt Jr. (3.4 fWAR)
Top Pitcher: Seth Lugo (1.7 fWAR)
With the Yankees’ recent trip to Kansas City still fresh in everyone’s mind, it may come as a surprise to see the Royals sitting near, but not at, the bottom of the division. The Royals entered 2026 expecting to contend. Instead, they have become one of baseball’s biggest disappointments, only spared that title by the team currently sitting below them in the standings.
At the plate, the Royals have largely become a one-man show. That man, of course, is Bobby Witt Jr. The superstar shortstop is putting together another MVP-caliber campaign, slashing .286/.350/.474 with nine home runs while continuing to provide excellent defense at shortstop. Salvador Perez has also launched nine home runs this season, but the veteran catcher has struggled overall. At 36 years old it appears Father Time may finally be catching up to the former perennial All-Star.
Michael Wacha has continued his impressive season on the mound, posting a 2-0 record and a 2.18 ERA during May. Wacha also looked sharp against the Yankees on May 25th, tossing seven innings while allowing just two runs. Unfortunately for Kansas City, the rest of the rotation, outside of Seth Lugo, has not held up its end of the bargain. The Royals rank 24th in baseball with a 4.51 ERA.
The Royals bullpen could become an area of interest as the trade deadline approaches. Right-handers John Schreiber and Daniel Lynch IV have both put together strong seasons. Schreiber owns a 2.86 ERA, while Lynch has posted a 1.93 ERA, a 0.99 WHIP, and 10.4 strikeouts per nine innings. Both worked scoreless innings against the Yankees during a series in which New York scored 26 runs over three games.
Last Place: Detroit Tigers (22-38)
Top Position Player: Kevin McGonigle (2.2 fWAR)
Top Pitcher: Casey Mize (1.7 fWAR)
The Tigers entered May tied for the division lead at 16-16 and seemingly positioned to challenge Cleveland throughout the summer. It was not quite the start Detroit envisioned, but a club many picked to represent the American League in October still looked very much alive. Then everything unraveled.
The loss of ace Tarik Skubal on May 4th sent Detroit spiraling from contender to the bottom of the weakest division in baseball following a disastrous 6-19 month. Along the way, the Tigers watched their run differential swing from plus-nine to minus-39 as nearly everything that could go wrong did.
The problems have shown up on both sides of the ball. Detroit enters June ranked 28th in baseball in runs scored while sitting squarely in the middle of the pack with a 15th-place team ERA. The Tigers also grade out as a bottom-third defensive club, making it difficult to overcome their shortcomings elsewhere.
The silver lining for Tigers fans, if there is one, is that the AL Central remains remarkably forgiving and a run at the end took the division last season. Top prospect Kevin McGonigle has also looked more than capable in his debut, giving the organization a glimpse of a brighter future. However, luckily for the rest of the league, Detroit increasingly looks like a team whose hopeful season has already slipped away.
