Fans and analysts all around the world try to predict who they think will end up in the postseason before opening day starts, and most of the time their predictions are way off. Whether that is due to injury, coaching, or other circumstances, teams don't always play to the level they seem on paper.
On the other side, there have been plenty of MLB teams this season who have risen past previous expectations and are on a push for October baseball, here are the most surprisingly (good) teams in baseball through June.
Cleveland Guardians - Despite having the 5th lowest payroll in all of baseball, the Guardians currently have the 4th best record in the MLB. With only 1 active player making over $10 million this season, it has been a huge surprise to see Cleveland atop the AL Central for pretty much the whole year. Their success has come from Star 3B Jose Ramirez and LF Steven Kwan. The latter has been raking at the plate in his 43 games with a slash line of .398, .456, .545, good enough for an OPS of 1.002. Another surprise has been the incredible play of utility man David Fry. Fry has a real shot of making the All-Star game this year with a .314 BA and an OPS+ of 182. With arguably the best reliever in the league Emmanuel Clase having a career year, the scrapy Guardinas are in firm control of 1st place in their division.
Milwaukee Brewers - After trading away former CY Young winner Corbin Burns in the offseason, the brew crew was seen as a .500 ball club coming into the 24 campaign. Currently atop the NL Central with a record of 42-29, and a 99% chance to make the playoffs, Milwaukee has been on fire through 70 games. Former MVP Christian Yelich is having his best season since 2019 with a slash line of .333, .411,.506, and a team-best OPS+ of 157. Rising star Catcher William Contreras has also been playing at an MVP level this season with 48 RBIs and an OPS+ of 134. 3B Joey Ortiz is who the Brewers received in return for Burns, and is off to an incredible start with his new ball club. With the second-best OPS on the team (.858), it seems the Brewers received real value from trading their All-Star pitcher. With one of the best relievers in the game, Devin Williams, still not back from injury yet, the Brewers will only be getting healthier as the season progresses.
Kansas City Royals - Following a 2023 season with an awful record of 56-106, KC made some great free agency acquisitions in the offseason indicating they were hoping for greater success in 2024. The team went out and signed veterans Seth Lugo, Michael Wacha, and Hunter Renfroe in the offseason, to go along with a young core of promising players. Bobby Witt Jr. has been the star bat in this lineup with a .327 avg, .551 slug%, and an OPS+ of 158. 8X All-Star and 5X GG winner Salvador Perez has also been mashing at the plate leading the team in HR with 11. The Starting pitching rotation has been one of the best in all of baseball, highlighted by Lugo (2.40 ERA), Cole Ragans (3.14 ERA), and Brady Singer (3.39 ERA). The Royals are looking to become the 2nd team in MLB history to make the playoffs following a 100-loss season.
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