As the 2026 Major League Baseball season hits its one-month mark, it’s a great time to assess the unexpected highlights across the league. We’re focusing on 10 standout performances or developments that defy expectations. A “surprise” here means something that bucks the usual predictions, and “pleasant” means these surprises have brought positive outcomes, surpassing what was anticipated.
Let’s dive into these 10 delightful surprises that have emerged from the first month of the season. There’s no specific ranking here, much like the unpredictable nature of time itself.
José Soriano, Angels
At 27, this right-hander had already carved out a solid reputation in the majors. However, in 2026, he’s elevated his game to new heights, pitching like a top-tier ace in his first seven starts. With an American League-leading ERA of 0.84 and no unearned runs, he’s also leading in strikeouts, allowing just 24 hits over 42 ⅔ innings. His knuckle curve remains a formidable weapon, and he has increased his use of both the fastball and splitter. So far, he’s been the standout MVP in the AL.
National League Central
Flyover country often gets overlooked, but this year, the NL Central is making a strong case for attention. Last season, the division produced three playoff contenders, and this year they’ve stepped up their game even further. By Wednesday’s games, the entire NL Central boasted winning records. Against teams from other divisions, they collectively stood 23 games over .500 and had a plus-79 run differential. This is quite impressive for a division known for small budgets. If you’re still inclined to critique Midwest baseball, the AL Central remains available for that.
Chase Dollander, Rockies
Pitchers often struggle at high altitudes, but Dollander, a former No. 9 overall draft pick from Tennessee, seems to have cracked the code. After a challenging rookie year in 2025, the 24-year-old right-hander has made significant progress in 2026. Initially succeeding as a bulk reliever for the Rockies, he recently transitioned to the starting rotation with a strong performance against the Mets. Currently, Dollander boasts a 2.25 ERA and a 212 ERA+ with 39 strikeouts and nine walks in 32 innings. His fastball averages 99 mph, complemented by a nearly as powerful sinker, creating a formidable mix of strikeout and ground-ball capabilities.
Mike Trout, Angels
Many believed that the future Hall of Famer and three-time MVP was past his prime as he reached his mid-thirties. Since 2019, Trout hadn’t consistently hit his peak form. However, this season he appears rejuvenated. As of now, Trout has an OPS of 1.000, with 10 home runs and more walks than strikeouts, backed by elite contact metrics. Remarkably, he’s also experiencing a resurgence in speed, reminiscent of his earlier days. Among the pleasant surprises, Trout’s 2026 performance is undoubtedly one of the most remarkable.
Ben Rice, Yankees
It’s a heavy lift to lead one’s team in OPS+ when your teammate is no less a producer than Aaron Judge. Rice, though, has done just that in 2026. To be sure, Rice enjoyed a quality season in 2025, but this year he’s reached new heights in terms of both top-line production and the indicators underlying that production. It of course remains to be seen whether Rice is capable of remaining at such heights, but an xwOBA in the 99th percentile among big-league hitters certainly bodes well.
Taj Bradley, Twins
Coming into 2026, Bradley was saddled with a career ERA+ of 85 through 73 starts and a pair of relief appearances. In this, his age-25 campaign, though, he appears to have taken a major step forward. This season, Bradley has ditched his sinker and increased usage of his fastball and splitter, and through his first 41 innings with the Twins, he’s got a sub-3.00 ERA with 44 strikeouts. That’s major progress.
Atlanta Braves
The Braves were on a downward trajectory coming into 2026 — from 104 wins in 2023 to 89 in 2024 to 76 last season, which marked their first losing campaign since 2017. While it was fair to expect some level of rebound for Atlanta this season given how injured they were up and down the roster last year, this kind of rebound wasn’t expected. The present juncture finds the Braves with an MLB-best 22-9 record, and they’re backing it up with an MLB-best run differential of plus-69. Yes, it’s too soon to start talking about season-long paces, but we’ll note just the same that this puts the Braves on target for 115 wins in 2026. That would easily be a franchise record and would constitute a 39-game improvement (!) over 2025. Obviously, that’s not likely to be sustained, but so far the Braves have done everything well.
Parker Messick, Guardians
The rookie Messick popped up on the back half of some top prospect lists coming into this season, but he’s not a hard thrower. Yes, the Guards are among the best when it comes to developing pitchers, but no one expected this out of Messick thus far. Through six starts, he boasts an ERA of 1.73 with an FIP of 2.30. He’s also got a whiff rate of almost 50% on his changeup.
Justin Wrobleski, Dodgers
The Dodgers have a rotation — and indeed an entire roster — stuffed with superstar free agents and trade additions, so it’s a bit of a pleasant surprise to see that the homegrown Wrobleski has been among their top performers in 2026. The 25-year-old lefty has a fastball-slider approach, and he doesn’t have great velocity or miss bats. However, Wrobleski this season has thrived at limiting hard contact and keeping runs off the board, which is reflected in his 1.50 ERA. The pitching fundamentals don’t suggest he has much chance of keeping this up, but so far he’s been a linchpin for the two-time defending champs.
Jordan Walker, Cardinals
Walker’s still just 23 years of age, but thanks to deep struggles in 2024 and 2025 he came into the current season at risk of having the “bust” label applied to him. He’s flipped that script in 2026. Yes, Walker after homering eight times in his first 16 games is going through a power drought at the moment, but overall he’s still got a slash line of .279/.352/.532 through 29 games. Stance and approach changes have helped him recognize pitches better and elevate the ball more often. Those have been key improvements in 2026. Almost no one hits the ball as hard as Walker does.
