Purple Row After Dark: What’s surprised you most about the 2026 MLB season so far?

Apr 24, 2026; New York City, New York, USA; Colorado Rockies left fielder Jordan Beck (27) celebrates with center fielder Brenton Doyle (9) and outfielder Troy Johnston (20) after defeating the New York Mets at Citi Field. Mandatory Credit: Vincent Carchietta-Imagn Images | Vincent Carchietta-Imagn Images With the first month of baseball in the books, there have been plenty of surprises across the league. From surprise contenders to fallen favorites and from managers on the hot seat to unexpected performers, the 2026 season has been full of surprises.

While things are certain to shift as the long season drags on, here are some of the surprises as April draws to a close: Up-and-Comers As you’re well aware, it took your Colorado Rockies 68 games to get their 13th win in 2025. They’ve already hit that mark in April at 13-16. The Athletics are setting out for a better 2026.

Not expected to do much after a 76-86 season, they’re currently holding onto first in the AL West at 15-13. The Cincinnati Reds are also exceeding expectations. Thought to finish near the bottom of the NL Central, they’re leading the way right now with an 18-10 record.

Underperformers From an American League pennant to fourth in their division, the Toronto Blue Jays are struggling out of the gate, currently at 12-15. The Boston Red Sox, a Wild Card team just last season, are among the worst in the league at 11-17 and just fired skipper Alex Cora and several other staff. The NL East looked like it would yield a number of contenders.