The American League has been lackluster overall so far this season, but two teams are outplaying their expectations: The Athletics and the Chicago White Sox.
The White Sox went 60-102 last season, finishing last in the American League Central. The A’s went 76-86, finishing fourth in the American League West. Coming into the season, neither team has postseason expectations, but entering play on Monday, the White Sox are one game out of first place in the division and the A’s have a one-game lead for first place in the division. Neither team spent big in the offseason, but still managed to make helpful moves, and here they are right in the mix in mid-May.
The Athletics were expected to make some noise thanks to some of the young talent they have, but nobody was expecting them to really compete in a division that features the Houston Astros and Seattle Mariners. However, their young core of hitters, which includes Nick Kurtz, Lawrence Butler, Jacob Wilson and Tyler Soderstrom, have meshed well with veterans like Jeff McNeil and Brent Rooker.
The A’s offense has played well overall, but some of their biggest bats have yet to get going. Butler, Rooker and Soderstrom are still struggling, and if they get going, the offense could be even better.
The A’s pitching staff has not been too shabby either. The overall numbers are not great, but it’s not crazy to say they would be much better if they were not playing at Sutter Health Park. Their team ERA at home is 5.52, but only 3.28 on the road. Jeffrey Springs, Aaron Civale, J.T. Ginn, Luis Severino and Jacob Lopez have been a strong starting rotation. The question now is if they can continue to stack together wins. The division is wide open right now.
As for the White Sox, they had the worst record in the American League last season. Their big splash in the offseason was signing Munetaka Murakami from Nippon Professional Baseball to a much cheaper contract than many expected. Murakami, 26, is the White Sox’s second-oldest lineup regular. Andrew Benintendi, 31, is the oldest. While the A’s have some more veterans, the White Sox are relying heavily on youth.
More notably, they are doing well without Kyle Teel, who is one of their best players and was one of the top prospects in baseball last year. He should return soon, and then the White Sox could get even better. Muarakami, Miguel Vargas, Colson Montgomery and Sam Antonacci all have an OPS over .800 right now. Last season, Montgomery was the only player on the team with an OPS over .800. As a team, the White Sox have the sixth-best OPS in baseball. Others, like Chase Meidroth, have also been playing well despite lacking slug. He is hitting .262 while playing elite defense.
The Athletics are not far behind them at eighth. There is still a long way to go for both of these teams, but this season has proved that both of these teams are no longer easy wins on a schedule. They have the talent to win games, and over the next couple of seasons could really become a force. Their young players are leading the way, and most of them are still learning how to be big leaguers.
More MLB: Chicago White Sox’s Chase Meidroth, left, and Colson Montgomery (12) celebrate after defeating the Chicago Cubs in a baseball game in Chicago, Saturday, May 16, 2026. (AP Photo/Paul Beaty)
