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With the first half of the 2026 MLB season wrapping up, we have the chance to reflect upon some of the biggest breakout performances of the year.
There have been a handful of pleasant surprises across the league, ranging from the emergence of an outstanding class of rookies to veteran pitchers enjoying excellent seasons late into their respective careers.
After calling out the 10 biggest disappointments of the season on Wednesday, were looking on the bright side here with the 10 most pleasant surprises from the first half, highlighting various trends, players and teams that have greatly exceeded preseason expectations.
Small-ball success stories The Rays and Brewers have been two of MLBs best teams in 2026.
The two small-market sides both rank in the bottom five in total home runs but are in the top 10 in stolen bases and batting average.
Milwaukee and Tampa Bay are both in a small group of teams averaging fewer than a home run per game, yet both sit atop their respective divisions.
The Brewers have been dominant, owning MLBs second best run differential at +137.
Only the Dodgers (+163) are better in that regard.
While most teams continue to prioritize power at the plate, the Rays and Brewers arent following that trend, and theyve had a ton of success with their approach.
Chicago White Sox It took 78 games in the 2026 season for the White Sox to match their win tally from the disastrous 24 campaign.
Chicago hasnt won more than 61 games since 22, yet through 89 games this season the South Siders have already won 47 games.
Youd be hard pressed to find anyone who expected the White Sox to have a record above .500 heading into the All-Star break, yet this team has defied the odds and sit atop the AL Central at 4743.
Breakout studs such as Colson Montgomery, Miguel Vargas and rookie sensation Muretaka Murakami have powered the offense, while the pitching staff full of late bloomers and journeymen has held up its end of the bargain, too.
Miami Marlins Another team that didnt elicit very high expectations this season, the Marlins (5042) have been playing terrific baseball through the first half and currently occupy the NLs last wild-card spot.
Otto Lopez has turned into one of MLBs best hitters, boasting a league-best .343 batting average and 124 hits.
Miami has had excellent production at the plate from others such as Xavier Edwards, Kyle Stowers and Liam Hicks, too.
With Max Meyer emerging as a potential ace, the Marlins seem to be in a good spot for years to come.
The NL Cy Young race The National League is home to many of MLBs best pitchers, and this years Cy Young race may end up coming right down to the wire.
Jacob Misiorowski has been nothing short of dominant, and despite a rough few outings of late, Cristopher Sanchez is right on his heels.
Chase Burns and Chris Sale also warrant discussion in the NL Cy Young conversation, along with Zack Wheeler, Shohei Ohtani and even Eduardo Rodriguez.
Its been a joy to watch this group of aces on the mound, and if they continue pitching at such a high level, this may end up being one of the closest Cy Young races of all time.
St.
Louis Cardinals Rebuilding? Not so fast.
The Cardinals were expected to be at the bottom of the barrel in the NL Central.
Instead, theyre six games above .500 and chomping on the heels of the Marlins for the National Leagues final wild-card spot.
JJ Wetherholt has been MLBs best defender thus far in terms of outs above average, and Jordan Walker is demolishing baseballs on a regular basis, now up to 21 homers on the year.
The Cardinals dont excel in any specific area.
They arent in the top 10 in any key hitting categories league-wide, and they only have a +3 run differential.
Still, St.
Louis is winning games and is comfortably outplaying its preseason expectations.
The Nationals offense Washingtons pitching has been among the worst in MLB, but the team has stayed afloat due to its prolific offense.
The Nationals lead MLB in runs scored, averaging an impressive 5.37 runs per game.
Much of that is due to the prolific performances of stars such as James Wood and CJ Abrams, who have combined for 44 home runs on the year, as well as Luis Garcia Jr., who has set his career-high in home runs (19) in just 86 games.
Washington has collectively hit the second-most home runs (130) in MLB, has the leagues third-highest OPS (.758) and is tied for the fourth-most hits (800).
Veteran starting pitching There have been some outstanding performance from experienced arms who havent always looked this sharp.
To name a few, Eduardo Rodriguez, Sonny Gray and Nick Martinez are all enjoying career years in 2026, and Chris Sale at the age of 37 is right in the mix of the NL Cy Young conversation.
After back-to-back seasons with an ERA over 5.00, Rodriguez owns a 2.25 ERA in 18 starts for the Diamondbacks.
The lefty has never had a season with an ERA below 3.30, but hes a full point below that past this seasons midway point.
Martinez is also enjoying the best season of his career at age 35.
He owns a 2.61 ERA and has walked just 18 batters in 100 innings.
As for Gray, the three-time All-Star has a 2.61 ERA with 82 strikeouts in 89 2/3 innings and has a 101 record on the mound for a Red Sox team thats seven games below .500.
Standout rookies Much was made of the strong start to the season this years class of rookies had.
Many of those players have maintained that high level of play throughout the first half.
Kevin McGonigle, JJ Wetherholt, Sal Stewart, Parker Messick, Munetaka Murakami and Sal Stewart are among a handful of rookies that have wasted no time adapting to the big leagues.
McGonigle ranks seventh in all of MLB with 3.9 fWAR, and Wetherholt isnt far behind at 3.6 (11th best).
Messick has a 2.80 ERA in 18 starts and his 2.9 fWAR is ninth among all pitchers.
Murakami, prior to his stint on the injured list, was shattering rookie home run records, enjoying an electric start to life with the White Sox, and Stewart has been highly productive with 17 home runs, a .801 OPS and 11 stolen bases in 90 games.
The future is bright in MLB, and these young studs are leading the charge in that regard.
Luis Arraezs defensive revival Since arriving in San Francisco, Luis Arraez has completely transformed on defense.
Once considered a defensive liability, bouncing across various positions with limited success, the Giants have unlocked his potential as a top-tier second baseman.
With former Rangers and Angels manager Ron Washington instructing him as the Giants infield coach, Arraez ranks sixth in MLB with 10 outs above average.
He remains an effective contact hitter, currently ranking second in the league with 112 hits and a .327 batting average, but his improvements in the field could help even more to secure a long-term contract after he signed a one-year deal with the Giants last offseason.
Cam Schlittlers dominance Cam Schlittlers rise to AL Cy Young favorite has been meteoric.
He only just debuted in MLB last season, and although he impressed in his first stint with the Yankees, his second season has been something to behold.
Schlittler leads the AL with a 2.01 ERA.
Hes struck out 131 batters in 112 innings and has only issued 21 walks on the year (he walked 31 batters in 39 fewer innings in 25).
Schlittler has been a steady arm in the Yankees rotation, which has been even more important considering the injury woes the team has endured there.
At 25 years old, Schlittler has the highest fWAR (3.6) among AL starters, and hes held opponents to one or fewer runs in 14 of his 19 outings on the year.
If Gerrit Cole, Max Fried and Carlos Rodon can pitch like theyre being paid to, the Yankees will be hard to stop in the playoffs.
More MLB from Sports Illustrated Karl Rasmussen is a staff writer for Sports Illustrated.
A University of Oregon alum who joined SI in February 2023, his work has appeared on 12up and ClutchPoints.
Rasmussen is a loyal Tottenham, Jets, Yankees and Ducks fan.