9 teams that have leveled up at certain positions

Every club heads into the offseason hoping it can upgrade certain positions through free agency, trade or by just getting better performances from players on the roster who may be ready for a bigger role.

Below, we've spotlighted nine teams that have received a big boost at a position where they may have lagged behind last season. We'll present each club's 2024 wRC+ at that position, its increase in wRC+ from 2023, and the player(s) most responsible for the turnaround. We'll also consider whether this improvement might be short-lived or something more sustainable.

All stats updated through Monday.

Angels catcher: Logan O'Hoppe
2024 WRC+: 197 (+105)

O'Hoppe carried an .886 OPS through the first 16 games of his rookie season last year before a left shoulder injury suffered on April 20 sidelined him for nearly four months. The Angels were punchless without him as their three other backstops combined for a .213/.300/.356 slash line and a 28.3% strikeout rate. Through the first few weeks of this season, Hoppe isn't off to just another good start; he's been one of the best hitters in the game. He ranks among the top 10 in average (.364) and on-base percentage (.451).

Can this continue? O'Hoppe came into Tuesday with only one homer through his first 44 at-bats (he had 14 through 182 at-bats last year), but considering how he has increased his hard contact and decreased his whiffs, that power should come in time. The Angels' former No. 1 prospect could be at the beginning of a true breakout season.

Rays catcher: Rene Pinto and Ben Rortvedt
2024 wRC+: 146 (+67)

Pinto and Rortvedt had done enough to earn consideration for this list before Sunday, when the former recorded his first two-homer game in the big leagues. To that point, Pinto had struggled a little bit with the stick, but Rortvedt picked up the slack. Acquired from the Yankees in March, Rortvedt has eight hits in 25 at-bats and a .414 on-base percentage thanks to his 13.8% walk rate. The two have a nearly even playing time split through 17 games and have combined for an outstanding 57.1% sweet-spot rate. That's a 23-point increase from what Rays catchers accomplished in 2023.

Can this continue? It helps that both players have also made big gains in hard-hit rate while sporting double-digit barrel rates. Pinto will likely get the majority of starts, and his bat has real thump -- he bopped six homers in only 103 at-bats last season. However, he must carve away at his ugly 41.9% K rate.

Cubs first base: Michael Busch
2024 wRC+: 231 (+139)

One week ago, Busch had a league-average 100 wRC+ at a position where the Cubs were a little below average last year (92 wRC+). Then the rookie turned into an unstoppable force. Busch's five-game homer streak entering Tuesday tied a franchise record and pumped up his slash line to an impressive .327/.410/.731. It's fair to say he has carried the Cubs' offense during this heater; the rest of the team batted just .146 with two long balls over those five games. With Seiya Suzuki sidelined with a right oblique strain, the North Siders will need the lefty slugger to keep it up.

Can this continue? Uh, no, Busch will not hit a home run in every game remaining this season -- although that would be fun to watch. Still, his raw power is legit. He had 32 homers in the Minors in 2022 and 27 across 98 games at Triple-A last season before the Cubs acquired him from the Dodgers. Busch now owns eight dingers in 43 big league games, and his expected stats and batting metrics back up much of what he's done so far.

Blue Jays second base: Cavan Biggio and Isiah Kiner-Falefa
2024 wRC+: 197 (+94)

Biggio dragged down Toronto's production at second base last year, producing a .568 OPS through 150 plate appearances at the keystone spot. This year, he's lifting the lineup while the big bats who play beside him -- first baseman Vladimir Guerrero Jr. (.675 OPS) and shortstop Bo Bichette (.610 OPS) have been slow out of the gate. Biggio, who rode a career-best nine-game hitting streak into Tuesday, has slashed .300/.425/.500 at second base this year. Kiner-Falefa has chipped in by going 6-for-14 with a .529 OBP at the position.

Can this continue? It seems unlikely. Biggio didn't make consistently solid contact through his first five MLB seasons, and this year has been no different. His hard-hit rate (26.7%) has never been lower while his strikeout rate (30.8%) has never been higher. That's contributed to a .448 BABIP, which is the third-highest in baseball (min. 50 PA). But the Blue Jays will gladly take whatever Biggio and IKF provide while their stars work to get on track.

Yankees third base: Oswaldo Cabrera
2024 wRC+: 133 (+51)

Cabrera was one of five players responsible for the Yankees' 82 wRC+ at third last year when he batted .256 and had only two extra-base hits in 43 at-bats. Granted, he played all around the diamond, logging time at every spot other than pitcher and catcher. This year, he's been basically locked at the hot corner, filling in for the injured DJ LeMahieu, and the 25-year-old has already picked up five extra-base hits across 44 ABs. It's left him with a slugging percentage of .568 as a third baseman and .521 overall.

Can this continue? That last number is worth noting because Cabrera's expected slugging is only .336 due in part to his middling average exit velocity (88 mph) and hard-hit rate (32.4%). That 185-point gap is the sixth-largest among qualified players. Despite his quality results, Cabrera's time in the Yanks' starting lineup is likely running short with LeMahieu preparing for a rehab assignment.

Nationals left field: Jesse Winker
2024 wRC+: 147 (+67)

We'll get to the stats, but the biggest number for Winker so far is zero. That's the number of injuries he's fighting though at the moment. His previous two years were wrecked by myriad injuries, including knee and neck ailments that required surgery prior to the 2023 season. It all took a toll on his production, resulting in a .656 OPS and a 97 wRC+. Winker joined the Nats this winter on a Minor League deal and has been a pleasant surprise through 17 games, highlighted by an MLB-best .483 OBP.

Can this continue? He may never repeat his 2021 All-Star year, but Winker's 10.5% barrel rate and hard-hit rate of nearly 40% are noticeable upgrades from his injury-marred years. He should be a staple in Washington's lineup and, if nothing else, continue to reach base often thanks to his low 16.7% K rate and great batting eye (13% career walk rate, 15% in 2024).

Padres center field: Jackson Merrill
2024 wRC+: 154 (+64)

Just 19 games in, it sure seems like the 20-year-old Merrill has gotten the hang of hitting Major League pitching. He leads San Diego with 21 hits and is slashing .356/.433/.441. That's quite a jump compared to San Diego's lead center fielder last season, Trent Grisham, who put together a .198/.315/.352 line over 555 plate appearances. Starting on April 7 -- when he went 4-for-4 versus the Giants -- Merrill churned out 14 hits in his next 29 at-bats, including a crucial knock in a triumph over Milwaukee on Monday.

Can this continue? There hasn't been much reason to doubt him. MLB's No. 12 prospect came to the big leagues with a 65-grade hit tool and a reputation as someone who doesn't swing and miss often. That checks out. Merrill's 16.4% strikeout rate and 17.4% whiff rate belie his age and inexperience.

Red Sox right field: Tyler O'Neill
2024 wRC+: 169 (+77)

Six Red Sox right fielders combined for 16 home runs last season. O'Neill already has five at that position and seven overall. He has seen considerable time in left as well, but through 40 plate appearances as a right fielder, the 28-year-old has logged an 1.183 OPS and looked a lot like the player who finished inside the top 10 in National League MVP voting in 2021 with St. Louis.

Can this continue? Similar to Winker, health matters more than just about any statistic when it comes to O'Neill, who played in fewer than 100 games in 2022 and '23. He fortunately avoided serious injury when he collided with Rafael Devers during Monday's game. Assuming there are no other physical scares, O'Neill appears primed to turn a powerful start to his rebound season into perhaps a career-best year. He sits second in barrel rate (22.9%) and among the top 10 in expected slugging (.699) and expected weighted on-base average (.469).

Royals designated hitter: Nelson Velázquez
2024 wRC+: 139 (+45)

Vinnie Pasquantino has done good work when called upon to DH, but we're going to focus on Velázquez since that is his primary position. Power has been Velázquez's top tool throughout his short career, and he displayed plenty of it last year when he bashed 14 homers in 40 games with Kansas City following a midseason trade from the Cubs. The 25-year-old is 12-for-37 with an .845 OPS as the Royals' designated hitter this season. His stat line includes a 429-foot crush job against the White Sox on April 4.

Can this continue? Velázquez's power has always come with a lot of swing-and-miss -- none more so than this year. His 33.9% strikeout rate and 40.8% whiff rate are unsightly career highs. Combine that with a 50% ground-ball rate, and Velázquez is going to have trouble reaching his full potential without some changes to his approach.