Do. Not. Panic. It's one month out of six. Long season and all that. Except ...
Except April does tell us something. In checking last year's standings after the first month (using May 7, since the season started late because of the lockout), eight of the 12 eventual playoff teams were in a playoff position at that point of the season.
As we roll into May, the Rays are in first place in a stacked American League East and possess the best record in the majors, so it's no surprise they top our list of grades for the month of April. But for some squads that are accustomed to sitting atop their division, this month brought a very different reality.
Let's check in on all 30 teams and hand out grades -- weighed against preseason expectations, factoring in how and whom they've played and zeroing in on some key players.