The Diamondbacks are coming off their toughest stretch of the season, having lost six straight to the Dodgers and Cubs. It happens. Overall, the Diamondbacks are probably fine with .500, even if that means being closer to the National League West basement than their attic. Grade: C We believe the Braves may have taken the wrong lesson from last season. You don’t have to spend the first half making a hole you can get out of the stretch, guys. Defending champions are below .500, but it doesn’t make sense to panic too much. We’d like the Braves to elevate Spencer Strider to a more significant capacity; he has thrown too well and has too much promise to serve as a low lever arm. Grade: C He talks about the incredibly low standards at the big league level set by Mike Elias’s reception that someone might look at this list of Orioles and comment, “Hey, better than expected.” This is still, after all, a last place team that is not going anywhere fast. However, the Orioles have a competent outside field and, through a combination of skill, luck and installing a cannon on the left field, have polished some pitchers, including Tyler Wells and Felix Bautista. Grade: D The Red Sox have been one of the biggest disappointments to the majors this season. It was reasonable to expect them to compete for another playoff spot. They’ve been doing a lot better lately, but they’ve still spent most of the season so far trying to beat the Orioles for fourth place. These ratings are descriptive, not predictive; We suspect the Red Sox will play much better from here, but there is no way to avoid it, this has been a mistake for a year so far. Grade: D It was unrealistic to expect this Cubs team to compete, but they basically had an equal (-2) career differential for 40 games. There were also enough bright spots, whether Seiya Suzuki, Willson Contreras or the whole bullpen, to give them a decent note. Grade: C The White Sox are lucky to be in the standings based on their career differential and the larger circumstances surrounding their squad. Specifically, they have received a poor play from Yasmani Grandal and José Abreu; and most have been without Lance Lynn and Eloy Jimenez. (Also, Tony La Russa has had some, eh, bullpen-handling adventures.) We usually reserve approval notes for teams that are playing well, either overall or in relation to expectations; We considered giving the White Sox a B because things could have been much, much worse, and they would have to thank their stars for being in a good position to make a career. Finally, we decided on a C. Grade: C The Reds have played better lately, winning series against the Brewers, Pirates and Guardians. They still have a miserable track record, due to a 3-22 start, and the implementation of a draft lottery means they are not guaranteed the No. 1 pick if they stay in the basement. We will give them credit for fighting, but there is no way to give them the lowest possible grade. Grade: F The Guardians felt like a perfectly average team entering the season, so it’s no wonder they’re sitting in the middle of the Central American League with a career differential close to par. There’s only one grade that fits the aesthetic, but we won’t go wrong with anyone who wants to take them to a B. Grade: C. The Rockies are hanging around .500 so far, but we don’t expect that to continue. . They have the worst career differential in the National League West, and their record so far is the product of having the second highest winning percentage of the majors in matches in a career. It was unreasonable to think of this team as a contender, so our advice to Rockies fans is to enjoy the (relatively) good times as they are. Grade: C This was to be the year of the Tigers to move up in the standings. Instead, the only one who seems likely to compete is last place in the Central American League. Injuries have been history in Detroit so far, but there are some aspects of that dynamic. Yes, injuries are often seen as examples of “luck,” whether good or bad; however, those in Detroit, at least, have stated that this staff had no depth. The best days should be around the corner, if only because it’s not like things could get much worse. Grade: F You must decant the cap. The Astros lost Carlos Correa for free agency and it didn’t matter. Newcomer Jeremy Peña has been phenomenal, as has most of Houston’s lineup. At the other end of the spectrum of experience, Justin Verlander has shown no rust after undergoing Tommy John surgery at an advanced age. The Astros didn’t have a low season splashed in any way, but they didn’t have to; this is still a very competent list that should remain at the heart of the American League pennant race. Grade: A It’s not been a fun spring in Kansas City. The attack has been so poorly performed (including Bobby Witt Jr. and Salvador Perez) that the typical loyal Royals fired their batsman coach last week. The launch staff has not been much better, with only Daniel Lynch and Brad Keller emerging among their various young starters. There’s plenty of time left to put a better foot forward, but it’s unclear if the Royals are up to the challenge. Grade: D …