There have been plenty of surprises throughout the first couple of months of the 2017 MLB season. After all, who would have though that the Houston Astros would have the best record in baseball by far while the Chicago Cubs were below .500. A lot can happen the rest of the way to shift our perceptions but so far we have a big enough sample size to evaluate the performances that we have seen from each division so far. Here is a look at the MLB divisions ranked from best to worst based on their performances so far this season.
American League East
The Boston Red Sox were the favorite to win the AL East. The Red Sox have certainly done their part as they are six games above .500 through 52 games. However, Boston is still two games back of the New York Yankees for first place in the division. The pinstripes have come out of nowhere with a 30-20 record through 50 games. Only 5.5 games separates the division from top to bottom. Four of the five teams in the AL East have records above .500 while the only one that doesn’t is a Toronto Blue Jays side that has been on fire of late and is closing in on that mark at 26-27. The advanced stats indicate that the Yankees are for real. Based on what we have seen so far, the AL East could legitimately have three playoff representatives this season.
National League West
The NL West is definitely one of the most unique in baseball. The fact that this division ranks among the best in baseball despite that one of the favorites to win the division is 11 games below .500 is a testament to its depth. The San Francisco Giants have struggled and nobody expected the San Diego Padres to be a .500 team. However, the Colorado Rockies and Arizona Diamondbacks have matched the Los Angeles Dodgers for the most wins in the NL West to this point with 33 each. All three teams have performed at a playoff level so far this season. With the Dodgers considered legitimate World Series contenders and both the Rockies and Diamondbacks in the playoff mix, the NL West is clearly one of the best in baseball.
National League Central
The NL Central has been one of the best divisions in baseball for some time now but there is a weird transition period underway right now. The Cincinnati Reds and Pittsburgh Pirates aren’t going to contend for a playoff spot this season. Meanwhile, the defending champion Chicago Cubs are two games below .500 despite having the consensus best roster in all of baseball. It’s only a matter of time before the Cubs turn it around. Meanwhile, the Milwaukee Brewers and St. Louis Cardinals have played some decent baseball and can’t be overlooked just yet. With the World Series favorite leading the way and some decent performances by the Brewers and Cardinals so far, the NL Central deserves a spot on this list.
American League West
The AL West is home to the best record in baseball. However, the jury is out on the rest of the division. The Astros have been absolutely on fire out of the gates with a 38-16 record through 54 games. However, the rest of their division has been very average with none of the other four teams producing a better than .500 record throughout the first couple of months. The Los Angeles Angels just found out they will be without Mike Trout for a couple of months. Meanwhile, the Texas Rangers and Seattle Mariners have underachieved again through their first 50 games. There is no doubt this division has the potential to be better. However, to this point in the season it wouldn’t make sense to have the AL West any higher on this list.
National League East
The Washington Nationals have cruised to a 33-19 record through 52 games. It seems like they have the potential to be even better based on the raw numbers they have produced. The problem with the NL East is that the Nationals don’t really have any other competition. The New York Mets are three games below .500 and haven’t looked anything like a playoff team. Meanwhile, the Atlanta Braves, Miami Marlins and Philadelphia Phillies are all destined to finish below .500.
American League Central
The fact that the Minnesota Twins are tied with the Cleveland Indians for the best record in the AL Central should be an obvious sign that they reside in the worst division in baseball. Cleveland has been a major disappointment so far this season. Meanwhile, the overachieving Twins could still finish well below .500 this season. The Detroit Tigers, Chicago White Sox and Kansas City Royals are all well below the .500 mark. While there might be hope for Detroit, it’s hard to imagine Chicago or Kansas City turning things around. The Indians could surprise with a strong second half. However, even if Cleveland turn things around this will likely still be the weakest division in baseball this season.
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