MLB Stunner: One NL Division Has More Teams Above .500 Than Entire AL

The National League has certainly been beating up on the American League so far in the 2026 Major League Baseball season.

Now, of course, it's been just about two weeks. We're not even close to being done with the season. We're not even 10 percent of the way through the campaign. But one early trend that has been out there is the fact that the National League has been significantly outplaying the American League.

Right now, there are just three teams above .500 in the American League: New York Yankees (8-3), Cleveland Guardians (8-5) and the Texas Rangers (7-5). You didn't read that wrong. Just three of the teams in the American League are above .500 right now. It's not even like this is some sort of loophole and a chunk of the teams are sitting at .500 right now. There are just two teams sitting at .500: Baltimore Orioles (6-6) and the Minnesota Twins (6-6). That's it. Five teams in the entire American League are .500 or better.

One stat that will blow MLB fans' minds is the fact that USA Today's Bob Nightengale pointed out that there are more teams above .500 in the National League Central alone than the entire American League.

Wait, what?

Aug 4, 2025; Atlanta, Georgia, USA; A detailed view of a Milwaukee Brewers hat and glove in the dugout against the Atlanta Braves in the fourth inning at Truist Park. Mandatory Credit: Brett Davis-Imagn Images | Brett Davis-Imagn Images

"Hard to believe but there are actually more teams in the NL Central with a winning record than the entire American League: NL CENTRAL: Reds (8-4), Brewers (8-4), Pirates (7-5), Cardinals (7-5)," Nightengale wrote. "AMERICAN LEAGUE: Yankees (8-3), Guardians (8-5), Rangers (7-5)."

Woah. That's certainly not what you expect to see.

To take that stat one step further, there are just two teams in the National League below .500 right now: Washington Nationals (4-8) and the San Francisco Giants (5-8).

So, what's the problem here? It's too early to say that there is a problem, but when there is this much disparity, it's a bad look for the league in general. If one league is stacked and the other isn't competitive, it's bad for business. It's too early to make that judgment, though, even with these early numbers.

A roughly two-week sample size isn't enough to make a big judgment about both leagues in totality. But the results so far this season have painted the National League in a very good light. It looks like a juggernaut right now. The two-time reigning World Series champion Los Angeles Dodgers are leading the way, of course. It's too early to be thinking about the World Series, but if the season were to end today, the National League playoffs look more competitive than any potential World Series matchup.