What the Bunched Up MLB Standings Really Say About the State of All 30 Teams

Every team is within three games of a wild card spot at this early stage.

An early look at the standings suggests there's a lot of parity. | Dale Zanine-Imagn Images

Tax returns still have a few days to be postmarked so it's way too early to be going over the Major League Baseball standings with a fine toothed comb in an attempt to divine some sort of meaning. Every game of the 162 counts the same so that's not to impugn the importance of April results. It's only to suggest that there is plenty of time for teams off to great starts to have the wheels fall completely off and for those who have stumbled out of the gates to right the ship and go on a prolonged winning streak. Still, a cursory glance at the divisions this season reveals something unique.

Not a single team in baseball is out of it. Now, obviously it's impossible for a side to be mathematically dead after two-plus weeks. But in seasons past, a handful have usually put themselves worryingly far behind the 8-ball. This campaign, however, is suggesting through a small sample size that some unusual parity could underscore the summer.

MLB Standings

American League East

Team	Record
Rays	8-7
Yankees	8-7
Orioles	8-7
Blue Jays	6-9
Red Sox	6-9

American League Central

Team	Record
Twins	9-7
Guardians	9-7
Royals	7-9
Tigers	7-9
White Sox	6-10

American League West

Team	Record
Rangers	8-7
Athletics	8-7
Angels	8-8
Mariners	7-9
Astros	6-10

National League East

Team	Record
Braves	10-6
Marlins	8-8
Phillies	7-8
Nationals	7-8
Mets	7-9

National League Central

Team	Record
Pirates	9-6
Reds	9-7
Cardinals	8-7
Brewers	8-7
Cubs	7-8

National League West

Team	Record
Dodgers	11-4
Padres	10-6
Diamondbacks	9-7
Giants	6-10
Rockies	6-10

The Dodgers are, predictably, the best team in the sport with an 11-4 record. Four teams (White Sox, Astros, Giants and Rockies) lay claim to the cellar at 6-10. If this were a NASCAR race, no one would be in danger of being lapped. Instead, all 30 teams are bunched up nice and tight as though they are coming off a yellow flag restart.

Every team in MLB has played either 15 or 16 games. On this date last year, four teams had fewer than six victories and five had at least 11. Through a similar slate in 2024, three teams had failed to win five games. In 2023, six teams hadn't posted six victories. In 2022, that number was three. The last time there was somewhat congruent equity at this point was 2021 when the Rockies were the only team lagging behind everyone else.

It's unclear what to make of this and odds are there will be some significant separation between contenders and pretender as the calendar makes its way to May. Still, it's quite interesting that only the Giants and Rockies are more than three games out of first place in their division. Literally everyone is within three games of a wild card spot at this point.

Run differential hammers home just how evenly the action has played out. The Braves have the best in baseball at +46 and the White Sox the worst at -30. Nineteen of the remaining 28 are within 10 runs of zero in either direction.

So the season has technically started. Yet it really hasn't started. That's good news for fans of teams who haven't loved what they've seen. That's not the best news for teams who are exceeding expectations. If this trend continues there won't be room for all of the teams in those "in the hunt" graphics when they become slightly more responsible.

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