The huge disparity in the standings between the two leagues

I don't know how much time you've spent lately checking the Major League Baseball standings. Since we're a third of the way through the season, they're starting to look meaningful.

But let's just say there are some surprises.

The biggest one is probably the fact that only four teams are currently at .500 or better in the American League.

The Seattle Mariners (who lead their division) and the Toronto Blue Jays, as of this morning, would make the playoffs despite a losing record if the season ended today.

The Rays, Yankees, Guardians, and White Sox (yes, really) are the only teams with a record of at least .500 in the American League.

The A's and Minnesota (27 losses and 29 or 30 losses) are teams within one game of the playoffs… despite a less-than-stellar record.

Several bad teams (Baltimore, Houston, Texas, and Boston) are within four games of the playoffs. The Red Sox are nine games below .500.

That says a lot about the American League.

On the other hand, in the National League, 11 teams are playing for at least .500. Every division has at least three clubs in that position.

All five teams in the Central have a winning record. The Pirates (two games out of the playoffs) are 29-28. They'd be leading the American League West if they were playing there.

The Rockies, Giants, Mets, and Marlins (the latter three should be doing better than this) are the only teams not in the .500 range.

All other teams, including the Nationals, are within two games of the playoffs.

Created by humans, assisted by AI.