National League West Standings
One of the more predictable divisions in the baseball standings is the National League West. The Los Angeles Dodgers have largely had this division firmly in their grasp in recent years, as they have finished on top of the standings en route to several playoff appearances and a World Series championship in 2020.
But there are multiple teams looking to knock the Dodgers from their perch atop the NL West standings. The San Diego Padres, Colorado Rockies, Arizona Diamondbacks and San Francisco Giants have all gone to the World Series this century. They are more than capable of leaping over the Dodgers in the standings en route to another playoff run.
How Many Wild Card Teams Are There In Mlb
There are six wild card team in the MLB playoffs. Under the new MLB collective-bargaining agreement, the postseason was expanded starting in 2022. There are three wild card teams in the NL and thee teams in the AL. Each wild card team with the lowest seed faces the division winner with the lowest record. The format looks like this. with playoff positioning is determined by the MLB standings.
- No. 6 wild card team vs No. 3 division winner
- No. 5 wild card team vs No. 4 wild card team
Each AL and NL Wild Card series is a best-of-three set. The No. 1 seed, the team with the best record in each league, hosts the winner of the 4 vs. 5 matchup. Meanwhile, the No. 2 seed faces the winner of the No. 3 vs No. 6 in the Divisional Round.
Related: MLB playoffsschedule, projections
American League West Standings
The AL West standings are one of the most unpredictable in all of baseball, with multiple teams rising to the top of the division in the recent past. The Houston Astros have won the World Series out of this division, but that is just the tip of the iceberg of the success that this division has had this century.
The Los Angeles Angels have also made it to the top of the AL West standings en route to a championship. And the Texas Rangers, Seattle Mariners and Oakland Athletics have all had runs of sustained success coming out of this division. Which teams will rise up and take this division is often anyones guess.
Read Also: Fantasy Baseball Who To Start
Angels Cardinals Giants Mets Padres Twins
This tier consists of a few teams who youd expect to see and a couple of surprises. Among expected contenders, it shouldnt really be a major shock to see the Padres and the Cardinals right here. While both of these teams would be hard-pressed to topple their current divisional leaders, its still something thats not out of the realm of possibility. St. Louis can lay claim to having one of the best team wRC+ numbers in the entire NL, and thats due to Nolan Arenado, Paul Goldschmidt, and Tommy Edman helping to power the Cardinals to a pretty good record so far.
I know that the Mets are, well, the Mets but this season feels different so far. Yeah, theyve dealt with injuries to Jacob deGrom and Max Scherzer, but Carlos Carrasco has been doing his level best to pick up the slack. Plus it sure helps to have guys like Francisco Lindor, Jeff McNeil and Brandon Nimmo firing on all cylinders at the plate. If they can avoid a major injury crisis, then theyve already made a serious push for representing the NL East in the postseason.
Over in Southern California, Manny Machado is making waves as the early favorite to win NL MVP this season. Additionally, San Diegos rotation has been living up to their lofty expectations. Yu Darvish, Joe Musgrove and MacKenzie Gore have been giving opposing hitters fits this season and if that continues then they could go toe-to-toe with LA all season.
When Is The Mlb World Series
The date for the 2022 World Series will be released later this year. The MLB regular season concludes on Oct. 5 with the playoffs beginning two days later. The 2021 World Series started on October 21.
Five days after the World Series concludes, MLB free agency begins. Below you can check out an overview of the loaded 2022-23 MLB free agent class.
Also Check: When Does Mlb Baseball Start
American League East Standings
Perhaps the most watched section of the American League standings each year is the AL East standings. There, two of the most beloved franchises in all of American professional sports look to finish ahead of each other every year. Those teams are the New York Yankees and Boston Red Sox.
Both the Yankees and Red Sox look to use the regular season standings as a springboard into the postseason. And both teams have gone from being atop the division standings to winning championships in October. But the Tampa Bay Rays have been a consistent contender and a thorn in the side of New York and Boston for many years.
National League East Standings
In the National League baseball standings, the National League East is a division that carries a lot of intrigue. The division has been historically relevant thanks to the performances of teams like the Atlanta Braves, New York Mets, and even the Washington Nationals who have come through to win championships for the division.
The Miami Marlins and Philadelphia Phillies are not to be overlooked in this division either. Those teams have shocked the world and risen to the top of the standings and the rest of the baseball world by getting to the World Series and winning the championship. This division can produce champions from anywhere.
Read Also: New Balance Mens Baseball Cleats
Astros Brewers Dodgers Rays Yankees
There are some familiar faces who have already raced to the top of the standings in their respective divisions. It really shouldnt be shocking to see these teams storming right out of the gate and playing good baseball. These are four teams that were all used to seeing in October in recent years and no one would be surprised if all of them kept up the pace and returned to the newly-expanded postseason once again.
The Yankees in particular have gotten off to a great start in what figured to be the toughest division in all of baseball this year. The basic explanation is that theyve been mashing the ball like crazy so far unsurprisingly, Aaron Judge and Giancarlo Stanton have both been leading the way when it comes to crushing and Judge in particular has gotten off to one of the hottest starts of his career.
Related
Bet on MLB playoff futures at DraftKings Sportsbook
While the Rays are already a few games behind the Yankees in the standings and havent exactly been spectacular themselves, it still wouldnt be a huge shock to see them in the mix for a postseason spot as the season progresses. Their starting pitching has been very good so far, with Shane McClanahan on track to blow his rookie season out of the water. Wander Franco is also having no problems with his first full season in the bigs, as the dynamic young shortstop has been just as exciting as advertised.
American League Central Standings
Another division that draws intrigue in the American League baseball standings is the American League Central. This division was responsible for the winningest regular season team of all-time in the 2000s when the Chicago White Sox finished with a better performance in the standings than any team in history to that point.
Today, the White Sox battle it out in a competitive division that features other contenders such as the Minnesota Twins and Cleveland Indians. All three of those AL Central teams have gone onto the playoffs in the recent history of the league, with Cleveland getting to multiple World Series.
Recommended Reading: Men High Top Baseball Cleats
How Many Teams Are In Mlb
There are 30 MLB teams. The National League is home to the oldest teams, including the Atlanta Braves , Chicago Cubs , Cincinnati Reds, Philadelphia Phillies, and San Francisco Giants.
The New York Yankees were founded in 1901, along with the Boston Red Sox, Cleveland Guardians, Chicago White Sox, Detroit Tigers, Baltimore Orioles, Minnesota Twins, and Oakland Athletics. In 1998, the Tampa Bay Rays and Arizona Diamondbacks were formed, becoming the most recently expanded MLB teams.
The MLB standings are broken down into six separate divisions, three each in the American League and National League. Each division has five teams.
Also Read:
What Does Mlb Stand For
MLB stands for Major League Baseball, a professional baseball organization in the United States. While professional baseball started in 1869. The National League was founded in February 1876 and the American League started in 1901. This is the 147th season in MLB history.
Sportsnaut will provide the latest MLB scores throughout the 2022 season, with MLB standings updated each day.
You May Like: Jack Clark Baseball Card Value
Who Has The Best Record In Mlb
The Los Angeles Dodgers have the best record in MLB. Entering play on Aug. 29, Los Angeles sits atop the MLB standings with a record of 88-38. The team with the best record in the AL is the 82-47 Houston Astros.
Behind the Dodgers in the NL are the New York Mets, with a stellar 82-47 record. Behind the Astros in the AL are the New York Yankees with a 78-50 record.
Understanding Major League Baseball Standings
The Major League Baseball standings are a vital barometer to a teams success over the course of the MLB season. In order to make the playoffs, teams have to finish at the top of their division or with a record that is good enough to earn a Wild Card spot. In each division, there are teams that gravitate toward the top, with each division in the MLB standings having its own perennial contenders.
Read Also: New Era Men’s Baseball Hats
How Many Games Are Left In The Mlb Season
Were well past the halfway point of the 2022 MLB season. Multiple games have been postponed until later this summer due to rainouts, resulting in teams having played a varied number of games. However, all 30 MLB teams have played at least 100 games thus far on the MLB schedule.
MLB standings use fractions, 0.5 games, to help determine the order when teams have played a different number of games. At the end of the 2022 season, every team will have played 162 games.
Related: MLB power rankings
Who Won The Mlb World Series In 2021
The Atlanta Braves won the World Series in 2021, defeating the Houston Astros in six games. Jorge Soler, who signed with the Miami Marlins this offseason, won 2021 World Series MVP after hitting three home runs and posting a 1.191 OPS with six RBI. It was a remarkable outcome considering Atlanta finished the 2021 regular season 12th in the MLB standings.
Also Read:
You May Like: Bryce Harper Youth Baseball Cleats
Blue Jays White Sox Braves
How is a lineup as powerful as Torontos lineup struggling to find a way to consistently put runs on the board? Why are the White Sox constantly getting out-slugged themselves? Why cant the defending World Series win three games in a row? These are the teams that have all the tools to be good and could very well be in the conversation with the contenders soon, but its not coming together for them right now and it appears to be for similar reasons.
Its safe to say that the Braves dont want to wait until August to kick their season into high gear especially now that it seems that the Mets may be for real here in 2022. Simply put, their talented lineup needs to get it together if theyre going to have a chance to catch New York again. Dansby Swanson has recovered nicely from his season-opening slump, but theyre going to need more from guys like Matt Olson, Ozzie Albies, and Austin Riley. Having a healthy Ronald Acuña Jr. would help.
The Blue Jays appear to be in the same boat. Vlad Guerrero Jr., George Springer and Santiago Espinal have been doing well, but Matt Chapman and Bo Bichette have been struggling mightily at the plate. If Torontos going to have any hope, then the entire lineup has to get clicking and it has to happen soon in the ultra-competitive AL East.
National League Central Standings
The National League Central has produced some of the best stories in baseball history. From the Chicago Cubs breaking their title drought in 2016 to the St. Louis Cardinals comeback over the Texas Rangers, this division has generated postseason intrigue stemming from the teams that have finished at the top of it in the past.
National League Central teams are all capable of coming out on top of this divisions standings. Everyone from the Pittsburgh Pirates to the Cincinnati Reds and Milwaukee Brewers have also qualified for the postseason from this division in the recent past. In this division, free agency can have a huge impact on where each team ends up in the standings.
Recommended Reading: Printable Baseball Practice Plan Template