MLB standings by road record: Red flag for the Red Sox

The Boston Red Sox were able to win Sunday's game against the Chicago Cubs to avoid a series sweep at Wrigley Field, but the series loss emphasized an already clear weakness this team has: The Red Sox, for whatever reason, struggle when they play away from Fenway Park.

It's normal for MLB teams not to perform quite as well on the road as they do at home, but for the Red Sox and several other contenders, the record difference when comparing home and road is stark enough to be somewhat concerning. If winning on the road in the regular season is a struggle, how will teams like the Boston fare in October when it's only harder to win away from home?

With that in mind, here's a look at what the MLB standings would look like if they were based on road records.

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MLB standings based on road record: Red Sox among contenders that struggle away from home

AL East

The Red Sox are 12 games over .500 at home, proving to be elite at Fenway Park. The problem, though, is that they haven't managed to play even .500 baseball away from home. Fortunately for Boston, the Toronto Blue Jays have only been marginally better away from Rogers Centre, and that's why the Red Sox are only 5.0 games back of first place in the AL East.

AL Central

Not only do the Detroit Tigers have the best record in the Majors, but their 28-22 record away from Comerica Park is the best in the sport as well. They've positioned themselves to play most of their postseason games at home, which is objectively a great thing, but it has to be comforting for Tigers fans that their team can not only survive, but thrive, on the road.

AL West

What sticks out in the AL West is that the Texas Rangers have the worst road record in the division, even below the lowly Athletics. As a result of their road struggles, the Rangers have a .500 record overall and are 3.5 games back of the third Wild Card spot in the AL. If they were just a little bit better on the road, they'd be squarely in the hunt, if not in a postseason spot already.

NL East

The New York Mets have the best home record in the National League, but they don't lead their own division because of how poorly they've played away from Citi Field. The Mets finished five games over .500 away from home last season, so they aren't incapable when it comes to playing on the road, but they haven't shown much this season to inspire confidence on that front.

NL Central

The Chicago Cubs and Milwaukee Brewers are tied for first place in the NL Central, and their road records are practically the same as well. The winner of this competitive division could easily be the team that plays best on the road down the stretch.

NL West

It took losing four of six on the road and completing a three-game sweep at home for the Arizona Diamondbacks' record at Chase Field to be better than their mark away from home. Yes, Diamondbacks fans would like for their team to be better at home, but their play on the road is why they're still somewhat alive in the NL Wild Card race. With a nine-game road trip looming and the trade deadline right in the middle of it, how the Diamondbacks play on the road might dictate which direction they go in when it comes to trading veterans or adding to their roster.