MLB standings reveal a widening gap in both the American and National Leagues

What if I told you that there are only four American League teams above .500 at the end of April? That'd be pretty tough to believe, no? Yet, here we are, and the likes of the Yankees, Rays, Guardians (just barely) and Athletics are the only teams to separate themselves in the chase for the AL crown. If I were a betting man, I'd wager that'll change in May.

The same argument can be made in the National League, as well. While there are more teams treading water — such as all five NL Central squads, including the surprising Pirates and Reds — only the Braves and Dodgers have proven themselves early contenders. April showers bring May flowers, but if the early standings tell us anything, the hope of spring is arriving late in 2026.

AL East

Just last week, the New York Yankees had a substantial edge in the AL East. And while they have for the most part held up their end of the bargain, the gap is closing thanks to the surprising start by the Tampa Bay Rays. Kevin Cash's team has surpassed expectations early this season despite a low payroll. Hot starts by Junior Caminero and Yandy Diaz have fortified one of the scariest lineups in the AL. Meanwhile, Drew Rasmussen and Nick Martinez have buoyed the rotation one month in as Shane McClanahan finds his footing.

As the Orioles and Blue Jays tread water, it's worth watching how the Red Sox respond to the firing of manager Alex Cora. Cora, who is a World Series champion and presumed one of the best skippers in MLB, was let go over the weekend by front office head Craig Breslow, along with five members of his coaching staff.

AL Central

The Detroit Tigers entered the 2026 season as clear AL Central favorites, but much like down the stretch, they haven't been able to shake those pesky Guardians. Cleveland's memorable 2025 AL Central comeback didn't carry into the playoffs, as they fell to the Tigers in the Wild Card round. Yet, for Detroit, many of the same issues that plagued them near the end of the season — poor situational hitting and a lineup that strikes out way too often, namely — have revealed themselves in 2026.

As for the rest of the division, a team to watch is the Chicago White Sox, who are 7-3 in their last 10 games. Munetaka Murakami has 12 home runs in the month of April, and is on pace to break Shohei Ohtani's record for the most home runs by a Japanese-born player in MLB. Any concerns about Murakami's K rate and plate presence have all but evaporated. Add in a possible promotion of Colson Montgomery in the coming months, and the White Sox could surprise some people in 2026.

AL West

The Athletics attempt to build a winner from within...may be working? The soon-to-be Vegas A's have plenty of young talent, including Shea Langeliers and Nick Kurtz. The lineup should be a strength for years to come, even if the A's lack much starting pitching talent beyond plug-and-play free agents.

The real surprise in the West, though, is the performance of the Houston Astros. Houston's World Series window is closing quick, and if they don't improve soon, it could force Dana Brown's hand to do something rash. Could Joe Espada be on the hot seat? While the Mariners had been struggling as well, they've turned things around in the past week and could soon overtake the A's for first in the division.

NL East

The Braves only added to their stature as the best team in baseball on Wednesday night thanks to a Matt Olson walk-off home run against Detroit Tigers closer Kenley Jansen. The Braves have the widest division lead of any team in MLB, holding a seven-game advantage over the second-place Marlins. Even worse for the East, the Braves biggest competition heading into the season — the Phillies and Mets — have yet to find their footing, with Philadelphia firing manager Rob Thomson earlier this week.

Speaking of New York and Philadelphia, these remain the two teams to watch. The Marlins and Nationals, while good stories, remain at least a year away. But the Mets and Phillies both have top-10 payrolls in all of MLB, and should they continue to struggle, David Stearns and Dave Dombrowski could be forced to act.

NL Central

Elly De La Cruz and Sal Stewart have carried an impressive Reds lineup to an early NL Central lead. That's made all the more remarkable when you consider every team in the division has a record over .500. That being said, there are some clear trends emerging in the Central. The Cubs are fresh off a 10-game win streak, which the Dodgers broke this past weekend. The Brewers had the best record in baseball last regular season and should eventually figure things out, even if the fanbase is frustrated as of this writing.

As great as the Reds have been, the Cardinals are arguably the biggest surprise in the Central. Most pundits assumed St. Louis was retooling on the fly under Chaim Bloom, but it turns out they can't even do that effectively, which is great news for Cards fans. St. Louis goes for the four-game sweep against the rival Pirates on Thursday. It could be danger time in Pittsburgh, even with Paul Skenes on the mound.

NL West

When you've played as much baseball as the Dodgers have the last three years, early-season storylines mean a little less. However, the emergence of Los Angeles catcher Dalton Rushing — both as a sound former top prospect the Dodgers can count on and as a tier 1 MLB villain — is worth noting. Rushing provides the Dodgers with yet another weapon offensively.

Behind Los Angeles are the rapidly-ascending Padres and Diamondbacks, two teams with playoff aspirations playing up to par so far in a crowded National League. The Rockies — already with more series sweeps in 2026 than all of 2025 combined to their name — are the darlings of MLB and one of the best stories in baseball. On the other side of the coin, the Giants continue to disappoint since the Rafael Devers trade, putting Buster Posey in the spotlight for the wrong reasons.

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