MLB standings by home runs hit: Orioles dig the long ball, Cardinals lack power

Nothing can change a game like a home run. Whether there are base runners or not, one swing that brings the ball over the fence can drastically change the outcome of any given game.

Teams are prioritizing acquiring players who can hit home runs now more than ever. Strikeouts have ticked up, but as long as certain players have the capability of hitting 20-30 home runs annually, teams don't care.

While you can score runs and win games by stringing hits together, that's becoming harder and harder to do with how insane the pitching talent level is around the league. It comes as no surprise that plenty of MLB's elite sit at or near the top of the home run leaderboard one month into the season.

With that in mind, let's take a peek at what the standings would look like if they were ordered by home runs.

Note: All records and home run totals are before games on Thursday, 5/2.

MLB standings ordered by home runs

AL East

Not only do the Orioles have the best record in the AL East, but they lead all of MLB with 45 home runs. Reigning AL Rookie of the Year Gunnar Henderson has hit ten of them as he has started his season looking like an MVP candidate. The Orioles lead baseball in home runs despite two of their top three home run hitters from last season, Anthony Santander and Adley Rutschman, hitting just four home runs apiece. What makes this even more impressive is their ability to hit this many home runs despite playing half their games at Camden Yards and that brutal left field wall.

AL Central

The AL Central is the only division in MLB with four teams above .500 entering play on Thursday, and they're succeeding differently. The Royals lead the division in home runs, but are only 12th overall in that category. There's a lot of contact in the division with players like Steven Kwan leading the way in that front. It'll be interesting to see how much the AL Central can continue to win without relying on power.

AL West

Here's easily the biggest surprise of all. The Oakland A's are somehow leading the AL West, a division with the Astros and Rangers in it, in home runs. All the talk has been revolving around the ascension of Mason Miller, and rightfully so, but their ability to hit the ball out of the yard to begin the season cannot go unnoticed as they rank sixth in the majors in that category. It has played a huge role in Oakland entering play on Thursday only two games under .500.

NL East

The biggest surprise in the NL East is the Atlanta Braves ranking third of the five teams in this division in home runs. Marcell Ozuna has been unbelievable, but the trio of Matt Olson, Austin Riley, and Ronald Acuña Jr. have combined to hit six home runs. That's especially shocking since they've appeared in every game the Braves have played. Eventually they'll get going, but it's shocking to see them ranked 20th in home runs before Thursday's games.

NL Central

It's hard to believe that a team with Paul Goldschmidt, Nolan Arenado, and Nolan Gorman on it can rank last in the majors in home runs, but that's where we are right now. The Cardinals are a team built on their offense, yet the duo of Goldschmidt and Arenado has just three home runs between them, and the Cardinals are 28th in runs scored as a result. Just as surprising is the Brewers sitting tied for fourth overall with the powerful Dodgers in round trippers. They've gotten off to a great start thanks to their early-season power surge.

NL West

The NL West has had its share of struggles early on outside of the Dodgers who are just kicking things into gear. The Dodgers have hit 38 home runs despite Freddie Freeman only having two on his ledger. Once Freeman gets going, and we all know he will, the Dodgers will be the unstoppable force everyone thinks that they already are.