MLB standings based on record against winning teams: Phillies drew the short end

There are plenty of factors that can go into how certain MLB teams begin their season. Teams can benefit from being healthier than their competition. They can also benefit from playing more at home than on the road.

The biggest way teams can benefit, though is by facing weaker competition. Teams that get the good fortune of facing teams like the Miami Marlins and Colorado Rockies early on might have a better record than a team that faces teams like the Atlanta Braves and Los Angeles Dodgers.

Those teams that do well against winning teams might be among the best clubs in the majors once the season comes to a close.

Things will even out more as the season progresses, but it's interesting to look at what the standings would look like if they were ordered by record against winning teams.

Note: All records are from before games on Wednesday, 5/15

MLB standings ordered by record against winning teams

AL East

What this exercise shows us is how much better the New York Yankees and Baltimore Orioles are than the rest of the teams in the AL East. The Yankees and Orioles have both played exceptionally well against teams above .500 while the other three teams have struggled against the good teams. That, at least partially, explains the sizeable five-game gap between second and third place in the division.

AL Central

Four out of the five teams in the AL Central have records of .500 or better thus far, but only one team in the division, the Cleveland Guardians, has a winning record against winning teams. That suggests that the other teams in the division might see their records suffer a bit when they face tougher competition. We shall see if that is indeed the case.

AL West

What was seen by many as one of the toughest divisions in MLB heading into the season has been anything but so far. Only the Seattle Mariners have a record above .500 entering Wednesday's action, and only the Texas Rangers have a .500 record against winning teams. What this exercise does show us, however, is that the Houston Astros have faced a ton of good teams. Only ten of their 42 games have come against teams with a record below .500. Perhaps they can go on a run when their schedule loosens up.

NL East

The Philadelphia Phillies might have the best record in the division and in MLB, but they have played a grand total of three games against teams with a winning record. That came in their first series of the year against the Atlanta Braves, and they lost two of three. Meanwhile, the Braves have played a good amount of games against winning teams and have a good record in those contests despite their underperforming offense. It'll be interesting to see if the Phillies can maintain their lead when they finally face better competition.

NL Central

The NL Central has two teams with winning records, and they're unsurprisingly the ones who have played the best against other winning teams. the Milwaukee Brewers and Chicago Cubs haven't been great against winning teams, but they've held their own, while the rest of their division seems to collapse against quality competition. That's the difference in this division thus far.

NL West

Your third-place Colorado Rockies? This might be the only time Rockies fans will see their team out of the cellar in the NL West this season. Embrace it. Meanwhile, it'd be nice for teams like the Arizona Diamondbacks and San Francisco Giants to do something against winning teams. I mean, worse than the Rockies? C'mon.