MLB standings ordered by second-half strength of schedule: Red Sox trouble, Cubs hope

Remember when the Philadelphia Phillies were lighting the world on fire and everyone was just pointing at their easy schedule? Well, it got tougher as the season progressed, and they still ended the first half with a 62-34 record, the best mark in the majors.

No matter who they play, the Phillies are going to rack up wins. They're arguably the favorites to win the World Series for a reason.

While it doesn't really matter who a team like the Phillies play, for those inferior teams, it matters a ton. A team like the Washington Nationals for example, has taken full advantage of the Miami Marlins, going 7-0 against them with a +30 run differential. Against the rest of the NL East, however, they're just 9-15 with a -30 run differential.

With the second half under way, teams with easier schedules should presumably have an easier time racking up wins. That could wind up being the difference in some tight races. Let's take a look at which teams have the hardest schedules.

Note: All records and win percentages are from Wednesday, 7/17. All strengths of schedules are via FanGraphs.

MLB standings ordered by second-half strength of schedule

AL East

The Boston Red Sox and Tampa Bay Rays are not only tied for the toughest remaining schedules in the AL East, but their schedules are the hardest in all of baseball. The teams they're playing the rest of the way combine for a .514 win percentage which on average is essentially a team that's a couple of games above .500. Boston currently holds the third Wild Card spot. Can their difficult upcoming schedule be what knocks them out of the postseason entirely?

AL Central

In the second half of the season we'll see just how good the Cleveland Guardians are. Can they hold onto first place in the AL Central and the best record in the AL as they did in the first half despite facing the third-toughest schedule down the stretch? It'll be a tall task, for sure.

AL West

The AL West ended the first half with the Seattle Mariners, Houston Astros, and Texas Rangers all within 5.0 games of each other. Fittingly, their second-half schedules will be within five percentage points of each other. It'll be incredibly fascinating to see who wins what has turned out to be one of, if not the most disappointing overall division in the league.

NL East

No, the Atlanta Braves have not played close to their best baseball this season, but they have the third-easiest schedule in the second half of the season. That's terrifying for all National League teams. This isn't to say that they'll catch up to the Phillies at the top of the NL East, but the Braves might just be playing better by the time the postseason rolls around thanks to the momentum they'll gain from their soft schedule.

NL Central

If the Chicago Cubs want to find a reason to buy, this is it. Their schedule for the second half is tied for the easiest in the entire league. We saw them go on a run in the second half of last season and nearly make the postseason. FanGraphs gives them just an 11.9 percent chance to make it to the postseason, but if they can rattle off some wins against subpar competition those odds will increase exponentially. It's on them to take advantage of the schedule while they can.

NL West

What was just written about the Cubs can and should be said about the San Francisco Giants and even the San Diego Padres. The Padres' chances of squeaking in are under 40 percent as of this writing, and the Giants have even shorter odds at under 25 percent. It's on them to take advantage, but again, if they can take advantage of their softer schedules, they might just find themselves playing meaningful October baseball. Once you get in, anything can happen.