MLB Standings 2018: Yankees Have Top Record, Astros Might Be Baseball's Best Team

With the 2018 MLB season nearing its halfway point, the New York Yankees have had a better year than anyone. The Bronx Bombers lead all 30 teams with a league-best 47-22 record, looking to get back to the World Series for the first time in nearly a decade.

The Yankees seem to be significantly improved after reaching Game 7 of last year’s ALCS. Trading for Giancarlo Stanton and adding rookies Miguel Andujar and Gleyber Torres has given New York the sport’s No.1 offense. Stanton has 16 home runs, despite some early-season struggles, while Torres and Andujar rank first and second in both homers and RBI among AL rookies.

New York still doesn’t have sole possession of first place in the AL East. They are percentage points ahead of the Boston Red Sox (49-24), though they have two fewer wins than their rivals after playing four fewer games.

There’s a real possibility that both New York and Boston will win more than 100 games and the second-place finisher will be forced to play in the AL Wild-Card Game. The Yankees are on pace for 110 victories.

The Houston Astros (49-25) are quickly gaining on both AL East teams. They’ve won 12 games in a row and arguably still have the best team in all of baseball.

The defending champs lead every other team by a wide margin with a plus-158 run differential. Houston leads the league in team batting average and total bases, and reigning AL MVP Jose Altuve has the best batting average in the majors.

The Astros’ 2.91 ERA is first in MLB. The Red Sox and Yankees are second and third in the AL with team ERA’s of 3.41 and 3.42, respectively.

The Seattle Mariners (46-26) are only two games behind the Astros for first place in the AL West, though it might take a few more months of success for them to be considered among the AL favorites. They’ve only got a plus-22 run differential, ranking 12th in MLB. Seattle is 15th in runs scored and 12th in team ERA.

No NL team has won at least 60 percent of their games. The Atlanta Braves (42-29) have the league’s best record. They are followed by the Chicago Cubs (40-28) and Milwaukee Brewers (42-30), who are tied for first place in the NL Central.