MLB Standings 2021: Dodgers, Yankees, Mets Out Of Early Playoff Picture

The Los Angeles Dodgers (17-15), New York Yankees (16-15) and New York Mets (13-13) are all out of the latest MLB playoff picture. Even this early into the 2021 season, that comes as a surprise.

The Dodgers and Yankees have been World Series favorites for the entire year. After trading for Francisco Lindor, the Mets were given higher expectations than most teams in baseball.

With nearly 20% of the regular season complete, all three teams have underachieved.

The biggest shock has to be the Dodgers, who got off to a red hot start following their 2020 World Series championship. A 13-2 start ignited talks of Los Angeles challenging the all-time wins record. That chase quickly disappeared with 13 losses in a 17-game span.

The Dodgers don’t even sit in second place in the division that they’ve won in eight straight seasons. The San Francisco Giants (18-13) sit atop the NL West a week into May with the National League’s best record. The San Diego Padres (18-14) are second in the division and at the top of the NL wild-card standings.

The Milwaukee Brewers (17-15) have the same record as the Dodgers, but Milwaukee is technically the NL’s second wild-card team. The Brewers own the tiebreaker because they defeated the Dodgers three times in their four-game series last week.

Injuries and struggling star hitters have hurt the Dodgers. Neither Mookie Betts nor Corey Seager is hitting better than .250, and both players have a sub-.800 OPS. Cody Bellinger has only played in four games. Starter Dustin May is done for the season with Tommy John Surgery.

The Mets are a game behind the Dodgers in the wild-card race. New York is a game out of first place in its division, as well, trailing the Philadelphia Phillies. All five NL East teams are separated by 2.5 games.

The Mets’ lineup might be the most disappointing unit in all of MLB. New York ranks dead last in runs scored. Lindor is only hitting 163/.297/.504 with a single home run. Lindor recently went hitless in 26 straight at-bats.

The Yankees’ lineup had been struggling, putting the team below .500 for much of the season. The team now has a winning record with Giancarlo Stanton and Aaron Judge putting up better numbers. Stanton is the hottest hitter in baseball with three home runs, 8 RBI and a .563 average in May.

But the Yankees are still in fourth place. The Boston Red Sox (19-13) are 2.5 games ahead of New York atop the AL East. Five teams are ahead of the Yankees in the wild-card race.

The Yankees, Mets and Dodgers are all still favored to win their divisions.