Unless there are some major changes in the second half of the 2021 MLB season, this year’s playoffs are going to look much different from the 2020 postseason. None of the reigning division champions are in first place after the All-Star Break, and the teams with the largest leads didn’t come close to reaching the last World Series.

The Chicago White Sox lead all of baseball with an eight-game lead atop the AL Central. The Milwaukee Brewers have a four-game first-place lead in the NL Central. The New York Mets have a 3.5-game advantage in the NL East, while the Houston Astros have a 3.5-game lead in the NL West.

The San Francisco Giants have MLB’s best record, but they are only two games ahead of the Los Angeles Dodgers in the NL West. The Boston Red Sox start the second half tied with an AL-high 55 wins, though the Tampa Bay Rays are on their heels with only one fewer loss.

No team is running away with a division championship like the White Sox. The second-place Cleveland Indians are dealing with injuries to their top starting pitchers. The defending AL Central champion Minnesota Twins are out of the playoff race in fourth place. Chicago hasn’t won the division or reached the ALDS in 13 years.

The White Sox have the AL’s second-best ERA. Chicago and Houston are the only two AL teams that have both a top-four pitching staff and offense. The Astros and White Sox will meet in their first series after the All-Star break.

Houston jumped ahead of the Oakland Athletics in the AL West in mid-June. The A’s went 8-13 in their final 21 games before the All-Star break. The Astros had a losing record last season but still managed to reach their fourth straight ALCS.

The Rays sit atop the AL wild-card standings. The Athletics have a 3.5-game lead over the Seattle Mariners for the second wild-card berth.

At seven games over .500, the Mets have the worst record of any first-place team. No other NL East team has a winning record.

The Mets are second in the NL with a 2.98 ERA from their starters. The Brewers rank fourth with a 3.23 ERA. Three-fifths of Milwaukee’s rotation was named to the All-Star team. The Cincinnati Reds are the only other NL Central team that has a winning record.

The San Diego Padres are 3.5 games ahead of the Reds for the second NL wild-card spot. The Dodgers lead the wild-card race.

Guaranteed Rate Field, home of the Chicago White Sox, is seen in May 2020
Guaranteed Rate Field, home of the Chicago White Sox, is seen in May 2020 GETTY IMAGES NORTH AMERICA / JONATHAN DANIEL
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