MLB Standings 2021: White Sox, Giants Have Top Records Before Key Series With Yankees, Dodgers

The San Francisco Giants (28-16) and Chicago White Sox (26-16) have been baseball’s best teams through the first month and a half of the 2021 MLB season. Now, it’s time to see what they can do against the top World Series contenders.

On Friday, the Giants start a three-game series with the rival Los Angeles Dodgers (26-18). The White Sox travel to the Bronx for a three-game set with the New York Yankees (25-19). L.A. and New York have both struggled at times in the early going, but they are currently playing well and still considered the favorites to win the pennant.

The Giants will face the Dodgers seven times in their next nine games. It’s a stretch that could prove San Francisco is good enough to challenge Los Angeles in the NL West over the course of 162 games.

The reigning champion Dodgers have won eight straight division titles. The Giants weren’t expected to challenge L.A. this season. San Francisco has a two-game lead over Los Angeles. The San Diego Padres (27-17) are sandwiched in between the two clubs in the divisional race.

Hit hard by injuries, the Dodgers had a stretch of 15 losses in 20 games. Los Angeles has since gone 8-1.

An MLB-best 2.56 ERA from the rotation has helped give the Giants the best record in all of baseball. The White Sox are right behind them and at the top of the American League with the AL’s second-best ERA and the third-most runs scored.

Only the Yankees have better odds to win the AL than the White Sox, according to FanDuel Sportsbook. New York has the best ERA in the AL, coming off a 7-3 road trip and nine wins in their last 12 games.

The Yankees are 1.5 games out of first place in the AL East. The Boston Red Sox (27-18) sit in first place, one game ahead of the second-place Tampa Bay Rays (26-19).

Chicago has a 2.5-game lead over the Cleveland Indians (23-18) for first place in the AL Central. The defending division champion Minnesota Twins (15-28) are 11.5 games behind the White Sox and in last place.

If Chicago continues at their current pace, they could potentially start to run away with the division in the early part of the summer.