The biggest spenders in baseball have gotten off to the best starts in the 2022 MLB season. The Los Angeles Dodgers and New York Mets are at the top of the very early standings.

The Dodgers and Mets entered Opening Day with MLB’s highest payrolls. Two weeks into the season, they are the only teams that have reached nine wins.

Los Angeles is first in the standings with a 9-3 record. Since losing their opening series, the Dodgers have won eight of their last nine games. L.A. ranks seconds among all 30 teams in both runs scored and ERA.

Free-agent addition Freddie Freeman has been the Dodgers’ most productive bat. The 2020 NL MVP has hit .333/.400/.521 with a pair of home runs in 12 games. Tony Gonsolin has a 0.69 ERA in three starts. Clayton Kershaw was perfect through seven innings in one of his two starts.

The hot start comes as little surprise for the Dodgers. Los Angeles has been the clear World Series favorite since the offseason began. The Dodgers have won 106 games in each of their last two full seasons. During the pandemic-shortened 2020 campaign, Los Angeles’ 43-17 record was good for a 116-win pace over a 162-game schedule.

The Dodgers have an MLB-best plus-32 run differential. The Mets are second in MLB, having outscored their opponents by 26 runs.

With a 9-4 record, the Mets have the biggest divisional lead of any first-place team. New York sits 3.5 games ahead of the Washington Nationals and defending champion Atlanta Braves for the best mark in the NL East.

MLB’s top starting staff has allowed the Mets to create separation between themselves and the rest of the division. Max Scherzer has won each of his first three starts since joining the Mets on a record-setting contract. Scherzer and Chris Bassitt are tied for sixth in MLB with 18 innings pitched. Tylor Megill and Carlos Carrasco lead the rotation with a 2.20 ERA and a 0.84 ERA, respectively.

The Mets rank fifth in runs scored and are tied for first with a .349 on-base percentage. Francisco Lindor and Pete Alonso have combined to hit six home runs and 23 RBI. Eduardo Escobar has been a pleasant surprise with a team-high .317 batting average and .462 OBP.

The Mets entered Opening Day with the National League's second-best World Series odds. New York was also the most popular championship bet.

The St. Louis Cardinals are percentage points ahead of the Mets for second place in the overall NL standings. With a 7-3 record, St. Louis has played three fewer games than New York.

The Dodgers, Cardinals and Mets all have a better record than every American League team.

Clayton Kershaw #22 of the Los Angeles Dodgers
Clayton Kershaw #22 of the Los Angeles Dodgers delivers a pitch against the Minnesota Twins Getty Images | David Berding
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