MLB Standings: New York Yankees, Chicago Cubs Look Like Baseball's Top Teams, World Series Favorites

The New York Yankees (21-14) and Chicago Cubs (20-13) both had walk-off wins at home Tuesday night, continuing their recent hot streaks. After getting off to slow starts in the 2019 MLB season, the two teams are playing better than anyone else in baseball.

The Yankees defeated the Seattle Mariners (19-19) 5-4 behind a game-tying home run in the ninth inning by Gio Urshela, which was followed by DJ LeMahieu’s game-winning single three batters later. Kris Bryant’s three-run homer in the bottom of the ninth lifted the Cubs past the Miami Marlins (10-25) 5-2 at Wrigley Field.

New York has been the American League’s best team over the last three weeks with a 15-5 record. They continue to gain ground on the Tampa Bay Rays (23-12), who have a two-game lead in the AL East with the sport’s highest winning percentage. The Yankees are first in the AL Wild-Card standings, and they sit four games in front of the Boston Red Sox (18-19).

No one has a better record than Chicago over the last 19 games, during which the Cubs have been beaten just four times. Playing in what’s been MLB’s best division hasn’t kept Chicago out of first place in the NL Central. They are ahead of the St. Louis Cardinals (21-15), Milwaukee Brewers (22-16) and Pittsburgh Pirates (17-15), all of whom have a winning record.

Both teams entered the season among the World Series favorites, but they’ve overcome some adversity in the early part of the year.

Injuries have decimated New York’s roster. Just about every star Yankee has spent time on the injured list, where Giancarlo Stanton, Aaron Judge and Luis Severino still reside. Players like Urshela, Luke Voit and Domingo German were relative unknowns less than a year ago and have stepped up to do more than just keep New York afloat.

Few teams got off to a worse start than Chicago, who lost eight of their first 12 games amid historic pitching woes. A terrible bullpen has turned it around. Bryant, Javy Baez and Anthony Rizzo are playing like stars. All three players have an OPS north of 1.150 in the last week.

Only the Los Angeles Dodgers (24-14) have a better record in the National League than the Cubs. Los Angeles is favored to reach the World Series after doing so in each of the last two seasons.

The Houston Astros (21-15) are the only AL team with better World Series odds than the Yankees. Houston swept New York in a three-game series earlier this season.

The Yankees recently won two out of three games against the Minnesota Twins (22-12), who have MLB’s second-best record.