It's May 14. The concept in force remains "small sample size." Yet already, 35 games into the season, logic prevails:
Division Leaders
Atlanta Braves
St. Louis Cardinals
San Francisco Giants
New York Yankees
Detroit Tigers
Texas Rangers
Wild Cards
Cincinnati Reds
Arizona Diamondbacks
Baltimore Orioles
Boston Red Sox
Other than the conspicuous absence of the Nationals, would any of this be shocking at year's end? All six division winners made the playoffs last year. So did two of the four Wild Cards. There doesn't appear to be a 2012 Cleveland, 2011 Pittsburgh or 2010 Baltimore here that takes off with a gallop and pulls up lame at the three-quarter pole.
Let's delve deeper. Here's the bottom of the standings:
Last place teams
Toronto Blue Jays
Chicago White Sox
Houston Astros
Miami Marlins
Chicago Cubs
Los Angeles Dodgers
Not a single 2012 playoff team. We like to think of Toronto as a favorite, but the 2012 version lost 89 games and the imports arrived with plenty of downside everywhere but on the payroll.
Someone has to bring up the rear in the AL East.
L.A. will almost certainly switch places with the Padres, who are better equipped for the cellar. As for Chicago, well, let's hope the Blackhawks can parlay the NHL's best record into a Stanley Cup run.
It would be interesting to research how long it takes for Major League team records to coalesce around their natural state. In 2013, it looks like 30 games is about that point.
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