The Best Division in Baseball

[Centerfield]

All teams in the National League East have winning records. It is the only such division in baseball:

Philadelphia (26-19)
Atlanta (24-22)
Mets (24-23)
Florida (24-23)
Washington (24-23)

[TransMonk]

Does it matter that the AL East and the NL West have better average winning percentages?

[Ceetar]

TransMonk wrote: Does it matter that the AL East and the NL West have better average winning percentages?

No.

Actually, I don't think the NL East is the best division. I think the Nationals and Marlins suck. maybe not extremely, but they suck. (Marlins are an embarassment to baseball, no matter their record). I don't think the Braves are more than average, and the Phillies, well the Phillies suck because they're the phillies. But It's entirely possible no team in the division wins more than 90, so that's not what I would say is 'best'.

[Gwreck]

C'mon. Toronto is 27-22 and is in 4th place, 6 games out.

[G-Fafif]

Any division that includes the Mets is baseball's best, according to my inner 12-year-old.

[Frayed Knot]

AL East = +21 (games over .500 as a division)
NL East = +12
NL West = +12
AL West = -7
AL Central = -16
NL Central = -22

[Guest LeiterWagnerFasterStrongr]

"But these NL East teams... they're still playing National League teams. These are mostly inferior, National League teams they're playing, he-ah. (Long pause) National League."

Interleague record, 2010: NL over AL (so far), 22-20. (NL East vs. big, bad AL East-- 6-6.)

[Centerfield]

G-Fafif wrote: Any division that includes the Mets is baseball's best, according to my inner 12-year-old.

This is what I'm saying. As far as the divisions, I rank them as such:

1. NL East
2. Big East Conference

Everybody else tied for last.

[Guest attgig]

Gwreck wrote: C'mon. Toronto is 27-22 and is in 4th place, 6 games out.

but they're all beating up on the O's. of course their records are going to be better.

[Frayed Knot]

But the division - as a whole - is also beating up on the ALC & ALW

The NL has the slight lead in the IL games so far this season but they've also gotten their butts kicked by the ALers for five years running now.
Maybe it turns around this year but there's some 200 IL games to go before we know that.

[Guest John Cougar Lunchbucket]

I'll save everyone time and pre-refute my argument that having 2 extra teams (and therefore 50 players who if stuffed into the AL wouldn't be 'major leaguers') has served in some ways to "water down" the NL leading to its run of poor performances in ASGs, IL play and World Serieses by acknowledging that yes, I understand those players all come from the same pool of talent and are mostly given an equal chance to succeed.

Still...

[Zvon]

G-Fafif wrote: Any division that includes the Mets is baseball's best, according to my inner 12-year-old.

"Agreed, numbah one"

[ashie62]

Only one division has this guy making an early unlikely MVP run

http://www.baseball-reference.com/players/g/guerrvl01.shtml

[nymr83]

Ashie62 wrote: Only one division has this guy making an early unlikely MVP run http://www.baseball-reference.com/players/g/guerrvl01.shtml

But it can't last, his back will flare up? right Jeff?

[Guest Edgy DC]

Sheesh.

[Guest LeiterWagnerFasterStrongr]

F'real.

Please note that he's making said MVP run from the DH spot, where he's more or less been playing-- and not so much by choice-- since he signed with Anaheim.

[Guest Edgy DC]

It's not like we haven't boldly tried to get away with a leftfielder on his last legs for the last six years or so.

[nymr83]

If the season ended today I think Justin Morneau wins a unanimous MVP award