More than a month into the MLB season, it’s safe to say that the AL Central is struggling. Following the Cleveland Indians’ loss to the New York Yankees Sunday (in dramatic fashion), a crazy stat came to light to show just how much the division is struggling top to bottom.
the al central does not have a winning team and is now 35 games under .500. that is not good.
— Jon Heyman (@JonHeyman) May 6, 2018
As bad as that looks, it’s even worse when we add some perspective to it.
Of the 25 non American League Central teams, 18 have a record that would put them in first place in the American League Central.
While no AL Central team has a winning record, each of MLB’s other five divisions has at least three. In fact, three of the other five divisions have four teams with winning records.
The AL Central’s futility could change quickly. All five teams are entering series against non-divisional opponents. If those teams right the ship, the divisional outlook could look much better in a matter of days. On the other hand, if they continue to struggle, this could only be the beginning.