Baseball's best bets versus their division
By CHRIS BERNUCCA
Over the last three full seasons, 19 teams have had division records of at least 10 games over .500.
All but four of those 19 teams reached the postseason. Among those 15 playoff clubs, seven also were at least 10 games above .500 against teams outside their division.
Only two clubs - the Cubs in 2007 and the Chicago White White Sox in 2008 - were .500 or worse against teams not in their division.
In other words, dominating your division doesn't guarantee a postseason spot, but it certainly doesn't hurt.
Look at this season. There is still two weeks to the midway point and a handful of teams have used division dominance to boost their records and position themselves for postseason contention.
Four teams already are at least 10 games over .500 against their division and three of them lead their respective divisions.
As the season progresses, the gap between these teams and those at the bottom of their respective divisions will widen and generate potential trends. Some of those trends have already developed and are noted below.
The price is always higher with good teams, especially when they are at home. Keep in mind that in 2008, seven teams were at least 13 games over .500 against their division, which provides a return at any price.
Here are the top five teams on track to provide similar returns this year:
Philadelphia Phillies
The Phillies and fellow NL East resident Florida Marlins have virtually identical division records. Philadelphia is 19-12 while Florida is 16-10. The defending World Series champions are 17-19 outside the division.
Both teams have beat up on the woeful Washington Nationals, with the Phillies 10-2 and the Marlins a perfect 6-0. Florida has more games left against Washington, but Philadelphia gets the edge here because it is 4-2 vs. Florida.
Milwaukee Brewers
The Brewers are a sparkling 21-10 against NL Central foes, which is a good sign. Especially since they are 16-22 versus everyone else. The NL Central has six teams and each plays virtually half its games against the division.
A year ago, Milwaukee went 47-32 against the NL Central, which helped in snaring the Wild Card. As they were last year, the Brewers are chasing the Cubs and have a 3-3 mark versus them thus far.
Boston Red Sox
The Red Sox are 20-8 vs. the AL East. It’s arguably baseball's toughest division with the rival New York Yankees, defending division champion Tampa Bay, quick-starting Toronto and Baltimore, which has the best record of any current last-place club.
Boston is 42-27 overall and in first place primarily due to its division mark. It is 9-2 against New York and 3-0 vs. Baltimore, with 14 games left vs. the Orioles.
Los Angeles Dodgers
The Dodgers are running away with the NL West, partially because they are running it up against the NL West while playing slightly under .500 in their other games. Los Angeles is 26-10 against its division foes and is not picking on any one opponent. The Dodgers are 5-4 vs. the Giants, 6-2 vs. the Diamondbacks, 7-3 vs. the Padres and 8-1 vs. the Rockies.
No team has played more division games than the Dodgers, who have completed half their NL West schedule. So their ability to get fatter is limited.
Texas Rangers
With their .813 percentage, the Rangers have the best division record. With their 13-3 record against the AL West, they also have played the fewest division games of any team.
The Rangers are beating up on the Seattle Mariners, going 5-0 thus far. They are 3-0 against the L.A. Angels, whom they play six times in the next nine days beginning Monday. Those games may be a good indicator of who has the upper hand for the division title.
Keep in mind that AL West teams play the fewest intra-division games (57), so there's less opportunity for the Rangers to pile up wins against their rivals. Texas is just 24-28 outside the division.