Five Best Records in MLB...Who and Why?

The thing I love about baseball is that you never know what is going to happen from game to game, series to series, or even season to season. 

I am going to dissect the five best records in Major League Baseball, to see exactly why this season has been full of surprises. 

Here are the top five records in MLB as of today:

5. Florida Marlins (30-22)

In a division where the Mets, Phillies, and possibly the Braves, were supposed to battle it out, the Marlins are winning with a team salary of $22.65 million. 

Do you know what other teams have chosen to do with that kind of money? Let's start with the Yankees. We all know that Alex Rodriguez is making more money this year than the whole Marlins squad, but did you know that Jason Giambi was too? 

Giambi is scheduled to collect $23.48 million this year. That is crazy! 

What would a team like the LA Dodgers do with $22.65 million? I'm glad you asked. 

They would spend a little more frivolously and split that money between two players. Which two players? A leadoff hitter who doesn't walk, Juan Pierre, and a center fielder who is 1-33 with runners in scoring position with 20 Ks. Yes, the latter is none other than Mendoza-line hugging Andruw Jones. 

Are the Marlins really playing this well? I say no, and here's why. 

As I was doing some research, looking for evidence to back this team up, I simply couldn't find any. Florida is eighth in the NL in team ERA and eighth in the NL in batting average. 

I thought, "Well, they have to be playing good team defense, right?" 

Wrong! They have the worst fielding percentage in all of Major League Baseball.  Maybe playing the fourth-easiest schedule in baseball has helped them out. It's a nice story for now, but with the Phillies coming on strong, I think the Marlins' joy ride is coming to an end soon. 

4. L.A. Angels (32-23)

The Angels are a team that is expected to be here. The Seattle Mariners were supposed to give the Angels a run for their money in the AL West, and instead the Oakland A's are proving to be the most competition. Somehow Billy Beane has done it again. 

A little side note, go read Moneyball. Those of you who have read it I'm sure can agree that it is a great read. 

Anyway, back to the Angels. It was panic time early in the season when John Lackey was out and Vlad wasn't hitting. Now, they are back to the L.A. Angels that won a World Series back in 2002. They can slug out wins or manufacture runs to get wins behind stellar pitching. 

Their pitching is sixth in ERA in the AL, while their batting average ranks ninth in the AL. The Angels catch the ball. They field the ball. They have played the best defense in MLB thus far. 

When you don't give the other team runs, you keep yourself in games. I expect the L.A. Angles to represent the AL West in October.

3. St. Louis Cardinals (32-23)

I don't think anyone expected much from the Cardinals this season. Their ace Chris Carpenter was out, and Albert Pujols was going to be battling a sore elbow all season. 

St. Louis traded Scott Rolen because of problems with Tony La Russa. Their General Manager resigned during the offseason. I don't think anyone expected this kind of start from the Cardinals. Let's look deeper and see if this is a team that can keep it up, or if they will be like the 2007 Mets.

First, they have very respectable team batting average at .275, third best in the NL. The problem is they are only ninth in the NL in runs scored. 

The pitching staff of Kyle Loshe, Todd Wellemeyer, Adam Wainwright, Joel Pinero, and Braden Looper might just be the biggest surprise of all. Loshe has a strikeout-to-walk ratio of less than two, and is pitching 75 points below his career numbers. 

Braden Looper is leading the team in wins, despite having an ERA over five. The most innings Todd Wellemeyer has pitched in a season is 79. He is at 67 right now. We'll have to wait and see if his arm holds up. He is pitching very well, though. 

The first pitcher to go on the DL is Joel Pinero. He was hurt shagging balls in the outfield. Adam Wainwright is a stud on that staff. St. Louis knows they have a chance to win every time he takes the mound.  

I think the injuries and fatigue are going to be a factor for the pitching staff.  The offense will be there all year, which is why I think the Cardinals will contend for the Wild Card spot. I forgot to mention that the Cardinals have played the second easiest schedule in MLB up to this point.

2. Tampa Bay Rays (32-22)

What a pleasant surprise the Rays have been to this point. They are doing it with a great young nucleus of both position players and pitchers. Management has locked up most of these young players for years to come, including Carl Crawford, Scott Kazmir, and Evan Longoria. I think they would like to keep B.J. Upton as well. He is a great talent. 

The year started as usual, with everyone writing off the Rays because they play in the same division as the Boston Red Sox and New York Yankees. This does make for a very tough schedule throughout the year. Not to mention that they have to face the Blue Jays 15-18 times, and Toronto has the best team ERA in MLB. 

The Rays have shown the league that they are a team to be reckoned with. They have played the toughest schedule in baseball thus far, so this start isn't a fluke. 

They are fourth in the AL in batting average and fourth in the AL in team ERA. I think it would be wonderful to see Tampa Bay in the postseason for the first time. I think they can maintain the kind of baseball they have played thus far, and make a push to get into October. 

If not this year, then definitely in the years to come.

1. Chicago Cubs (33-21)

The Chicago Cubs are the best team in baseball right now—at least when they are home at Wrigley Field. 

They have won 12 of their last 14 at home, and have a record of 23-8 overall at the Friendly Confines. 

This team is doing it all right now. They lead the MLB in runs scored and batting average, and the pitching staff has the second best ERA in the NL.

Derek Lee has found his power stroke again after a powerless 2007 season, and Aramis Ramirez is putting up his usual numbers on pace for 30 HR and 100 RBI.

Newcomers Kosuke Fukudome and Geovany Soto have been very nice additions to the offense. Carlos Zambrano has been pitching like he wants his first Cy Young this season, and the emergence of Ryan Dempster has been more than anyone expected. Zambrano and Dempster are third and fourth in NL ERA leaders.  

The Cubs were expected to win the NL Central and compete for a second straight playoff berth. That is exactly what they are doing. I expect the Cubs to win the NL Central and go deep into the playoffs.