At some point in the morning, I usually look at the Red Sox box score for the previous day's game.  Today I happened to also look at the expanded standings on ESPN.  What I immediately noticed is just how much better than the rest of the league, the AL East is.  The numbers don't lie.

No MLB team outside of the AL East has scored over 400 runs save Cleveland.  The AL East has three teams over 400 already.

At 396 runs, Toronto has scored more runs than any MLB team not in the AL East save Cleveland.  Toronto is in 4th place.  In any other division except the NL West Toronto has a share of the lead or the outright lead.

The best Run Differential in baseball is Tampa Bay at +88.  They are in third place in the AL East and clearly underperforming up to this point in the year.  Is there any doubt they would have a 10+ game lead if they played in the horrible NL East?

The combined Run Differential of the AL East is +209 runs.  The next closest division is the NL West at +9.

The AL East has 4 teams over .500 and Baltimore is not a cellar dweller in any other division in MLB.

Those overwhelming stats just struck me this morning as I'm reading about Boston's extra inning win against Baltimore yesterday.