MLB Standings 2015: New York Mets Jump Out to Early NL East Lead Over Atlanta Braves, Miami Marlins & Washington Nationals

By Damon Salvadore First Posted: May 08, 2015 04:37 PM EDT

Well, baseball fans, we're about 30 games into the 2015 Major League Baseball season.

Alex Rodriguez has passed Willie Mays for sixth place in all-time MLB home runs, the Houston Astros have the best record in the league, and Queens is home to the first-place New York Mets.

The Mets presently lead the National League East with an 18-10 record after recently sweeping the Baltimore Orioles. The Mets haven't won the NL East since 2006, when Dominican-born Omar Minaya was team manager. Nonetheless, the Mets are on top with a four game lead.

One of the biggest reasons the Mets are presently in first place is because of their pitching staff. The Mets pitching staff ranks No. 2 in all of baseball behind only the St. Louis Cardinals with a 2.90 earned runs against average. Somehow, someway soon to be 42-year-old Bartolo Colon is pitching like he's in the prime of his career. Colon has a 5-1 record this year with 34 strikeouts and just one walk.

In case you were wondering, the oldest CY Young winner ever is Roger Clemens, who won the award in 2004 at 42 years old with the Astros.

The Nationals came into this season with extremely high pitching expectations, but it's the Mets who are stealing the show on the mound. Dominican closer Jeurys Familia leads the Mets with 11 saves this year, the most in the entire National League.

As good as the Mets pitching has been, the team still does have issues in the batter's box. The Mets rank 21st in runs scored, 22nd in batting average and 25th in home runs hit. Only one player on the Mets currently has a .300 batting average: Juan Lagares.

Lagares has also been an outstanding outfielder this season. There's still plenty of time remaining, but Mets fans are hoping their team will win a sixth NL east title.

The Atlanta Braves, Miami Marlins and Washington Nationals all have 14 victories at the moment. The Nationals have won this division two of the last three seasons, but injuries always seem to be an issue. The Nationals rank 17th in runs scored and seventh overall in runs allowed, which isn't terrible at all. Bryce Harper leads the Nationals with eight home runs and 20 runs batted in so far, but he has also struck out 36 times.

As for the Braves, they're 14-14 after 28 games of play. The Braves biggest issue has been home games, where they are just 8-8. The Braves have won this division more than any other team, 12 times. Home runs haven't come frequently for this team, but they know how to get on base efficiently. Nick Markakis, Freddie Freeman and A.J. Pierzynski are all batting above .300. The Braves have had a winning record five of the last six seasons.

Thanks to Giancarlo Stanton, the Marlins are still very much alive in the NL East. Stanton has seven home runs and a league-leading 29 runs batted in. Infielder Dee Gordon leads the league in batting average (.437) as well. Unfortunately for the Marlins, they have issues closing games late.

The Phillies have the worst record in the NL East, just 10-19. It seems like so long ago that this team won the division five consecutive seasons and a World Series over the Tampa Bay Rays. Ryan Howard has three years left on his contract, the final year a club option. Beginning Friday, May 8, the Phillies and Mets will play out a three game series in the City of Brotherly Love.