11. Cleveland Guardians (376-332, +170 run differential, 2020 Wild Card team, 2022 AL Central champs)

You could argue Cleveland should be part of the "frustratingly mediocre" tier, what with just one AL Central title in a division that is always winnable. But they have been a little bit better than the likes of the Mets, Cubs and Red Sox—notably so with a drastically lower budget. Heck, Cleveland's total Opening Day payroll from 2020-23 ($243.5 million) was $87.2 million less than New York's Opening Day payroll just for 2023. Even if the Guardians were mediocre, it wouldn't be as frustrating as it is for those deep-pocketed clubs. And at 44 games above .500, they've been better than mediocre anyway.

10. Toronto Blue Jays (371-337, +242 run differential, 2020/2022/2023 Wild Card team)

With two AL East teams ranking in our top five, it's mighty impressive what Toronto has been able to do in that division. In fact, the Blue Jays have gone 161-159 with a plus-138 run differential against the AL East over the past five years, only particularly struggling with Tampa Bay (33-47). They made the playoffs three times and only barely missed the cut in 2021 with 91 wins. (They would've made it with room to spare in the current 12-team format.) But that 0-6 record in the postseason and lack of division titles puts quite a glass ceiling on their ranking.

9. Philadelphia Phillies (368-340, +107 run differential, 2022/2023 Wild Card team, 2022 World Series runner-up)

Fun fact: Philadelphia has won more postseason games (19) in the past half-decade than the other five teams in this tier combined (12). Because of their deep runs in both the 2022 and 2023 playoffs, the Phillies land ahead of both Cleveland and Toronto, but slightly behind the next three teams that won multiple division titles in the past five years. After all, the Phils haven't finished within six games of an NL East crown since they last won it in 2011. But credit to them for somehow thriving in the role of "plucky underdog," despite three consecutive years with MLB's fourth-highest Opening Day payroll.

8. Minnesota Twins (373-333, +265 run differential, 2019/2020/2023 AL Central champs)

Sure, the AL Central champion is constantly the No. 3 seed in the American League and almost always expected to immediately lose in the wild-card round. But when you win three division titles in the span of five years, you at least rank ahead of every team with fewer than two division titles. Them's the rules. And at least the Twins finally ended their 18-game losing streak in the postseason this past October, even winning that wild-card series against the Blue Jays.

7. St. Louis Cardinals (375-331, +172 run differential, 2019/2022 NL Central champs, 2020/2021 Wild Card team)

2023 was a disaster by Cardinals standards, as they finished in dead last in their division for the first time since 1990. But they were good enough from 2019-22 to still land in the top 25 percent, making the postseason in all four of those years. Granted, they did very little in those Octobers, thrice losing in the wild-card round after getting swept out of the 2019 NLCS. Still, they are one of just seven teams to have made the playoffs in at least four of the past five years.

6. Milwaukee Brewers (391-317, +219 run differential, 2021/2023 NL Central champs, 2019/2020 Wild Card team)

The Brewers are a slightly better copy of the Cardinals: Two NL Central titles, two wild-card berths...and a whole lot of nothing to show for it, going a combined 1-8 with three shutout losses in those four trips to the playoffs. But at least in the year that they missed the postseason, they still finished 10 games above .500. That pushes them ahead of their NL Central rivals who fell flat on their face last year.

At 74 games above .500, Milwaukee is the clear dividing line between the top five (where everyone is at least 110 games above .500) and the bottom 24 (where no one is better than 44 games above .500.)