What’s the best division in baseball?

For years, the AL East was widely considered the best division in baseball. The Yankees and Red Sox flaunted their financial muscles to gain a competitive advantage over just about everyone else, and the Rays made shrewd decision after shrewd decision to give the division three legitimate contenders on an annual basis. Even as other divisions experienced change and upheaval, the AL East long remained a hotly contested battleground that produced two and even three elite teams each season.

The NL East might be home to the most talented team in baseball -- the Nationals -- but between the Phillies, Braves and Marlins, there is too much mediocrity for it to be crowned MLB's best division. Given all the young pitching they've developed, the Mets do have a bright future, but their offense is a huge question mark this season, and they've gone just 12-18 since their 11-game winning streak.

With the Cardinals, Cubs and Pirates, the NL Central boasts three deep teams that all have their sights set on contention. The Cardinals are perennially thought of as the best organization in the game, and both the Cubs and Pirates have strong farm systems and progressive front offices.

Yet the NL Central is also home to two of baseball's worst teams, which certainly makes it easier to pick up an easy win or two during the season. Neither the Reds nor the Brewers have much hope for contention in the near future, and they both weigh down the overall competitiveness of the division.

Like the NL Central, the NL West has tons of talent at the top, with the Dodgers and Giants standing as two of the best teams in MLB. But the Padres haven't found much success despite their offseason improvements, and the Diamondbacks are just a year removed from having the worst record in baseball, even if they are playing better this season.

And that doesn't even factor in the Rockies, who have long been one of MLB's least successful franchises. The Dodgers and Giants make the NL West a strong division, but it just doesn't have enough collective talent to be the game's best.

According to Baseball Prospectus' playoff odds, the Rays are currently expected to come out on top in the AL East with a total of 84 wins. But even the division's last-place team, the Blue Jays, are projected for 78 wins, which is much better than the last-place clubs in most other divisions can say.

With a strong offense, the Royals have been one of baseball's biggest early-season surprises, and their +52 run differential indicates they may be for real. The Tigers again look like playoff contenders despite some recent struggles, and although the Twins are likely to regress, they're better than many expected them to be this spring.

After poor starts, the Indians and White Sox are both showing signs of life as well, demonstrating that there are rarely easy wins in the AL Central. Given its strong talent from top to bottom, this division makes a strong case for being baseball's best.

The Astros enter Tuesday with the AL's second-best record and have proven to be far better than expected. However, neither the Angels nor the Mariners have found any consistency, and the A's have been an utter disaster, even if poor luck has played its part.