As basketball and hockey season come to a close, baseball season is officially underway. As early as it is in the season, the battle for the number one spot is already competitive. ESPN ranks the Washington Nationals (21-10) as the number one team in the league, but it is clear that the New York Yankees (20-9) and the Houston Astros (21-11) are not far behind.

Though it is far too early to call, any early MVP talks would be incomplete without Nationals’ Ryan Zimmerman and Bryce Harper. Zimmerman is on track for the triple crown, leading the league in average (.410), home runs (13) and RBIs (34). Harper has caught fire, opening the season hitting .370 with a league-leading .500 on-base percentage, adding more impressive stats to this youngster’s career.

The Yankees offense is controlled by Starlin Castro’s .354 batting average and Aaron Judge who leads the MLB with 13 home runs. The Astros are led by Jose Altuve who is currently hitting .303 with a team-leading .373 on-base percentage.

Despite these teams being on top, they are not alone when it comes to stellar players. After years of struggles with a quadricep tear and even a stint in the Korean baseball leagues, Eric Thames is taking the nation by storm. Thames is currently hitting .327 and leads his team in almost every major hitting category. Along with these impressive numbers, his 13 home runs are tied for most in the MLB (ESPN).

More locally, Angels’ Mike Trout is another player who is off to an incredible start this season. The reigning MVP is currently hitting .355, which is first in the American league (ESPN).

The season is off to an exciting start, as most of the divisions are tightly contested. The Orioles lead the AL East, the Indians lead the AL Central, and the Astros lead the AL West. The National League is led by the Nationals in the NL East, the Cardinals in the NL Central, and the Rockies in the NL West.

The season is still fresh, so we will likely see changes to these standings before the season’s end.