It seems like a misprint. Why are the Yankees in first place, despite the fact that New York is still listed as trailing the Red Sox by one game in the standings?
Put simply, winning percentage and games behind calculate different things. Winning percentage identifies the rate at which a team wins its own games. Games behind identifies the difference between the sheer volume of two teams’ wins and losses. So, for instance: A team that is 4-0 couldn’t play any better. Its winning percentage would be 1.000. But if another team had played 10 games with an 8-2 (.