Stories like this one need to begin with caveats. The 2021 World Series champion Braves were 30-35 in mid-June. The 2019 World Series champion Nationals were 19-31 in May. Marathons are not won or lost in the first few miles, and squinting your eyes to try to see the finish line can create plenty of mirages.

So maybe the early stumblers will be late sprinters and mid-May looks around the division will be proven worthless.

But from what we have seen thus far, everything is going right in the Yankees’ universe — which includes the fact that everything is going wrong in the Red Sox’s universe.

The Yankees (27-9) own the best record in baseball, and the only thing keeping the Red Sox out of the AL East cellar is the Yankees’ domination of the Orioles, whom they beat again Tuesday, 5-4. Boston, which was two wins away from a World Series appearance last year, is 14-22, 13 games back of the Yankees and already looking like the most intriguing fire sale at the Aug. 2 trade deadline.