It feels like just yesterday that Rob Manfred was canceling games (kind of) and there was uncertainty about when, or if, the 2022 season would begin. Blink twice and a quarter of the schedule has been played.

The Memorial Day weekend is traditionally the beginning of the pennant chase. Enough of the season has been played to begin to see the races for playoff spots and awards come into focus. Still, we have more than a snapshot, but less than a full picture.

Through Memorial Day weekend last year, for instance, the Braves were a game under .500. They won the World Series. Mike Trout was two weeks into what was supposed to be a 6-8-week recovery from a calf injury. He never played again in 2021. Jacob deGrom had an 0.81 ERA and was mentioned in sentences with “Bob Gibson” and “1968.”

Nestor Cortes Jr. made his first appearance for the 2021 Yankees on Memorial Day weekend. Wander Franco was still three weeks away from making his major league debut. Bryce Harper was on the injured list due to a forearm contusion, with seven homers and few (no?) indicators he was en route to his second NL MVP award.