MLB Standings: How important is the HR to a team’s win-loss record?
Russell Martin (Photo credit: Wikipedia)
Sports Stats ‘on Tapp’ is a sports statistics blog published daily that focuses on stats that go beyond the numbers.
How important is the home run to a team’s success?
If you ask the New York Yankees and the Houston Astros this morning, they will tell you that the long-ball is very important. The Yankees got a walk-off home run from Russell Martin on their way to a sweep of the cross-town rival Mets in yesterday’s 5-4 win. For the Astros, they slugged four home runs in Sunday’s 11-9 win over the Chicago White Sox.
But let’s get back to the question above. For the Yankees, Martin’s game-winner was his second four-bagger of the game. It was also the 31st game of the season where the Yankees have hit two or more home runs in a game. They have a record of 26 wins and only five losses in those games, an .839 winning percentage. What makes that stat even more remarkable is that when the Yankees do not hit a home run in a game, their record is 0-12!
Through games of May 10, teams that have multiple home run games have won 340 and lost 131, a .722 winning percentage. Teams that do not homer in a game have won 238 and lost 477, a winning percentage of .333… that’s a difference of .389!
Here’s a look at each of the 3o MLB teams and how well they have played in games where they hit multiple home runs and those games where they went homerless.
Multiple HR games/Homerless games (Pct. Difference)
N.Y. Yankees 26-5 .839/0-12 .000 (.839)
Boston 15-2 .882/4-17 .190 (.692)
Arizona 11-2 .846/6-18 .250 (.596)
Chicago White Sox 17-3 .850/4-11 .267 (.583)
St. Louis 18-6 .750/4-18 .182 (.568)
Cincinnati 16-5 .762/6-20 .231 (.531)
Texas 15-4 .789/4-11 .267 (.522)
Milwaukee 12-6 .667/3-16 .158 (.509)
Atlanta 15-3 .833/7-14 .333 (.500)
Minnesota 7-3 .700/6-22 .214 (.486)
Houston 10-3 .769/8-18 .308 (.461)
Baltimore 16-8 .667/3-11 .214 (.453)
Cleveland 10-3 .769/9-19 .321 (.448)
Pittsburgh 10-2 .833/12-17 .414 (.419)
Seattle 8-4 .667/6-17 .261 (.406)
Philadelphia 11-4 .733/9-18 .333 (.400)
Miami 11-4 .733/10-18 .357 (.376)
L.A. Angels 13-4 .765/9-12 .429 (.336)
Tampa Bay 13-4 .765/9-11 .450 (.315)
Toronto 17-7 .708/6-9 .400 (.308)
Kansas City 7-4 .636/9-18 .333 (.303)
Washington 11-2 .846/12-10 .545 (.301)
Oakland 8-5 .615/9-18 .333 (.282)
L.A. Dodgers 5-1 .833/16-12 .571 (.262)
Chicago Cubs 6-6 .500/8-21 .276 (.224)
Detroit 9-7 .563/9-14 .391 (.172)
Colorado 9-10 .474/7-14 .333 (.141)
N.Y. Mets 7-6 .538/13-17 .433 (.105)
San Francisco 5-3 .625/19-17 .528 (.097)
San Diego 2-5 .286/11-27 .289 (+.003)
Did you know?
* The Yankees have the most multi-HR games with 31. The Red Sox have the best winning percentage in multiple home run games with a .882 winning percentage (15-2)
* Colorado and San Diego are the only two teams that have a losing record in games where they hit two or more home runs. The Rockies are 9-10 and the Padres are 2-5 in multiple home run games.
* The Dodgers, Giants and Nationals are the only teams with winning records in games where they do not hit a home runs. The Padres have the most homerless games with 38.
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Which MLB team (if any) will lose 100 games this season?
Sports Stats ‘on Tapp’ is a sports statistics blog published multiple times weekly focusing on stats that go beyond the numbers.
Houston Astros logo (Photo credit: Wikipedia)
Last season the Houston Astros were the only team to lose 100 or more games in the majors. It was, however, the first time in the team’s history that they lost over 100 games in a season since they began playing in the National League in 1962.
The 2011 MLB season was the fourth consecutive year that at least one team lost 100 or more games. In the past 30 seasons, we have had 33 different teams lose 100 or more games; there have been 10 seasons since 1982 where no team has lost 100 or more games in a season.
Here’s a look at each of the 30 MLB teams and the last time they lost 100 or more games in a season.
Team, Last season they lost 100+ games (losses that year)
St. Louis… 1908(105)
New York Yankees… 1912(102)
Los Angeles Angels… (Have never lost 100+; franchise began in 1961)
Philadelphia… 1961(107)
Boston…1965(100)
Chicago Cubs… 1966(103)
Chicago White Sox… 1970(106)
Texas… 1973(105)
Oakland… 1979(108)
Toronto… 1979(109)
Cincinnati… 1982(101)
Minnesota… 1982(102)
San Francisco… 1985(100)
Atlanta… 1988(106)
Baltimore… 1988(107)
Cleveland… 1991(105)
Colorado… (Have never lost 100+; franchise began in 1993)
New York Mets… 1993(103)
San Diego… 1993(101)
Miami… 1998(108)
Milwaukee… 2002(106)
Detroit… 2003(119)
Arizona… 2004(111)
Kansas City… 2006(100)
Tampa Bay… 2006(101)
Washington… 2009(103)
Pittsburgh… 2010(105)
Seattle… 2010(101)
Houston… 2011(106)
So what are the chances of the Astros having a “better” season in 2012? Of the 30 teams that lost 100 or more games in a season from 1982-2011 and then played a full compliment of games the next season (162 games) 26 of those 30 teams lost fewer games the following season. Only five of those teams also lost 100 or more games the following season. Here’s a snaphot look at the six teams that lost 100 or more games in the past 30 seasons that had the biggest improvement the next season. (Note: Five of the 30 teams actually had a winning record the year after they lost 100+ games)
Team, 100+loss season, next year, difference
Baltimore… 107 losses in 1988; 75 losses in 1989 = 32-loss difference
Detroit… 119 losses in 2003; 90 losses in 2004 = 29-loss difference
Arizona… 111 losses in 2004; 85 losses in 2005 = 26-loss difference
Detroit… 109 losses in 1996; 83 losses in 1997 = 26-loss difference
Cleveland… 102 losses in 1985; 78 losses in 1986 = 24-loss difference
Seattle… 101 losses in 2008; 77 losses in 2009 = 24-loss difference
Which team is most likely to join the 100-loss club this season? Since 1982, the average team to lose 100 or more games in a season lost 89.4 games the previous season. Last season, the Colorado Rockies were the only team to lose 89 games. If they were to lose 100 or more games in 2012, it would be the first time in their history.
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