Today’s Sports Stat: February 17, 2018
How many games must a team win in baseball to reach the playoffs?
Over the past six seasons (since the 2012 season), Major League Baseball has used a playoff format where five teams from each league reach the post-season… three divisional winners and two Wild Card teams.
In the past six years, there have been 76 MLB teams that have won 85 or more games in a season. Of those 76, 60 made the playoffs, 78.9%. That means that 16 teams won 85 or more games in the past six seasons but did not make the playoffs. Topping that list are the Texas Rangers who won 91 games in 2013 but did not make the playoffs.
Last season, the Milwaukee Brewers were the only team to win 85 or more games (they won 86) that did not make the playoffs.
Here’s a look at the 16 teams that missed the post-season since 2012 with 85 or more wins in the regular season that campaign.
2012-Tampa Bay, 90; L.A. Angels, 89; L.A. Dodgers, 86; Chicago White Sox, 85
2013-Texas, 91; Kansas City, 86; Washington, 86; Baltimore, 85; N.Y. Yankees, 85
2014-Seattle, 87; Cleveland, 85
2015-L.A. Angels, 85
2016-Detroit, 86; St. Louis, 86; Seattle, 86
2017-Milwaukee, 86
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Lack of success within own division hasn’t stopped Dodgers
(Photo credit: Wikipedia)
Sports Stats ‘on Tapp’ is a sports statistics blog published with a focus on stats that go beyond the numbers.
With 32 games left in the season and a 10-game lead in the National League West, it looks like the Los Angeles Dodgers, barring a major collapse, will be playing in the post-season.
What’s interesting about the Dodgers run to the playoffs this season is that the team has shot to the top of their division without playing well within their division. The Dodgers are 23-27 (a .460 winning percentage) against division foes this year. What has helped has been solid performances against those teams outside their division; they are 22-11 against NL East teams, 19-8 against NL Central opponents, and 12-8 in interleague play.
Usually, teams that win divisional title don’t play under .500 within their division. In fact, since 1969 when baseball went from playing with no divisions within each league to two divisions per league (and eventually three divisions in each league which is the current format), only a handful of teams have won a division title after playing under .500 within their own division.
Here’s a look at those teams;
1974 Pittsburgh Pirates: Won the N.L. East with a 44-46 record versus division foes. Were 44-28 against N.L. West opponents.
1994 Texas Rangers: Won the A.L. West with an 8-22 record versus division foes. Were 21-20 against A.L. East opponents and 23-20 against A.L, Central teams. (Note: This was a strike-shortened season.)
1996 Texas Rangers: Won the A.L. West with an 18-21 record versus division foes. Were 42-20 against A.L. East opponents and 30-31 against A.L. Central teams.
2006 St. Louis Cardinals: Won the N.L. Central with a 39-42 record versus division foes. Were 16-15 against N.L. East opponents and 23-11 against N.L. West teams.
In addition, three teams played exactly .500 within their division and won division titles. The three: the 1972 Detroit Tigers (won the A.L. East with a 42-42 record against division teams and were 44-28 against the A.L. West); the 1983 Los Angeles Dodgers (won the N.L. West with a 45-45 record against N.L. West teams and were 46-26 against N.L. East teams); and the 2007 Arizona Diamondbacks (won the N.L. West with a 36-36 record against division teams and were 24-9 against the N.L. East and 22-20 against the N.L. Central).
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All-Star Game: Which team’s pitching staffs have performed best, worst?
Texas Rangers logo (Photo credit: Wikipedia)
Sports Stats ‘on Tapp’ is a sports statistics blog published daily that focuses on stats that go beyond the numbers.
Texas Rangers skipper Ron Washington, who will be managing the American League in Tuesday night’s All-Star Game, has eight of his Texas players as members of the A.L. squad. When it comes time to make pitching changes, however, he may want to think twice before inserting one of his three hurlers on the squad, Matt Harrison, Joe Nathan or Yu Darvish.
The Rangers have the worst ERA of pitchers who have thrown in the All-Star Game since 2000. Rangers hurlers have given up five earned runs in 2.2 innings of work for a 16.88 ERA. The A.L. lost last year’s game, 5-1, and Texas pitcher C.J. Wilson was credited with the loss after giving up three earned runs in an inning of work.
Considering that the Tampa Bay staff has a 0.00 in five innings of work since 2000, Washington may want to call upon the Ray’s David Price or Fernando Rodney for a little work on Tuesday.
On the National League side, the Colorado Rockies have the best ERA at 0.00 in nine innings of work. The Washington Nationals have the worst ERA at 9.00, but it should be noted that the only two N.L. victories since 2000 have been won by pitchers from the Nationals… Tyler Clippard last year, and Matt Capps in 2010. Both pitchers worked only one-third of an inning in their victories.
Following are the ERAs of each team’s pitching staffs in the All-Star Game since 2000.
National League, ERA (innings pitched)
Colorado 0.00 (7)
Pittsburgh 0.00 (1.1)
Milwaukee 0.96 (9.1)
Arizona 1.59 (11.1)
San Francisco 2.45 (7.1)
St. Louis 2.57 (7)
Philadelphia 2.70 (10)
Atlanta 3.24 (8.1)
Chicago 3.86 (7)
Cincinnati 4.50 (4)
L.A. Dodgers 5.14 (14)
Miami 7.20 (5)
N.Y. Mets 8.31 (4.1)
Houston 8.53 (6.1)
San Diego 8.64 (8.1)
Washington 9.00 (2)
American League, ERA (innings pitched)
Tampa Bay 0.00 (5)
Kansas City 0.00 (2.2)
Boston 0.82 (11)
N.Y. Yankees 1.17 (15.1)
Minnesota 2.00 (9)
L.A. Angels 2.16 (8.1)
Detroit 2.57 (7)
Chicago 2.61 (10.1)
Baltimore 3.00 (3)
Oakland 3.75 (12)
Seattle 6.08 (13.1)
Toronto 6.10 (10.1)
Cleveland 7.20 (5)
Texas 16.88 (2.2)
The Yankees have had the most appearances by their pitchers in the All-Star Game since 2000 with 16. The Dodgers pitching staff has made 14 appearances, most in the N.L. Following are the number of All-Star Game appearances by each team’s pitchers since 2000.
16: N.Y. Yankees
14: L.A. Dodgers
13: Seattle
11: Oakland
10: San Diego, Minnesota, L.A. Angels
9: Atlanta, Milwaukee, Arizona, Boston
8: Philadelphia, Toronto, Chicago White Sox
7: Houston
6: Chicago Cubs, St. Louis, San Francisco, Detroit
5: N.Y. Mets, Cleveland
4: Washington, Cincinnati, Colorado, Tampa Bay
3: Miami, Baltimore, Texas
2: Pittsburgh, Kansas City
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Texas Rangers: First MLB team to 50 wins in 2012… does it mean anything?
Rangers Josh Hamilton (Photo credit: Wikipedia)
Sports Stats ‘on Tapp’ is a sports statistics blog published daily that focuses on stats that go beyond the numbers.
The Texas Rangers on June 30 won their 50th game of the season becoming the first team this year to reach that mark. It was the first time in franchise history that the Rangers were the first team to reach 50 victories in a season.
So, does being the first team to win 50 games in a season translate to success later in the year… specifically, the postseason?
In looking back to 1986 (the last 25 MLB seasons) at the teams that were the first to 50 wins, in 10 seasons that team went on to play in the World Series. (Note: In two seasons, 1998 and 2002, two teams each won their 50th game on the same date.) Of the 27 teams, only four did not make the playoffs in year they were first to 50 wins: (Seattle, 2003; Seattle and L.A. Dodgers, 2002; N.Y. Yankees, 1987). Nine of the 27 teams lost in the League Championship Series, and four of the 27 lost in the League Divisional Series.
In addition, the Rangers were the eighth different team to be the first to 50 wins in the last eight seasons.
Following are the 10 teams since 1986 that made it to the World Series after being the first team to win 50 games that season.
Year, Team, World Series outcome
2006, Detroit Tigers, lost World Series
2005, Chicago White Sox, won World Series
1998, New York Yankees, won World Series
1996, Atlanta Braves, lost World Series
1995, Cleveland Indians, lost World Series
1993, Philadelphia Phillies, lost World Series
1992, Toronto Blue Jays, won World Series
1990, Oakland A’s, lost World Series
1989, Oakland A’s, won World Series
1986, New York Mets, won World Series
Since 1986, 15 of the 30 major league teams have been the first team to 50 wins at least once. Topping the list are the Yankees who have been the first team to 50 wins in four seasons (1987, 1998, 2004, 2010).
The others:
3 seasons: Seattle (2001, 2002, 2003); Atlanta (1994-no postseason that year, 1996, 1998)
2 seasons: Philadelphia (1993, 2011); L.A. Dodgers (2002, 2009); Chicago White Sox (2000, 2005); Cleveland (1995, 1999); Toronto (1991, 1992); Oakland (1989, 1990); N.Y. Mets (1986, 1988).
1 season: Texas (2012); Boston (2008); L.A. Angels (2007); Detroit (2006); Baltimore (1997).
Did you know? An American League team has been the first team to win 50 wins in a season in 20 of the 25 last seasons?
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MLB standings: Can your team still win the division?
Sports Stats ‘on Tapp’ is a sports statistics blog published daily focusing on stats that go beyond the numbers.
(Photo credit: Wikipedia)
How well is your team doing in the MLB standings?
Well, it’s June 1… the first two months of the season are in the books and each team has about 110 games remaining of their long, 162-game schedule. There are some surprises atop the standings. In the A.L. East, the Baltimore Orioles were picked by many to finish last in the division, but they are currently tied with Tampa Bay for the top spot. The White Sox have a 1.5 game lead in the A.L. Central, and the Texas Rangers have a comfortable 5.5 game lead in the West.
Over in the National League, the Washington Nationals are the surprise leader of the N.L. East, holding a half-game advantage over Miami. The Cincinnati Reds are leading the N.L. Central by 1.5 games, and the Dodgers, even though they were recently swept at home in a four-game series with the Milwaukee Brewers, have a 5.5 game lead in the West.
What does all this mean? Does being in first place in the division on June 1 carry much weight when it comes to winning the title at the end of the season.
Major League Baseball went to a three-division format in 1995. In the 17 seasons since that change, there have been 102 division winners (17 seasons times six divisions). Of those 102 division-winners, 65 (63.7 percent) were leading their division (or were tied for the division lead) on June 1 of that year.
This season there are 17 teams that are leading their division or are within three games of the lead. Since 1995, 83 of the 102 division-winners (81.4 percent)either were in first place or were three games or less out of first in their division on June 1.
Since 1995, only nine teams won a division after being five games or more out of first place in their division race on June 1 of that year. The Minnesota Twins hold the distinction of winning the A.L. Central in 2006 after being 10.5 games out of first on June 1, 2006. That’s the largest deficit made up in the standings from June 1 in the past 17 seasons. The Twins are the only team to have a double-digit deficit (10 games or more) in the standings on June 1 to win a division title since ’95. This does not bode well for these 2012 teams, (Cubs, Rockies, Padres and Twins) who are each 10 or more games out of first in their division as of today. (Ironically, the Twins are 10.5 games out of first in the A.L. Central. Are they looking for a repeat of 2006?)
Following are the teams that won division titles since 1995 that were five games or more behind in the standings as of June 1 in their title season.
Games behind as of 6/1, Team, Year
10.5: Minnesota, 2006
9.0: Oakland, 2002
8.5: Philadelphia, 2007
8.0: Atlanta, 2001
7.0: San Francisco, 2000
6.5: Chicago Cubs, 2007
5.0: Detroit, 2011
5.0: Oakland, 2003
5.0: Houston, 2001
Note: Of the last 17 World Series champs (since 1995) five were not in first place in their division on June 1 of the year they won the title. The five: Atlanta, 1995 (3.5 games out of first on June 1); N.Y Yankees, 1999 (1.5 games out); N.Y. Yankees, 2000 (1.5 games out); Philadelphia, 2008 (0.5 games out); San Francisco, 2010 (3.5 games out).
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