Saturday, July 15, 2017

33 MLB Seasons In Which Top 2 Teams Combined for 64%+ Winning Percentage

Since the creation of Major League Baseball Divisions in 1969, the top two teams combined to win more than 64 percent of their games only five times. The Houston Astros and Los Angeles Dodgers current pace puts them in that group:


YearTeam - World Series ResWonLosttop 2 W%
1998New York Yankees  W 1144867.90%
1998Atlanta Braves1065667.90%
2001Seattle Mariners1164667.28%
2001Oakland Athletics1026067.28%
1995Cleveland Indians  L 1004465.97%
1995Atlanta Braves  W 905465.97%
1970Baltimore Orioles  W 1085464.81%
1970Cincinnati Reds  L 1026064.81%
1969Baltimore Orioles  L 1095364.51%
1969New York Mets  W 1006264.51%
2017Los Angeles Dodgers ?632964.24%
2017Houston Astros ?613064.24%

It was easier to hit that mark prior to expansion, as 28 of 68 seasons featured two teams that combined for a winning percentage of above 64 percent from 1901 to 1968.

Here are the best duos. A "W" indicates the team won the World Series and "L" indicates they lost the World Series, and this was during an era in which the top AL and NL team went straight to the World Series. The only time the top two teams topped a 70 percent winning percentage was in 1909 when the Pirates beat out the Cubs for the NL title and went onto take the World Series.


YearTeam - World Series ResWonLosttop 2 W%
1909Pittsburgh Pirates  W 1104270.16%
1909Chicago Cubs1044970.16%
1906Chicago Cubs  L 1163669.74%
1906New York Giants965669.74%
1954Cleveland Indians  L 1114369.48%
1954New York Yankees1035169.48%
1912Boston Red Sox  W 1054768.65%
1912New York Giants  L 1034868.65%
1942St. Louis Cardinals  W 1064868.18%
1942Brooklyn Dodgers1045068.18%
1931Philadelphia Athletics  L 1074567.97%
1931St. Louis Cardinals  W 1015367.97%
1910Chicago Cubs  L 1045067.76%
1910Philadelphia Athletics  W 1024867.76%
1902Pittsburgh Pirates1033667.64%
1902Philadelphia Athletics835367.64%
1929Philadelphia Athletics  W 1044666.89%
1929Chicago Cubs  L 985466.89%
1953Brooklyn Dodgers  L 1054966.89%
1953New York Yankees  W 995266.89%
1939New York Yankees  W 1064566.56%
1939Cincinnati Reds  L 975766.56%
1927New York Yankees  W 1104466.23%
1927Pittsburgh Pirates  L 946066.23%
1943St. Louis Cardinals  L 1054965.91%
1943New York Yankees  W 985665.91%
1915Boston Red Sox  W 1015065.90%
1915Detroit Tigers1005465.90%
1907Chicago Cubs  W 1074565.89%
1907Detroit Tigers  L 925865.89%
1911Philadelphia Athletics  W 1015065.79%
1911New York Giants  L 995465.79%
1919Cincinnati Reds  W 964465.71%
1919Chicago White Sox  L 885265.71%
1905New York Giants  W 1054865.69%
1905Pittsburgh Pirates965765.69%
1904New York Giants1064765.47%
1904Boston Americans955965.47%
1903Pittsburgh Pirates  L 914965.47%
1903Boston Americans  W 914765.47%
1932New York Yankees  W 1074765.26%
1932Philadelphia Athletics946065.26%
1941New York Yankees  W 1015365.26%
1941Brooklyn Dodgers  L 1005465.26%
1946Boston Red Sox  L 1045065.16%
1946St. Louis Cardinals  W 985865.16%
1928New York Yankees  W 1015364.82%
1928Philadelphia Athletics985564.82%
1961New York Yankees  W 1095364.81%
1961Detroit Tigers1016164.81%
1913New York Giants  L 1015164.59%
1913Philadelphia Athletics  W 965764.59%
1937New York Yankees  W 1025264.38%
1937New York Giants  L 955764.38%
1917Chicago White Sox  W 1005464.29%
1917New York Giants  L 985664.29%