A Look Back At MLB Teams With 100 Wins In A Season
In this article, we’ll go over some MLB history and look at which teams have had 100-win seasons as I pose the question, what does a 100-win season mean if you don’t make it to the World Series?
100 Win Teams in the 2020s
In 2022 four teams had over 100 wins in the regular season. The American League Houston Astros, who had 106 wins, won the World Series. What happened in the National League? The LA Dodgers won 111 games, the Atlanta Braves and NY Mets won 101 games, but the San Diego Padres, who finished the regular season 22 games behind the Dodgers, won the NL pennant. Go figure!
In 2021 three teams won over 100 games, the SF Giants, the LA Dodgers, and the Tampa Bay Rays, but none of them made it to the World Series. Instead, the 88–73 Atlanta Braves took the World Series trophy home. It doesn’t quite make sense, does it?
The league played only sixty games in 2020, but at least the two teams with the best regular season records played each other in the World Series, with the 43–17 LA Dodgers winning the trophy.
100 Win Teams in the 2010s
The Houston Astros had the best regular season record in 2019 with 107 wins, while three other teams also had over 100 wins. The Astros made it to the World Series but lost to the 93–69 Washington Nationals. So, once again, the teams that were heavily favored to win the World Series, based on their impressive records, lost.
The 2018 Boston Red Sox showed that it sometimes works out how it’s supposed to. The Astros had 103 wins while the Yankees had 100, but the 108-win Red Sox won the World Series.
2017 was another season when the over 100-win teams did well. While the 102-win Cleveland Indians didn’t make it to the Series, the 101-win Houston Astros did, defeating the 104-win LA Dodgers.
In 2016, the only team to win over 100 regular season games that year, the Chicago Cubs defeated the Cleveland Indians to win the series trophy, but in 2015, the 100-win St. Louis Cardinals failed to reach the Series. Instead, it was the 95-win KC Royals who took the trophy home.
There was a three-year span from 2012 to 2014 that no team won 100 games, but in 2014 there were seven teams that won more regular season games than the SF Giants, who won only 88 games but went on to win the World Series. The Red Sox and Cardinals came close to winning 100 games in 2013, finishing with 97 wins, and the Sox defeated the Cardinals in the World Series. The Giants won the World Series in 2012 despite three teams having a better regular season record than they did.
The Phillies finished the 2011 regular season with 102 wins, but it was the 90-win Cardinals who won the World Series, even though seven teams had a better regular season record than they did. Although no team won 100 games in 2010, four teams had a better record than the eventual World Series champion SF Giants.
If you combine the Giants’ 2010, 2012, and 2014 regular seasons, their overall winning percentage was .563. That’s pretty good but nothing spectacular. Yet the Giants won the World Series in all three of those seasons.
100 Win Teams in the 2000s
The 2009 Yankees were the only team that year to win over 100 games, and they did win the World Series, but in 2008 the Anaheim Angels, who won 100 regular season games, didn’t get the job done in the post-season. Instead, the Philadelphia Phillies, owners of the fifth-best record in the majors, won the World Series.
There were no 100-win teams in 2007 or 2006. The Red Sox, who had 97 regular season wins, won the series in 2007, but in 2006 the Cardinals, who had a winning percentage of only .516, won the World Series. Twelve teams had a better record than the Cardinals that season.
The Cardinals were the only team to win 100 games in 2005, but the Houston Astros won the NL pennant with only 89 wins. The Cardinals won 105 games in 2004, while the Yankees won 101, but both teams lost to the Red Sox when it counted most.
Three teams won at least 100 games in 2003. The Yankees and Braves won 101, while the Giants won 100, but the Miami Marlins, who won 91 games, seventh best in the league, won the World Series trophy. The results were the same in 2002, with the Yankees, A’s, and Braves all winning at least 100 games, but it was the Angels, owners of the fourth-best record, who took the trophy home.
The 2001 Seattle Mariners had one of the greatest regular seasons in MLB history, winning 116 games while losing only 46, for a .716 winning percentage. But in the American League Championship, the Mariners were soundly defeated by the Yankees, who finished 21 games behind the Mariners in the win column. The Yankees then lost the World Series to the Arizona Diamondbacks, who had only the fifth-best record in the regular season.
You probably get my point by now. Your favorite team may have a great regular season, and while that’s all well and good, just how satisfying is it if they don’t play well when it counts most in the post-season?
Although no teams reached the 100-win mark in 2000, the teams that won their league pennants did not have the best records. The Mets had the fourth-best record in the NL, while the Yankees had only the fifth-best record in the AL. The Yankees, who had the 9th best record overall, defeated the Mets in the World Series.
That wraps it up for the 2000s. Now let’s take a look at the 1990s and 1980s.
100 Win Teams in the 1990s
The Braves had 103 wins in 1999 while the Diamondbacks had 100, but it was the 98-win Yankees who swept the Braves in the World Series. The Yankees also swept the Series in 1998 after an impressive 114-win regular season. But they didn’t face the 106-win Braves or the 102-win Astros in the Series. Instead, it was the 98-win SD Padres.
The Braves were the only team to reach the 100-win mark in 1997, winning 101 games, but once again, the underdogs played in the World Series, as the 92-win Florida Marlins beat the 86 and 75 Cleveland Indians. The only team to come close to 100 wins in 1996 was the Indians with 99, but the 92–70 Yankees won the World Series.
Things almost worked out the way one would expect in 1995, as the two teams with the best record met in the World Series, but the 90–54 Braves defeated the 100–44 Indians.
There was no World Series in 1994 due to a players’ strike. The Braves had 104 wins in 1993 while the Giants had 103, but as we know by now, all those wins don’t mean a thing in the post-season. The 95–67 Toronto Blue Jays defeated the 97–65 Philadelphia Phillies.
No teams won 100 games in 1992, but this was one of those rare seasons when the two teams with the best record faced each other in the World Series. The 96–66 Blue Jays beat the 98–64 Braves.
The Pittsburgh Pirates had the most wins in 1991 with 98 but failed to win the NL pennant. The Minnesota Twins had the second-best record in the majors and defeated the Braves in the World Series.
The Oakland A’s had 103 wins in 1990, but the Cincinnati Reds, who won only 91 games, swept the A’s in the World Series.
100 Win Teams in the 1980s
The A’s had 99 wins in 1989 and swept the Giants, who had 92 wins. The A’s had 104 wins in 1988, while the Mets had 100 wins. But the Mets lost the NL pennant to the Dodgers, who finished six games behind the Mets in the win column. Not only did the Dodgers upset the Mets, but they also upset the heavily favored A’s in the World Series.
The only team that came close to 100 wins in 1987 was the Detroit Tigers, who won 98 games, but the Twins won the AL pennant. The Twins’ 85–77 record was ninth-best in the majors, but it didn’t stop them from winning the World Series.
The 1986 Mets, the only team to win 100 games that season; actually, they won 108, faced the Red Sox, who had the best record in the AL with 95 wins. The Mets won the fall classic four games to three. It was one of those rare seasons when the team with the best regular season record did what they were supposed to do in the post-season.
The 1985 Cardinals had the best record in the league, with 101 wins, but the KC Royals, who had the 6th best record, defeated the Cardinals in the World Series. The Detroit Tigers won 103 games in 1984 and defeated the SD Padres in the World Series. The Padres had the third-best record in the league.
The 1983 Chicago White Sox fell one game short of a 100-win season but lost to the Baltimore Orioles in the AL Championship. The Orioles had 98 wins and went on to defeat the Phillies, who had the second-best record in the National League. In 1982 the Cardinals, who had the best record in the NL, beat the Milwaukee Brewers, who had the best record in the AL.
1981 was a strike-shortened season. In the World Series, the Dodgers, who had the fourth-best regular season record at 63–47, beat the Yankees, who had a 59–48 record, only the tenth-best overall. The 1980 Yankees won 103 games while the Orioles won 100, but the Phillies, the 3rd best record in the NL at 91–71, won the World Series against the Royals, 3rd best in the AL at 97–65.
During the 1980s, there were five seasons when the teams with the better regular season records did play in the World Series, and as we go back further in MLB history, we will see that happening more and more. Why? Because there were far fewer teams and far fewer playoff games.
Now we’ll look at the 1970s and 1960s, and you’ll notice that the teams with the better records usually played in the World Series. Why? From 1969 to 1993, two divisions were in each league, with only four division-leading teams reaching the playoffs. The league began increasing the number of playoff teams in 1994.
100 Win Teams in the 1970s
Before 1969, there was no such thing as playoffs. The team with the best record in the American League played the team with the best record in the National League in the World Series. The only time there was a playoff was if two teams ended the season tied for the best record.
The only team to win 100 games in 1979 was the Baltimore Orioles, who won 102. The Pittsburgh Pirates, who won 98 games, defeated Baltimore in the World Series. The 1978 Yankees and Red Sox ended the season tied for first place in their division with 99 wins. The Yankees defeated the Red Sox in a one-game playoff and then beat the Dodgers in the World Series.
The KC Royals finished the 1977 season with 102 wins, the best record in baseball. But they were defeated in the ALCS by the Yankees, who had 100 wins. The 101-win Philadelphia Phillies lost to the 98-win LA Dodgers in the NL. The Yankees went on to defeat the Dodgers in the World Series.
The Yankees had the best record in the AL in 1976 with 97 wins, and they defeated the Royals in the playoffs to reach the World Series. The National League had two teams with over 100 wins. The Phillies had 101, while the Cincinnati Reds had 102. The Reds went on to sweep the Yankees in the World Series.
The Reds were the only team to win 100 games in 1975, finishing the regular season with 108 wins. The Oakland A’s came close to winning 100 games with 98 but lost to the 95-win Red Sox in the ALCS. The Reds beat the Red Sox in what many consider one of the all-time best World Series.
The Dodgers were the only team to win 100 games in 1974, finishing with a 102–60 record, but the A’s beat them in the World Series, even though they were 12 games behind LA in the win column.
The Reds had the best record in 1973, finishing just one game short of 100 wins, but they lost in the NLCS to the NY Mets, who finished the regular season with a meager .509 winning percentage. Eight teams in the league had a higher winning percentage than the Mets. In the World Series, they would face the A’s (4th best record in the league). The “Amazin” Mets gave Oakland all they could handle, but the A’s prevailed four games to three.
No one won 100 games in 1972. The Pirates had the best record at 96–59, but the 93-win A’s won the World Series over the 95-win Reds.
The A’s and the Orioles won 101 games in 1971, but the 97-win Pirates brought the World Series trophy home.
In 1970, the 108–54 Orioles (best record in the AL) defeated the 102–60 Reds (best record in the NL) to win the World Series. The 1969 Mets had the best record in the NL at 100–62 and defeated the 109–53 Orioles in the World Series.
100 Win Teams in the 1960s
The Tigers were the only team to win 100 games in 1968, finishing the season with a 103–59 record. They went on to defeat the Cardinals in the World Series. The Cardinals were the only team to win 100 games in 1967, finishing the season with 101 wins, then winning the World Series trophy against the Red Sox.
The 1966 season went without a 100-win team as the 97-win Orioles swept the 95-win Dodgers in the World Series. The Orioles' pitching staff held the Dodgers to only two runs.
The Minnesota Twins won 102 games in 1965 but lost the World Series to the 97-win Dodgers. The Yankees fell just one game short of a 100-win season in 1964 but lost to the 93-win Cardinals. The Yankees won 104 games in 1963 but were swept in the World Series by the Dodgers.
The 1962 Dodgers and Giants ended the season tied for first place with 101 wins. The two teams faced off in a three-game series to decide who would move on to the World Series. The Giants won the Series, but the extra three games wore them out as they were no match for the 96-win Yankees in the World Series.
The 1961 Tigers won 101 games, but unfortunately for them, the Yankees won 109 and went on to defeat the 93-win Reds in the World Series. 1961 was the first year the American League played the expanded 162-game season, and the National League followed suit the following year. In 1960 the 97-win Yankees lost to the 95-win Pirates despite outscoring them 55 to 27.
As we proceed, we’ll see fewer teams will win 100 games. That’s because up until 1961, teams played 154 games rather than the 162 games we’ve grown accustomed to. We’ll use a .617 winning percentage as the equivalent of winning 100 games since 100 wins in a 162-game schedule equal a .617 winning percentage.
Top Winning Teams of the 1950s
No team reached the .617 winning percentage in 1959 or 1958. The 88-win Dodgers beat the 94-win White Sox in the World Series in 1959, and the 92-win Yankees defeated the 92-win Braves in 1958.
The Yankees had the highest winning percentage in 1957 at .636, but they lost the World Series to the Braves, who had a .617 winning percentage. The Yankees also had the highest winning percentage in 1956 at .630, and they beat the Dodgers in the World Series.
The Yankees and Dodgers went over the .617 winning percentage in 1955, and the 98-win Dodgers beat the 96-win Yankees in the World Series. The 1954 Yankees had an outstanding season, finishing with a 103–51 record, but they finished eight games behind the Indians, who had an astounding 111–43 record for a .721 winning percentage. But the Indians' great season ended in disappointment as the 97-win New York Giants swept them in the World Series.
The 1953 Dodgers had an outstanding season finishing with 105 wins for a .682 winning percentage, but they lost the World Series to the Yankees (.656), who fell just one game short of a 100-win season. The 1952 Yankees & Dodgers reached a .617 winning percentage, and the 95-win Yankees beat the 96-win Dodgers to win the World Series trophy.
The Brooklyn Dodgers and New York Giants finished the 1951 season tied for first place in the National League with a .625 winning percentage. The teams played a three-game playoff series to decide who would play the Yankees (.636 winning percentage) in the World Series. The Giants won the playoff series but fell to the Yankees in the World Series.
The Detroit Tigers finished the 1950 season with a .617 winning percentage, but it wasn’t good enough for first place as the Yankees finished three games ahead of them. The Yankees went on to sweep the Phillies in the World Series.
Top Winning Teams of the 1940s
In 1949 four teams finished with a higher than .617 winning percentage. In the National League, the Cardinals finished the season just one game behind the Dodgers, while in the American League, the Red Sox finished one game behind the Yankees. The 97-win Yankees won the World Series over the 97-win Dodgers.
The 1948 Red Sox and Indians finished the season with a .623 winning percentage forcing a one-game playoff. The Indians won and defeated the Boston Braves in the World Series.
The Yankees finished the 1947 season with a .630 winning percentage and beat the Dodgers in the World Series. The Red Sox had an excellent season in 1946, winning 104 games while losing only 50. But the Cardinals were no slouches with a .628 winning percentage, and they defeated the Red Sox in a hard-fought World Series, four games to three.
The Cardinals finished the 1945 season with a .617 winning percentage, but it wasn’t good enough, as the Cubs finished three games ahead of them to claim the NL pennant. But the Cubs were upset in the World Series by the Tigers, who won only 88 games. The Cardinals had an outstanding season in 1944, finishing with a 105–49 record and beating the St. Louis Browns in the World Series.
The Cardinals also finished the 1943 season with that same 105–49 record, but the Yankees also had a great team with a .636 winning percentage, and they easily defeated the Cardinals in the World Series. In 1942 three teams won over 100 games. The Dodgers won 104 but finished second to the Cardinals, who won 106. The Cardinals easily defeated the 103-win Yankees to win the World Series.
The Cardinals had another great season in 1941, finishing with a .634 winning percentage, but the Dodgers finished in first place with a 100–54 record. The Yankees finished the season with 101 wins and defeated the Dodgers in the World Series. The Reds finished the 1940 season with 100 wins and only 53 losses. The 90-win Tigers gave them a tough time in the World Series, but the Reds prevailed, winning four games to three.
Top Winning Teams of the 1930s
The Reds also had a great season in 1939, finishing with a .630 winning percentage, but they were no match for the 106–45 Yankees in the World Series. The Yankees were the only team to finish the 1938 season with over 90 wins, falling just one game short of 100 and sweeping the Cubs in the World Series.
The Giants had a terrific season in 1937, finishing with a .625 winning percentage, but they were no match for the Yankees, who finished 102–52 and won the World Series. The Yankees were the only team to finish the 1936 season with an over .600 winning percentage. They won 102 games while losing only 51 and defeated the Giants in the World Series.
The Cardinals had a .623 winning percentage in 1935, but it was only good enough for second place as the Cubs won 100 games to claim the NL pennant. The Tigers, who finished with a .616 winning percentage, upset the Cubs in the World Series. The Tigers won 101 games in 1934 but lost to the Cardinals (.621 winning percentage) in the World Series.
The Washington Senators fell just one game short of 100 wins in 1933 but were no match for the 91-win Giants in the World Series. The Yankees dominated the regular season in 1932 with a 107–47 record, then they dominated the Cubs in the World Series, winning four games to zero.
The Philadelphia Athletics won the 1931 AL pennant with a 107–45 record. The Cardinals won the NL pennant with a 101–53 record and beat the Athletics in the World Series. The Athletics won 102 games in 1930 and defeated the Cardinals in the World Series.
Top Winning Teams in the 1920s
From here, we’ll start with 1929 and work our way back to the first World Series in 1903.
The Cubs had a .645 winning percentage in 1929 but were no match for the 104-win Athletics in the World Series. The Athletics also had a great season in 1928, finishing with a .641 winning percentage, but the Yankees beat them out for first place with a 101-win season. The Cardinals had a great season, finishing with a .617 winning percentage, but the Yankees swept them in the World Series.
The Yankees were far and away the best team in 1927, finishing the season with a 110–44 record before sweeping the Pirates in the World Series. The Yankees were the only team to win over 90 games in 1926 with 91, but the Cardinals won 89 and beat the Yankees in the World Series.
The Pirates and Senators went over the .617 winning percentage in 1925, and the Pirates took the World Series trophy home. No team reached the .617 winning percentage in 1924 as the 92-win Senators beat the 93-win Giants in the World Series.
The Yankees and Giants exceeded the .617 winning percentage in 1923, and the Yankees won the World Series (their very first). No one reached the .617 percentage in 1922 as the Giants swept the Yankees in the World Series.
The Giants fell one game short of a .617 winning percentage in 1921, but they defeated the Yankees, who had a .641 percentage. Three American League teams had a .617 or better winning percentage in 1920, the Yankees, White Sox, and Indians, and it was the 98–56 Indians who won the World Series over the Brooklyn Robins (later the Dodgers).
100 Win Teams in the 1910s
Due to World War l, the 1919 and 1918 seasons were shortened. Teams played 140 games in 1919 and anywhere from 123 to 131 in 1918. The 1919 White Sox won the AL pennant with a .629 winning percentage.
In the NL, the Giants finished with a .621 winning percentage and still finished the season nine games behind the Reds, who had a .686 percentage and beat the White Sox in the infamous “Black Sox” World Series. The 1918 Cubs had a .651 winning percentage but lost the World Series to the Red Sox, who were a full nine games behind the Cubs in the win column.
In the 1917 World Series, the White Sox, who had 100 wins, defeated the Giants, who fell just two games short of 100. No team reached the .617 winning percentage in 1916 as the 91-win Red Sox beat the 94-win Robins in the World Series.
The 1915 Red Sox finished the season with 101 wins and only 50 losses to take the AL pennant. It hardly seemed fair to the Tigers, who finished at 100–54 but played three games more than the Sox. Besides the AL and NL, there was a Federal League in 1915 and 1914. The Red Sox beat the Phillies to win the World Series trophy.
The 1914 Athletics had a .651 winning percentage and fell just one game short of 100 wins, but they lost the World Series to the 94-win Braves. The Giants won 101 games in 1913, but the Athletics also had an excellent season finishing with a .627 winning percentage, and they beat the Giants in the World Series.
The Pirates finished the 1912 season with an excellent .616 winning percentage, but they fell ten games short of first place to the Giants, who went 103–48. The Red Sox went 105–47 and defeated the Giants in the World Series. The Giants fell just one game short of 100 wins in 1911 and lost the World Series to the 101–50 Athletics.
The Cubs had an outstanding season in 1910, finishing with a 104–50 record, but they were overmatched in the World Series by the 102–48 Athletics.
Top Teams in the 1900s
Four teams went over the .617 winning percentage in 1909. The Athletics finished 95–58 in the AL but had to settle for second place as the Tigers went 98–54. In the NL, the Cubs finished with an impressive 104–49 record, but the Pirates went 110–42 to take first place and then beat the Tigers to take the World Series trophy home.
Three teams finished the 1908 season with a .617 winning percentage. The Cubs fell just one game short of 100 wins, while the Giants and Pirates fell just two games short. The Cubs defeated the Tigers in the World Series. The 1907 Cubs were the only team to have an over .617 winning percentage that season, finishing with an impressive 107–45 record before sweeping the Tigers in the World Series.
The Cubs and Giants went over the .617 winning percentage in 1906, and the White Sox were close at .616. The 1906 Cubs still hold the record for the highest winning percentage in a season at .763. But the White Sox, 93–58 on the year, pulled off a stunning upset by beating the 116–36 Cubs in the World Series. The Giants, Pirates, and Athletics all surpassed the .617 winning percentage in 1905. The 105-win Giants defeated the 92-win Athletics in the World Series.
The 1904 Boston Americans (later the Red Sox) finished the season with a .617 winning percentage. The Giants had the best record, with 106 wins and only 47 losses. But the Giants’ manager, John McGraw, refused to play against Boston in the World Series because he considered the American League “The Minor League.”
In 1903 the Boston Americans (.659 winning percentage) beat the Pirates (.650 winning percentage) in the very first World Series.
Wrapping It All Up
Now that we’ve gone through all of the World Series years let’s look at some interesting facts. During the playoffs of 1969 to 2022, the team with the best record in the American League won the pennant 52% of the time. The percentage was much lower in the National League, as the team with the best record won the pennant only 40% of the time.
The team with the best record in baseball overall won the World Series only 27% of the time. So the next time your favorite team ends the regular season with the best record, don’t get your hopes up too high because the odds of them winning the World Series could be better.
During the non-playoff years of 1903 to 1968, the percentage was much higher as the team with the best overall record won the World Series 58% of the time.
I hope you enjoyed this look back at some MLB history.
