12/12/21 : Did Ya Know 🧐🤷‍♂️

⚾️ Since 1969, only 14 teams have claimed baseball's best regular season record and gone on to win the World Series.

1970 Orioles(108-54)

1975 Reds (108-54)

1976 Reds (102-60)

1978 Yankees (100-63)

1984 Tigers (104-58)

1986 Mets (108-54)

1989 Athletics (99-63)

1998 Yankees (114-48)

2007 Red Sox (96-66)

2009 Yankees (103-59)

2013 Red Sox (97-65)

2016 Cubs (103-58)

2018 Red Sox ( 108-54 )

2020 Dodgers ( 43-17 )

⚾️ Historical breakdown of teams with best record that also won World Series

1903–1968 (before divisions): 37 out of 65 (57%)

1969–1993 (LCS but no LDS): 7 out of 25 (28%)

1995–2021 (current format - LCS and LDS): 7 out of 27 (26%)

⚾️ In the last 10 seasons, only twice have the two teams with the best records in each league played in the World Series. That was in 2013 - Cardinals and Red Sox and 2020 - Dodgers and Rays.

⚾️ Since Major League baseball moved to a 162 game schedule in 1961 (1962 in the NL) and prior to divisional play in 1969, only one team won the WS with less than 95 wins

1964 Cardinals (93-69)

⚾️ Since Divisional Play began in 1969 there have been 22 World Series Champions that won less than 95 games during the regular season ( non-strike years ).

1972 A’s ( 93-62 )

1973 A’s ( 94-68 )

1980 Phillies ( 91-71 )

1982 Cardinals ( 92-70 )

1985 Royals ( 91-71 )

1987 Twins ( 85-77 )

1988 Dodgers ( 94-67 )

1990 Reds ( 91-71 )

1995 Braves ( 90-54 )

1996 Yankees ( 92-70 )

1997 Marlins ( 92-70 )

2000 Yankees - ( 87-74 )

2001 Diamondbacks ( 92-70 )

2003 Marlins ( 91-71 )

2006 Cardinals - ( 83-78 )

2008 Phillies ( 92-70 )

2010 Giants ( 92-70 )

2011 Cardinals ( 90-72 )

2012 Giants ( 94-68 )

2014 Giants ( 88-74 ) - first ever WS ( non strike year where both teams had less than 90 wins ( KC Royals - 89-73 )

2019 Nationals ( 93-69 )

2021 Braves ( 88-73 )

⚾️ The following wild card teams won the World Series

1997 Marlins ( 92-70 )

2002 Angels ( 99-63 )

2003 Marlins ( 91-71 )

2004 Red Sox ( 98-64 )

2011 Cardinals ( 90-72 )

2014 Giants ( 88-74 )

2019 Nationals ( 93-69 )

⚾️ Since 1961 only five teams with less than 90 regular season wins became WS champions

1987 Twins ( 85-77 )

2000 Yankees - ( 87-74 )

2006 Cardinals - ( 83-78 )

2014 Giants ( 88-74 )

2021 Braves ( 88-73 )

Only two with 85 wins or less in 60 years 🧐😳

Summation :

Dating back to 1903 the team with the best regular season record has won the World Series 44 % of the time … that decreases to 27 % since the introduction of Divisional play in 1969.

Since the introduction of the Wild Card in 1995 seven Wild Card teams have won the WS over that time span ( 27 % )

Five teams with less than 90 regular season wins have won the WS since 1961 ( 8 % ) … 10 % since 1969 introduction of Divisional play

Since 1969 there have bee 22 of the WS Champions who had less than 95 regular season wins ( 42 % )

Since Divisional play began in 1969 there have been 14 teams crowned WS champions that were also regular season champions ( most wins ) - 27 %

My thoughts : 🥴

Will expanding the playoffs even further diminish the eventual champion as related to regular season wins ?

The data reflects that the regular season best record champion already is in the minority in regards to WS crowns - it also shows that it’s very unlikely ( 3 % ) that a team with 85 wins or less wins the title. For the baseball purist of purists 1969 forever changed post season baseball with the introduction of Divisional play. I highly doubt competitive balance is greatly altered any further with another playoff expansion - just saying.

Happy Day, Happy Baseball ⚾️