MLB: The Importance of Winning Game One

Post Highlights

• A little over 73% of MLB teams that have won a Game 1 in a Divisional Playoff Series, went on to win the series.

• Since 1995, every team (100%) that has won a Game 1 in the World Series at home, has gone on to win the series.

 

Going back to 1995, a little over 72% of all MLB teams that have won Game 1 in a playoff series went on to win the series.  Listed below is a quick analysis I did on the topic.  I found all the teams that won a Game 1 in playoff series since 1995, and found out how many times they won the series.  The percentages and different situations are all listed below.

Winning Game 1 and Winning the Series Since 1995

	Won the Series
Won Game 1 of a Playoff Series
Won the Series	72.3%
with the Better Regular Season Record	78.9%
with the Worse Regular Season Record	65.5%
Won Game 1 at Home	74.6%
Won Game 1 on the Road	69.8%
	Won the Series
Won Game 1 of a Division Series
Won the Series	73.4%
with the Better Regular Season Record	84.8%
with the Worse Regular Season Record	61.3%
Won Game 1 at Home	73.5%
Won Game 1 on the Road	73.3%
	Won the Series
Won Game 1 of a League Championship Series
Won the Series	65.6%
with the Better Regular Season Record	70.6%
with the Worse Regular Season Record	60.0%
Won Game 1 at Home	62.5%
Won Game 1 on the Road	68.8%
	Won the Series
Won Game 1 of a World Series
Won the Series	81.3%
with the Better Regular Season Record	71.4%
with the Worse Regular Season Record	88.9%
Won Game 1 at Home	100.0%
Won Game 1 on the Road	57.1%

 

Reference: Baseball-Reference.com

 

MLB: From Worst to First and First to Worst

Post Highlights

• The Arizona Diamondbacks have accounted for 27% of all worst to first occurrences in major professional baseball history.

• The San Diego Padres are the only team that went from first to worst (1996 to 1997) and worst to first (1997 to 1998) back to back.

• None of the seven teams that went from first to worst changed managers the previous off-season; only one team changed managers after the season (1987 California Angels).

 

The Arizona Diamondbacks completed a special feat this season.  For the third time in their franchises history, they have gone from last place in the NL West to first place the next season.  It’s only the 11^th time in major professional baseball history that a team went from worst to first in their respective division/or league.

On the flipside the Minnesota Twins had a season to forget.  After winning the AL Central title last year, they will finish this season in last place.  It’s only the 7^th time in major professional baseball history that a team went from first to worst in their respective division/or league.

 

Worst to First in Pro Baseball

First	Worst	Team	Lge/Div	W Dif	Playoffs	Next Season
1890	1889	Louisville Colonels	AA	+61	–	1891: 8th
1991	1990	Atlanta Braves	NL West	+29	Lost WS	1992: 1st
1991	1990	Minnesota Twins	AL West	+21	Won WS	1992: 2nd
1993	1992	Philadelphia Phillies	NL East	+27	Lost WS	1994: 4th
1997	1996	San Francisco Giants	NL West	+22	Lost LDS	1998: 2nd
1998	1997	San Diego Padres	NL West	+22	Lost WS	1999: 4th
1999	1998	Arizona D-backs	NL West	+35	Lost LDS	2000: 3rd
2007	2006	Arizona D-backs	NL West	+14	Lost NLCS	2008: 2nd
2007	2006	Chicago Cubs	NL Central	+19	Lost LDS	2008: 1st
2008	2007	Tampa Bay Rays	AL East	+31	Lost WS	2009: 3rd
2011	2010	Arizona D-backs	NL West	+26 ?	?	?

 

The Arizona Diamondbacks have accounted for 27% of all worst to first occurrences in major professional baseball history.

Current and past teams from the NL West, have accounted for 55% of all worst to first occurrences in major professional baseball history.

Only three of teams that went from worst to first changed managers the previous off-season; 1991 Braves, 2007 Cubs, and 2011 D-backs.

First to Worst in Pro Baseball

Worst	First	Team	Lge/Div	W Dif	Next Season
1915	1914	Philadelphia Athletics	AL	-56	1916: 8th (Last)
1987	1986	California Angels	AL West	-17	1988: 4th
1993	1992	Oakland Athletics	AL West	-28	1994: 2nd
1995	1994	Montreal Expos ¹	NL East	-8	1996: 2nd
1997	1996	San Diego Padres	NL West	-15	1998: 1st
2000	1999	Texas Rangers	AL West	-24	2001: 4th (Last)
2011	2010	Minnesota Twins	AL Central	-34 ?	?

¹ Strike-shortened season; no official division titles were given.

 

The San Diego Padres are the only team that went from first to worst (1996 to 1997) and worst to first (1997 to 1998) back to back.

None of the seven teams that went from first to worst changed managers the previous off-season; only one team changed managers after the season (1987 California Angels).

The Cincinnati Reds finished the 1981 season with the most overall wins in the NL West. However due to a split-season format, they didn’t win the division title, because they finished in second place in both halves of the season.  In the following season, the Reds had the worst record in the NL West.

 

Reference: Baseball-Reference.com

 

A Tally of Winning and Losing Seasons in Major League Baseball

Post Highlights

• The San Francisco Giants have had more winning seasons than any other team in Major League Baseball; 89 winning seasons.

• The New York Yankees have had 87 winning seasons, and they have the highest percentage of winning seasons; 79% of their seasons have been winning ones.

• The New York Yankees had winning seasons from 1926 to 1964; 39 consecutive seasons.

• The Pittsburgh Pirates have the longest current streak of losing seasons; 18 consecutive losing seasons from 1993 to 2010.  It’s also the longest losing season streak in MLB history.

The San Francisco Giants have had more winning seasons than any other team in Major League Baseball; 89 winning seasons.  The New York Yankees follow with 87 winning seasons, however the Yankees have the highest percentage of winning seasons (79%).  Checkout the chart below for a complete tally of winning and losing seasons by team in Major League Baseball.

Winning and Losing Seasons in Major League Baseball

Legend: W (# of winning seasons), L (# of losing seasons), .500 (# of .500/even seasons), % (percentage of W/L/.500 seasons), W Streak (greatest streak of winning seasons), L Streak (greatest streak of losing seasons)

Note: Data only includes regular season records.

AL East
Team	W	%		L	%		.500	%		W Streak	L Streak
Blue Jays	19	56%		15	44%		0	0%		11 (1983-93)	6 (1977-82)
Orioles	42	38%		67	61%		1	1%		18 (1968-85)	13 (1998-2010)
Rays	3	23%		10	77%		0	0%		3 (2008-10)	10 (1998-2007)
Red Sox	70	64%		37	34%		3	3%		16 (1967-82)	15 (1919-33)
Yankees	87	79%		22	20%		1	1%		39 (1926-64)	4 (Last: 1989-92)
AL Central
Team	W	%		L	%		.500	%		W Streak	L Streak
Indians	57	52%		50	45%		3	3%		10 (1947-56)	7 (Last: 1987-93)
Royals	18	43%		24	57%		0	0%		6 (1975-80)	8 (1995-2002)
Tigers	64	58%		44	40%		2	2%		11 (1978-88)	12 (1994-2005)
Twins	42	38%		64	58%		4	4%		6 (2001-06)	11 (1901-1911)
White Sox	60	55%		46	42%		4	4%		17 (1951-67)	9 (1927-35)
AL West
Team	W	%		L	%		.500	%		W Streak	L Streak
Angels	21	42%		27	54%		2	4%		7 (2003-09)	7 (1971-77)
Athletics	50	45%		58	53%		2	2%		9 (Last: 1968-76)	15 (1953-67)
Mariners	11	32%		23	68%		0	0%		4 (2000-03)	14 (1977-90)
Rangers	18	36%		32	64%		0	0%		3 (Last: 1989-91)	8 (1961-68)
NL East
Team	W	%		L	%		.500	%		W Streak	L Streak
Braves	71	53%		61	45%		3	2%		15 (1991-05)	11 (1903-1913)
Marlins	6	33%		12	67%		0	0%		3 (2003-05)	5 (1998-2002)
Mets	23	47%		26	53%		0	0%		7 (1984-90)	7 (Last: 1977-83)
Nationals	14	33%		25	60%		3	7%		5 (1979-83)	10 (1969-78)
Phillies	53	41%		72	56%		3	2%		9 (1975-83)	16 (1933-48)
NL Central
Team	W	%		L	%		.500	%		W Streak	L Streak
Astros	24	49%		21	43%		4	8%		7 (1993-99)	7 (1962-68)
Brewers	12	29%		28	67%		2	5%		6 (1978-83)	12 (1993-2004)
Cardinals	80	62%		48	37%		1	1%		15 (1939-53)	9 (1902-10)
Cubs	69	51%		63	47%		3	2%		14 (1926-39)	10 (1953-62)
Pirates	69	53%		57	44%		3	2%		15 (1899-1913)	18 (1993-2010)
Reds	67	52%		59	46%		3	2%		10 (1972-81)	11 (1945-55)
NL West
Team	W	%		L	%		.500	%		W Streak	L Streak
D-backs	7	54%		6	46%		0	0%		5 (1999-2003)	3 (2004-06)
Dodgers	79	62%		47	37%		1	1%		13 (1945-57)	11 (1904-14)
Giants	89	70%		39	30%		0	0%		14 (1958-71)	4 (Last: 2005-08)
Padres	14	33%		26	62%		2	5%		4 (2004-07)	9 (1969-77)
Rockies	7	39%		11	61%		0	0%		3 (1995-97)	6 (2001-06)

Highest % / Most Winning Seasons in Major League Baseball

Highest % of Winning Seasons					Most Winning Seasons
Rk	Team	%	W Sea		Rk	Team	W Sea	%
1	Yankees	79%	87		1	Giants	89	70%
2	Giants	70%	89		2	Yankees	87	79%
3	Red Sox	64%	70		3	Cardinals	80	62%
4	Dodgers	62%	79		4	Dodgers	79	62%
5	Cardinals	62%	80		5	Braves	71	53%

The Tampa Bay Rays have the highest percentage of losing seasons (77%).  The Philadelphia Phillies have had the most losing seasons (72); more than triple the losing seasons the New York Yankees have had (22).

Highest % / Most Losing Seasons in Major League Baseball

Highest % of Losing Seasons					Most Losing Seasons
Rk	Team	%	L Sea		Rk	Team	L Sea	%
1	Rays	77%	10		1	Phillies	72	56%
2	Mariners	68%	23		2	Orioles	67	61%
3	Brewers	67%	28		3	Twins	64	58%
4	Marlins	67%	12		4	Cubs	63	47%
5	Rangers	64%	32		5	Braves	61	45%

Winning and Losing Season Streaks in Major League Baseball

Winning Season Streaks

The New York Yankees had winning seasons from 1926 to 1964; 39 consecutive seasons.  It’s the most consecutive winning seasons by any team in Major League Baseball.  The streak spanned the administrations of seven different U.S. Presidents.  Counting the streak alone the Yankees would have more winning seasons than 14 other MLB teams.  The Baltimore Orioles and Minnesota Twins have only had three more winning seasons (42) than the Yankees impressive streak.

The New York Yankees have the longest current streak of winning seasons; 18 consecutive winning seasons from 1993 to 2010.  It’s the second longest winning season streak in MLB history, tied with the Baltimore Orioles streak of winning seasons from 1968 to 1985.


Losing Season Streaks
The Pittsburgh Pirates have the longest current streak of losing seasons; 18 consecutive losing seasons from 1993 to 2010.  It’s also the longest losing season streak in MLB history.


Reference: Baseball-Reference.com