Picture credit score: © Vincent Carchietta-Imagn Photographs
Final summer season, I wrote an article titled, “The Dodgers Could Be The Finest Staff We’ll See.” No lede burying for me! I made a case for the title. Right here, for instance, is a desk from that article itemizing the very best six-year profitable information for the reason that formation of the American League in 1901.
Seasons
Staff
W
L
Pct.
1905-1910
Cubs
621
295
.678
1906-1911
Cubs
621
296
.677
1904-1909
Cubs
610
305
.666
1941-1946
Cardinals
606
319
.655
1903-1908
Cubs
588
312
.653
1937-1942
Yankees
599
320
.6518
1907-1912
Cubs
597
319
.6517
1936-1941
Yankees
598
320
.651
1927-1932
Athletics
596
321
.650
1934-1939
Yankees
592
321
.648
1938-1943
Yankees
595
324
.647
1942-1947
Cardinals
598
328
.646
2017-2022
Dodgers
562
309
.645
1940-1945
Cardinals
592
330
.6421
1935-1940
Yankees
586
327
.6418
1926-1931
Athletics
585
328
.6407
1949-1954
Yankees
590
331
.6406
1932-1937
Yankees
585
329
.6400
1909-1914
Athletics
582
328
.6396
1939-1944
Cardinals
589
332
.6395
I’m guessing there aren’t a lot of you who have been alive for any of these groups however one.
The Dodgers, I posited, have posted a document over the previous a number of years that’s among the many finest in baseball historical past. However they’ve didn’t get the popularity they deserve, largely attributable to their numerous disappointments in MLB’s postseason match. Having efficiently superior by way of the quarterfinals and semifinals this yr and beating the Yankees within the finals, that criticism has been, if not put to relaxation, no less than mitigated.
However the knowledge I introduced final yr led to 2022. Let’s take a look at this anew. Right here’s these top-20 six-year profitable percentages by way of the top of this season.
Seasons
Staff
W
L
Pct.
1905-1910
Cubs
621
295
.678
1906-1911
Cubs
621
296
.677
1904-1909
Cubs
610
305
.667
1942-1946
Cardinals
606
319
.655
1903-1908
Cubs
588
312
.653
1937-1942
Yankees
599
320
.652
1907-1912
Cubs
597
319
.652
1936-1941
Yankees
598
320
.651
1927-1932
Athletics
596
321
.650
1934-1939
Yankees
592
321
.6484
2019-2024
Dodgers
564
306
.6483
1938-1943
Yankees
595
324
.647
1942-1947
Cardinals
598
328
.646
2017-2022
Dodgers
562
309
.645
1940-1945
Cardinals
592
330
.6421
1935-1940
Yankees
586
327
.6418
1926-1931
Athletics
585
328
.6407
2018-2023
Dodgers
558
313
.64064
1949-1954
Yankees
590
331
.64061
1932-1937
Yankees
585
329
.640
A bunch of groups from earlier than shade TV, after which the Dodgers. The hole between golf equipment sustaining a .640 profitable proportion ran over 60 years, from the top of the Yankees’ 1949-54 streak to the beginning of the Dodgers’ 2017-22 streak.
You would possibly complain that a part of the Dodgers’ streak fell in 2020. The modern Dodgers thus had a brief season embedded in there. However the distinction in video games between the 2019-24 Dodgers and the leaders, the 1905-10 Cubs, is barely 46 video games, or 7.7 per yr. That’s lower than the distinction between the 162-game season the Dodgers play and the 154-game season each different staff on the checklist performed. And virtually all of the groups on this checklist didn’t should face transcontinental journey, sliders, opponents who educated all winter fairly than take one other job to make ends meet, or nonwhite gamers. The Dodgers’ information have been compiled in a way more difficult setting.
However perhaps that six-year timeframe is cherry-picking. Listed below are the highest five-season profitable percentages.
Seasons
Staff
W
L
Pct.
1906-1910
Cubs
529
234
.693
1905-1909
Cubs
517
245
.678
1903-1908
Cubs
506
256
.664
1928-1932
Athletics
505
258
.662
1941-1945
Cardinals
508
261
.66060
1907-1911
Cubs
506
260
.66057
1942-1946
Cardinals
509
263
.659
2019-2023
Dodgers
466
242
.6582
1927-1931
Athletics
502
261
.6579
1935-1939
Yankees
498
261
.656
1903-1907
Cubs
489
257
.655
1936-1940
Yankees
497
267
.651
1938-1942
Yankees
497
268
.650
1937-1941
Yankees
496
269
.648
1940-1944
Cardinals
497
271
.6471
2019-2024
Dodgers
458
250
.6469
1939-1943
Yankees
496
271
.6467
2018-2022
Dodgers
458
251
.646
1901-1905
Pirates
466
257
.645
1910-1914
Athletics
487
270
.643
Principally, it’s early 20th century Cubs, prewar Yankees, WWII-era Cardinals, Connie Mack’s best hits, and the modern Dodgers. (The 2016-21 Dodgers rank 34th.)
Yet one more brief timeframe: One of the best-ever four-year information.
Seasons
Staff
W
L
Pct.
1906-1909
Cubs
425
184
.698
1905-1908
Cubs
413
196
.678
1907-1910
Cubs
414
198
.676
1928-1931
Athletics
411
198
.675
1941-1944
Cardinals
413
202
.672
1936-1939
Yankees
409
201
.6705
2019-2022
Dodgers
366
180
.6703
1904-1907
Cubs
407
201
.669
1929-1932
Athletics
407
203
.667213
1942-1945
Cardinals
411
205
.667208
2020-2023
Dodgers
360
186
.659
1903-1906
Giants
391
204
.657
1943-1946
Cardinals
403
215
.652
1939-1942
Yankees
398
215
.6493
1901-1904
Pirates
370
200
.6491
1908-1911
Cubs
399
216
.649
1937-1940
Yankees
395
216
.6465
1927-1930
Athletics
395
216
.6465
1910-1913
Giants
394
216
.6459
1938-1941
Yankees
394
217
.645
It’s value noting right here that the 2021-24 Dodgers—no pandemic yr included—rank 28th. The latest staff previous these Dodgers are the 23rd-ranked 1953-56 Yankees. The modern Dodgers are the very best staff by this measure since a time when 1 / 4 of American households didn’t have a phone.
How about longer durations? Listed below are the very best seven-year streaks ever.
Seasons
Staff
W
L
Pct.
1904-1910
Cubs
714
355
.668
1906-1912
Cubs
712
355
.667
1905-1911
Cubs
713
357
.666
1903-1909
Cubs
692
361
.657
1936-1942
Yankees
701
371
.654
1937-1943
Yankees
697
376
.650
1941-1947
Cardinals
695
384
.6441
1935-1941
Yankees
687
380
.6439
1933-1939
Yankees
683
380
.643
1932-1938
Yankees
684
382
.642
2017-2023
Dodgers
662
371
.6409
1907-1913
Cubs
685
384
.6408
1940-1946
Cardinals
690
388
.640
1949-1955
Yankees
686
389
.638
1950-1956
Yankees
686
389
.638
1951-1957
Yankees
686
389
.638
1934-1940
Yankees
680
387
.637
1931-1937
Yankees
679
388
.6364
1926-1932
Athletics
679
388
.6364
1948-1954
Yankees
684
391
.6363
1939-1945
Cardinals
684
391
.6363
The 2018-2024 Dodgers simply miss making it. Their 656-377 document, .635, is subsequent on the checklist.
Lastly, listed here are the very best eight-year information.
Seasons
Staff
W
L
Pct.
1903-1910
Cubs
796
411
.659
1904-1911
Cubs
806
417
.659
1905-1912
Cubs
804
416
.659
1906-1913
Cubs
800
420
.656
1936-1943
Yankees
799
427
.652
1932-1939
Yankees
790
427
.649
1935-1942
Yankees
790
431
.647
1902-1909
Pirates
768
429
.642
1934-1941
Yankees
781
440
.640
1902-1909
Cubs
760
430
.639
1931-1938
Yankees
778
441
.638
1950-1957
Yankees
784
445
.638
1949-1956
Yankees
783
446
.637
2017-2024
Dodgers
760
435
.636
1937-1944
Yankees
780
447
.636
1947-1954
Yankees
781
448
.635
1939-1946
Cardinals
782
449
.635
1948-1955
Yankees
780
449
.635
1933-1940
Yankees
771
446
.634
1951-1958
Yankees
778
451
.633
1903-1910
Cubs
796
411
.659
To me, that is the mic drop. During the last eight years, the Dodgers have performed 1,195 video games. The staff with the all-time document over eight years, the 1903-10 Cubs, performed solely 12 extra, so don’t give me any 60-game noise. No staff to compile a greater document over eight years than the modern Dodgers has any residing survivors. That is the very best staff you’ve ever seen, and perhaps the very best one you ever will. The 2016-23 Dodgers rank 25th, the 2015-22 Dodgers 35th. The latest staff, apart from the Dodgers, you bear in mind is the 1992-99 Braves. They ranked 36th.
And now they’ve bought their second piece of metallic in 5 years to point out for it. Not that they wanted it. They name the 162 video games the Championship Season, in any case. The Dodgers are the champions of our lifetimes.
Thanks for studying
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