It seems there’s always a demand for equal time.
I wrote on Tuesday about the 10 worst teams in the Expansion Era, so now some of you want to see the 10 best.
Fair enough — and easily done. I’ve ranked all 1,596 clubs that took the field between 1961 and 2020, lining them up according to their team scores.
A four-part formula determines each club’s TS, which is expressed on a 100-point scale. The four components are winning percentage, differential between runs scored and allowed per game, differential between bases per out (BPO) attained by batters and allowed by pitchers, and postseason success.
I’ve profiled the 10 best teams of the 60-year period below. There’s a certain symmetry to this list, since you’ll see that the 1984 Detroit Tigers emerge as the No. 1 club of the Expansion Era. You may recall that the 1996 Tigers were No. 1,596, the very worst team of the past six decades.
And yes, I anticipate howls from fans of the Yankees. The 1998 Yanks are second on my list, even though they had 10 more victories and better offensive stats than the 1984 Tigers.
What’s the explanation? The TS formula is equalized to reflect the level of competition in each season. It’s worth noting that the Tigers played 88 games against clubs that finished 1984 with records of .500 or higher, a much tougher environment than the one the 1998 Yanks navigated. The latter played just 64 opponents who were .500 or better.
Nine of the 10 clubs listed below won their World Series. The collective regular-season record for the top 10 was 991-524. They all outscored their opponents by at least 0.96 runs per game, and all posted a BPO better that was least .087 better than the teams they played.
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1. Detroit Tigers (1984)
Team score: 97.109 points
Quality rank: 1 (of 1,596 clubs since 1961)
W-L record: 104-58 (.642)
Playoff results: World Series champion
Runs per game: 5.12 for vs. 3.97 against
BPO: .747 for vs. .606 against
Year to remember: Right fielder Kirk Gibson smashed 27 homers, drove in 91 runs, and stole 29 bases. Future Hall of Fame pitcher Jack Morris won 19 games.
Key positive fact: The Tigers won their first nine games and spent the entire season atop the AL East. Their record was 35-5 by May 24, already putting them eight and a half games ahead of the pack.
2. New York Yankees (1998)
Team score: 96.123 points
Quality rank: 2 (of 1,596 clubs since 1961)
W-L record: 114-48 (.704)
Playoff results: World Series champion
Runs per game: 5.96 for vs. 4.05 against
BPO: .823 for vs. .649 against
Year to remember: Center fielder Bernie Williams batted a blistering .339 with 26 homers. Starting pitcher David Cone went 20-7 with 209 strikeouts in 208 innings.
Key positive fact: The Yankees stumbled out of the gate, losing their first three games. But they quickly reversed course by winning 26 of their next 30.
3. New York Mets (1986)
Team score: 94.962 points
Quality rank: 3 (of 1,596 clubs since 1961)
W-L record: 108-54 (.667)
Playoff results: World Series champion
Runs per game: 4.83 for vs. 3.57 against
BPO: .714 for vs. .600 against
Year to remember: First baseman Keith Hernandez batted .310, drew 94 walks, and won a Gold Glove. Starter Dwight Gooden, who was 21 years old, went 17-6 with a 2.84 ERA.
Key positive fact: An 11-game winning streak in late April set the tone for a triumphant season. The Mets surged to a 50-21 record by the end of June.
4. Los Angeles Dodgers (2020)
Team score: 94.085 points
Quality rank: 4 (of 1,596 clubs since 1961)
W-L record: 43-17 (.717)
Playoff results: World Series champion
Runs per game: 5.82 for vs. 3.55 against
BPO: .811 for vs. .566 against
Year to remember: Shortstop Corey Seager batted .307 and drove home 41 runs in 52 games. Pitcher Clayton Kershaw started 10 games, going 6-2 with 62 strikeouts.
Key positive fact: The Dodgers pulled away from their NL West competitors by going 21-7 in August, the first full month of the Covid-shortened 2020 season.
5. Chicago Cubs (2016)
Team score: 92.166 points
Quality rank: 5 (of 1,596 clubs since 1961)
W-L record: 103-58 (.640)
Playoff results: World Series champion
Runs per game: 4.99 for vs. 3.43 against
BPO: .755 for vs. .594 against
Year to remember: Third baseman Kris Bryant won the Most Valuable Player Award with 39 homers and 102 RBIs. Starting pitcher Jon Lester racked up a 19-5 record.
Key positive fact: The Cubs took first place in the NL Central on April 11 and were never headed. They eventually led the division by as many as 19 games.
6. Cincinnati Reds (1975)
Team score: 90.713 points
Quality rank: 6 (of 1,596 clubs since 1961)
W-L record: 108-54 (.667)
Playoff results: World Series champion
Runs per game: 5.19 for vs. 3.62 against
BPO: .748 for vs. .625 against
Year to remember: Second baseman Joe Morgan won the MVP Award with 67 steals, 94 RBIs, and a .327 batting average. Catcher Johnny Bench and first baseman Tony Perez had 110 and 109 RBIs, respectively.
Key positive fact: The Reds split their first 24 games before getting on track in early May. They went 96-42 the rest of the way.
7. Oakland Athletics (1990)
Team score: 89.366 points
Quality rank: 7 (of 1,596 clubs since 1961)
W-L record: 103-59 (.636)
Playoff results: AL champion
Runs per game: 4.52 for vs. 3.52 against
BPO: .708 for vs. .602 against
Year to remember: Left fielder Rickey Henderson was named the AL’s MVP for his .325 average, 28 homers, and 65 steals. Starter Bob Welch fashioned a gaudy 27-6 mark.
Key positive fact: The A’s won the AL West by a comfortable margin of nine games. Yet they’re the only team in the top 10 that failed to win the World Series, being swept by the Reds.
8. Baltimore Orioles (1966)
Team score: 88.282 points
Quality rank: 8 (of 1,596 clubs since 1961)
W-L record: 97-63 (.606)
Playoff results: World Series champion
Runs per game: 4.72 for vs. 3.76 against
BPO: .682 for vs. .595 against
Year to remember: Right fielder Frank Robinson won the Triple Crown with 49 homers, 122 RBIs, and a .316 BA. Twenty-year-old starter Jim Palmer led the staff with 15 victories.
Key positive fact: Two hot months vaulted the Orioles to the top of the American League. Baltimore went 11-1 in April, then streaked to a 25-8 mark in June.
9. Baltimore Orioles (1970)
Team score: 87.901 points
Quality rank: 9 (of 1,596 clubs since 1961)
W-L record: 108-54 (.667)
Playoff results: World Series champion
Runs per game: 4.89 for vs. 3.54 against
BPO: .726 for vs. .600 against
Year to remember: First baseman Boog Powell was named the MVP. He blasted 35 homers, drove in 114 runs, and drew 104 walks. Starters Mike Cuellar and Dave McNally won 24 games apiece.
Key positive fact: The Orioles exploded to a 33-15 record by the end of May, giving them a 7.5-game lead in the AL East. They wrapped up with a 44-15 mark during the final two months.
10. New York Yankees (2009)
Team score: 87.433 points
Quality rank: 10 (of 1,596 clubs since 1961)
W-L record: 103-59 (.636)
Playoff results: World Series champion
Runs per game: 5.65 for vs. 4.65 against
BPO: .838 for vs. .708 against
Year to remember: First baseman Mark Teixeira ripped 39 homers and had 122 RBIs, while third baseman Alex Rodriguez went 30/100. Pitcher CC Sabathia won 19 games.
Key positive fact: The Yankees didn’t take permanent control of first place in the AL East until July 21. But they cruised from there, winning 48 of their final 70 games.