It’s hard to peg the precise midpoint of the baseball season.
Traditionalists erroneously cite the All-Star break, which actually occurs well past the halfway mark. The San Diego Padres had played 93 games by the time last year’s break arrived, leaving them only 69 more. Three other clubs had only 70 games left. Not exactly the middle of the schedule.
Another popular benchmark, July 4th, comes closer to the truth, though it also falls short of being a reliable midpoint.
The correct answer is variable. Deviations in their schedules cause different teams to reach the 50/50 line at different times, though most hit it around the end of June. Three clubs — the Padres, Arizona Diamondbacks, and Oakland Athletics — were the first to play their 81st games in 2021, simultaneously reaching that count on June 29.
We’re not there yet, but the halfway mark of the 2022 season will soon be upon us. That makes it a good time to look back at the clubs that enjoyed the best first-half performances in the Modern Era, dating from 1961 to the present. My rankings are based on winning percentages as of June 30 — reflecting each team’s performance in April, May, and June — a somewhat better boundary than the others discussed above.
At the top of the list are the 1998 New York Yankees, who possessed two remarkable attributes, as they eagerly confirmed to anybody who would listen.
The first was their unalloyed brilliance. New York went 114-48 (.704) to become one of two Modern Era teams with a winning percentage greater than .700. Their team score of 96.123 points stamped them as the second-best squad to take the diamond since 1961.
“They are as great as any team there has ever been,” bragged owner George Steinbrenner after his Yanks swept the Padres in the World Series.
Their incredible consistency was equally notable. The Yankees broke from the gate with 17 wins in 23 games (.739) in April. Their records in subsequent months were virtually identical: .741 in May, .731 in June, .741 in July. They eased off the accelerator in August (.688) and September (.593), though even the latter pace would have been sufficient to win either of the American League’s other two divisional crowns that year.
“When you play as well as we have for six months,” asserted first baseman Tino Martinez, “we have to be considered among the best.”
The first half of their 1998 season, in fact, was the very best in the Modern Era. The Yankees went 56-20 for a .737 winning percentage through June 30. Next on this list are the 2001 Seattle Mariners, the only other modern team to finish a season above .700. They went 58-21 (.734) in the first half, leaving them just three percentage points behind the 1998 Yanks.
Look below to see the era’s 10 winningest first-half clubs. (Well, it’s actually 11, since there was a tie for 10th place.) You’ll see the records through June 30 and the end of the season for each club, as well as its postseason outcome.
Subscribe — free — to Baseball’s Best (and Worst)
A new installment will arrive in your email each Tuesday and Friday morning
1. New York Yankees (1998)
First-half record: 56-20
First-half winning percentage: .737
Final record: 114-48
Final winning percentage: .704
Postseason: Won World Series
2. Seattle Mariners (2001)
First-half record: 58-21
First-half winning percentage: .734
Final record: 116-46
Final winning percentage: .716
Postseason: Qualified for playoffs
3. (tie) Baltimore Orioles (1969)
First-half record: 55-21
First-half winning percentage: .724
Final record: 109-53
Final winning percentage: .673
Postseason: Won American League pennant
3. (tie) Detroit Tigers (1984)
First-half record: 55-21
First-half winning percentage: .724
Final record: 104-58
Final winning percentage: .642
Postseason: Won World Series
5. Philadelphia Phillies (1976)
First-half record: 50-20
First-half winning percentage: .714
Final record: 101-61
Final winning percentage: .623
Postseason: Qualified for playoffs
6. Cleveland Indians (1995)
First-half record: 41-17
First-half winning percentage: .707
Final record: 100-44
Final winning percentage: .694
Postseason: Won American League pennant
7. New York Mets (1986)
First-half record: 50-21
First-half winning percentage: .704
Final record: 108-54
Final winning percentage: .667
Postseason: Won World Series
8. Cincinnati Reds (1970)
First-half record: 52-22
First-half winning percentage: .703
Final record: 102-60
Final winning percentage: .630
Postseason: Won National League pennant
9. Boston Red Sox (1978)
First-half record: 52-23
First-half winning percentage: .693
Final record: 99-64
Final winning percentage: .607
Postseason: Did not qualify for playoffs
10. (tie) Baltimore Orioles (1979)
First-half record: 53-24
First-half winning percentage: .688
Final record: 102-57
Final winning percentage: .642
Postseason: Won American League pennant
10. (tie) Chicago White Sox (2005)
First-half record: 53-24
First-half winning percentage: .688
Final record: 99-63
Final winning percentage: .611
Postseason: Won World Series