MLB: Most Disappointing 100-Win Teams of All Time

The New York Yankees entered the 2018 season with the expectation of winning their 28th world title. Despite winning 100 games in the regular season, they put together one of the most disappointing ALDS performances ever. But was it really that bad?

I know what you’re thinking: “is this guy crazy? How could winning 100-games be disappointing?”

I’m not crazy… I promise.

It’s just that, once the New York Yankees lost to the Boston Red Sox in the 2018 ALDS, I thought to myself, “does this Yankees team even belong on the same field as the Red Sox?”

Turns out, the answer was: no!

The Boston Red Sox went on to win the 2018 World Series without so much as breaking a sweat. They played every aspect of the game on a high level and showed to the world why they were the best MLB team in 2018.

Still, I fumed.

Why did the Yankees lose so handily to the Red Sox in the ALDS? It wasn’t even close. Were the Yankees among one of the most disappointing 100-win teams in MLB history?

I did some research. I spent hours creating a spreadsheet of all the 100-win teams in baseball history, and found:

1. There have only been 105 teams to win 100 or more games in a single season.
2. Only 38 (36%) of those teams go on to win the World Series.
3. The 2018 Yankees were not one of the most disappointing 100-win teams in MLB history.

Now, I just feel like I wasted moments of my life creating a spreadsheet just to make myself feel better… or worse. Depends on how you look at it.

So, in the interest of not letting this database go to waste, I have compiled a list of the top 10 most disappointing 100-win teams in MLB history.

Here are the rules:

1. The lower a teams Rdiff, the “worse” they are.
2. If tied, how far that team went in the postseason will determine the order.
3. Cannot have won the World Series

Ready?

10.) New York Yankees (101-61), 2003

Rdiff: 161 / Postseason: Lost World Series

Having won four world titles (1996, 1998, 1999, and 2000) in six appearances, the Yankees were looking for a fifth ring. The Yanks accomplished this feat with the “Core Four + One” (Derek Jeter, Jorge Posada, Andy Pettitte, Mariano Rivera, and Bernie Williams) as the centerpiece of the organization.

The Yankees were coming off of one of the most epic victories in MLB history against the Boston Red Sox in game 7 of the ALCS. Aaron Boone ended that game by smashing the first pitch out of Tim Wakefield‘s hand into the left field bleachers. The old Yankee Stadium erupted in elation. The Curse of the Bambino would live on for at least one more year.

It looked as though the Yankees were on their way to solidify themselves as one of baseball’s greatest dynasties. Heavy underdogs in the series, the Florida Marlins would shock the world. It only took six games, but the series was over long before that.

What’s more, when a young Josh Beckett towed the mound in game six of the World Series, he looked as though he was poised to slay the dragon that was the Yankees. And he did. That night Beckett threw a five-hit complete game shut out.

The Yankees dynasty was officially over.

9.) New York Yankees (103-59), 1980

Rdiff: 158 / Postseason: Lost ALCS

In 1980, the New York Yankees were poised to win another pennant. It was the fourth time the Yankees and the Kansas City Royals would face off for the pennant in five years. The Yankees had won the first three pennants and were looking to secure a fourth.

Despite the Yankees having a better regular season record, the Royals were given home field advantage. Apparently, at the time home field was determined on a rotation basis. The Royals took advantage of this, taking the first two games at home. By the time the series returned to the Bronx, the Yanks were dead men walking.

This is series featured rain outs, comebacks, and BIG homers from superstars like Reggie Jackson and George Brett. It would also be one of the last times the Yankees make it to the postseason before experiencing a 13-year postseason drought.

In disappointing fashion, the Yankees would lose via the sweep… in the Bronx.

8.) Oakland Athletics (103-59), 2002

Rdiff: 146 / Postseason: Lost ALDS

The 2002 Oakland A’s remain one of the most talked about teams in baseball history, although at the time you wouldn’t know it. Michael Lewis would later go on to write a famous book about this team, Moneyball: The Art of Winning an Unfair Game.

Somehow, the A’s managed to compete against the likes of the New York Yankees despite having a significantly lower payroll, issuing in the analytics revolution in baseball. A time where teams would use numbers instead of eyeballs to evaluate players.

In 2002, the A’s had the third lowest payroll in all of baseball. Still, this team managed to make history winning 20 straight games and 23 out of 24. The A’s took the AL West in 2002 and faced off against the Twins in the ALDS. It would be the third straight season the A’s would make the postseason. In their previous two appearances, the A’s lost in the ALDS three games to two.

Turns out, 2002 would be no different. The A’s lost to the Twins in five games, three games to two for the third straight season.

Turns out, “Moneyball” might not work so well in the postseason.

7.) Los Angeles Dodgers (102-63), 1962

Rdiff: 145 / Postseason: N/A

After finishing the regular season in a tie (101-61), the Los Angeles Dodgers and the San Francisco Giants played a tie-breaker series for the National League pennant. It was the fourth time in 17 years that a tie-breaker was to determine the pennant. All four times involved the Dodgers, and only once had they emerged victorious.

In game one, the Giants manhandled the Dodgers, winning the game 8-0. Dodgers ace Sandy Koufax, having missed two months of the season, had made three starts prior to the tie-breaker and lost all three. Koufax surrendered a double to Felipe Alou and then a HR by Willie Mays before getting out of the inning losing 2-0. Koufax then entered the 2nd inning and quickly surrendered another HR to Jim Davenport before being yanked for RP Ed Roebuck. The game was over before it started.

At four hours and 18 minutes, game two would be the longest 9-inning game in history at the time. The Dodgers tied the series in a nail biter game that ended in walk off fashion.

With the Dodgers leading the game 4-2 in the ninth inning of the deciding game, the Giants put together a nice combination of small ball and pinch running to take a commanding 6-4 lead over the Dodgers. The rest is history.

In their fourth tie-breaker series in 17 years, the Dodgers officially lost three of them. 1962 was no exception.

6.) Atlanta Braves (101-59), 2002

Rdiff: 143 / Postseason: Lost NLDS

In 2002, the Atlanta Braves made their 11th consecutive postseason appearance. It was a fierce team that featured Hall of Famers like Chipper Jones, Greg Maddux, John Smoltz, and Tom Glavine.

Entering the postseason with the best record in MLB, the Braves were heavily favored against the Wild Card San Francisco Giants. After losing game one, the Braves came back to take games two and three. With just one victory left to compete for the pennant, the Braves lost game four. In game five, a Barry Bonds HR made the game 2-0 in favor of the Giants. The Giants never looked back.

For the seventh consecutive year, the Braves made it to the postseason and failed to secure a world championship. In fact, since 2002, the Braves have made the postseason eight times, and all eight times they were unable to advance to the next round.

5.) Oakland Athletics (101-60), 1971

Rdiff: 127 / Postseason: Lost ALCS

The Oakland Athletics were by far the best team in the AL West Division in 1971. The young team easily won the division by a margin of 16 games over the 2nd place Kansas City Royals. This was a team that featured the likes of Vida Blue, Reggie Jackson, Catfish Hunter, and Rollie Fingers, all of whom were 25 and under at the time.

The future was bright for this team, but 1971 would serve as the disappointment all great teams need in order to conquer greatness. The A’s would be easily swept by Jim Palmer and the Baltimore Orioles by a combined score of 15-7.

The good news? After losing to the Orioles, the A’s would make three consecutive World Series appearances, winning all three.

4.) San Francisco Giants (100-61), 2003

Rdiff: 117 / Postseason: Lost NLDS

In 2003, Barry Bonds, who some consider to be the greatest of all time, got his last opportunity to secure a World Series ring. After losing to the Anaheim Angels in the World Series in 2002, the San Francisco Giants made it to the postseason again in 2003.

Enter Josh Becket and the wild card Florida Marlins.

The Marlins strategy was to take the bat out of Bonds hands, and it worked! After losing game one, the Marlins rattled off three straight victories, eliminating any semblance of power from the Giants. That series, the Giants strung together a meesley .235 BA, .338 OBP, and .301 SLG. Barry Bonds would be walked eight times, more than twice as much as any member of either team.

Bonds would go down in history as the greatest player to never win a championship.

3.) St. Louis Cardinals (100-62), 2015

Rdiff: 122 / Postseason: Lost NLDS

After winning the World Series in 2011, the St. Louis Cardinals would go on to make the postseason four more times after that (2012, 2013, 2014, 2015), never securing another ring.

Despite winning the NL Central with the best record in MLB, the Cards hit a wall once they came up against the up and coming, third place finishing, 2nd wild card, Chicago Cubs. After taking game one behind a gem by John Lackey, the Cardinals lost the next three games and were eliminated.

Since then, the Cardinals haven’t made the postseason again. In fact, they have finished third in the division two out of the last three years and face an impending rebuild.

2.) Los Angeles Angels (100-62), 2008

Rdiff: 68 / Postseason: Lost ALDS

In 2008, for the first time in their history, the Los Angeles Angels won 100 games, the most of any team in MLB that season. Despite being favored in the ALDS against the wild card Boston Red Sox, the Angels looked as though they didn’t belong on the same field.

The Red Sox won the series in four games. The only time the Angels managed to squeak in a win, it took 12 innings to do it. This would be the Angels sixth playoff appearance in eight years. After winning the World Series the first year, the Angels would never make it back to the World Series again.