OPS+
Since OPS+ is already normalized for season-to-season conditions, we need no adjustment beyond looking at each team’s average figure.
Not surprisingly, the top of the list is dominated by the Murderer’s Row 1927 Yankees. That club achieved a 127 team OPS+, meaning that the average performance of all team members was 27 percent above that season’s AL average.
A glance at the player data explains why. In his 60-home run season, Babe Ruth had a +225 OPS+. Lou Gehrig wasn’t far behind at 220. Leadoff hitter Earle Combs measured 141, and five Yankee regulars topped 125.
Four other great teams topped a 115 team average OPS+, those being the 1902 Pirates (119), the 2001 Mariners (117), the 1998 Yankees (116), and the 2022 Dodgers (115).
Here’s the full list.
1 1927 New York Yankees 127
2 1902 Pittsburgh Pirates 119
3 2001 Seattle Mariners 117
4 1998 New York Yankees 116
5 2022 Los Angeles Dodgers 115
6 1939 New York Yankees 111
7 1909 Pittsburgh Pirates 107
8 1906 Chicago Cubs 103
9 1931 Philadelphia Athletics 102
9 1954 Cleveland Indians 102
11 1907 Chicago Cubs 92
As odd as it sounds, one team actually achieved a .700 winning percentage despite an offense that (based on OPS+) was 8 percent below average in its league. As we’ll see when we look at ERA+ and run differential, the 1907 Cubs had other ways to win games, so they did not rely on power, even by the standards of their time.
Because I know you are wondering, three-fifths of the way through this five-part test, the 2001 Mariners continue to lead, although their average ordinal score has fallen to 1.67. The 1927 Yankees, at 3.67, are second, followed by the 1902 Pirates (4.33) and the 1939 Yankees (4.67).