Inside the MLB numbers: A winning record but no playoffs

In the 2022 MLB season, 14 teams had a winning record (a winning percentage above .500). Of those 14, 12 made the playoffs. The only teams with a winning record last season to not make the postseason were the Milwaukee Brewers and Baltimore Orioles. The Brewers won 86 games; the O’s won 83.

In the 2021 season, 15 teams were above .500 and 10 of them made the playoffs that season, meaning that over the past two seasons 22 of the 29 teams (75.9%) that played above .500 on the season made it to the postseason. If we expand the numbers back to 2000, we find that 328 teams won 82 or more games in a season with 198 of them making the playoffs … just a shade over 60 percent.

That means that, from 2000-2022, there have been 130 teams that have won 82 or more games in a season that did not reach the playoffs. Two franchises, the Seattle Mariners and Toronto Blue Jays, have each had eight seasons since 2000 where they won 82 or more games but did not make the postseason, tied for most in all of baseball.

Here’s a look at the numbers of seasons since 2000 that each MLB franchise has won 82 or more games in a season but did not make the playoffs that year.

Most winning MLB seasons since 2000 without making the playoffs

8-Seattle, Toronto
7-Boston, L.A. Dodgers
6-Chicago White Sox, Philadelphia, St. Louis
5-Arizona, Houston, L.A. Angeles, Milwaukee, N.Y. Mets, San Francisco, Washington
4-Chicago Cubs, Cleveland, Florida, Minnesota, N.Y. Yankees
3-Atlanta, Detroit, Oakland, San Diego, Tampa Bay, Texas
2-Baltimore, Cincinnati, Colorado, Kansas City
1-Pittsburgh

Since 2000, there has been 18 teams that won 90 or more games in a season and did not make the postseason. In fact, the two teams that top the list above, Seattle and Toronto, were the last two teams to win 90+ games and fail to make the playoffs. In ’21, the Blue Jays won 91 games and the Mariners won 90, but neither made the postseason. Boston and the Yankees won the two Wild Card spots with 92 wins that season.

Five teams since 2000 that won 93 games but did not make the post-season

Five teams have won 93 games in a season and did not make the playoffs since 2000. The last team to do so were the 2019 Cleveland Indians. The other teams with 93 wins not to make the playoffs since 2000: 2005-Cleveland, 2003-Seattle, 2002-Seattle, 2002-Boston.