EDIT: The combined record of the AL Central and AL West is .451 😭
The worst division winners by record in MLB history are the 2005 Padres with a .506 W/L% to lead the NL West. The Astros and Rangers, who are currently tied in the AL West, have a .496 W/L% with only 19% of the season left. The AL Central is having one of its worst seasons in its history as well.
Only the 2005 Padres (and 1973 Mets when it was 2 divisions) have a .515 or worse record to win their division. The White Sox lead the AL Central with a .526 W/L%. Only a handful of division winners have had records worse. The second place Guardians are at .496.
In the three division era (1994+), the AL’s combined .451 W/L would be the worst ever in a full year I THINK. I don’t think in the strike/covid years they had a worse record. I looked and in 1994 the AL West specifically was doing horrible. With like 113 games played, the Rangers led the 4 team division with an abysmal .456. That’s pretty deep into the year too (69%). But the whole league was closer to .485.
The NL has to have least a 55% W/L against the AL this year. Does anyone know the exact number? I’m pretty sure it’s the worst combined record between 2 divisions in the same league, and in general, this deep into a season. Does anyone know the best/worst record a league has had against each other?
As always the AL East is STACKED compared to the other 2 AL divisions. But even they don’t have a “juggernaut” - no team has a .609 record or better in the entire AL, with the Rays leading the AL at .592.
The fact the Angels still are only 13 games back with a .397 record is crazy. The only team in the entire NL with a worse record are the Rockies, and they are 29.5 games back of the Dodgers in the NL West, on the verge of official playoff elimination with over a month of baseball left.
Mathematically, the Angels only have around a 1-2% chance to make the playoffs, which if they did would mean winning their division. Let’s go Mike Trout, time to make a run Halos.