Post by Captain America on May 26, 2015 1:15:58 GMT -5
Erbes in the past has done some historical team rankings based on regular season records and postseason success. However, I wanted to analyze our league's history at this point from a different angle.
Sure, getting to the playoffs is awesome, but once you get there, does it really matter if your team had 108 wins or 102 wins? Not after the fact. Once your team gets to the playoffs, it's like a brand new shortened season begins with a clean slate for everyone.
That being said, I decided to rank all the AL teams based on historical postseason success. I came up with a very reasonable points scale to determine all this. The points scale consists of the following:
Division Winner - 2 points each
Wild Card - 1 point each
ALDS/NLDS Win - 1 point each
ALDS/NLDS Series Win - Additional 3 points each
ALCS/NLCS Win - 2 points each
ALCS/NLCS Series Win - Additional 5 points each
World Series Win - 3 points each
World Series Championship - Additional 10 points each
To clarify, "ALDS/NLDS Win" for example refers to each win a team has in a divisional series match-up and not necessarily the series win itself. That's why I distinguished the two from each other.
I also typed up a (somewhat) brief history of each AL team thus far and discussed each postseason series that has occurred among these teams. Hat tip to CATO for the 1996-2013 data and the league site for the 2014-2015 data.
So which teams have done well when the games have actually mattered? Which AL teams should be considered the most successful in postseason play? Let's find out!
Being that the Minnesota Twins have never made it to the postseason, they unfortunately could not not be included in this ranking for obvious reasons.
12. Detroit Tigers
GM History: D2ACollectables 1996-
2x Division Winner - 4 points (2006, 2007)
1x ALDS/NLDS Win - 1 point
Total - 5 points
After the White Sox' dominant run ended and the now-defunct Royals had a final hurrah in 2005, Dave's success with the Tigers came during a 2-year stretch from 2006-2007 when he won consecutive AL Central titles. Unfortunately for him, his team got swept by the eventual champion A's in the 2006 ALDS and then lost 3 games to 1 to the Devil Rays in 2007.
The Tigers have struggled ever since and although an 83-win season in 2015 has given Tigers fans some hope, a 9-25 start this season could turn into a long year in the Motor City.
12. New York Mets
GM History: James 1996-2008, Danchevy 2009-
2x Wild Card - 2 points (2004, 2005)
3x ALDS/NLDS Win - 3 points
Total - 5 points
It took the Mets until 2002 to put together a winning season and James eventually led them to consecutive NL Wild Cards in 2004 and 2005. The Mets though would end up losing to the Expos in both of their postseason appearances (3 games to 2 in 2004 and 3 games to 1 in 2005).
James' Mets then had 3 more winning seasons before he disappeared. Taking his place in 2009 was the once exiled Danchevy, who immediately began a rebuild that he hasn't exactly completed yet. The Mets have not a winning record here since Dan took over, but the future could be somewhat promising in the next couple years if all goes well. As a fan of the real Mets, I hope you get your team to the next level, Dan!
10. Philadelphia Phillies
GM History: BigBuhner 1996-2002, DJMyte 2003-2005, CC 2006-2008, Jordan 2009-2011, Tempfooliz 2012-
1x Division Winner - 2 points (1998)
3x ALDS/NLDS Win - 3 points
1x ALDS/NLDS Series Win - 3 points
3x ALCS/NLCS Win - 6 points
Total - 14 points
One team that's been in search of a direction in quite some time is the Phillies. Their only playoff appearance occurred in 1998 back when BigBuhner was still around. He rode an elite pitching staff to their only NL East title and promptly swept the slugging Rockies in the 1998 NLDS. The Phillies then lost to the eventual champion Giants 4 games to 3 in the NLCS.
BigBuhner during his time here put together 6 winning seasons, but more often than not, they weren't good enough to overtake the rival Braves and/or Marlins. Since departing after the 2002 season, the Phillies have had 4 different GM's and only 1 winning record to show for since 2003. I honestly have no clue what kind of direction they are going in right now, but in a rather weak AL Atlantic, it could be possible for the Phillies to get back to the playoffs one day. Good luck with that, Temp!
10. Milwaukee Brewers
GM History: Steve 1996-
2x Division Winner - 4 points (2012, 2013)
3x ALDS/NLDS Win - 3 points
1x ALDS/NLDS Series Win - 3 points
2x ALCS/NLCS Win - 4 points
Total - 14 points
For the first 13 seasons, the Brewers were either in mediocrity or rebuilding. Steve caught a lot of bad breaks with bad PD's and always had to deal with one of the league's worst revenues, among other things. But by 2009, things finally started to look promising for the Brew Crew.
After waiting patiently for the Indians to take a step back, the Brewers finally won an AL Central title in 2012 and repeated the feat in 2013. But while his 95-win Brewers in 2012 ended up getting swept in the ALDS by the Red Sox, his 88-win Brewers in 2013 defeated the Yankees in the ALDS 3 games to 1 before losing to the Mariners in the ALCS 4 games to 2. The Brewers then struggled in each of the next 2 seasons and it looks like Steve's time here might have unfortunately come to an end. If so, the Brewers will have some huge shoes to fill for everything Steve has done for our league.
9. Baltimore Orioles
GM History: JahAllStar 1996-
1x Division Winner - 2 points (2004)
3x Wild Card - 3 points (2000, 2002, 2011)
8x ALDS/NLDS Win - 8 points
2x ALDS/NLDS Series Win - 6 points
5x ALCS/NLCS Win - 10 points
1x ALCS/NLCS Series Win - 5 points
2x World Series Win - 6 points
Total - 40 points
Jah and his Orioles are certainly one of a kind. They are as much of a model of consistency as any team with 18 winning seasons out of 20 thus far. But on the other hand, despite all those winning seasons, the Orioles have only reached the postseason 4 times.
The 2000 Orioles won the AL Wild Card, but got swept by the A's in the ALDS. But the 2002 Orioles fared a lot better. They beat the rival Yankees 3 games to 2 in the ALDS, then defeated the White Sox in the ALCS 4 games to 1 before losing to the Braves in the 2002 World Series 4 games to 2.
The 2004 Orioles won the only AL East title in team history, but after beating the Blue Jays in the ALDS 3 games to 2, they lost to the Mariners 4 games to 1. And in the Orioles' most recent playoff appearance in 2011, the Orioles lost to the Indians in the ALCS 3 games to 2.
All in all, Jah has almost always managed to be in the race, but has rarely been at the top of those races. Jah in the past has resorted to blaming the competition in his divisions, but it's not like his divisions are the only ones that have been competitive over time. Anyway, look for Jah to continue putting together 1 winning record after another, but only make the playoffs once in every 4 or 5 of those seasons.
7. Tampa Bay Rays
GM History: Mark 2002-2003, Greeme 2004-2010, Stooolfan 2011-
4x Division Winner - 8 points (2007, 2008, 2010, 2015)
2x Wild Card - 2 points (2009, 2014)
16x ALDS/NLDS Win - 16 points
5x ALDS/NLDS Series Win - 10 points
14x ALCS/NLCS Win - 28 points
1x ALCS/NLCS Series Win - 5 points
1x World Series Win - 3 points
Total - 72 points
Between Greeme and Stool, the Rays have clearly been the more successful expansion team thus far. After rebuilding for 5 seasons, Greeme put together 4 Rays teams that would all make the playoffs from 2007-2010.
The 2007 Rays won the AL East title, then followed up by beating the Tigers in the ALDS 3 games to 1 before losing to the eventual champion Mariners 4 games to 3. The 2008 Rays won another AL East title, but ran into the Mariners again in the ALDS and they lost 3 games to 1. The 2009 Rays won the AL Wild Card and then beat the Indians 3 games to 2, before losing to the Red Sox in the ALCS 4 games to 3.
The 2010 Rays beat the Red Sox in the ALDS 3 games to 2, but then lost to the Indians in the ALCS 4 games to 2. The 2014 Rays swept the Pirates in the ALDS, but then lost to the eventual champion Marlins 4 games to 2. The 2015 Rays then beat the Yankees 3 games to 2 in the ALDS and the Pirates 4 games to 3 in the ALCS. They did not fare as well though in the 2015 World Series, as they lost to the Cubs 4 games to 1.
The Rays will now look to get back to the playoffs and maybe even make another trip to the World Series.
7. Toronto Blue Jays
GM History: Danchevy 1996-1996, Game 1997-
2x Division Winner - 8 points (2005, 2006)
2x Wild Card - 2 points (2003, 2004)
10x ALDS/NLDS Win - 10 points
2x ALDS/NLDS Series Win - 6 points
8x ALCS/NLCS Win - 16 points
2x ALCS/NLCS Series Win - 10 points
4x World Series Win - 12 points
1x World Series Championship - 10 points
Total - 72 points
After Danchevy was originally exiled from BBSBL for GM'ing 2 teams at the same time, Game returned from a brief hiatus to take over the Blue Jays. It took his team a few years to make its mark, but by the early 2000s, the Jays were for real.
The Jays made their 1st playoff appearance in 2003 as the AL wild card. They ended up sweeping the Mariners, who led the AL with 107 wins. They then beat the White Sox 4 games to 2 in the ALCS and met up with the Pirates in the 2003 World Series. The Jays ended up sweeping the Pirates en route to their first championship in league history.
The 2004 Blue Jays won the AL wild card again tried to repeat, but they lost to the Orioles 3 games to 2 in the ALDS. The 2005 Blue Jays won the AL East and started the playoffs by defeating the now-defunct Royals 3 games to 1 in the ALDS. They then defeated the Mariners in the ALCS 4 games to 1 before getting swept in the 2005 World Series by the Cubs. The 2006 Blue Jays won the AL East again, but this time, the Mariners beat them in the ALDS 3 games to 2.
The Blue Jays had 2 more winning seasons in 2007 and 2008 before financial problems caught up with them. They have not had a winning season since, but with a lot of young talent, the future could be bright up north in Toronto.
6. Pittsburgh Pirates
GM History: Stevie B 1996-
5x Division Winner - 10 points (2009, 2010, 2013, 2014, 2015)
5x Wild Card - 5 points (2003, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2012)
20x ALDS/NLDS Win - 20 points
6x ALDS/NLDS Series Win - 12 points
13x ALCS/NLCS Win - 26 points
1x ALCS/NLCS Series Win - 5 points
Total - 78 points
The Pirates took 8 seasons to really get going, but by 2003, they became one of the perennial NL teams in BBSBL. The 2003 Pirates won the NL wild card and started the playoffs by beating the Padres 3 games to 1, and then beat the Cubs 4 games to 1 in the NLCS before getting swept by the Blue Jays in the 2003 World Series.
The Pirates missed the playoffs in both 2004 and 2005, but bounced back to win 3 more NL wild cards from 2006-2008. The 2006 Pirates lost to the Cubs in the NLDS 3 games to 1, while the 2007 Pirates also lost in the NLDS 3 games to 1, but this time to the Marlins. After losing the 2008 NL central tiebreaker to the Reds, the NL wild card Pirates got revenge by beating the Reds in the NLDS 3 games to 1 before losing to the eventual champion Marlins 4 games to 1 in the NLCS.
With the Cubs starting a rebuild in 2009, the Pirates finally were able to win an NL central division title that year. They'd beat the Giants 3 games to 1 in the NLDS, but then lost to the Marlins yet again in the NLCS. In 2010, the Pirates won the NL central title again and beat the Padres 3 games to 2 in the NLDS. In the NLCS, they met up with the Marlins for the third time and lost for the third time 4 games to 1.
After a small retool in 2011, the Pirates won the 2012 NL wild card, but guess who they ran into at the NLDS? The Marlins, who once had the Pirates' number by sweeping them. The 2013 Pirates actually beat out the Cubs for the NL central title for the first time when both teams were competing. They'd then defeat the Cubs 3 games to 2 in the NLDS before losing to the eventual champion Giants 4 games to 3 in the NLCS.
2014 brought a massive realignment and the Pirates were relocated to the AL. The 2014 Pirates won the first ever AL Great Lakes title, but got swept in the ALDS by the Rays. The 2015 Pirates repeated as AL Great Lakes title winners and finally got some revenge on the Marlins by sweeping them in the ALDS before losing to the Rays 4 games to 3 in the ALCS.
The Pirates right now are primed to continue their success atop the AL Great Lakes.
5. Montreal Expos
GM History: Styro 1996-2004, Kobe 2004-
4x Division Winner - 8 points (2001, 2003, 2004, 2005)
2x Wild Card - 2 points (2002, 2011)
14x ALDS/NLDS Win - 14 points
4x ALDS/NLDS Series Win - 12 points
10x ALCS/NLCS Win - 20 points
1x ALCS/NLCS Series Win - 5 points
4x World Series Win - 12 points
1x World Series Championship - 10 points
Total: 83 points
Styro built a powerhouse Expos team by the early 2000s and the Expos started a run of 8 consecutive winning seasons in 1999. They won the NL East title in 2001 and defeated the rival Marlins 3-2 in the NLDS before losing to the eventual champion Giants 4 games to 1 in the NLCS. The 2002 Expos won the NL wild card and then beat the Cubs in the NLDS 3 games to 1. However, they'd fall short in the NLCS again this time to the eventual champion Braves. The 2003 Expos won the NL East title, but got swept in the NLDS by the Cubs.
2004 brought a big change to the Expos. Styro briefly left only to return a few weeks later, but during that time, Kobe, a newcomer at the time decided to jump ship from the Twins to the Expos and despite all the criticism he'd later get, decided to follow through and take over the Expos. The 2004 Expos would repeat as the NL East title winner and beat the division rival Mets in the NLDS 3 games to 2, before also beating the Giants 4 games to 1 in the NLCS. In the 2004 World Series, the Expos faced the Mariners and swept them. Who really won the Expos' championship between Styro and Kobe? That debate will never end, but it's a championship nonetheless.
The 2005 Expos once again won the NL East and then beat the Mets again in the NLDS 3 games to 1 before losing to the Cubs 4 games to 3 in the NLCS. After missing out on the NL wild card in 2006 by 1 game, the Expos struggled through 4 mediocre seasons between 2007-2010. In 2011 though, the resurgent Expos bounced back and won the NL wild card. However, they'd lose 3 games to 2 to the Giants in the NLDS. Since then, the Expos have been rebuilding and it's unknown when we'll see another good Expos team in the future.
4. Atlanta Braves
GM History: Matt Carpenter 1996-2003, Tempfooliz 2004-2008, HeatFlash 2009-
3x Division Winner - 6 points (1996, 1999, 2002)
2x Wild Card - 2 points (1997, 2000)
8x ALDS/NLDS Win - 8 points
2x ALDS/NLDS Series Win - 6 points
8x ALCS/NLCS Win - 16 points
2x ALCS/NLCS Series Win - 10 points
8x World Series Win - 24 points
2x World Series Championship - 20 points
Total - 92 points
All the credit for the Braves being this high on the list goes to our original Braves GM, Matt. Matt had quite a run during his 8 seasons here. The 1996 Braves won the first ever NL East title and beat the Dodgers 3 games to 1 in the NLDS. They then defeated the Giants 4 games to 2 in the NLCS and finally conquered the Yankees in the 1996 World Series to win their first title.
The 1997 Braves barely won the NL wild card in a 1-game tiebreaker over the Rockies. They then proceeded to get swept by the Marlins in the NLDS. After missing the playoffs in 1998, the Braves bounced back in 1999 and won another NL East title, but then got swept by the Giants in the NLDS. The 2000 Braves won the NL wild card, but lost to the Cubs in the NLDS 3 games to 2.
After falling short of a playoff berth in 2001, the Braves won their 3rd NL East title in 2002. They beat the Giants 3 games to 1 in the NLDS and then defeated the Expos 4 games to 2 in the NLCS to reach the 2002 World Series against the Orioles. The Braves would then win their 2nd championship over the Orioles 4 games to 2.
The 2003 Braves missed winning the NL East again by 1 game and by then, Matt had departed as one of the most successful BBSBL GM's at the time. Tempfooliz soon came in and although he was away on military duty for most of his time with the Braves, he set the team on a lengthy rebuild. The Braves would not have another winning season until 2011. By then, HeatFlash had already been the Braves' new GM since 2009. He put together some good teams in 2011 and 2012 that simply underachieved. But after screwing up his finances in 2012, he had no choice but to retool. The Braves right now though look more promising for the near future.
3. New York Yankees
GM History: Erbes 1996-
7x Division Winner - 14 points (1997, 2001, 2002, 2003, 2013, 2014, 2015)
3x Wild Card - 3 points (1996, 1998, 2012)
15x ALDS/NLDS Win - 15 points
3x ALDS/NLDS Series Win - 9 points
10x ALCS/NLCS Win - 20 points
2x ALCS/NLCS Series Win - 10 points
6x World Series Win - 18 points
1x World Series Championship - 10 points
Total - 99 points
The Yankees became the first AL team to ever make the World Series in 1996. They won the AL wild card that year, then beat the Indians 3 games to 2 in the ALDS, followed by defeating the Red Sox 4 games to 2 in the ALCS before losing to the Braves in the 1996 World Series 4 games to 2.
The 1997 Yankees won the AL East title, then won the ALDS against the Mariners 3 games to 1 before losing to the Red Sox in the ALCS 4 games to 2. In 1998, the Yankees won the AL wild card and lost to the White Sox in the ALDS 3 games to 2.
After missing the playoffs twice in 1999 and 2000, the Yankees bounced back and won the next 3 AL East titles from 2001-2003. The 2001 Yankees lost to the Red Sox in the ALDS 3 games to 1. The 2002 Yankees lost again in the ALDS 3 games to 2 against the Orioles. And the 2003 Yankees got swept in the ALDS by the White Sox.
The Yankees then had another winning season in 2004, but missed the playoffs and went exactly .500 in 2005. After that, they were rebuilding from 2006-2011. But in 2012, the Yankees were back in the playoffs as the AL wild card winner. They first defeated the Mariners 3 games to 1 in the ALDS, then beat the Red Sox 4 games to 3 in the ALDS to win their 2nd AL pennant. In the 2012 World Series, the Yankees won their first championship over the Diamondbacks 4 games to 3.
The 2013 Yankees won the AL East title but lost to the Brewers in the ALDS 3 games to 1. The 2014 Yankees won the first ever AL Atlantic title, but lost to the Marlins 3 games to 2 in the ALDS. Finally, the 2015 Yankees won another AL Atlantic title, but lost again in the ALDS to the Rays 3 games to 2.
The Yankees now look to continue their run atop the AL Atlantic this year.
2. Boston Red Sox
GM History: BreakTheWalls 1996-
7x Division Winner - 14 points (1996, 1998, 1999, 2000, 2009, 2011, 2012)
5x Wild Card - 5 points (1997, 2001, 2008, 2010, 2013)
32x ALDS/NLDS Win - 32 points
9x ALDS/NLDS Series Win - 27 points
28x ALCS/NLCS Win - 56 points
4x ALCS/NLCS Series Win - 20 points
9x World Series Win - 27 points
Total - 181 points
Among all the teams to never have won a championship yet, no team has arguably come closer to doing so over time than the Red Sox. In the inaugural 1996 season, the Red Sox won the AL East title and beat the Mariners 3 games to 1 in the ALDS before losing to the Yankees in the ALCS 4 games to 2. The 1997 Red Sox won the AL wild card and beat the Royals in the ALDS 3 games to 1 and then beat the Yankees 4 games to 2 in the ALCS before losing to the Marlins in the 1997 World Series 4 games to 3.
The 1998 Red Sox won the AL East title and beat the Mariners 3 games to 2 in the ALDS before losing to the White Sox in the ALCS 4 games to 3. The 1999 Red Sox won yet another AL East title and swept the Angels in the ALDS. They then beat the A's in the ALCS 4 games to 3 before losing to the Giants in the 1999 World Series 4 games to 3. The 2000 Red Sox won the AL East again and swept the White Sox in the ALDS before losing to the eventual champion A's in the ALCS 4 games to 2. The 2001 Red Sox settled for the AL wild card, but defeated the division rival Yankees 3 games to 1 in the ALDS before losing again to the A's in the ALCS 4 games to 2.
The Red Sox then spent the next 6 years rebuilding before winning the AL wild card in 2008. The 2008 Red Sox though lost in the ALDS to the Indians 3 games to 1. The 2009 Red Sox won the AL East title, then beat the Mariners 3 games to 1 in the ALDS, which was followed by beating the Rays in the ALCS 4 games to 3. But just like in 1997, the Red Sox then lost in the 2009 World Series to the Marlins 4 games to 1.
The 2010 Red Sox missed the AL East title by 1 game, but won the AL wild card. They then lost to the Rays in the ALDS 3 games to 1. The 2011 Red Sox won the AL East again and beat the Angels 3 games to 2 in the ALDS. The Red Sox then defeated the Indians 4 games to 3 in the ALCS before falling victim in the 2011 World Series once again to the Marlins 4 games to 2. The 2012 Red Sox won yet another AL East title and swept the Brewers in the ALDS. However, they ended up losing to the eventual champion Yankees 4 games to 3 in the ALCS. The 2013 Red Sox won the AL wild card, but lost to the Mariners in the ALDS 3 games to 2.
The Red Sox have been retooling ever since and will look to find their winning ways again sometime down the road.
1. Florida Marlins
GM History: Ashes 1996-
11x Division Winner - 22 points (1997, 2000, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014)
2x Wild Card - 2 points (2001, 2015)
32x ALDS/NLDS Win - 32 points
10x ALDS/NLDS Series Win - 30 points
33x ALCS/NLCS Win - 66 points
7x ALCS/NLCS Series Win - 35 points
26x World Series Win - 78 points
6x World Series Championship - 60 points
Total - 325 points
There is pretty much no disputing that the Marlins are the best team in BBSBL history. I really shouldn't even need to list every reason why, but because I've done so for everyone else, here we go...
After a mediocre 1996 season, the Marlins won the NL East title in 1997. The 1997 Marlins then swept the Braves in the NLDS and beat the now-defunct Astros 4 games to 2 in the NLCS. In the 1997 World Series, the Marlins won their 1st championship 4 games to 3 over the Red Sox. The Marlins retooled in 1998 and 1999 before winning another NL East title in 2000. The 2000 Marlins swept the Giants in the NLDS, but then lost to the Cubs in the NLCS 4 games to 1. The 2001 Marlins won the NL wild card, but then lost to the division rival Expos 3 games to 2 in the NLDS.
Despite having 3 winning seasons out of 4 (and the non-winning season being a .500 record), the Marlins did not make the playoffs from 2002-2005. But starting in 2006, the Marlins started an amazing run of 8 consecutive NL East titles.
The 2006 Marlins swept the Rockies in the NLDS before losing to the Cubs 4 games to 1 in the NLCS. The 2007 Marlins beat the Pirates 3 games to 1 in the NLDS and then beat the Rockies again in the NLCS 4 games to 1. In the 2007 World Series though, the Mariners prevailed over the Marlins 4 games to 2.
The 2008 Marlins won the NLDS against the Giants 3 games to 1, then beat the Pirates 4 games to 1 in the NLCS. In the 2008 World Series, the Marlins won their 2nd championship over the Indians 4 games to 2. The 2009 Marlins swept the Rockies yet again in the NLDS, then beat the Pirates in the NLCS 4 games to 1 for the 2nd consecutive season. In the 2009 World Series, the Marlins won their 3rd championship 4 games to 1 over the Red Sox.
The 2010 Marlins swept the Giants in the NLDS, then beat the Pirates 4 games to 1 in the NLCS for the 3rd consecutive season. The Marlins then swept the Indians in the 2010 World Series to win their 4th championship, which completed a "threepeat" of 3 consecutive championships. But there was more to be done.
The 2011 Marlins beat the Cubs 3 games to 2 in the NLDS, then defeated the Giants 4 games to 1 in the NLCS. In the 2011 World Series, the Marlins matched up with the Red Sox for the third time and defeated them for the third time 4 games to 2 to win their 5th championship.
The 2012 Marlins swept the Pirates in the NLDS before losing to the Diamondbacks 4 games to 3 in the NLCS. The 2013 Marlins got swept in the NLDS by the eventual champion Giants.
In 2014, the Marlins were realigned into the new AL South division. They won the first ever AL South title that year. The 2014 Marlins then defeated the Yankees 3 games to 2 in the ALDS and conquered the Rays 4 games to 2 in the ALCS. In the 2014 World Series against the Giants, the Marlins prevailed once again and won their record 6th championship 4 games to 1. As for the 2015 Marlins, they won the AL wild card and got swept by the Pirates in the ALDS.
The Marlins are now in great position to make the playoffs yet again and continue the most dominant run this league has ever seen.
NL ranks coming soon!
Sure, getting to the playoffs is awesome, but once you get there, does it really matter if your team had 108 wins or 102 wins? Not after the fact. Once your team gets to the playoffs, it's like a brand new shortened season begins with a clean slate for everyone.
That being said, I decided to rank all the AL teams based on historical postseason success. I came up with a very reasonable points scale to determine all this. The points scale consists of the following:
Division Winner - 2 points each
Wild Card - 1 point each
ALDS/NLDS Win - 1 point each
ALDS/NLDS Series Win - Additional 3 points each
ALCS/NLCS Win - 2 points each
ALCS/NLCS Series Win - Additional 5 points each
World Series Win - 3 points each
World Series Championship - Additional 10 points each
To clarify, "ALDS/NLDS Win" for example refers to each win a team has in a divisional series match-up and not necessarily the series win itself. That's why I distinguished the two from each other.
I also typed up a (somewhat) brief history of each AL team thus far and discussed each postseason series that has occurred among these teams. Hat tip to CATO for the 1996-2013 data and the league site for the 2014-2015 data.
So which teams have done well when the games have actually mattered? Which AL teams should be considered the most successful in postseason play? Let's find out!
Being that the Minnesota Twins have never made it to the postseason, they unfortunately could not not be included in this ranking for obvious reasons.
12. Detroit Tigers
GM History: D2ACollectables 1996-
2x Division Winner - 4 points (2006, 2007)
1x ALDS/NLDS Win - 1 point
Total - 5 points
After the White Sox' dominant run ended and the now-defunct Royals had a final hurrah in 2005, Dave's success with the Tigers came during a 2-year stretch from 2006-2007 when he won consecutive AL Central titles. Unfortunately for him, his team got swept by the eventual champion A's in the 2006 ALDS and then lost 3 games to 1 to the Devil Rays in 2007.
The Tigers have struggled ever since and although an 83-win season in 2015 has given Tigers fans some hope, a 9-25 start this season could turn into a long year in the Motor City.
12. New York Mets
GM History: James 1996-2008, Danchevy 2009-
2x Wild Card - 2 points (2004, 2005)
3x ALDS/NLDS Win - 3 points
Total - 5 points
It took the Mets until 2002 to put together a winning season and James eventually led them to consecutive NL Wild Cards in 2004 and 2005. The Mets though would end up losing to the Expos in both of their postseason appearances (3 games to 2 in 2004 and 3 games to 1 in 2005).
James' Mets then had 3 more winning seasons before he disappeared. Taking his place in 2009 was the once exiled Danchevy, who immediately began a rebuild that he hasn't exactly completed yet. The Mets have not a winning record here since Dan took over, but the future could be somewhat promising in the next couple years if all goes well. As a fan of the real Mets, I hope you get your team to the next level, Dan!
10. Philadelphia Phillies
GM History: BigBuhner 1996-2002, DJMyte 2003-2005, CC 2006-2008, Jordan 2009-2011, Tempfooliz 2012-
1x Division Winner - 2 points (1998)
3x ALDS/NLDS Win - 3 points
1x ALDS/NLDS Series Win - 3 points
3x ALCS/NLCS Win - 6 points
Total - 14 points
One team that's been in search of a direction in quite some time is the Phillies. Their only playoff appearance occurred in 1998 back when BigBuhner was still around. He rode an elite pitching staff to their only NL East title and promptly swept the slugging Rockies in the 1998 NLDS. The Phillies then lost to the eventual champion Giants 4 games to 3 in the NLCS.
BigBuhner during his time here put together 6 winning seasons, but more often than not, they weren't good enough to overtake the rival Braves and/or Marlins. Since departing after the 2002 season, the Phillies have had 4 different GM's and only 1 winning record to show for since 2003. I honestly have no clue what kind of direction they are going in right now, but in a rather weak AL Atlantic, it could be possible for the Phillies to get back to the playoffs one day. Good luck with that, Temp!
10. Milwaukee Brewers
GM History: Steve 1996-
2x Division Winner - 4 points (2012, 2013)
3x ALDS/NLDS Win - 3 points
1x ALDS/NLDS Series Win - 3 points
2x ALCS/NLCS Win - 4 points
Total - 14 points
For the first 13 seasons, the Brewers were either in mediocrity or rebuilding. Steve caught a lot of bad breaks with bad PD's and always had to deal with one of the league's worst revenues, among other things. But by 2009, things finally started to look promising for the Brew Crew.
After waiting patiently for the Indians to take a step back, the Brewers finally won an AL Central title in 2012 and repeated the feat in 2013. But while his 95-win Brewers in 2012 ended up getting swept in the ALDS by the Red Sox, his 88-win Brewers in 2013 defeated the Yankees in the ALDS 3 games to 1 before losing to the Mariners in the ALCS 4 games to 2. The Brewers then struggled in each of the next 2 seasons and it looks like Steve's time here might have unfortunately come to an end. If so, the Brewers will have some huge shoes to fill for everything Steve has done for our league.
9. Baltimore Orioles
GM History: JahAllStar 1996-
1x Division Winner - 2 points (2004)
3x Wild Card - 3 points (2000, 2002, 2011)
8x ALDS/NLDS Win - 8 points
2x ALDS/NLDS Series Win - 6 points
5x ALCS/NLCS Win - 10 points
1x ALCS/NLCS Series Win - 5 points
2x World Series Win - 6 points
Total - 40 points
Jah and his Orioles are certainly one of a kind. They are as much of a model of consistency as any team with 18 winning seasons out of 20 thus far. But on the other hand, despite all those winning seasons, the Orioles have only reached the postseason 4 times.
The 2000 Orioles won the AL Wild Card, but got swept by the A's in the ALDS. But the 2002 Orioles fared a lot better. They beat the rival Yankees 3 games to 2 in the ALDS, then defeated the White Sox in the ALCS 4 games to 1 before losing to the Braves in the 2002 World Series 4 games to 2.
The 2004 Orioles won the only AL East title in team history, but after beating the Blue Jays in the ALDS 3 games to 2, they lost to the Mariners 4 games to 1. And in the Orioles' most recent playoff appearance in 2011, the Orioles lost to the Indians in the ALCS 3 games to 2.
All in all, Jah has almost always managed to be in the race, but has rarely been at the top of those races. Jah in the past has resorted to blaming the competition in his divisions, but it's not like his divisions are the only ones that have been competitive over time. Anyway, look for Jah to continue putting together 1 winning record after another, but only make the playoffs once in every 4 or 5 of those seasons.
7. Tampa Bay Rays
GM History: Mark 2002-2003, Greeme 2004-2010, Stooolfan 2011-
4x Division Winner - 8 points (2007, 2008, 2010, 2015)
2x Wild Card - 2 points (2009, 2014)
16x ALDS/NLDS Win - 16 points
5x ALDS/NLDS Series Win - 10 points
14x ALCS/NLCS Win - 28 points
1x ALCS/NLCS Series Win - 5 points
1x World Series Win - 3 points
Total - 72 points
Between Greeme and Stool, the Rays have clearly been the more successful expansion team thus far. After rebuilding for 5 seasons, Greeme put together 4 Rays teams that would all make the playoffs from 2007-2010.
The 2007 Rays won the AL East title, then followed up by beating the Tigers in the ALDS 3 games to 1 before losing to the eventual champion Mariners 4 games to 3. The 2008 Rays won another AL East title, but ran into the Mariners again in the ALDS and they lost 3 games to 1. The 2009 Rays won the AL Wild Card and then beat the Indians 3 games to 2, before losing to the Red Sox in the ALCS 4 games to 3.
The 2010 Rays beat the Red Sox in the ALDS 3 games to 2, but then lost to the Indians in the ALCS 4 games to 2. The 2014 Rays swept the Pirates in the ALDS, but then lost to the eventual champion Marlins 4 games to 2. The 2015 Rays then beat the Yankees 3 games to 2 in the ALDS and the Pirates 4 games to 3 in the ALCS. They did not fare as well though in the 2015 World Series, as they lost to the Cubs 4 games to 1.
The Rays will now look to get back to the playoffs and maybe even make another trip to the World Series.
7. Toronto Blue Jays
GM History: Danchevy 1996-1996, Game 1997-
2x Division Winner - 8 points (2005, 2006)
2x Wild Card - 2 points (2003, 2004)
10x ALDS/NLDS Win - 10 points
2x ALDS/NLDS Series Win - 6 points
8x ALCS/NLCS Win - 16 points
2x ALCS/NLCS Series Win - 10 points
4x World Series Win - 12 points
1x World Series Championship - 10 points
Total - 72 points
After Danchevy was originally exiled from BBSBL for GM'ing 2 teams at the same time, Game returned from a brief hiatus to take over the Blue Jays. It took his team a few years to make its mark, but by the early 2000s, the Jays were for real.
The Jays made their 1st playoff appearance in 2003 as the AL wild card. They ended up sweeping the Mariners, who led the AL with 107 wins. They then beat the White Sox 4 games to 2 in the ALCS and met up with the Pirates in the 2003 World Series. The Jays ended up sweeping the Pirates en route to their first championship in league history.
The 2004 Blue Jays won the AL wild card again tried to repeat, but they lost to the Orioles 3 games to 2 in the ALDS. The 2005 Blue Jays won the AL East and started the playoffs by defeating the now-defunct Royals 3 games to 1 in the ALDS. They then defeated the Mariners in the ALCS 4 games to 1 before getting swept in the 2005 World Series by the Cubs. The 2006 Blue Jays won the AL East again, but this time, the Mariners beat them in the ALDS 3 games to 2.
The Blue Jays had 2 more winning seasons in 2007 and 2008 before financial problems caught up with them. They have not had a winning season since, but with a lot of young talent, the future could be bright up north in Toronto.
6. Pittsburgh Pirates
GM History: Stevie B 1996-
5x Division Winner - 10 points (2009, 2010, 2013, 2014, 2015)
5x Wild Card - 5 points (2003, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2012)
20x ALDS/NLDS Win - 20 points
6x ALDS/NLDS Series Win - 12 points
13x ALCS/NLCS Win - 26 points
1x ALCS/NLCS Series Win - 5 points
Total - 78 points
The Pirates took 8 seasons to really get going, but by 2003, they became one of the perennial NL teams in BBSBL. The 2003 Pirates won the NL wild card and started the playoffs by beating the Padres 3 games to 1, and then beat the Cubs 4 games to 1 in the NLCS before getting swept by the Blue Jays in the 2003 World Series.
The Pirates missed the playoffs in both 2004 and 2005, but bounced back to win 3 more NL wild cards from 2006-2008. The 2006 Pirates lost to the Cubs in the NLDS 3 games to 1, while the 2007 Pirates also lost in the NLDS 3 games to 1, but this time to the Marlins. After losing the 2008 NL central tiebreaker to the Reds, the NL wild card Pirates got revenge by beating the Reds in the NLDS 3 games to 1 before losing to the eventual champion Marlins 4 games to 1 in the NLCS.
With the Cubs starting a rebuild in 2009, the Pirates finally were able to win an NL central division title that year. They'd beat the Giants 3 games to 1 in the NLDS, but then lost to the Marlins yet again in the NLCS. In 2010, the Pirates won the NL central title again and beat the Padres 3 games to 2 in the NLDS. In the NLCS, they met up with the Marlins for the third time and lost for the third time 4 games to 1.
After a small retool in 2011, the Pirates won the 2012 NL wild card, but guess who they ran into at the NLDS? The Marlins, who once had the Pirates' number by sweeping them. The 2013 Pirates actually beat out the Cubs for the NL central title for the first time when both teams were competing. They'd then defeat the Cubs 3 games to 2 in the NLDS before losing to the eventual champion Giants 4 games to 3 in the NLCS.
2014 brought a massive realignment and the Pirates were relocated to the AL. The 2014 Pirates won the first ever AL Great Lakes title, but got swept in the ALDS by the Rays. The 2015 Pirates repeated as AL Great Lakes title winners and finally got some revenge on the Marlins by sweeping them in the ALDS before losing to the Rays 4 games to 3 in the ALCS.
The Pirates right now are primed to continue their success atop the AL Great Lakes.
5. Montreal Expos
GM History: Styro 1996-2004, Kobe 2004-
4x Division Winner - 8 points (2001, 2003, 2004, 2005)
2x Wild Card - 2 points (2002, 2011)
14x ALDS/NLDS Win - 14 points
4x ALDS/NLDS Series Win - 12 points
10x ALCS/NLCS Win - 20 points
1x ALCS/NLCS Series Win - 5 points
4x World Series Win - 12 points
1x World Series Championship - 10 points
Total: 83 points
Styro built a powerhouse Expos team by the early 2000s and the Expos started a run of 8 consecutive winning seasons in 1999. They won the NL East title in 2001 and defeated the rival Marlins 3-2 in the NLDS before losing to the eventual champion Giants 4 games to 1 in the NLCS. The 2002 Expos won the NL wild card and then beat the Cubs in the NLDS 3 games to 1. However, they'd fall short in the NLCS again this time to the eventual champion Braves. The 2003 Expos won the NL East title, but got swept in the NLDS by the Cubs.
2004 brought a big change to the Expos. Styro briefly left only to return a few weeks later, but during that time, Kobe, a newcomer at the time decided to jump ship from the Twins to the Expos and despite all the criticism he'd later get, decided to follow through and take over the Expos. The 2004 Expos would repeat as the NL East title winner and beat the division rival Mets in the NLDS 3 games to 2, before also beating the Giants 4 games to 1 in the NLCS. In the 2004 World Series, the Expos faced the Mariners and swept them. Who really won the Expos' championship between Styro and Kobe? That debate will never end, but it's a championship nonetheless.
The 2005 Expos once again won the NL East and then beat the Mets again in the NLDS 3 games to 1 before losing to the Cubs 4 games to 3 in the NLCS. After missing out on the NL wild card in 2006 by 1 game, the Expos struggled through 4 mediocre seasons between 2007-2010. In 2011 though, the resurgent Expos bounced back and won the NL wild card. However, they'd lose 3 games to 2 to the Giants in the NLDS. Since then, the Expos have been rebuilding and it's unknown when we'll see another good Expos team in the future.
4. Atlanta Braves
GM History: Matt Carpenter 1996-2003, Tempfooliz 2004-2008, HeatFlash 2009-
3x Division Winner - 6 points (1996, 1999, 2002)
2x Wild Card - 2 points (1997, 2000)
8x ALDS/NLDS Win - 8 points
2x ALDS/NLDS Series Win - 6 points
8x ALCS/NLCS Win - 16 points
2x ALCS/NLCS Series Win - 10 points
8x World Series Win - 24 points
2x World Series Championship - 20 points
Total - 92 points
All the credit for the Braves being this high on the list goes to our original Braves GM, Matt. Matt had quite a run during his 8 seasons here. The 1996 Braves won the first ever NL East title and beat the Dodgers 3 games to 1 in the NLDS. They then defeated the Giants 4 games to 2 in the NLCS and finally conquered the Yankees in the 1996 World Series to win their first title.
The 1997 Braves barely won the NL wild card in a 1-game tiebreaker over the Rockies. They then proceeded to get swept by the Marlins in the NLDS. After missing the playoffs in 1998, the Braves bounced back in 1999 and won another NL East title, but then got swept by the Giants in the NLDS. The 2000 Braves won the NL wild card, but lost to the Cubs in the NLDS 3 games to 2.
After falling short of a playoff berth in 2001, the Braves won their 3rd NL East title in 2002. They beat the Giants 3 games to 1 in the NLDS and then defeated the Expos 4 games to 2 in the NLCS to reach the 2002 World Series against the Orioles. The Braves would then win their 2nd championship over the Orioles 4 games to 2.
The 2003 Braves missed winning the NL East again by 1 game and by then, Matt had departed as one of the most successful BBSBL GM's at the time. Tempfooliz soon came in and although he was away on military duty for most of his time with the Braves, he set the team on a lengthy rebuild. The Braves would not have another winning season until 2011. By then, HeatFlash had already been the Braves' new GM since 2009. He put together some good teams in 2011 and 2012 that simply underachieved. But after screwing up his finances in 2012, he had no choice but to retool. The Braves right now though look more promising for the near future.
3. New York Yankees
GM History: Erbes 1996-
7x Division Winner - 14 points (1997, 2001, 2002, 2003, 2013, 2014, 2015)
3x Wild Card - 3 points (1996, 1998, 2012)
15x ALDS/NLDS Win - 15 points
3x ALDS/NLDS Series Win - 9 points
10x ALCS/NLCS Win - 20 points
2x ALCS/NLCS Series Win - 10 points
6x World Series Win - 18 points
1x World Series Championship - 10 points
Total - 99 points
The Yankees became the first AL team to ever make the World Series in 1996. They won the AL wild card that year, then beat the Indians 3 games to 2 in the ALDS, followed by defeating the Red Sox 4 games to 2 in the ALCS before losing to the Braves in the 1996 World Series 4 games to 2.
The 1997 Yankees won the AL East title, then won the ALDS against the Mariners 3 games to 1 before losing to the Red Sox in the ALCS 4 games to 2. In 1998, the Yankees won the AL wild card and lost to the White Sox in the ALDS 3 games to 2.
After missing the playoffs twice in 1999 and 2000, the Yankees bounced back and won the next 3 AL East titles from 2001-2003. The 2001 Yankees lost to the Red Sox in the ALDS 3 games to 1. The 2002 Yankees lost again in the ALDS 3 games to 2 against the Orioles. And the 2003 Yankees got swept in the ALDS by the White Sox.
The Yankees then had another winning season in 2004, but missed the playoffs and went exactly .500 in 2005. After that, they were rebuilding from 2006-2011. But in 2012, the Yankees were back in the playoffs as the AL wild card winner. They first defeated the Mariners 3 games to 1 in the ALDS, then beat the Red Sox 4 games to 3 in the ALDS to win their 2nd AL pennant. In the 2012 World Series, the Yankees won their first championship over the Diamondbacks 4 games to 3.
The 2013 Yankees won the AL East title but lost to the Brewers in the ALDS 3 games to 1. The 2014 Yankees won the first ever AL Atlantic title, but lost to the Marlins 3 games to 2 in the ALDS. Finally, the 2015 Yankees won another AL Atlantic title, but lost again in the ALDS to the Rays 3 games to 2.
The Yankees now look to continue their run atop the AL Atlantic this year.
2. Boston Red Sox
GM History: BreakTheWalls 1996-
7x Division Winner - 14 points (1996, 1998, 1999, 2000, 2009, 2011, 2012)
5x Wild Card - 5 points (1997, 2001, 2008, 2010, 2013)
32x ALDS/NLDS Win - 32 points
9x ALDS/NLDS Series Win - 27 points
28x ALCS/NLCS Win - 56 points
4x ALCS/NLCS Series Win - 20 points
9x World Series Win - 27 points
Total - 181 points
Among all the teams to never have won a championship yet, no team has arguably come closer to doing so over time than the Red Sox. In the inaugural 1996 season, the Red Sox won the AL East title and beat the Mariners 3 games to 1 in the ALDS before losing to the Yankees in the ALCS 4 games to 2. The 1997 Red Sox won the AL wild card and beat the Royals in the ALDS 3 games to 1 and then beat the Yankees 4 games to 2 in the ALCS before losing to the Marlins in the 1997 World Series 4 games to 3.
The 1998 Red Sox won the AL East title and beat the Mariners 3 games to 2 in the ALDS before losing to the White Sox in the ALCS 4 games to 3. The 1999 Red Sox won yet another AL East title and swept the Angels in the ALDS. They then beat the A's in the ALCS 4 games to 3 before losing to the Giants in the 1999 World Series 4 games to 3. The 2000 Red Sox won the AL East again and swept the White Sox in the ALDS before losing to the eventual champion A's in the ALCS 4 games to 2. The 2001 Red Sox settled for the AL wild card, but defeated the division rival Yankees 3 games to 1 in the ALDS before losing again to the A's in the ALCS 4 games to 2.
The Red Sox then spent the next 6 years rebuilding before winning the AL wild card in 2008. The 2008 Red Sox though lost in the ALDS to the Indians 3 games to 1. The 2009 Red Sox won the AL East title, then beat the Mariners 3 games to 1 in the ALDS, which was followed by beating the Rays in the ALCS 4 games to 3. But just like in 1997, the Red Sox then lost in the 2009 World Series to the Marlins 4 games to 1.
The 2010 Red Sox missed the AL East title by 1 game, but won the AL wild card. They then lost to the Rays in the ALDS 3 games to 1. The 2011 Red Sox won the AL East again and beat the Angels 3 games to 2 in the ALDS. The Red Sox then defeated the Indians 4 games to 3 in the ALCS before falling victim in the 2011 World Series once again to the Marlins 4 games to 2. The 2012 Red Sox won yet another AL East title and swept the Brewers in the ALDS. However, they ended up losing to the eventual champion Yankees 4 games to 3 in the ALCS. The 2013 Red Sox won the AL wild card, but lost to the Mariners in the ALDS 3 games to 2.
The Red Sox have been retooling ever since and will look to find their winning ways again sometime down the road.
1. Florida Marlins
GM History: Ashes 1996-
11x Division Winner - 22 points (1997, 2000, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014)
2x Wild Card - 2 points (2001, 2015)
32x ALDS/NLDS Win - 32 points
10x ALDS/NLDS Series Win - 30 points
33x ALCS/NLCS Win - 66 points
7x ALCS/NLCS Series Win - 35 points
26x World Series Win - 78 points
6x World Series Championship - 60 points
Total - 325 points
There is pretty much no disputing that the Marlins are the best team in BBSBL history. I really shouldn't even need to list every reason why, but because I've done so for everyone else, here we go...
After a mediocre 1996 season, the Marlins won the NL East title in 1997. The 1997 Marlins then swept the Braves in the NLDS and beat the now-defunct Astros 4 games to 2 in the NLCS. In the 1997 World Series, the Marlins won their 1st championship 4 games to 3 over the Red Sox. The Marlins retooled in 1998 and 1999 before winning another NL East title in 2000. The 2000 Marlins swept the Giants in the NLDS, but then lost to the Cubs in the NLCS 4 games to 1. The 2001 Marlins won the NL wild card, but then lost to the division rival Expos 3 games to 2 in the NLDS.
Despite having 3 winning seasons out of 4 (and the non-winning season being a .500 record), the Marlins did not make the playoffs from 2002-2005. But starting in 2006, the Marlins started an amazing run of 8 consecutive NL East titles.
The 2006 Marlins swept the Rockies in the NLDS before losing to the Cubs 4 games to 1 in the NLCS. The 2007 Marlins beat the Pirates 3 games to 1 in the NLDS and then beat the Rockies again in the NLCS 4 games to 1. In the 2007 World Series though, the Mariners prevailed over the Marlins 4 games to 2.
The 2008 Marlins won the NLDS against the Giants 3 games to 1, then beat the Pirates 4 games to 1 in the NLCS. In the 2008 World Series, the Marlins won their 2nd championship over the Indians 4 games to 2. The 2009 Marlins swept the Rockies yet again in the NLDS, then beat the Pirates in the NLCS 4 games to 1 for the 2nd consecutive season. In the 2009 World Series, the Marlins won their 3rd championship 4 games to 1 over the Red Sox.
The 2010 Marlins swept the Giants in the NLDS, then beat the Pirates 4 games to 1 in the NLCS for the 3rd consecutive season. The Marlins then swept the Indians in the 2010 World Series to win their 4th championship, which completed a "threepeat" of 3 consecutive championships. But there was more to be done.
The 2011 Marlins beat the Cubs 3 games to 2 in the NLDS, then defeated the Giants 4 games to 1 in the NLCS. In the 2011 World Series, the Marlins matched up with the Red Sox for the third time and defeated them for the third time 4 games to 2 to win their 5th championship.
The 2012 Marlins swept the Pirates in the NLDS before losing to the Diamondbacks 4 games to 3 in the NLCS. The 2013 Marlins got swept in the NLDS by the eventual champion Giants.
In 2014, the Marlins were realigned into the new AL South division. They won the first ever AL South title that year. The 2014 Marlins then defeated the Yankees 3 games to 2 in the ALDS and conquered the Rays 4 games to 2 in the ALCS. In the 2014 World Series against the Giants, the Marlins prevailed once again and won their record 6th championship 4 games to 1. As for the 2015 Marlins, they won the AL wild card and got swept by the Pirates in the ALDS.
The Marlins are now in great position to make the playoffs yet again and continue the most dominant run this league has ever seen.
NL ranks coming soon!
