How will the regular season end for the 2021 Boston Red Sox

[5GoldGlovesOF,75]

The worst part of the concept of Wild Card teams has alway been that interleague play imbalances schedules. The M's having to play the NL West is not the same as playing the NL East. You can say it all evens out eventually, but inequities shouldn't exist when it comes to qualifying for the postseason and having a shot at a World Series title.

 

I remember back when the Yankees and Red Sox were often the top teams fighting for the AL East -- with the runner-up vying for a WC -- how unfair it was (compared to clubs in the Central and West) that they had to play the NL East, which was the best division in the other league at the time.

[Bellhorn04]

The divisions aren't arbitrary. They're geographic. Is it often that there are two 100 game winners in the same division?

 

a) It's arbitrary that there are 3 divisions per league.

2018, the Yankees won 100. So it's going to be 2 in 4 years. Small sample, but half the time is often.

[mvp 78]

@Swydan

Fun fact: If the Red Sox win one more game and the Blue Jays win two more games, the AL East will become the first division in the Wild Card Era to have four 90-win teams. Most divisions have had 3 in one season or another, but no one has had 4.

 

"Ah, you see, but the AL West is better because..."

[mvp 78]

a) It's arbitrary that there are 3 divisions per league.

2018, the Yankees won 100. So it's going to be 2 in 4 years. Small sample, but half the time is often.

 

Small sample but...

 

2008 - 2017: zero years where two 100 game winners were in the same division. Seems like maybe not half?

 

C'mon man.

[Bellhorn04]

Small sample but...

 

2008 - 2017: zero years where two 100 game winners were in the same division. Seems like maybe not half?

 

C'mon man.

 

OK, but the 100 number is arbitrary as hell anyway.

[harmony]

@Swydan

Fun fact: If the Red Sox win one more game and the Blue Jays win two more games, the AL East will become the first division in the Wild Card Era to have four 90-win teams. Most divisions have had 3 in one season or another, but no one has had 4.

 

"Ah, you see, but the AL West is better because..."

The Baltimore Orioles deserve some credit if the AL East ends up with four 90-win teams.

 

FWIW in 2002 three clubs in the four-team AL West posted at least 93 wins apiece (without a 107-loss team in the division):

 

https://www.baseball-reference.com/leagues/majors/2002-standings.shtml

 

In 2002 the 93-win Seattle Mariners would have tied the Red Sox for a second Wild Card slot; the Mariners won the season series with the Red Sox that year.

Edited September 30, 2021 by harmony

[mvp 78]

OK, but the 100 number is arbitrary as hell anyway.

 

The only thing really arbitrary in baseball is Angel Hernandez' strike zone. Good thing he's working the Guardians/Royals series instead of something that matters.

[mvp 78]

The Baltimore Orioles deserve some credit if the AL East ends up with four 90-win teams.

 

FWIW in 2002 three clubs in the four-team AL West posted at least 93 wins apiece (without a 107-loss team in the division):

 

https://www.baseball-reference.com/leagues/majors/2002-standings.shtml

 

Rangers have only 7 more wins than the O's. Divide those wins by the top 4 teams and the difference isn't material.

[moonslav59]

The Baltimore Orioles deserve some credit if the AL East ends up with four 90-win teams.

 

FWIW in 2002 three clubs in the four-team AL West posted at least 93 wins apiece (without a 107-loss team in the division):

 

https://www.baseball-reference.com/leagues/majors/2002-standings.shtml

 

You are fixated on downplaying the strength of the ALE.

 

Yes, we lucked out by playing the NLE not the NLW, and we did poorly vs the ALW, but if we end up with four 90 win teams, I think that will speak for itself.

[harmony]

You are fixated on downplaying the strength of the ALE.

 

Yes, we lucked out by playing the NLE not the NLW, and we did poorly vs the ALW, but if we end up with four 90 win teams, I think that will speak for itself.

FWIW this year the AL East will finish with a winning record in head-to-head competition against the AL West, currently holding an 83-81 edge with only today's matchup of the Astros and Rays remaining.

[mvp 78]

Top 4 teams in the AL East: 365 Wins

Top 4 teams in the AL West: 341 Wins

 

If the Rangers had 7 more losses to equal the O's, the AL West would still only have at most 348 wins. Seems like the Jays/Sox/Yanks/Rays are just good this year?

[Maxbialystock]

The divisions are there to keep up fan interest throughout August and September. If we went back to 2 leagues with no divisions, most teams would be out of it at the deadline. Attendance would go down. Ratings would go down. No way do owners get rid of the divisions.

 

As for the WC, I'm fine with it. The rule is that you need to win the division. If you don't win the division, you have to play in the WC game. This also allows for 3 teams in the same division the ability to win a playoff spot, which seems more than fair.

 

Agree on both key points.

 

The kicker, of course, is that now, with two wild cards in each League, the wild card winners are screwed because they have to play a wild card game before playing in the division series.

 

And let's not forget that these days the postseason lasts forever, a lesson MLB had to learn from the NFL, the NBA, the NHL, etc.

[notin]

The divisions aren't arbitrary. They're geographic. Is it often that there are two 100 game winners in the same division?

 

 

They’re geographic now, but historically they’ve just been named that way. For a long time, the Atlanta Braves, who play in a state with a coast line on the Atlantic Ocean, we’re in the NL West. This didn’t change until after 1993 when Central Divisions we’re added to the league. And teams like the Cubs and Cardinals - both a full time zone west of Atlanta - played in the NL East…

[mvp 78]

Agree on both key points.

 

The kicker, of course, is that now, with two wild cards in each League, the wild card winners are screwed because they have to play a wild card game before playing in the division series.

 

And let's not forget that these days the postseason lasts forever, a lesson MLB had to learn from the NFL, the NBA, the NHL, etc.

 

I'm fine with the WC teams having a slight disadvantage.

[5GoldGlovesOF,75]

They’re geographic now, but historically they’ve just been named that way. For a long time, the Atlanta Braves, who play in a state with a coast line on the Atlantic Ocean, we’re in the NL West. This didn’t change until after 1993 when Central Divisions we’re added to the league. And teams like the Cubs and Cardinals - both a full time zone west of Atlanta - played in the NL East…

 

The biggest division rivalry throughout the decade of the 1970s wasn't Boston-New York. It was LA, California vs. Cincinnati, Ohio in the NL West.

[notin]

I'm fine with the WC teams having a slight disadvantage.

 

It’s still much better than just leaving them out.

 

The 1993 San Francisco Giants won 103 games and, since there was no Wild Card, sat at home and watched the 97-win Phillies advance.

 

And how different would Sox’ fans perspective of Bucky Dent be if the 1978 Red Sox - winners of 99 games - went into the postseason as a Wild Card? The legacy of that whole season would be different…

[mvp 78]

They’re geographic now

 

Ok, so they are not arbitrary now, or are at least LESS arbitrary. Good.

[mvp 78]

It’s still much better than just leaving them out.

 

The 1993 San Francisco Giants won 103 games and, since there was no Wild Card, sat at home and watched the 97-win Phillies advance.

 

And how different would Sox’ fans perspective of Bucky Dent be if the 1978 Red Sox - winners of 99 games - went into the postseason as a Wild Card? The legacy of that whole season would be different…

 

Unless they choked in the playoffs too.

[notin]

Unless they choked in the playoffs too.

 

Still wouldn’t be the same. And what if they won it all?

[mvp 78]

The biggest division rivalry throughout the decade of the 1970s wasn't Boston-New York. It was LA, California vs. Cincinnati, Ohio in the NL West.

 

Love getting into some 1969 division alignment talk.

 

The reason the Reds were in the West was because the Cardinals and Cubs (both further west than the Reds) lobbied to be in the same division with the Mets and Phillies. This is why the Braves and Reds were pushed to the West. There were concerns about inequity if the Cards, Cubs and Giants were all in the same division.

[mvp 78]

Still wouldn’t be the same. And what if they won it all?

 

What if Fisk's HR was actually foul?

 

What if Big Papi decided to play soccer instead of baseball?

[harmony]

Rangers have only 7 more wins than the O's. Divide those wins by the top 4 teams and the difference isn't material.

The difference is highly relevant in a discussion about four potential 90-game winners in the AL East.

 

And the wins are unlikely to be distributed evenly among the top four teams. The chances of having multiple 90-game winners are significantly reduced.

[moonslav59]

What if that butterfly never flapped its wings?

[Bellhorn04]

What if that butterfly never flapped its wings?

 

The Moving Finger Writes, and Having Writ

Moves On. Not All Your Piety or Wit

Can Lure it Back To Cancel Half a Line

Nor All Your Tears Wash Out a Word of It.

 

-Omar Khayyam

[harmony]

Top 4 teams in the AL East: 365 Wins

Top 4 teams in the AL West: 341 Wins

 

If the Rangers had 7 more losses to equal the O's, the AL West would still only have at most 348 wins. Seems like the Jays/Sox/Yanks/Rays are just good this year?

The top four teams in the AL East have a 54-23 record in interleague play against the NL East (with three games remaining) while the top four teams in the AL West have a 40-40 record against the far tougher NL West.

 

There's the difference in overall wins.

 

Overall the AL East is 61-36 against the NL East while the AL West is 47-53 against the NL West.

 

The myth is that the Big Bad American League East is a dominant division. The AL East is among several competitive divisions in baseball.

 

Major League Baseball is a big business and it's hard to dispute that the AL East is a major revenue generator in that big business. As a result, Major League Baseball and the baseball media pander to the AL East. Those solid business decisions may lead to a public misperception about the comparative strength of the AL East. The numbers, however, suggest relative parity on the field.

 

Let's enjoy the final days of the 2021 regular season.

[mvp 78]

The difference is highly relevant in a discussion about four potential 90-game winners in the AL East.

 

And the wins are unlikely to be distributed evenly among the top four teams. The chances of having multiple 90-game winners are significantly reduced.

 

Ok, so the Rays only have 91 wins instead of 98.

[mvp 78]

The top four teams in the AL East have a 54-23 record in interleague play against the NL East (with three games remaining) while the top four teams in the AL West have a 40-40 record against the far tougher NL West.

 

There's the difference in overall wins.

 

Overall the AL East is 61-36 against the NL East while the AL West is 47-53 against the NL West.

 

The myth is that the Big Bad American League East is a dominant division. The AL East is among several competitive divisions in baseball.

 

Major League Baseball is a big business and it's hard to dispute that the AL East is a major revenue generator in that big business. As a result, Major League Baseball and the baseball media pander to the AL East. Those solid business decisions may lead to a public misperception about the comparative strength of the AL East. The numbers, however, suggest relative parity on the field.

 

Let's enjoy the final days of the 2021 regular season.

 

Rockies, DBags and Padres are all below .500. But that's a tougher division I guess.

[SPLENDIDSPLINTER]

In 2006 the Cards ended atop the NL Central with an 83-78 mark.The worst record of any division leader that year. They went on to win the WS.

[SPLENDIDSPLINTER]

In 2006 the Cards ended atop the NL Central with an 83-78 mark.The worst record of any division leader that year. They went on to win the WS.

 

Btw, only one team in the NL that year won 90 or more games; The Mets with 97.

[moonslav59]

Rockies, DBags and Padres are all below .500. But that's a tougher division I guess.

 

I think harmony is stuck on the idea the Padres are still a good team.

 

Also, maybe the NLW is so good, because they got to mop up on the ALW.