Most successful MLB franchises of the 21st century

[Bellhorn04]

Who are the most successful MLB franchises of this century?

 

I'm using 2000 as the first year of the century. Some have argued that it didn't actually start until 2001, but it's an arbitrary sample anyway, so who cares? Plus this makes it look like we're trying to be fair to the Yankees, who won it all in 2000.

 

First let's look at playoff success, which above all means winning the World Series, or at least getting there. Red Sox fans like how this works out.

 

World Series championships:

 

BOS 4

SFG 3

HOU 2

STL 2

NYY 2

 

World Series appearances (records):

 

HOU 5 (2-3)

BOS 4 (4-0)

SFG 4 (3-1)

STL 4 (2-2)

NYY 4 (2-2)

LAD 3 (1-2)

PHI 3 (1-2)

KCR 2 (1-1)

TBR 2 (0-2)

NYM 2 (0-2)

DET 2 (0-2)

TEX 2 (0-2)

[Bellhorn04]

Now for regular season success.

 

Winning pct.:

 

NYY .583

LAD .563

STL .559

BOS .548

ATL .541

OAK .528

LAA .524

CLE .518

HOU .511

PHI .506

 

Playoff appearances:

 

NYY 19 (INCLUDES 2 WC LOSSES)

STL 16 (3 WC LOSSES)

LAD 14

ATL 14

BOS 11

OAK 11 (3 WC LOSSES)

HOU 10

MIN 9 (2 WC LOSSES)

SFG 8

CLE 8 (2 WC LOSSES)

[moonslav59]

Now for regular season success.

 

Winning pct.:

 

NYY .583

LAD .563

STL .559

BOS .548

ATL .541

OAK .528

LAA .524

CLE .518

HOU .511

PHI .506

 

Playoff appearances:

 

NYY 19 (INCLUDES 2 WC LOSSES)

STL 16 (3 WC LOSSES)

LAD 14

ATL 14

BOS 11

OAK 11 (3 WC LOSSES)

HOU 10

MIN 9 (2 WC LOSSES)

SFG 8

CLE 8 (2 WC LOSSES)

 

TBR with 8 (1 WC loss)

[5GoldGlovesOF,75]

Depends on the criteria... this could delve into MVP arguments on a team scale. Are the Red Sox the most successful for finishing dead last more times than they won it all? Consistently qualifying for the postseason is a factor, but winning some playoffs has to count, too (as does going 16-2 vs. the Twins, Yankees...).

 

Houston is definitely #1 the past decade, and though it's easy for some to trash the Astros, it also took losing over 100 games three years in a row to get there. New York has won the most games and made the most playoffs, but most of its true glory came at the tail end of the dynasty from the 1990s. No Yankee fan would dispute this.

 

In between are two model NL clubs with the best unis: Dodgers and Cardinals. Both have deep farms they don't decimate when trading for stars others can't afford (like Boston once did, for Pedro and Schilling). LA can also buy anyone it wants, and in this century, has had two losing seasons... but St. Louis has only one. Dodgers won one ring in a pandemic... Cards won two. I vote St. Lou.

[Bellhorn04]

I wouldn't trade the Red Sox century for any other team's. That's the simplest way to look at it for me.

[notin]

I wouldn't trade the Red Sox century for any other team's. That's the simplest way to look at it for me.

 

I think people make way to big a deal of the last place finishes. I’ve seen plenty of non-playoff Sox teams that were less exciting but whose saving grace is they played in a division with one of two even worse teams…

[a700hitter]

I think people make way to big a deal of the last place finishes. I’ve seen plenty of non-playoff Sox teams that were less exciting but whose saving grace is they played in a division with one of two even worse teams…

I really cant find my way to describing the 2022 Red Sox as “exciting”.

[5GoldGlovesOF,75]

I really cant find my way to describing the 2022 Red Sox as “exciting”.

 

You would if you were a big leaguer for another AL East team and got to bat against them.

[moonslav59]

Depends on the criteria... this could delve into MVP arguments on a team scale. Are the Red Sox the most successful for finishing dead last more times than they won it all? Consistently qualifying for the postseason is a factor, but winning some playoffs has to count, too (as does going 16-2 vs. the Twins, Yankees...).

 

Houston is definitely #1 the past decade, and though it's easy for some to trash the Astros, it also took losing over 100 games three years in a row to get there. New York has won the most games and made the most playoffs, but most of its true glory came at the tail end of the dynasty from the 1990s. No Yankee fan would dispute this.

 

In between are two model NL clubs with the best unis: Dodgers and Cardinals. Both have deep farms they don't decimate when trading for stars others can't afford (like Boston once did, for Pedro and Schilling). LA can also buy anyone it wants, and in this century, has had two losing seasons... but St. Louis has only one. Dodgers won one ring in a pandemic... Cards won two. I vote St. Lou.

 

To me, I'm willing to endure last place finishes, if it means we are on our way toward rebuilding to another ring season, but it does suck all those seasons, and it didn't seem like we should have done that poorly in some of those years. The "happy medium" the Cards seem to employ seems like a worthy strategy, as with the Rays, but the Rays have yet to reach the full glory of a ring season.

 

I don't think we'll every become the Dodgers (or the Yanks of old,) but they have done a great job keeping their farm solid, while winning and getting low draft picks and smaller IFA bonus money than anyone else.

 

Right now, the Astros and Braves seem to be doing things the right way. They have good farms, young talent under team control for many years and a solid 26 man roster. The Rays and A's should get credit for putting together many decent teams with meager funding, but comparing us to them is not something I'd do.

 

I'm very happy with our results over the past 2 decades. I hope we get our 5th ring, soon, but if it is 2-3 years away, I'm fine. 5 rings in 22-23 years sure beats what I went through for the 3 decades of being a Sox fan prior to 2004.

[moonslav59]

I really cant find my way to describing the 2022 Red Sox as “exciting”.

 

The most exciting part of 2022, to me, was watching Schreiber, Bello, Casas, Kelly and yes, even McGuire and German. Wacha, Devers, Bogey, Strahm, Story and a few others provided some excitement, but it seemed like we were doomed for failure way too early in the season for my liking.

 

I'm not proud of it, but I gave up nearly all hope earlier than most, here. It just seemed like a snake bite year, most exemplified by the saga of Sale.

[5GoldGlovesOF,75]

 

I'm very happy with our results over the past 2 decades. I hope we get our 5th ring, soon, but if it is 2-3 years away, I'm fine. 5 rings in 22-23 years sure beats what I went through for the 3 decades of being a Sox fan prior to 2004.

 

You've been around almost as much as me, so you know better than to ever assume there'll be another ring -- at least soon. Look at Seattle -- still never been to a World Series, despite a lot of all-timers playing together for the M's in the 90s and 00s.

 

I'll actually be ok with the Red Sox contending and finishing first a few more times and having deep runs in the postseason like '21. The frustrating part isn't losing, but losing to a team like Houston that acquires relievers like Graveman, Montero and Maton at trade deadlines... while Boston adds Robles and Davis.

 

I'll be ok as long as I can keep convincing myself that front office and frontline players care almost as much as the fans do...

[moonslav59]

You've been around almost as much as me, so you know better than to ever assume there'll be another ring -- at least soon. Look at Seattle -- still never been to a World Series, despite a lot of all-timers playing together for the M's in the 90s and 00s.

 

I'll actually be ok with the Red Sox contending and finishing first a few more times and having deep runs in the postseason like '21. The frustrating part isn't losing, but losing to a team like Houston that acquires relievers like Graveman, Montero and Maton at trade deadlines... while Boston adds Robles and Davis.

 

I'll be ok as long as I can keep convincing myself that front office and frontline players care almost as much as the fans do...

 

We did add Schwarber, too, and Robles & Davis did pretty well for us.

 

I know we may never win again, in my lifetime, but I'd prefer we plan to go all in every 3-6 years and win more rings than do what the Yanks have done over the last 15 years.

 

I know there are no guarantees, but I'd prefer these 10 year scenarios in this order:

 

1. Two rings, 3 playoffs w no rings, 3 last place finishes

 

2. One ring, 5 playoffs w no rings, 2 last place finishes

 

3. One ring, 4 playoffs w no rings, 1 last place.

 

4. One ring, 3 playoffs w no rings, 0 last place.

 

5. No rings, 7 playoffs w no rings, 1 last place.

 

6. No rings, 6 playoffs w no rings, 0 last place.

 

[5GoldGlovesOF,75]

We did add Schwarber, too, and Robles & Davis did pretty well for us.

 

I know we may never win again, in my lifetime, but I'd prefer we plan to go all in every 3-6 years and win more rings than do what the Yanks have done over the last 15 years.

 

I know there are no guarantees, but I'd prefer these 10 year scenarios in this order:

 

1. Two rings, 3 playoffs w no rings, 3 last place finishes

 

2. One ring, 5 playoffs w no rings, 2 last place finishes

 

3. One ring, 4 playoffs w no rings, 1 last place.

 

4. One ring, 3 playoffs w no rings, 0 last place.

 

5. No rings, 7 playoffs w no rings, 1 last place.

 

6. No rings, 6 playoffs w no rings, 0 last place.

 

 

Appreciate your scenarios, but Bloom might not -- publicly -- as his goal of "sustained contenders" can't include any more cellar dwellers.

 

Schwarbs could rake, but was not a relief pitcher. What I find odd is that this forum may be the only platform in Red Sox Nation where a few posters continue to say Hansel Robles did pretty well in Boston.

 

Yes, he had a really good September in '21, but anyone who thinks Robles saved the season should remember it's because he almost blew it in August, when he was just brutal. And in the playoffs he was entirely unreliable: perfect inning vs. NY, blown save vs. Tampa, lost the first game to Houston. Not to mention 2022 was a total disaster.

 

Come on, guys. Most of us here watch most of the games, even when they're unwatchable.

[moonslav59]

Appreciate your scenarios, but Bloom might not -- publicly -- as his goal of "sustained contenders" can't include any more cellar dwellers.

 

Schwarbs could rake, but was not a relief pitcher. What I find odd is that this forum may be the only platform in Red Sox Nation where a few posters continue to say Hansel Robles did pretty well in Boston.

 

Yes, he had a really good September in '21, but anyone who thinks Robles saved the season should remember it's because he almost blew it in August, when he was just brutal. And in the playoffs he was entirely unreliable: perfect inning vs. NY, blown save vs. Tampa, lost the first game to Houston. Not to mention 2022 was a total disaster.

 

Come on, guys. Most of us here watch most of the games, even when they're unwatchable.

 

Robles did okay, overall.

 

I'm sure the goal is never to finish in last, and I think only 2020 was a year we kind of expected it.

 

My scenarios were meant as end result preferences- not something we plan for, but I do see cycling your "all in" years makes sense.

[notin]

I really cant find my way to describing the 2022 Red Sox as “exciting”.

 

That can be said about plenty of Red Sox teams that didn’t come in last, too…

[moonslav59]

Appreciate your scenarios, but Bloom might not -- publicly -- as his goal of "sustained contenders" can't include any more cellar dwellers.

 

Schwarbs could rake, but was not a relief pitcher. What I find odd is that this forum may be the only platform in Red Sox Nation where a few posters continue to say Hansel Robles did pretty well in Boston.

 

Yes, he had a really good September in '21, but anyone who thinks Robles saved the season should remember it's because he almost blew it in August, when he was just brutal. And in the playoffs he was entirely unreliable: perfect inning vs. NY, blown save vs. Tampa, lost the first game to Houston. Not to mention 2022 was a total disaster.

 

Come on, guys. Most of us here watch most of the games, even when they're unwatchable.

 

Montero pitched just 6 innings for HOU in 2021.

 

Graveman did okay in 23 IP (3.60 FIP but 1.391 WHIP)

 

Maton did not help: 25 IP w 4.97 ERA and 1.618 WHIP & 4.08 FIP

 

Again, I'm not saying Robles and Davis did great, but they did okay, and you left out Rios, who pitched more than Davis and almost as much as Robles:

 

25 IP Robles 3.60 ERA/ 1.360 WHIP (3.37 FIP)

24 IP Rios 3.70 ERA/ 1.110 WHIP (4.90 FIP)

17 IP Davis 4.86 ERA/ 1.500 WHIP (3.95 FIP)

 

 

[5GoldGlovesOF,75]

Montero pitched just 6 innings for HOU in 2021.

 

Graveman did okay in 23 IP (3.60 FIP but 1.391 WHIP)

 

Maton did not help: 25 IP w 4.97 ERA and 1.618 WHIP & 4.08 FIP

 

Again, I'm not saying Robles and Davis did great, but they did okay, and you left out Rios, who pitched more than Davis and almost as much as Robles:

 

25 IP Robles 3.60 ERA/ 1.360 WHIP (3.37 FIP)

24 IP Rios 3.70 ERA/ 1.110 WHIP (4.90 FIP)

17 IP Davis 4.86 ERA/ 1.500 WHIP (3.95 FIP)

 

 

 

I'm not big on reliever ERAs, but I'd say Maton helped Houston in the '21 postseason: charged with one run in 12 games -- a JD Martinez homer.

 

Montero was one of the Stros' big three or four late inning guys in '22 -- and isn't that the definition of an actually good deadline pick-up: a player who will help down the stretch and also beyond. Houston evidently thinks so, agreeing to give him $34.5 million for the next three years... and Montero isn't even their closer or top set-up man (yet).

 

Graveman, meanwhile, hasn't approached his lights-out run with Seattle, and the White Sox are on the hook for a Barnes-like $16M the next two years (neither have been as good since the ban on sticky stuff).

 

Relievers -- the crapshoot of annual investments...

[moonslav59]

I'm not big on reliever ERAs, but I'd say Maton helped Houston in the '21 postseason: charged with one run in 12 games -- a JD Martinez homer.

 

Montero was one of the Stros' big three or four late inning guys in '22 -- and isn't that the definition of an actually good deadline pick-up: a player who will help down the stretch and also beyond. Houston evidently thinks so, agreeing to give him $34.5 million for the next three years... and Montero isn't even their closer or top set-up man (yet).

 

Graveman, meanwhile, hasn't approached his lights-out run with Seattle, and the White Sox are on the hook for a Barnes-like $16M the next two years (neither have been as good since the ban on sticky stuff).

 

Relievers -- the crapshoot of annual investments...

 

Certainly, the Astros tried harder to improve their pen than we did.

 

I think Bloom did just as good, at the deadline, as HOU did.