WOLFGANGSPORT

Discount

Most Wins in an MLB Season: 2023 Edition

Which teams have the most wins in an MLB season? We take a look across both the 154-game and 162-game seasons.

Most Wins in an MLB Season

Achieving a 100-win season is a significant accomplishment in Major League Baseball requiring a combination of consistency, talent and some luck. Let’s take a look at the teams with the most wins in an MLB season. 

10. Boston Red Sox 2018 (108-54)

The 2018 Boston Red Sox were a powerhouse team that dominated the regular season with 108 wins, and went on to win the World Series in five games against the LA Dodgers. Led by manager Alex Cora, the Red Sox had a strong lineup that’s considered to be one of the best we’ve seen in the MLB.

Boston’s team featured pitcher Chris Sale, one of the best pure hitters in J.D. Martinez, and Mookie Betts, who earned himself the American League MVP that year and is now with the Dodgers who gave him one of the biggest MLB contracts of all time. 

9. Baltimore Orioles 1969 (109-53)

A franchise record 109 wins for the 1969 Baltimore Orioles saw them finish 19 wins ahead of their nearest division rivals the Detroit Tigers, good enough to make the top 10 for most wins in an MLB season. The Orioles were led by Hall of Famers Frank Robinson, Brooks Robinson and Jim Palmer.

Palmer led the pitching rotation which had a league best ERA of 2.83, and Brooks Robinson is considered one of the greatest defensive third baseman. Unfortunately for the Orioles they would be stunned by heavy underdogs the New York Mets in the World Series. 

8. New York Yankees 1961 (109-53)

The 1961 New York Yankees were one of the greatest teams in baseball history led by one of the best baseball players of all time Mickey Mantle. The team was dominant with Roger Maris, Whitey Ford, and Yogi Berra forming an elite supporting cast around Mantle.

Maris set a then-record 61 homers in a single season, with Mantle hitting 54 himself. The 1961 Yankees led the league in runs scored, batting average, and ERA, and they went on to defeat the Cincinnati Reds in the World Series. 

7. New York Yankees 1927 (110-44)

It’s 1927, the year the New York Yankees dynasty began. It was the first year in a period of dominance with the Yankees winning 16 pennants and 15 World Series during that time. Led by the best player of all time Babe Ruth, the lineup also featured immortals like Lou Gehrig and Tony Lazzeri.

The Yankees scored a then-record 975 runs, while their pitching staff allowed the fewest runs in the American League. Ruth hit 60 home runs, setting a new single-season record that had stood for 34 years. The Yankees went on to sweep the Pittsburgh Pirates in the World Series on the back of their 110 wins in the regular season. 

6. Pittsburgh Pirates 1909 (110-42)

The 1909 Pittsburgh Pirates were led by player-manager Fred Clarke and featured stars including Honus Wagner, Fred Clarke, and Tommy Leach. The Pirates had an ERA of 2.19, the best in the National League, and they allowed the fewest runs in the league on their way to making the top 10 for most wins in an MLB season.

In the postseason, they defeated the Detroit Tigers in the World Series in seven games, with Babe Adams pitching three complete-game victories. The 1909 Pirates are remembered as one of the best teams of the dead-ball era, and they remain the only team in franchise history to win the World Series in consecutive years.

5. LA Dodgers 2022 (111-51)

The 2022 LA Dodgers were led by a host of stars including Cody Bellinger, Freddie Freeman, Clayton Kershaw, Mookie Betts and Trae Turner. The Dodgers made winning a routine and their ERA was 29% better than the league average, the best of any team since the dead-ball era.

Despite their historic season by finishing with the second best National League record of all-time, the Dodgers were upset in the Division Series by the San Diego Padres, losing the series 3-1.

4. Cleveland Indians 1954 (111-43)

Featuring stars including Larry Doby, Al Rosen, and Early Wynn, the 1954 Cleveland Indians made the list for most wins in an MLB season after finishing with a then American League regular season record of 111 wins.

The Indians allowed the fewest runs in the American League with an ERA of 2.78 and were dominating the league. In the World Series however, the Indians would be stunned, with the unfancied New York Giants causing one of the biggest upsets in baseball history by sweeping the Indians. 

3. New York Yankees 1998 (114-48)

The New York Yankees of 1998 dominated with 114 wins in the regular season, 22 games ahead of division rivals the Boston Red Sox. The Yankees were led by a superstar lineup that included Derek Jeter, Bernie Williams, Mariano Rivera and Andy Pettitte, and is considered by many to be the greatest team of all time.

A strong pitching rotation headlined by Pettitte saw them finish with the best ERA in the American League with 3.82. The rotation included David Cone, Hideki Irabu, Orlando Hernandez and David Wells, who threw the first perfect game at Yankee Stadium since the 1956 World Series. 

2. Seattle Mariners 2001 (116-46)

The 2001 Seattle Mariners headed into their final game of the season having won 10 out of their last 11, but lost the final game of the regular season against the Texas Rangers to fall short of claiming the outright most wins in an MLB season.

Featuring superstars Ichiro Suzuki, Bret Boone and Edgar Martinez, the Mariners scored the most runs in the American League and gave up a third-best ERA of 3.54. Unfortunately for the Mariners they were upset by the New York Yankees in the American League Championship Series and they remain one of six teams that have never won the World Series.

1. Chicago Cubs 1906 (116-36)

The Chicago Cubs won 116 games, tied with the 2001 Seattle Mariners for most wins in an MLB season, but achieved the feat in 10 fewer games. The 1906 Cubs had an impressive roster that included Hall of Famers like Mordecai “Three Finger” Brown, Joe Tinker, Johnny Evers, and Frank Chance.

Led by Brown, the Cubs had a dominant pitching rotation which also included Jack Pfiester and Ed Reulbach. The team also had a solid defense and they went on to win the World Series in a matchup against crosstown rivals the Chicago White Sox, a matchup which is one of the biggest MLB rivalries. 

Matt Ieriko

Matt Ieriko is a freelance writer who’s evolved his lifelong passion for sport into the creation of WolfgangSport.com in 2020 – an American sports blog covering the NBA, NFL, MLB, NHL, MLS and more. As an Australian, he’s always been fascinated with the cultural differences and global significance of sports in America.

Leave a Reply