The MLB Playoffs: When Winning Isn’t Enough

The 2021 MLB postseason has been full of surprises, with several teams that amassed 99+ wins making an early exit. The Atlanta Braves, Baltimore Orioles, Los Angeles Dodgers, and Tampa Bay Rays, all with impressive regular-season records, went a combined 1-11 in the first two rounds of the playoffs. This unexpected outcome has left fans wondering what could have been if the current playoff format had been in place since the inception of the World Series in 1903.

One team that stands out in terms of missed opportunities is the Cleveland franchise. The city has been waiting for a baseball championship for 75 years, with close calls in both 2016 and 1997 World Series, which they lost in extra innings in Game 7. However, even before those heartbreaking losses, Cleveland had a chance to break their drought earlier.

In 1948, Cleveland won a one-game playoff tiebreaker against the Boston Red Sox to advance to the World Series. They then defeated the National League champion Boston Braves in six games. The nucleus of that team had the potential to achieve even greater success, if not for the dominant New York Yankees. The Yankees went to the World Series in 14 of the next 16 seasons, with Cleveland finishing second five times during a six-year stretch from 1951 to 1956.

In 1954, Cleveland won a remarkable 111 games, the only time the Yankees did not advance during their dominant reign. Cleveland’s roster was stacked with future Hall of Famers such as pitchers Bob Feller, Bob Lemon, and Early Wynn, outfielders Larry Doby and Ralph Kiner, sluggers Al Rosen and Luke Easter, and other key contributors. Their combination of dominant pitching and slugging would have been formidable in any playoff series, similar to the winning formula that fueled the Yankees’ run.

The New York Yankees, on the other hand, also experienced their fair share of near-misses. During a stretch from 1929 to 1935, the Yankees placed second multiple times, behind teams such as the Philadelphia Athletics, Washington Senators, and Detroit Tigers. With legendary players like Babe Ruth and Lou Gehrig, it’s not hard to imagine them getting “uber-hot” at the plate and winning a divisional playoff series or two.

In the National League, both the New York Giants and Brooklyn Dodgers had their fair share of frustrations. The Giants finished second to the Dodgers five times between 1916 and 1966, while the Dodgers placed just behind their rivals four times between 1924 and 1962, including the famous Bobby Thomson walk-off homer in 1951. The potential divisional playoffs between these two teams during those years would have been highly anticipated.

Before the MLB divisional format was introduced in 1969, there were instances where teams with 100 or more wins were left out of the postseason. The 1909 Chicago Cubs, fresh off a World Series title, had an impressive record of 104 wins but were six games behind the Pittsburgh Pirates. Similarly, in 1942, the Brooklyn Dodgers won 104 games, while the eventual NL champions St. Louis Cardinals had two more wins.

Even in more recent history, teams like the 1980 Baltimore Orioles (100 wins) and the 1993 San Francisco Giants (103 wins) fell short of the postseason due to strong competition in their respective divisions. These examples highlight the importance of winning at the right time and the significance of playoff format in determining a team’s chances of success.

In conclusion, the MLB playoffs have shown that despite regular-season success, winning does not always guarantee postseason triumph. Teams with impressive records have faced early eliminations, leaving fans to ponder what might have been. Throughout history, several teams, including Cleveland and various New York clubs, have come tantalizingly close to winning it all but fell short due to dominant rivals or missed opportunities. The current playoff format has undoubtedly added excitement and unpredictability to the game, allowing lower-seeded clubs to make deep runs in the postseason.