As of today..........

[FRENCHREDSOX]

Who are the 3 teams to win the most games ??

& equally the 3 to lose the most ?


Please note that this does not mean the 3 best teams nor the 3 worst BECAUSE of alignnment (ie if you believe the 3 best teams are,for example,Tampa,Boston & the Yankees there is NO chance they will have the 3 best records because of inter division play & vice versa for weak divisions which will over value wins)

[FRENCHREDSOX]

BEST (none of which crack 100 wins) ......Boston/Tampa/Cubs ---- the latter because of how bad Houston & Pirates are!

WORST ----- Florida/Washington/San Diego ---- yep 3 NL teams but all 3 have such weak lineups for 1 reason or another

[HoustonGM]

Please note that this does not mean the 3 best teams nor the 3 worst BECAUSE of alignnment (ie if you believe the 3 best teams are,for example,Tampa,Boston & the Yankees there is NO chance they will have the 3 best records because of inter division play & vice versa for weak divisions which will over value wins)

I don't think there's no chance that the Yankees, Red Sox, and Rays have the 3 best records. They weren't that far off from doing it this year. If I had to guess at this point, I think I'd pick those 3 teams for the best, and for the worst...the Padres, Nationals, and Pirates.

[FRENCHREDSOX]

I don't think there's no chance that the Yankees, Red Sox, and Rays have the 3 best records. They weren't that far off from doing it this year. If I had to guess at this point, I think I'd pick those 3 teams for the best, and for the worst...the Padres, Nationals, and Pirates.

Actually HGM it is MATHEMATICALLY impossible unless O's & Jays win 52.3 games each WHICH btw has never in MLB history been achieved

[etothep]

Actually HGM it is MATHEMATICALLY impossible unless O's & Jays win 52.3 games each WHICH btw has never in MLB history been achieved

You have an odd definition of mathematically impossible...divisional opponents only make up, what, a quarter of the schedule...you may want to run your math again FRS

unlikely =/= mathematically impossible

[FRENCHREDSOX]

You have an odd definition of mathematically impossible...divisional opponents only make up, what, a quarter of the schedule...you may want to run your math again FRS

unlikely =/= mathematically impossible

Matematically unlikely if you prefer but IMPOSSIBLE based on past results & they make up in the AL East for those 3 teams (v one another) 22.2% of games played thus an inherent ratio of 5 of affected results ie likelyhood of equality amongst themselves resulting in a "need" for a 71.93% win factor in the remaining games against NON CONTENDERS (or a 116 win season 'run' for all 3 teams in a "perfect world" scenario --- if one remembers that Seattle are the only team to EVER achieve that level & that was ONCE)

[etothep]

Matematically unlikely if you prefer but IMPOSSIBLE based on past results

I do prefer

[HoustonGM]

Actually HGM it is MATHEMATICALLY impossible unless O's & Jays win 52.3 games each WHICH btw has never in MLB history been achieved

The Yankees, Rays, Blue Jays, and Red Sox each won 86+ games this year. I don't see how it's mathematically impossible for the Yankees, Rays, and Red Sox to have the top 3 records in the league.

The Angels are going to be in for a rude awakening this year. I think the AL West will be taken by 85 or so wins...and roughly the same goes for the AL Central. The talent is heavily stocked in the AL East, and the Big 3 are going to beat up on the other two divisions, plus the Orioles and Jays. Yes, they have to play each other as well, but, so?

Angels 100-62
Tampa 97-65
Chicago 97-65
Boston 95-67
Philadelphia 92-70
Milwaukee 90-72
Yankees/Mets 89-73

The 3 AL East teams were in the top 7 in 2008. The Angels, barring a miracle, are going to drop below that. A portion of their losses divvied up between Tampa, Boston, and New York. Milwaukee, also, is unlikely to reach 90 wins. That puts the 3 AL East teams in the top 5, assuming Chicago and Philadelphia repeat their performances. Is it really that hard to see them coming out 1-2-3? I don't think so.

[Red Sox Fan 734]

The 3 best teams are The Red Sox, Tampa Bay and the Cubs and for the 3 worst I would probably say the Pirates, San Diego and Nationals. FRS how do you think the Marlins are one of the worst teams

[HoustonGM]

The 3 best teams are The Red Sox, Tampa Bay and the Cubs

The Yankees are better than the Cubs and have a strong argument for being better than both the Red Sox and Rays, as well.

[FRENCHREDSOX]

the Big 3 are going to beat up on the other two divisions, plus the Orioles and Jays. Yes, they have to play each other as well, but, so?

the AL East for those 3 teams (v one another) 22.2% of games played thus an inherent ratio of 5 of affected results ie likelyhood of equality amongst themselves resulting in a "need" for a 71.93% win factor in the remaining games against NON CONTENDERS (or a 116 win season 'run' for all 3 teams in a "perfect world" scenario --- if one remembers that Seattle are the only team to EVER achieve that level & that was ONCE)

numbers just dont bear out your analysis the EQ ratio calculated for the 3 to have the best record in baseball is 0.00000000000000000000000000000000000000091% because THEY have to play one another so often whereas the Angel plays the 3 9 times & plays Texas the double for example .

[YEAH DAAAAWG]

Gonna have to go Boston, New York and Tampa for the top three (though not necessarily in that order). I really don't see another team in the league, aside from maybe the Cubs, that holds a candle to the big three in the AL East right now.

Bottom three I'll say Seattle, Pittsburgh and Washington.

[HoustonGM]

numbers just dont bear out your analysis the EQ ratio calculated for the 3 to have the best record in baseball is 0.00000000000000000000000000000000000000091%

I don't know what that is, but, the probability of 3 of the top 7 teams in 2008, each of whom are likely to be better teams in 2009, having the top 3 records in 2009 being so low just doesn't pass the smell test.

Assume each of the 3 goes 9-9 against each other (a not improbable outcome). In the other 144 games, 88-56, a .611 winning percentage, would be needed to win 97 games. I can easily see each of those teams doing it.

While I concede is more unlikely than likely, I think you're greatly overstating it's improbability.

[FRENCHREDSOX]

Gonna have to go Boston, New York and Tampa for the top three (though not necessarily in that order). I really don't see another team in the league, aside from maybe the Cubs, that holds a candle to the big three in the AL East right now.

Bottom three I'll say Seattle, Pittsburgh and Washington.

PLEASE read the first Post !! Not the 3 best or worst teams BUT the 3 best/worst records ---- for example Cubs have to "beat" up on Pirates/Astros & Mets the Marlins/Nationals..............whereas you rightly point out that the AL East is a "beast" thus "reducing" EACH team's chances of "cheap wins"......

[FRENCHREDSOX]

I don't know what that is, but, the probability of 3 of the top 7 teams in 2008, each of whom are likely to be better teams in 2009, having the top 3 records in 2009 being so low just doesn't pass the smell test.

Assume each of the 3 goes 9-9 against each other (a not improbable outcome). In the other 144 games, 88-56, a .611 winning percentage, would be needed to win 97 games. I can easily see each of those teams doing it.

Do the Maths NOT A "smell test"
& btw 9 -9 means 18 wins in 36 games (as they play 2 contenders NOT 1)thus
82 wins over 126 games (82-44) thus a .651 record or 105+ win season in a EQ world WHICH has never HAPPENED ever in 3 division world

Only 3 times 3 teams have won 100+ games - 1998, 2002, and 2003. & never EVER has it happened with 2 teams in the same division let alone 3! (SO even my prediction I am going out on a limb with 2)