Welcome to the third countdown post in our series of MLB team rankings for the 1990s. As a reminder, the teams are ranked from #20 through #1 based on aggregate WAR162. For the 1990s (1990-1999), a total of 278 team-seasons were eligible, so the top 20 teams are a rather exclusive group – the top 7% for the decade. The 90s were a challenge, with two short seasons due to contract issues. The 1994 season fell well short of the 162-game schedule, with most clubs playing just 115 games. In 1995, most teams played about 140 games. I’ve elected to include both seasons, given that WAR162 adjusts for the number of games played. We’ll summarize each team, including those from 1994-95, and include portions of their team dashboard. Then we’ll explain how they attained their ranking. So, without further ado, here are the teams ranked #10 through #6.
Here’s the interactive dashboard at Tableau Public: 1990s Top 20 MLB Teams Dashboard
#10: 1996 Cleveland Indians, 54.8 WAR162
The Indians rolled to the AL Central title, finishing 14.5 games ahead of the White Sox, before being upset by the Orioles in the ALDS round of the playoffs.

Cleveland featured a very potent offense, scoring 952 runs to trail only the Mariners in the AL rankings. The Tribe ranked second in doubles, stolen bases, OPS, and SLG, while topping the AL in BA and OBP. Their pitching staff led the AL with a 4.34 ERA in the very offense-friendly 1996 season. The Indians also topped the AL in WHIP and strikeout-to-walk rate for the season.

Slugging first baseman Jim Thome had one of his best seasons, launching 38 homers with 116 RBI and 122 runs scored. Thome also drew 123 walks in compiling a .450 OBP. Albert Belle led the league with 148 RBI, whacking 48 home runs and scoring 124 runs, while leadoff batter Kenny Lofton claimed a Gold Glove while batting .317 with an AL-best 75 steals, scoring 132 runs to lead the Indians in that category. Manny Ramirez batted .309 with 33 homers and 112 RBI to round out the Cleveland offense. Charles Nagy led the pitchers with a 17-5 record and 3.41 ERA, backed up by 37-year-old Orel Hershiser‘s 15 wins.
#9: 1994 New York Yankees, 55.0 WAR162
The 1994 Yankees were cruising toward the postseason when the 1994 season ended early due to the MLB labor dispute. There would be no playoffs or World Series at the end of the season.

The Yankees were 6.5 games ahead of the Orioles in the AL East when the season ended, due in part to a strong offense that led the AL in OBP and OPS, and ranking second in runs. The pitching staff was a step behind, placing fourth or fifth in most major categories, including ERA and WHIP.

Wade Boggs and Paul O’Neill were the offensive leaders for a deep Yankees lineup. Boggs batted .342 with a .433 OBP and a Gold Glove Award, and O’Neill topped the AL with a .359 BA and whacked 21 homers with 83 RBI in just 103 games. Mike Stanley batted .300 with 17 home runs out of the catcher spot, and Bernie Williams scored 80 runs with a .384 OBP and solid defense in center field. Left-hander Jimmy Key was the Yankees’ top pitcher on the season, going 17-4 with a 3.27 ERA. Melido Perez (9-4) and Scott Kamieniecki (8-6, 3.76 ERA) provided additional mound support.
#8: 1994 Chicago White Sox, 55.1 WAR162
The 1994 White Sox were another team whose playoff hopes were terminated by the short-season labor dispute. The White Sox were a game ahead of the Indians in the AL Central when the season ended prematurely.

The Sox had a very good offense, ranking third in BA and OPS, second in OBP, and fourth in runs for the season. Pitching was the real strength of the team, as Chicago easily topped the AL in the ERA and WHIP categories. The White Sox staff also led the AL in strikeout-to-walk rate, and ranked third in both the strikeout and walks metrics.

Frank Thomas was on his way to a monster season for Chicago, batting .353 with an AL-best .487 OBP, .729 SLG, and 1.217 OPS. He also topped the league in walks (109), runs (106), and belted 38 homers with 101 RBI. Unsurprisingly, these efforts won Thomas the AL MVP Award. His primary support came from Julio Franco (.319 BA, 20 homers, 98 RBI), and Robin Ventura (18 home runs, 78 RBI). Darrin Jackson chipped in with a .312 BA. Jack McDowell led the ChiSox pitching corps, topping the league with a 3.02 strikeout-to-walk rate and 10 wins. Wilson Alvarez (12-8, 3.45 ERA) and Alex Hernandez (11-7) combined to give the White Sox a deep starting rotation.
#7: 1998 Houston Astros, 56.1 WAR162
The Astros romped to the NL Central title, 12.5 games ahead of the Cubs. Their season then ended in the NLDS with a four-game defeat at the hands of the Padres.

Houston scored a league-high 874 runs and ranked second in doubles and stolen bases. Their .280 BA also ranked second in the league, and they topped the NL in OBP. The Astros also featured a strong pitching staff, finishing second in both ERA and WHIP behind the Braves. Their staff also issued the fewest walks in the NL, leading to the second-best strikeout-to-walk rate for the season.

The Astros had four position players top the 5.0 WAR162 threshold, with three of the four exceeding 6.0. Jeff Bagwell batted .304 with a .424 OBP and launched 34 homers with 111 RBI and 124 runs scored in 147 games. Craig Biggio batted .325 with 50 steals, 123 runs scored, and an NL-best 51 doubles, and Moises Alou slugged 38 homers with 124 RBI and a .312 BA. Derek Bell was the fourth big producer, batting .314 with 111 runs and 108 RBI. The pitching staff also featured balance at the top, led by Shane Reynolds (19-8, 3.51 ERA). Mike Hampton posted 11 wins, and Randy Johnson recorded an impressive 1.28 ERA in 84 innings. Jose Lima posted the top strikeout-to-walk rate in the league (5.28) while recording 16 wins.
#6: 1990 Oakland Athletics, 56.2 WAR
The A’s captured the AL pennant for the third consecutive season, finishing a comfortable 9 games ahead of the White Sox in the AL West. After sweeping the Red Sox in the ALCS, the Athletics were stunned by Cincinnati in a four-game World Series sweep.

Oakland featured a strong offense that ranked third in both runs and home runs for the year. They ranked second in stolen bases, third in OBP, and fourth in OPS, playing in the pitcher-friendly Oakland Coliseum. The A’s pitching staff was dominant in 1990, easily leading the league in ERA and WHIP.

Rickey Henderson was the offensive igniter for Oakland, leading the league in runs (119), stolen bases (65), OBP (.439), and OPS (1.016) in just 136 games. Not surprisingly, these numbers earned him the AL MVP Award. Sluggers Mark McGwire (39 homers, 108 RBI, 110 walks) and Jose Canseco (37 homers, 101 RBI) provided the power for the A’s. Dave Henderson added 20 home runs and strong defense in center field. Dave Stewart (22-11, 2.56 ERA, 11 complete games, 4 shutouts) ranks as the top hurler by WAR162, although his teammate Bob Welch (27-6, 2.95 ERA) claimed Cy Young honors. Closer Dennis Eckersley had a dominant campaign, saving 48 games with a 0.61 ERA and an unheard-of 18.25 strikeout-to-walk rate (73 strikeouts, 4 walks).
Summary
That’s it for the third entry in our MLB Team Rankings for the 1990s decade! Stay tuned for the countdown from #5 to #1, arriving in a few days. As always, thanks for reading!






































































