Welcome to the final countdown post in our series of MLB team rankings for the 1960s. After decades with eight teams per league, the 1960s brought two waves of expansion – two new AL teams in 1961, two new NL teams in 1962, and two more for both in 1969. As a reminder, the teams are ranked from #20 through #1 based on aggregate WAR162. For the 1960s (1960-1969), a total of 198 teams were eligible, so the top 20 teams are a rather exclusive group – the top 10% for the decade. We’ll summarize each team, including portions of their team dashboard, and explain how they attained their ranking. So, without further ado, here are the teams ranked #5 through #1.
Here’s the interactive dashboard at Tableau Public: 1960s Top 20 MLB Teams Dashboard
#5: 1969 Minnesota Twins, 52.1 WAR162
The Twins won the AL West by a comfortable 9 games over the Athletics in the first season with two divisions in each league. They then fell to the powerful Orioles in a 3-game sweep competing for the AL pennant.
The Twins had a potent offense, scoring an AL-best 790 runs with a league-leading 246 doubles. Minnesota also led the AL in BA, and placed second in both OBP and OPS, trailing only the Orioles. The Twins pitchers ranked third in ERA and fifth in WHIP in the 12-team AL, and had the 3rd-best strikeout-to-walk rate in the circuit.
Slugging third baseman Harmon Killebrew claimed AL MVP honors based on a 49-homer, 140 RBI season where he drew 145 walks, all tops in the league. Rod Carew batted an AL-best .332, and Leo Cardenas batted .280 and played strong defense at shortstop. Tony Oliva batted .309 with a league-best 39 doubles, and versatile utilityman Cesar Tovar batted .288 with 45 stolen bases. Jim Perry (20-6, 2.82 ERA), Dave Boswell (20-12), and Jim Kaat (14-13, Gold Glove winner) led the mound corps. Ron Perranoski came out of the bullpen for an AL-best 31 saves with a 2.11 ERA.
#4: 1960 Pittsburgh Pirates, 52.8 WAR162
The Pirates dominated the NL in 1960, finishing 7 games ahead of the Braves. They then went on to defeat the Yankees in a dramatic 7-game World Series.
The Pirates scored the most runs in the NL, just 10 runs ahead of the Braves. They were not a power-hitting team, as their 120 home runs ranked 6th in the 8 team National League. They did, however, lead the NL in doubles, BA, OBP, and OPS. The pitching staff led the NL in WHIP while ranking third in ERA, and issued the fewest walks in the league. This led to the Pirates topping the strikeout-to-walk rate for the NL.
The Pirates were led by their MVP shortstop Dick Groat, who led the league with a .325 BA, and his infield teammate Don Hoak, who batted .282 with 97 runs scored. Star right fielder Roberto Clemente batted .314 with 94 RBI, and veteran catcher Smoky Burgess batted .294 across 110 games. Bob Friend (18-12, NL-best strikeout-to-walk rate) and Vern Law (20-9, Cy Young Award) anchored the pitching staff.
#3: 1961 New York Yankees, 53.2 WAR162
The 1961 Yankees posted 109 wins on the season (versus a projected 103) to cruise to the AL pennant by 8 games over a good Tigers team. They went on to defeat the Reds in a 5-game World Series, claiming their first title since the 1958 season.
While the Yankees blasted a record 240 homers, they were actually outscored on the season by the Tigers. The Yankees ranked 4th in BA and 5th in OBP, but led the AL in OPS due to their prodigious home run power. The New York pitching numbers were generally strong, trailing only the Orioles in both ERA and WHIP, and ranking in the top 4 in most categories.
Mickey Mantle had another impressive season, batting .317 with 54 homers, 128 RBI, and 131 runs scored. His outfield partner, Roger Maris claimed MVP honors with a record 61 home runs, and added 132 runs scored and 141 RBI, both tops in the league. Elston Howard had a fine season from his catcher spot, with a .348 BA and 21 homers to round out a powerful top three hitters. Veteran lefty Whitey Ford was the Yankees ace and Cy Young winner with a 25-4 record, with support from 22-year-old Bill Stafford (14-9, 2.68 ERA).
#2: 1968 Detroit Tigers, 54.2 WAR162
The 1968 Tigers recovered from their near-miss the previous season to roll to the AL pennant with a resounding 12-game margin over the Orioles. They then rebounded from a 3-1 deficit to top the Cardinals in a dramatic 7-game World Series.
The Tigers easily led the AL in runs scored with 671, 57 ahead of their closest rival. Their 185 home runs were 52 more than the next team, and they also topped the AL in OPS in the so-called “Year of the Pitcher”. Tigers pitchers ranked third in both ERA and WHIP, and second in both strikeouts and strikeout-to-walk rate.
Catcher Bill Freehan had a career year, launching 25 homers with 84 RBI and a Gold Glove for his defensive prowess. Jim Northrup added 21 homers and 90 RBI, while second baseman Dick McAuliffe scored an AL-best 95 runs and drew 82 walks. Willie Horton belted 36 homers with 85 RBI and a .285 BA to round out the Tigers’ most productive quartet. Cy Young winner Denny McLain won 31 games with a 1.96 ERA and 28 complete games, while Earl Wilson (13) and Mickey Lolich (17) combined for an additional 30 wins.
#1: 1969 Baltimore Orioles, 67.5 WAR
The 1969 Orioles turned the AL pennant race into their personal playground, topping the Tigers by 19 games to win the newly formed AL East. They then swept the Twins in 3 games to claim the pennant. The Orioles were denied a World Series title with a shocking 5-game loss to the upstart Mets.
The Orioles paced the AL in OBP and OPS, and ranked in the top three in most other categories – doubles, homers, and BA among them. Their pitching dominated the league, ranking first in ERA, WHIP, and strikeout-to-walk rate.
Baltimore had a loaded cast of position players in 1969, led by Frank Robinson (.308 BA, 32 homers, 100 RBI, 111 runs scored) and Paul Blair (20 steals, .285 BA, 102 runs, Gold Glove). Boog Powell bashed 37 homers with 121 RBI and a .304 BA, and Don Buford drew 96 walks while scoring 99 runs. Brooks Robinson (23 homers, 84 RBI, Gold Glove) and Mark Belanger (.287 BA, Gold Glove) formed an outstanding left side of the Orioles infield. Mike Cuellar shared the AL Cy Young Award based on a 23-11 record and 2.38 ERA. Jim Palmer (16-4, 2.34 ERA) and Dave McNally (20-7) rounded out the best starting staff in baseball for 1969.
Summary
That’s it for the final entry in our MLB Team Rankings for the 1960s decade! Here’s a summary of the most dominant franchises of the 1960s:
