Tag: 1980s

1980s MLB Team Rankings Countdown: 5 through 1

Posted on by kc2519

Welcome to the final countdown post in our series of MLB team rankings for the 1980s. As a reminder, the teams are ranked from #20 through #1 based on aggregate WAR162. For the 1980s (1980-1989), a total of 280 team-seasons were eligible, so the top 20 teams are a rather exclusive group – the top 7% for the decade. We’ll summarize each team, including portions of their dashboards, and explain how they attained their rankings. So, without further ado, here are the teams ranked #5 through #1.

Here’s the interactive dashboard at Tableau Public: 1980s Top 20 MLB Teams Dashboard

#5: 1987 Toronto Blue Jays, 53.1 WAR162

The 1987 Blue Jays were caught by the Tigers in the final week of the 1987 season. The Jays ultimately fell two games short of the AL East title after dropping their final 7 games.

The Jays had a potent offense, finishing second in the league with 215 homers and third with 845 runs. Their team OPS of .782 was also good for second, trailing only the Tigers. Toronto’s pitching staff led the AL in ERA and WHIP in the high-scoring 1987 season, and ranked second in strikeouts.

George Bell claimed AL MVP honors with an AL-best 134 RBI and added 47 home runs and a .308 BA. Shortstop Tony Fernandez (.322 BA, 32 steals, Gold Glove Award), and right fielder Jesse Barfield (28 home runs, 84 RBI, Gold Glove Award) were Bell’s primary support. Lloyd Moseby also had a fine season, batting .282 with 26 homers, 96 RBI, and 39 steals. Lefty Jimmy Key led the mound staff, topping the AL in ERA and WHIP while winning 17 games. Jim Clancy added 15 wins, and closer Tom Henke had an AL-best 34 saves with a 2.49 ERA.

#4: 1985 St. Louis Cardinals, 54.0 WAR162

The 1985 Cardinals topped the NL East by three games over the Mets. They then defeated the Dodgers in a six-game NLCS. The Cards’ run ended with a seven-game World Series defeat at the hands of the cross-state Royals.

The Cardinals’ offense was built on speed, as they compiled an astonishing 314 stolen bases, 132 more than their nearest rival. This speed propelled them to an NL-best 747 runs despite hitting just 87 homers, the second fewest in the league. The Cards led the NL in BA, OBP, and OPS (lots of doubles & triples) on their way to 101 wins. The pitching staff ranked second in ERA and third in WHIP, providing strong support for their potent offense.

NL MVP Willie McGee was the Cardinals’ offensive spark via his NL-best .353 BA coupled with 56 steals and 114 runs scored. Shortstop Ozzie Smith batted .276 with 31 steals while providing exceptional Gold Glove defense, and Tom Herr batted .302 with 31 steals, 38 doubles, and 110 RBI. Andy Van Slyke (13) and Jack Clark (22) combined for 35 of the team’s 87 dingers, and rookie Vince Coleman swiped 110 bases on the season. John Tudor was the ace on the mound, tossing 10 shutouts with a 1.93 ERA and a 21-8 record. Tudor also led the NL in WHIP in a career-best season. Danny Cox (18-9, 2.88 ERA) and Joaquin Andujar (21-12) gave the Cardinals a strong rotation behind Tudor.

#3: 1984 Detroit Tigers, 54.5 WAR162

The 1984 Tigers raced out to a 35-5 record and then coasted to the AL East title with a 15-game margin over the Blue Jays. The Tigers then swept the Royals in the ALCS before defeating the Padres in five games in the World Series.

The Tigers had a dynamic offense that led the AL in runs and OBP, and ranked second in OPS behind the Red Sox, getting strong contributions from the top of the batting order. The starting pitching was solid, and was supported by a strong bullpen. The Tigers staff led the AL in ERA, WHIP, and saves, while posting the second-best strikeout-to-walk rate.

Alan Trammell keyed the Tigers’ lineup in 1984, batting .314 with 85 runs scored and a Gold Glove Award at shortstop. Chet Lemon played an outstanding center field and launched 20 homers with 76 RBI and a .287 BA. Kirk Gibson swiped 29 bases and homered 27 times with 91 RBI, and Lou Whitaker batted .289, scored 90 runs, and earned a Gold Glove at second base. Lance Parrish belted 33 homers with 98 RBI while claiming a Gold Glove behind the plate. Willie Hernandez had a Cy Young season out of the bullpen, earning 32 saves with a 1.92 ERA, appearing in an AL-best 80 games. Dan Petry (18-8) and Jack Morris (19-11) were the top starters for the Tigers.

#2: 1986 New York Mets, 55.2 WAR162

The 1986 Mets ran away with the NL East, topping the Phillies by a whopping 21.5 games. They then took down the Astros in six games for the NL pennant before defeating the Red Sox in a dramatic seven-game World Series. While the Mets’ win projection was for a slightly lower 103 wins, they would have still easily won the NL East.

The Mets scored an NL-high 783 runs, batting .263 with a .339 OBP and .740 OPS to top the league. They also ranked third in home runs and fourth in doubles. The Mets’ pitching topped the NL in ERA and ranked second in WHIP, and also ranked high in saves, strikeout-to-walk rate, complete games, and shutouts.

First baseman Keith Hernandez had an excellent season, batting .310, drawing an NL-best 94 walks, scoring 94 runs, and winning a Gold Glove. Lenny Dykstra batted .295 with 31 steals, Gary Carter swatted 24 homers with 105 RBI, and Darryl Strawberry launched 27 homers with 93 RBI. Dwight Gooden (17-6, 2.84 ERA) and Bob Ojeda (18-5, 2.57 ERA) topped the Mets staff. Close behind were Ron Darling (15-6, 2.81 ERA) and Sid Fernandez (16-6), giving the Mets a formidable starting rotation.

#1: 1988 New York Mets, 55.3 WAR

The 1988 Mets won the NL East, topping the Pirates by 15 games, before being upset by the Dodgers in a seven-game NLCS defeat.

The Mets easily led the NL in runs, home runs, OBP, and OPS, while ranking second in BA. It was a very strong offensive performance for the season. The team also had dominant pitching in 1988, ranking first in ERA, WHIP, strikeout, and strikeout-to-walk rate while placing second in saves.

Darryl Strawberry led the Mets offense with an NL-best 39 homers, 101 RBI, and a league-best .911 OPS. Kevin McReynolds added 27 home runs and 99 RBI, and Howard Johnson launched 24 homers and stole 23 bases. Lenny Dykstar stole 30 bases in 126 games, and Wally Backman batted .303 on the year. On the mound, David Cone had a splendid 20-3 record with a 2.22 ERA, followed by Dwight Gooden with 18 wins and 10 complete games. Sid Fernandez yielded the fewest hits per 9 innings in the NL and won 12 games. Bob Ojeda (10) and Ron Darling (17) contributed 27 more wins for the Mets.

Summary

That’s it for the final entry in our MLB Team Rankings for the 1980s decade! Here’s a summary of the most dominant franchises of the 1980s:

1980s MLB Team Rankings Countdown: 10 through 6

Posted on by kc2519

Welcome to the third countdown post in our series of MLB team rankings for the 1980s. As a reminder, the teams are ranked from #20 through #1 based on aggregate WAR162. For the 1980s (1980-1989), a total of 280 team-seasons were eligible, so the top 20 teams are a rather exclusive group – the top 7% for the decade. We’ll summarize each team, including portions of their dashboards, and explain how they attained their rankings. So, without further ado, here are the teams ranked #10 through #6.

Here’s the interactive dashboard at Tableau Public: 1980s Top 20 MLB Teams Dashboard

#10: 1988 Oakland Athletics, 50.5 WAR162

The 1988 Athletics cruised to the AL West title by 13 games over the Twins and then swept the Red Sox in four games to claim the AL pennant. Then they ran into an upstart Dodgers team that upset them in a five-game World Series.

The A’s boasted a strong, but not dominant offense in 1988. Their 800 runs scored ranked second to the Red Sox, and they placed 4th or better in BA, OBP, and OPS. The team’s 156 home runs were just two shy of the Blue Jays for the top AL spot. Oakland also had a talented mound staff, with the AL’s top ERA and 3rd-best WHIP, and easily led the AL with 64 saves.

Jose Canseco posted some big offensive numbers to lead the team, bashing an AL-best 42 homers with 124 RBI while also stealing 40 bases. Canseco claimed AL MVP honors for his exploits. Dave Henderson had a career year with a .304 BA, 24 homers, and 94 RBI, and Mark McGwire added 32 home runs and 99 RBI. Dave Stewart was the A’s top pitcher, recording 21 wins with a league-best 14 completed games, and Bob Welch added 17 wins. Storm Davis won 16, and closer Dennis Eckersley topped the AL with 45 saves, finishing second in Cy Young voting.

#9: 1983 Detroit Tigers, 51.0 WAR162

The Tigers were a year away from dominating the AL, but were clearly on the way to the top in 1983. While they finished six games behind the Orioles, they were the better team based on WAR162.

The Tigers’ offense was very good, finishing a close 4th with 789 runs, and ranking third in BA and second in OPS on the season. Their 156 home runs ranked 4th, just 12 behind the AL-best Orioles. The Tigers’ pitching was solid, placing 4th in ERA and 2nd in WHIP, benefiting from strong defense across multiple positions.

Lou Whitaker helped ignite the Tigers’ offense, batting .320 with 40 doubles, and also claimed a Gold Glove Award at second base. Center fielder Chet Lemon flashed exceptional defense while stroking 24 homers, and Gold Glove shortstop Alan Trammell batted .319 with 30 stolen bases. Catcher Lance Parrish also earned a Gold Glove, and stroked 27 homers with 114 RBI. Larry Herndon batted .302 with 20 homers to round out the team’s offense. Jack Morris was the ace on the mound, winning 20 games and leading the league in innings and strikeouts. After Morris, there was some drop-off, although Dan Petry won 19 games and Aurelio Lopez was effective as a late-inning reliever.

#8: 1982 California Angels, 51.6 WAR162

The 1982 Angels won the AL West title by three games over the Royals before losing a five-game ALCS to the Brewers, denying them a shot at their first World Series.

The Angels featured a strong offense that accounted for 814 runs, second to Milwaukee. Their 186 home runs also ranked second, and they ranked 1st in OBP, 2nd in OPS, and 3rd in BA on the season. They also had solid pitching, trailing only the Tigers in ERA while leading the league in WHIP.

Third baseman Doug DeCinces had a career year, batting .301 with 30 homers, 97 RBI, 94 runs scored, and strong defense. Brian Downing batted .281 with 28 homers, and Fred Lynn batted .299 with 21 home runs. Rod Carew (.319 BA, 88 runs) and Bobby Grich (19 homers, 82 walks) helped round out the team’s offense. On the mound, Geoff Zahn won 18 games while 21-year-old Mike Witt posted an 8-5 record. Bruce Kison (10) and Ken Forsch (13) combined for 23 more wins.

#7: 1985 Toronto Blue Jays, 51.6 WAR162

The 1985 Blue Jays won the franchise’s first AL East title, topping the Yankees by two games before falling to the Royals in a seven-game ALCS.

Toronto featured a good offense, scoring 759 runs, 4th in the 14-team American League. Their 144 stolen bases ranked second, as did their .269 team BA. The Jays ranked 4th in OPS and 5th in OBP for the season. Toronto had a very effective pitching staff, with an AL-best 3.31 ERA. They also led the league in WHIP and finished second with 47 saves.

Right fielder Jesse Barfield had a big season, batting .289 with 27 home runs and 22 steals, and providing excellent glove work. Shortstop Tony Fernandez batted .289 with 31 doubles, and George Bell swatted 28 homers with 95 RBI and 21 steals. Lloyd Moseby (92 runs, 37 steals) and Rance Mulliniks (.383 OBP) also contributed offensively. On the mound, Dave Stieb had a stellar campaign, winning 14 games with a league-best 2.48 ERA. Doyle Alexander posted a 17-10 record, and lefty Jimmy Key went 14-6 on the season.

#6: 1985 New York Yankees, 52.1 WAR

The 1985 Yankees lost out by a scant two games to the Blue Jays in a competitive AL East race.

The Yankees had a very potent offense, with their 839 runs easily topping the league. The team possessed both speed and power, leading the AL in stolen bases and placing 3rd in home runs. The New Yorkers ranked 3rd in BA and 2nd in both OBP and OPS, trailing only the Red Sox. Pitching was also effective, if not to the level of the offense. The Yankees ranked 3rd in ERA and 4th in WHIP for the 1985 campaign.

Rickey Henderson had a monster season for New York, scoring an AL-best 146 runs and leading the league with 80 stolen bases. He also batted .319 with a .419 OBP to ignite the Yankees’ offense. Don Mattingly (.324 BA, AL-best 48 doubles and 145 RBI) claimed the AL MVP award, and Willie Randolph (.382 OBP) provided additional offensive support. Ron Guidry led the pitching staff with a 22-6 record, aided by a strong bullpen corps. Bob Shirley (2.64 ERA), Dave Righetti (29 saves, 2.78 ERA), and Brian Fisher (2.38 ERA, 14 saves) led an excellent Yankees bullpen.

Summary

That’s it for the third entry in our MLB Team Rankings for the 1980s decade! Stay tuned for the countdown from #5 to #1, arriving in a few days. As always, thanks for reading!

MLB Team Rankings Countdown: 15 through 11

Posted on by kc2519

Welcome to the second countdown post in our series of MLB team rankings for the 1980s. As a reminder, the teams are ranked from #20 through #1 based on aggregate WAR162. For the 1980s (1980-1989), a total of 280 team-seasons were eligible, so the top 20 teams are a rather exclusive group – the top 7% for the decade. We’ll summarize each team, including portions of the team’s dashboard, and explain how they attained their ranking. So, without further ado, here are the teams ranked #15 through #11.

Here’s the interactive dashboard at Tableau Public: 1980s Top 20 MLB Teams Dashboard

#15: 1985 Los Angeles Dodgers, 48.7 WAR162

The 1985 Dodgers topped the NL West by 5.5 games over the Reds before falling to the Cardinals in a six-game NLCS.

The Dodgers finished 5th in runs, playing half their games in pitcher-friendly Dodger Stadium. The offense had modest power and speed by league standards, but they did manage to rank 2nd in BA and OBP, and 3rd in OPS. The pitching staff was excellent, even given the friendly home ballpark, ranking first in ERA, WHIP, and strikeout-to-walk rate.

Pedro Guerrero had one of his best seasons, leading the NL with a .422 OBP and .999 OPS while batting .320 with 33 homers. Catcher Mike Scioscia had a fine season, batting .296 with a .407 OBP and stellar defense. Mike Marshall added 238 home runs and 95 RBI while batting .293. Orel Hershiser (19-3, 2.03ERA) and Fernando Valenzuela (17-10, 2.45 ERA) topped the pitching staff, with solid support from 14-game winners Bob Welch and Jerry Reuss.

#14: 1985 New York Mets, 49.4 WAR162

The 1985 Mets won 98 games but fell three games short of the Cardinals for the NL East title. Nonetheless, this team was one of several strong Mets teams in the mid- to late-1980s.

The Mets had a solid offense, finishing 3rd in runs and home runs, and 4th in both BA and OPS. Pitching was a strong suit, as the Mets staff placed 3rd in ERA and 2nd in WHIP and strikeout-to-walk rate.

Gary Carter led the Mets offensively while playing strong defense behind the plate. Carter batted .281 with 32 home runs and 100 RBI. Keith Hernandez won a Gold Glove at first base while batting .309 with 91 RBI, and Darryl Strawberry homered 29 times with 79 RBI in just 111 games. On the mound, Dwight Gooden assembled one of the best seasons ever by a pitcher, winning the Cy Young with a 24-4 record and 1.53 ERA. Gooden received strong support from Ron Darling (16-6, 2.90 ERA) and Sid Fernandez, who topped the NL in strikeout rate while yielding the fewest hits per 9 innings.

#13: 1980 Baltimore Orioles, 49.5 WAR162

The 1980 Orioles claimed 100 wins but fell three games behind the Yankees in the AL East, a season after playing in the World Series.

The Orioles ranked 5th in runs with 805, just 25 behind the league-leading Tigers, and placed 4th with 156 home runs. In most other offensive categories, they ranked between 4th and 6th in the 14-team American League. Their pitching was a bit stronger, placing 3rd in ERA and WHIP, 4th in strikeout-to-walk rate, and 5th in saves.

Al Bumbry compiled the O’s highest positional WAR162, batting .318 with 118 runs scored, and 44 stolen bases. Eddie Murray slugged 32 homers with 116 RBI and a .300 BA, while Ken Singleton added 24 homers and 104 RBI. Third Baseman Doug DeCinces added 16 homers to go with excellent defense, and catcher Rick Dempsey had a solid overall season. Lefty Scott McGregor won 20 games, while veteran righty Steve Stone went 25-7 to claim the AL Cy Young Award.

#12: 1980 New York Yankees, 49.6 WAR162

The 1980 Yankees finished three games ahead of the Orioles to claim the AL East, but were swept by the Royals in three games in the ALCS.

The Yankees boasted a potent offense, scoring 820 runs (10 behind the Tigers), and slugging 189 home runs to rank second in both categories. The New Yorkers ranked 3rd in OPS and 4th in OBP for the season. Pitching was again a strength for the Yankees, with the 2nd-best performance in both ERA and WHIP. The staff also boasted the top strikeout-to-walk rate and tossed the most shutouts in the AL.

Willie Randolph posted one of his best seasons, drawing an AL-best 119 walks on his way to a .427 OBP. He also stole 30 bases and scored 99 runs. Reggie Jackson led the AL with 41 homers while batting .300 with 111 RBI, and catcher Rick Cerone had a fine season with 14 home runs and 85 RBI. Bucky Dent had a strong all-around performance at shortstop for the season. 35-year-old Rudy May had a fine season, splitting duties between starting and relieving, racking up 15 wins with an AL-best 2.46 ERA across 175 innings. Tommy John led the AL with 6 shutouts at age 37, winning 22 games, and Ron Guidry added 17 wins with another 3 shutouts. Closer Goose Gossage topped the AL with 33 saves and a 2.27 ERA.

#11: 1987 Detroit Tigers, 50.0 WAR

The 1987 Tigers tracked down the Blue Jays in the final week of the season to claim the AL East crown. Unfortunately for Detroit, they were upset by the Twins in a five-game ALCS defeat.

The Tigers had a strong offense in 1987, totaling 896 runs to top the league, and belting an AL-best 225 homers. The Detroiters ranked 3rd in BA, 2nd in OBP, and 1st in OPS, with an OPS of .800. Detroit’s pitching was above average, if not at the level of the offense. The Tigers staff ranked 3rd in ERA and 5th in WHIP in the high-scoring 1987 season.

Shortstop Alan Trammell had the best season of his long career, batting .343 with 28 homers, 105 RBI, and 109 runs scored. 40-year-old Darrell Evans launched 34 home runs with 99 RBI and also drew 100 walks. Kirk Gibson stole 26 bases and hit 24 homers in just 128 games, and Chet Lemon added 20 home runs while playing a strong center field. Jack Morris led the mound crew with 18 wins, aided by Doyle Alexander, who put together a memorable stretch run with a 9-0 record and 1.53 ERA. Veteran Frank Tanana added another 15 wins, while Walt Terrell posted a 17-10 record.

Summary

That’s it for the second entry in our MLB Team Rankings for the 1980s decade! Stay tuned for the countdown from #10 to #6, arriving in a few days. As always, thanks for reading!