Best MLB Regular Season Records Through 35 games

Q: Which MLB team has the best record through 35 games?<

The 1902 Pittsburgh Pirates and 1984 Detroit Tigers tie for the best all-time record through 35 games. They each went 30-5 in the first 35 games. The 1902 Pittsburgh Pirates had a better run differential through 35 games, +127 vs +106.

Q: Which MLB team had the best start through 35 games but still missed the postseason?

A total of 3 different teams started the season 27-8 and failed to make the postseason. The most recent example was the 1921 Pittsburgh Pirates. In the wild card era (1994 and after), the best start to the season which still missed the postseason was the the 2002 Boston Red Sox, who were 26-9 through 35 games but didn't make the postseason.

Q: How did the best MLB teams through 35 games perform in the postseason?

Starting in 1885, of the 154 teams that each season had the best record or tied for the best record through 35 games, 57.8% of them went on to make the postseason, and 26.0% of them won the World Series. The most recent 5 teams that had the best record through 35 games and went on to win the World Series are The 2020 Los Angeles Dodgers, the 2018 Boston Red Sox, the 2017 Houston Astros, the 2016 Chicago Cubs and the 2007 Boston Red Sox.

Which MLB team has the best record through 35 games?<

The 1902 Pittsburgh Pirates and 1984 Detroit Tigers tie for the best all-time record through 35 games. They each went 30-5 in the first 35 games. The 1902 Pittsburgh Pirates had a better run differential through 35 games, +127 vs +106.

All-Time Best MLB Starts Through:

Best MLB Start Through 35 Games

	Team	Year	Record	Run Differential	Final Record	Final Result
1	Pittsburgh Pirates	1902	30-5	+127	103-36	No Postseason
	Detroit Tigers	1984	30-5	+106	104-58	Won WS
3	Chicago White Stockings	1885	29-6	+125	87-25	No Postseason
	Detroit Wolverines	1886	29-6	+98	87-36	No Postseason
5	Tampa Bay Rays	2023	28-7	+115	99-63	Lost ALWC
	New York Yankees	1939	28-7	+108	106-45	Won WS
	New York Giants	1912	28-7	+107	103-48	Lost WS
	New York Yankees	1928	28-7	+75	101-53	Won WS
9	Chicago Cubs	2016	27-8	+110	103-58	Won WS
	New York Giants	1885	27-8	+110	85-27	No Postseason
	New York Giants	1905	27-8	+110	105-48	Won WS
	Chicago White Stockings	1886	27-8	+99	90-34	No Postseason
	Cincinnati Reds	1898	27-8	+88	92-60	No Postseason
	Brooklyn Dodgers	1955	27-8	+81	98-55	Won WS
	New York Giants	1907	27-8	+77	82-71	Missed Playoffs
	Boston Red Sox	1946	27-8	+73	104-50	Lost WS
	Los Angeles Dodgers	1977	27-8	+72	98-64	Lost WS
	Philadelphia Athletics	1931	27-8	+71	107-45	Lost WS
	Pittsburgh Pirates	1921	27-8	+71	90-63	Missed Playoffs
	New York Giants	1923	27-8	+62	95-58	Lost WS
	Detroit Tigers	1911	27-8	+60	89-65	Missed Playoffs
	Chicago Cubs	1907	27-8	+50	107-45	Won WS
23	New York Yankees	1951	26-9	+106	98-56	Won WS
	Philadelphia Athletics	1929	26-9	+101	104-46	Won WS
	Boston Beaneaters	1889	26-9	+97	83-45	No Postseason
	Los Angeles Dodgers	1974	26-9	+94	102-60	Lost WS
	San Francisco Giants	1962	26-9	+93	103-62	Lost WS
	Boston Red Sox	2002	26-9	+87	93-69	Missed Playoffs
	Baltimore Orioles	1897	26-9	+83	90-40	No Postseason
	Cleveland Indians	1999	26-9	+80	97-65	Lost ALDS
	Philadelphia Phillies	1976	26-9	+74	101-61	Lost NLCS
	Boston Beaneaters	1892	26-9	+73	102-48	No Postseason
	New York Yankees	2022	26-9	+73	99-63	Lost ALCS
	New York Yankees	1926	26-9	+72	91-63	Lost WS
	Chicago White Sox	1912	26-9	+67	78-76	Missed Playoffs
	Chicago White Sox	1951	26-9	+66	81-73	Missed Playoffs
	New York Giants	1952	26-9	+62	92-62	Missed Playoffs
	Philadelphia Athletics	1910	26-9	+61	102-48	Won WS
	Cincinnati Reds	1990	26-9	+58	91-71	Won WS
	New York Giants	1935	26-9	+58	91-62	Missed Playoffs
	Los Angeles Dodgers	1981	26-9	+57	63-47	Won WS
	San Francisco Giants	1971	26-9	+56	90-72	Lost NLCS
	New York Yankees	1998	26-9	+55	114-48	Won WS
	St. Louis Cardinals	1941	26-9	+55	97-56	Missed Playoffs
	Seattle Mariners	2001	26-9	+52	116-46	Lost ALCS
	Chicago White Sox	2005	26-9	+44	99-63	Won WS
	New York Mets	1972	26-9	+25	83-73	Missed Playoffs
48	Detroit Wolverines	1887	25-10	+125	79-45	No Postseason
	Baltimore Orioles	1894	25-10	+122	89-39	No Postseason
	New York Yankees	1932	25-10	+90	107-47	Won WS
	Los Angeles Dodgers	2020	25-10	+85	43-17	Won WS
	New York Yankees	2003	25-10	+84	101-61	Lost WS
	Washington Senators	1930	25-10	+81	94-60	Missed Playoffs
	Brooklyn Dodgers	1942	25-10	+76	104-50	Missed Playoffs
	New York Yankees	1923	25-10	+76	98-54	Won WS
	Chicago White Stockings	1888	25-10	+69	77-58	No Postseason
	Chicago Cubs	1906	25-10	+68	116-36	Lost WS
	New York Yankees	1950	25-10	+68	98-56	Won WS
	Boston Red Sox	2018	25-10	+66	108-54	Won WS
	New York Yankees	2018	25-10	+63	100-62	Lost ALDS
	Oakland Athletics	1988	25-10	+63	104-58	Lost WS
	Cleveland Indians	1995	25-10	+61	100-44	Lost WS
	Arizona Diamondbacks	2000	25-10	+59	85-77	Missed Playoffs
	Philadelphia Athletics	1925	25-10	+59	88-64	Missed Playoffs
	Chicago White Sox	1907	25-10	+57	87-64	Missed Playoffs
	Minnesota Twins	1970	25-10	+57	98-64	Lost ALCS
	Oakland Athletics	1981	25-10	+57	64-45	Lost ALCS
	Baltimore Orioles	1970	25-10	+56	108-54	Won WS
	New York Yankees	1958	25-10	+55	92-62	Won WS
	Cincinnati Reds	1940	25-10	+54	100-53	Won WS
	Cincinnati Reds	1970	25-10	+53	102-60	Lost WS
	New York Giants	1938	25-10	+51	83-67	Missed Playoffs
	New York Yankees	1994	25-10	+51	70-43	No Postseason
	Philadelphia Athletics	1948	25-10	+51	84-70	Missed Playoffs
	Seattle Mariners	2002	25-10	+51	93-69	Missed Playoffs
	Boston Red Sox	1917	25-10	+50	90-62	Missed Playoffs
	New York Yankees	1942	25-10	+50	103-51	Lost WS
	New York Mets	1986	25-10	+47	108-54	Won WS
	Brooklyn Dodgers	1952	25-10	+45	96-57	Lost WS
	Philadelphia Athletics	1913	25-10	+38	96-57	Won WS
	Los Angeles Dodgers	1983	25-10	+37	91-71	Lost NLCS
	Boston Americans	1904	25-10	+36	95-59	No Postseason
	Minnesota Twins	2001	25-10	+35	85-77	Missed Playoffs
	New York Giants	1945	25-10	+35	78-74	Missed Playoffs
	San Francisco Giants	2003	25-10	+31	100-61	Lost NLDS
	Cleveland Indians	1966	25-10	+30	81-81	Missed Playoffs
	Philadelphia Phillies	1993	25-10	+24	97-65	Lost WS

Which MLB team had the best start through 35 games but still missed the postseason?