The 1885 Chicago White Stockings have the best all-time record through 81 games. They went 64-17 in the first 81 games, and eventually finished the season at 87-25.
The 1942 Brooklyn Dodgers started the season 58-23, but failed to make the postseason. In the wild card era (1994 and after), the best start to the season which still missed the postseason is shared by the 2006 Chicago White Sox and 2003 Seattle Mariners, who started the season 53-28, but didn't make the postseason.
Starting in 1885, of the 137 teams that each season had the best record or tied for the best record through 81 games, 83.2% of them went on to make the postseason, and 33.6% of them won the World Series. The most recent 5 teams that had the best record through 81 games and went on to win the World Series are The 2018 Boston Red Sox, the 2017 Houston Astros, the 2007 Boston Red Sox, the 2005 Chicago White Sox and the 1998 New York Yankees.
| Team | Year | Record | Run Differential | Final Record | Final Result | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Chicago White Stockings | 1885 | 64-17 | +257 | 87-25 | No Postseason |
| 2 | New York Giants | 1885 | 62-19 | +207 | 85-27 | No Postseason |
| 3 | Pittsburgh Pirates | 1902 | 61-20 | +230 | 103-36 | No Postseason |
| New York Yankees | 1998 | 61-20 | +157 | 114-48 | Won WS | |
| Chicago Cubs | 1907 | 61-20 | +101 | 107-45 | Won WS | |
| 6 | New York Giants | 1912 | 60-21 | +195 | 103-48 | Lost WS |
| Seattle Mariners | 2001 | 60-21 | +141 | 116-46 | Lost ALCS | |
| 8 | Chicago White Stockings | 1886 | 59-22 | +230 | 90-34 | No Postseason |
| Philadelphia Athletics | 1929 | 59-22 | +211 | 104-46 | Won WS | |
| Detroit Wolverines | 1886 | 59-22 | +194 | 87-36 | No Postseason | |
| Brooklyn Dodgers | 1952 | 59-22 | +151 | 96-57 | Lost WS | |
| 12 | New York Yankees | 1939 | 58-23 | +230 | 106-45 | Won WS |
| St. Louis Cardinals | 1944 | 58-23 | +191 | 105-49 | Won WS | |
| New York Giants | 1904 | 58-23 | +187 | 106-47 | No Postseason | |
| Brooklyn Dodgers | 1942 | 58-23 | +165 | 104-50 | Missed Playoffs | |
| New York Yankees | 2022 | 58-23 | +159 | 99-63 | Lost ALCS | |
| Philadelphia Athletics | 1913 | 58-23 | +145 | 96-57 | Won WS | |
| Boston Red Sox | 1946 | 58-23 | +144 | 104-50 | Lost WS | |
| New York Yankees | 1928 | 58-23 | +140 | 101-53 | Won WS | |
| Pittsburgh Pirates | 1909 | 58-23 | +104 | 111-42 | Won WS | |
| Cincinnati Reds | 1970 | 58-23 | +91 | 102-60 | Lost WS | |
| 22 | New York Yankees | 1927 | 57-24 | +218 | 110-44 | Won WS |
| Philadelphia Athletics | 1931 | 57-24 | +151 | 107-45 | Lost WS | |
| Brooklyn Dodgers | 1955 | 57-24 | +148 | 98-55 | Won WS | |
| Chicago Cubs | 1906 | 57-24 | +146 | 116-36 | Lost WS | |
| Cleveland Indians | 1995 | 57-24 | +134 | 100-44 | Lost WS | |
| Detroit Tigers | 1911 | 57-24 | +121 | 89-65 | Missed Playoffs | |
| 28 | Boston Beaneaters | 1897 | 56-25 | +218 | 93-39 | No Postseason |
| Baltimore Orioles | 1969 | 56-25 | +165 | 109-53 | Lost WS | |
| New York Giants | 1905 | 56-25 | +165 | 105-48 | Won WS | |
| Philadelphia Phillies | 1976 | 56-25 | +143 | 101-61 | Lost NLCS | |
| New York Giants | 1886 | 56-25 | +142 | 75-44 | No Postseason | |
| Boston Red Sox | 1978 | 56-25 | +137 | 99-64 | Missed Playoffs | |
| New York Giants | 1954 | 56-25 | +135 | 97-57 | Won WS | |
| Chicago Cubs | 1918 | 56-25 | +122 | 84-45 | Lost WS | |
| Cincinnati Reds | 1940 | 56-25 | +122 | 100-53 | Won WS | |
| Boston Red Sox | 1912 | 56-25 | +119 | 105-47 | Won WS | |
| Detroit Tigers | 1984 | 56-25 | +110 | 104-58 | Won WS | |
| Cleveland Indians | 1954 | 56-25 | +109 | 111-43 | Lost WS | |
| New York Mets | 1986 | 56-25 | +101 | 108-54 | Won WS | |
| 41 | New York Yankees | 1937 | 55-26 | +196 | 102-52 | Won WS |
| Cincinnati Reds | 1896 | 55-26 | +190 | 77-50 | No Postseason | |
| New York Yankees | 1932 | 55-26 | +170 | 107-47 | Won WS | |
| Brooklyn Grooms | 1892 | 55-26 | +149 | 95-59 | No Postseason | |
| New York Yankees | 1947 | 55-26 | +145 | 97-57 | Won WS | |
| Los Angeles Dodgers | 1974 | 55-26 | +139 | 102-60 | Lost WS | |
| New York Yankees | 1923 | 55-26 | +134 | 98-54 | Won WS | |
| New York Yankees | 1956 | 55-26 | +134 | 97-57 | Won WS | |
| Brooklyn Dodgers | 1941 | 55-26 | +133 | 100-54 | Lost WS | |
| Los Angeles Dodgers | 2019 | 55-26 | +131 | 106-56 | Lost NLDS | |
| Baltimore Orioles | 1966 | 55-26 | +129 | 97-63 | Won WS | |
| New York Giants | 1913 | 55-26 | +119 | 101-51 | Lost WS | |
| Detroit Tigers | 2006 | 55-26 | +118 | 95-67 | Lost WS | |
| New York Yankees | 1953 | 55-26 | +118 | 99-52 | Won WS | |
| Philadelphia Athletics | 1910 | 55-26 | +118 | 102-48 | Won WS | |
| Brooklyn Superbas | 1899 | 55-26 | +104 | 101-47 | No Postseason | |
| New York Giants | 1919 | 55-26 | +104 | 87-53 | Missed Playoffs | |
| Chicago White Sox | 2005 | 55-26 | +79 | 99-63 | Won WS |
All Major League Baseball Teams
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All MLB stats, streaks, droughts and records are updated based on games played on or before Apr 18, 2024.
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