Kansas City Royals: The Math Isn’t There

Kansas City Royals base runner Alcides Escobar (2) Mandatory Credit: Peter G. Aiken-USA TODAY Sports

Remember when the Royals and the Dodgers were the two best teams in the second half last year? The Royals went 43-27 in the second half, 16 games over .500.  They would have to find a way to better that performance this year, just to have a snowball’s chance.

Some of you may be asking, why 90 is the magic number. Last year, the Wild Card teams each had 92 wins. In 2012, the Wild Card teams each had 93 wins.

… had there been two possible Wild Card spots for the past five years, 8 out of 10 Wild Card teams would have registered at least 90 wins.

2012 was the first year MLB provided two Wild Card playoff spots for each league, but we can still take a look back into the recent past, and see what teams would have earned that extra playoff spot in the American League, and their respective win totals.

In 2011, the Tampa Bay Rays earned the lone Wild Card spot with 91 wins. The Boston Red Sox would have been next in line with 90 wins.

In 2010, the New York Yankees were the Wild Card team, and did so with 95 wins. Once again, the Red Sox would have been next with 89 wins.

In 2009, the Boston Red Sox were the Wild Card team, notching 95 wins. Next up would have been the Texas Rangers with 87 wins.

To summarize, had there been two possible Wild Card spots for the past five years, 8 out of 10 Wild Card teams would have registered at least 90 wins.