20 Greatest Teams In MLB History

20 Greatest Teams In MLB History

By Brian Kalchik

20 Greatest Teams In MLB History

Greatest MLB Teams
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The game of baseball has been around since the late 1800s, and there have been plenty of great and memorable teams. Here are the top 20 teams.

20. 1906 Chicago Cubs

Chicago Cubs Logo
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20. 1906 Chicago Cubs

Chicago Cubs Logo
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The 1906 Cubs won the National League pennant with a record of 116–36, a full 20 games ahead of the second-place New York Giants. The team's 116 wins is still the most by any team in National League history and their .763 winning percentage is still the highest in modern MLB history. They are the best team to never win the World Series as they lost to the Chicago White Sox.

19. 1969 New York Mets

Tom Seaver Mets
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19. 1969 New York Mets

Tom Seaver Mets
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In their seven previous seasons, the Mets had never finished higher than ninth place, never had a winning season and lost at least one hundred games five times. The Mets finished 100–62, defeated the Atlanta Braves in the inaugural NLCS and advanced to face Earl Weaver's Baltimore Orioles in the World Series. In one of the biggest upsets ever, New York defeated Baltimore in five behind future Hall of Fame pitchers Tom Seaver and Nolan Ryan.

18. 1993 Toronto Blue Jays

Joe Carter Blue Jays
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18. 1993 Toronto Blue Jays

Joe Carter Blue Jays
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The 1993 Blue Jays were an offensive juggernaut. They were shut out just once in the 1993 season and finished with 95 regular season wins. The Blue Jays would repeat as World Champions by defeating the Philadelphia Phillies in six games to become the first back-to-back champions since the 1977–1978 New York Yankees. Their roster included Hall of Famers Paul Molitor and Rickey Henderson along with Dave Stewart, Jack Morris and Joe Carter.

17. 2004 Boston Red Sox

Pedro Martinez Red Sox
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17. 2004 Boston Red Sox

Pedro Martinez Red Sox
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The 2004 Red Sox won 98 games, but only managed to earn the wild-card berth. In the ALCS against the Yankees, Boston was down 3-0 and all hope seemed lost. Then, the Red Sox won four straight, becoming the first MLB team to comeback from that deficit. The World Series was an afterthought as the Red Sox swept the Cardinals. This team was led by David Ortiz, Manny Ramirez, Pedro Martinez and Curt Schilling.

16. 1934 St. Louis Cardinals

Dizzy Dean
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16. 1934 St. Louis Cardinals

Dizzy Dean
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The 1934 Cardinals were a dirty team known as the "Gashouse Gang", but they won 95 games and cruised to the title. The team featured five position players who hit at least .300 and a 30-game winner in Dizzy Dean, the National League's last 30-game winner. The Cardinals defeated the Tigers in the World Series in seven games behind an 11-0 rout in Game 7. The Cardinals also won 33 of their last 45 to win the pennant over the New York Giants.

15. 1909 Pittsburgh Pirates

Pittsburgh Pirates Logo
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15. 1909 Pittsburgh Pirates

Pittsburgh Pirates Logo
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Both the 1902 and 1909 Pirates teams were great, but the 1909 squad won the World Series while the 1902 squad played before the Fall Classic. Led by Honus Wagner, the Pirates scored the most runs in the majors while Wagner led the majors in batting average, on-base percentage, slugging percentage, and RBIs. The pitching staff had two 20-game winners and they defeated Ty Cobb's Tigers to win their first World Series.

14. 1978 New York Yankees

1978 New York Yankees
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14. 1978 New York Yankees

1978 New York Yankees
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The 1978 Yankees, mainly Billy Martin, George Steinbrenner and Reggie Jackson, feuded a lot, but they were a great team that got hot late. New York rallied from a 14-game deficit to force a one-game playoff with the Red Sox. Bucky Dent's home run gave the Yankees the pennant and they advanced to defeat the Dodgers in six games to win the World Series.

13. 1967 St. Louis Cardinals

Bob Gibson Cardinals
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13. 1967 St. Louis Cardinals

Bob Gibson Cardinals
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Featuring four future Hall of Famers in Lou Brock, Bob Gibson, Steve Carlton and Orlando Cepeda, the 1967 Cardinals won 101 games and won the NL pennant by 10.5 games over the San Francisco Giants. The Cards faced a Red Sox team that reached their first World Series since 1946, also a Cardinals-Red Sox matchup. Bob Gibson was named Series MVP after winning games 1, 4 and 7.

12. 1963 Los Angeles Dodgers

Sandy Koufax Dodgers
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12. 1963 Los Angeles Dodgers

Sandy Koufax Dodgers
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Don Drysdale and Sandy Koufax won 44 games, struck out 537 batters and had 37 complete games to lead the 1963 Dodgers. Los Angeles allowed just four runs in the World Series and swept the Yankees, becoming the first team to sweep the Yankees in a postseason series.

11. 1961 New York Yankees

Mickey Mantle Yankees
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11. 1961 New York Yankees

Mickey Mantle Yankees
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After losing the 1960 World Series to the Pittsburgh Pirates, the 1961 Yankees came out with a vengeance, sweeping through the 1961 season. Roger Maris broke the single-season home run record held by Babe Ruth, and Mickey Mantle chipped in 54. Six players hit at least 20 home runs and the Yankees won 109 games, sweeping the Reds in the World Series.

10. 1984 Detroit Tigers

Lance Parrish Tigers
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10. 1984 Detroit Tigers

Lance Parrish Tigers
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Fueled by AL MVP and Cy Young Award winning closer Willie Hernandez, the 1984 Tigers cruised through the regular season and were never tested en route to the World Series. The Tigers opened with a 9–0 start and went 35–5 after 40 games. They won 104 regular season games, went 11-1 in the postseason and defeated San Diego in the World Series in five.

9. 1986 New York Mets

1986 New York Mets
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9. 1986 New York Mets

1986 New York Mets
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The 1986 Mets needed a little luck in the World Series, but they were dominant in the regular season, making them one of the best teams ever. The Mets won 108 regular season games and faced the Red Sox in the World Series. In Game Six, the Mets rallied to force extra innings and won on Bill Buckner's error. The Mets then won in seven games.

8. 1970 Baltimore Orioles

Brooks Robinson Orioles
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8. 1970 Baltimore Orioles

Brooks Robinson Orioles
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A year after their embarrassing World Series loss to the Miracle Mets, the 1970 Orioles left no doubt as to who was the best team. They won the AL East by 15 games over the Yankees and defeated the Reds in the World Series in five. Jim Palmer led the rotation while Brooks Robinson, Frank Robinson and Boog Powell led a dominant offense.

7. 1973 Oakland Athletics

Reggie Jackson Athletics
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7. 1973 Oakland Athletics

Reggie Jackson Athletics
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Led by the trio of Reggie Jackson, Catfish Hunter and Rollie Fingers, the 1973 A's won 94 games and their second of three consecutive World Series titles. The A's had three 20-game winners in Hunter, Vida Blue and Ken Holtzman and defeated Willie Mays' Mets in seven games to clinch the title.

6. 1939 New York Yankees

Joe DiMaggio Yankees
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6. 1939 New York Yankees

Joe DiMaggio Yankees
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The Yankees became the first team to win four consecutive World Series following the 1939 World Series. Despite losing Lou Gehrig to ALS, the Yankees won 106 games, won the AL pennant by 17 games. The 1939 Yankees are the only team to ever outscore their regular season opponents by over 400 runs (967–556). The World Series was no contest as the Yankees swept the Reds.

5. 1932 New York Yankees

Lou Gehrig Yankees
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5. 1932 New York Yankees

Lou Gehrig Yankees
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The 1932 Yankees finished with 107 regular season wins and their roster featured a record nine Hall of Fame players, New York finished 13 games ahead of the Philadelphia Athletics to win the pennant. In the World Series, the Yankees swept the Chicago Cubs thanks to Babe Ruth's "called shot".

4. 1975 Cincinnati Reds

Pete Rose Reds
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4. 1975 Cincinnati Reds

Pete Rose Reds
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As good as the Reds were in the 1970s, the 1975 squad is the greatest of the "Big Red Machine". Cincinnati won 108 regular season games, 20 more than the second-place Dodgers. The lineup featured the likes of Johnny Bench, the greatest catcher ever, Joe Morgan, one of the greatest second basemen ever, and Pete Rose, statistically the best hitter ever. In the World Series, the Reds defeated a scrappy Red Sox club in seven games.

3. 1929 Philadelphia A's

Connie Mack
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3. 1929 Philadelphia A's

Connie Mack
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The 1929 Philadelphia A's were loaded everywhere and won the 1929 pennant by an 18-game margin. Mickey Cochrane, Jimmie Foxx and Al Simmons led the offense while Lefty Grove led the American League in strikeouts. The A's easily defeated the Cubs in the World Series in five games.

2. 1998 New York Yankees

1998 New York Yankees
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2. 1998 New York Yankees

1998 New York Yankees
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The 1998 Yankees finished with a franchise record 114 regular season wins, 22 games ahead of the second-place Boston Red Sox in the AL East. In total, the Yankees won 125 games in 1998, an MLB record. The Yankees were loaded from top to bottom with legends like Mariano Rivera, AL batting champion Bernie Williams and AL runs leader Derek Jeter. The Padres had no chance in the World Series against the Yankees, losing four straight.

1. 1927 New York Yankees

Babe Ruth Yankees
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1. 1927 New York Yankees

Babe Ruth Yankees
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No other team going forward will ever be as good or as dominant as the 1927 Yankees. This team was nicknamed "Murderer's Row" because of their awesome lineup. Babe Ruth and Lou Gehrig led the way as the Yankees won 100 games and swept the Pirates in the World Series.

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