Greatest groups of 2021-2022 – by G. Scott Thomas

I’ve devoted the Mondays in April, Could, and June to my breakdowns of the perfect groups of baseball’s Fashionable Period, specializing in successive five-year intervals.

However this strategy has a downside. The period encompasses 62 seasons (1961-2022), not counting the one at present underway. And 62 will not be exactly divisible by 5.

Final Monday’s report coated the ultimate full half-decade of the period, 2016-2020. That leaves us with a the rest of two years, which might be our matter at present.

The Houston Astros and Los Angeles Dodgers have been the dominant franchises within the temporary 2021-2022 interval, in line with my evaluation, which designates the Astros of the latter yr as the perfect membership in both season.

Immediately’s rankings are based mostly on my calculations of group scores, that are plotted on a 100-point scale. (Click on right here to study in regards to the TS system.)

The 2022 Astros have been credited with a TS of 87.893 factors, the Tenth-best rating amongst all 1,656 golf equipment all through the Fashionable Period. Right here’s what meaning: Final yr’s Houston squad was higher than 99.5 p.c of all big-league groups that took the sphere between 1961 and 2022.

The Astros gained the World Collection in 2022. The runner-up within the 2021-2022 standings, final yr’s Los Angeles Dodgers, didn’t fare practically as effectively. They have been defeated within the first spherical of the playoffs, but their TS of 78.998 factors nonetheless ranks second-best for the two-year interval.

Rounding out the highest 5 are the 2021 Dodgers, the 2021 Astros, and the 2021 San Francisco Giants.

That is the final cease in our journey by way of the Fashionable Period’s greatest ballclubs. Click on right here to see the earlier rankings: 1961-1965, 1966-1970, 1971-1975, 1976-1980, 1981-1985, 1986-1990, 1991-1995, 1996-2000, 2001-2005, 2006-2010, 2011-2015, and 2016-2020.

Scroll beneath to see the ten greatest groups in 2021 and 2022. Every is proven with its win-loss document, group rating, and Fashionable Period percentile.

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• Document: 106-56

• Workforce rating: 87.893 factors

• Fashionable Period percentile: 99.5%

• Supervisor: Dusty Baker

• Stars: Pitcher Justin Verlander gained the American League’s Cy Younger Award for his 18-4 document and his league-leading 1.75 ERA. Designated hitter Yordan Alvarez completed third within the voting for Most Priceless Participant. He blasted 37 residence runs and batted .306.

• Backside line: The Astros breezed previous the second-place Seattle Mariners by 16 video games to win the AL West. Their route by way of the playoffs was equally freed from stress. Houston went 11-2 because it successively ousted the Mariners, New York Yankees, and Philadelphia Phillies.

• Document: 111-51

• Workforce rating: 78.998 factors

• Fashionable Period percentile: 96.9%

• Supervisor: Dave Roberts

• Stars: First baseman Freddie Freeman led the Nationwide League in runs scored (117), hits (199), and doubles (47). Shortstop Trea Turner completed with 100 RBIs and a .298 batting common. Beginning pitchers Julio Urias and Tony Gonsolin had respective information of 17-7 and 16-1.

• Backside line: The Dodgers ran away from the remainder of the Nationwide League West, bolting to a 12-game lead by the tip of July and cruising to a 22-game margin by the tip. They gained their opening playoff recreation in opposition to San Diego, then immediately went chilly. The Padres emerged with a four-game conquer Los Angeles within the Division Collection.

• Document: 106-56

• Workforce rating: 75.648 factors

• Fashionable Period percentile: 95.2%

• Supervisor: Dave Roberts

• Stars: Pitcher Julio Urias gained 20 video games and spun a 2.96 ERA. Staffmate Walker Buehler went 16-4. First baseman Max Muncy drilled 36 homers and drove in 94 runs. Third baseman Justin Turner chipped in with 27 homers.

• Backside line: The Dodgers boasted the second-best document within the majors in 2021. It was their misfortune that the one membership with extra wins, San Francisco, was additionally within the NL West. Los Angeles received its revenge by eliminating the Giants from the playoffs. Atlanta then knocked off the Dodgers in a six-game NL Championship Collection.

• Document: 95-67

• Workforce rating: 74.809 factors

• Fashionable Period percentile: 94.6%

• Supervisor: Dusty Baker

• Stars: Carlos Correa batted .279, drove residence 92 runs, and gained a Gold Glove at shortstop. First baseman Yuli Gurriel paced the Astros with a .319 batting common. Pitcher Lance McCullers Jr. went 13-5 with a 3.16 ERA.

• Backside line: Houston gained the AL West for the fourth time in 5 years, then dispatched the White Sox and Purple Sox within the first two playoff rounds. The 95-win Astros entered the World Collection as stable favorites over the Braves, whose regular-season document was 88-73. However Atlanta earned the title in six video games.

• Document: 107-55

• Workforce rating: 73.634 factors

• Fashionable Period percentile: 93.8%

• Supervisor: Gabe Kapler

• Stars: Catcher Buster Posey batted a stable .304. Shortstop Brandon Crawford gained a Gold Glove, drove residence 90 runs, and completed fourth within the race for the Nationwide League’s MVP trophy. Pitcher Kevin Gausman put up a 14-6 document and a 2.81 earned run common.

• Backside line: Little was anticipated of the Giants. They hadn’t posted a successful proportion above .500 since 2016, however they defied the oddsmakers in 2021 by outdueling the Dodgers within the Nationwide League West. San Francisco gained the division by a single recreation, however it fell to Los Angeles within the playoffs.

• 6. Atlanta Braves (2021), 88-73, 93.3%

• 7. New York Yankees (2022), 99-63, 93.1%

• 8. Tampa Bay Rays (2021), 100-62, 89.7%

• 9. Atlanta Braves (2022), 101-61, 87.8%

• 10. New York Mets (2022), 101-61, 85.0%