The MLB postseason is approaching, and we thought it’d be a good time to rank major league teams based on their playoff performance since the expanded wild card postseason began in 2012. There have been 21 teams with a postseason appearance over the last four seasons, and three World Series champions: The San Francisco Giants, Boston Red Sox and Kansas City Royals. The St. Louis Cardinals are the only team to make the postseason every time.
We did a similar ranking at the end of the 2009 season to sum up the 00’s decade
Point distribution:
1 point for losing in the wild card game
2 points for losing in the division series
3 points for losing in the championship series
4 points for losing in the world series
6 points for winning the world series
21. Cleveland Indians: 1 point
- The Indians made the wild card game in 2013, losing to the Tampa Bay Rays. It’s their only postseason appearance since 2007
18 (tied). Houston Astros: 2 points
- Astros made the postseason in 2015, their first as an AL team, beating the Yankees in the WC game and losing to the Royals in the ALDS
18 (tied). Los Angeles Angels: 2 points
- Made the ALDS in 2014 after winning the AL West. They were swept by the Royals
18 (tied). Tampa Bay Rays: 2 points
- In 2012, the Rays won their WC game against the Indians, but lost 3-1 to the Red Sox in the ALDS
13 (tied). Atlanta Braves: 3 points
- In 2012 lost the WC game to the Cardinals
- In 2013 won the NL East for the first time since 2005, but lost in the NLDS to the Dodgers
13 (tied). Chicago Cubs: 3 points
- Made the 2015 postseason, their first playoff appearance since 2008. Beat the Pirates in the WC game, won against the Cardinals in the NLDS, were swept by the Mets in the NLCS
13 (tied). Cincinnati Reds: 3 points
- Won the NL Central in 2012, but lost to the Giants in the NLDS
- They lost the WC game to the Pirates in 2013
13 (tied). Texas Rangers: 3 points
- In 2012, after two consecutive World Series defeats, the Rangers lost in the WC game to Baltimore
- In 2015 they won the AL West, but lost to the Blue Jays in the ALDS
13 (tied). Toronto Blue Jays: 3 points
- Won the AL East in 2015, making the postseason for the first time since 1993. They beat the Rangers 3-2 in the ALDS, followed by losing to the Royals 4-2 in the ALCS.
9 (tied). New York Mets: 4 points
- In 2015 won the NL East and made the playoffs for the first time in nine years. They beat the Dodgers 3-2 in the NLDS, swept the Cubs in the NLCS, and lost to the Royals in the World Series
9 (tied). New York Yankees: 4 points
- In 2012 they won the AL East. They beat the Orioles in the ALDS, but got swept by the Tigers in the ALCS
- After two years without the postseason (a first for the Yankees since their 1982-1993 drought), the Yankees made the WC game, losing to the Astros
9 (tied). Pittsburgh Pirates: 4 points
- Broke their 21-year playoff drought in 2013, beating the Reds in the WC game, followed by losing to the Cardinals in the NLDS
- Lost to the Giants in the 2014 WC game
- Lost to the Cubs in the 2015 WC game
9 (tied). Washington Nationals: 4 points
- In 2012 the Nats won the division, making the postseason for the first time since coming from Montreal. They lost to the Cardinals in the NLDs
- Won the division again in 2014, losing to the Giants in the NLDS
7 (tied). Baltimore Orioles: 5 points
- Made the playoffs in 2012, their first postseason appearance in 15 years. Beat the Rangers in the wild card game, lost to the Yankees in the ALDS
- Won the division in 2014, their first division title since 1997. Beat the Tigers in the ALDS, swept by the Royals in the ALCS
7 (tied). Oakland Athletics: 5 points
- Won the AL West in 2012, but lost to the Tigers in the ALDS
- Rinse & Repeat for them in 2013: Winning the division, losing the ALDS to the Tigers
- Lost the WC game against the Royals in 2014
6. Boston Red Sox: 6 points (one world series)
- Made the playoffs just once since 2009. It happened to be a World Series title run in 2013: Beating the Rays in the ALDS, the Tigers in the ALCS and the Cardinals in the World Series
5. Los Angeles Dodgers: 7 points
- Won the division in 2013, followed by beating the Braves in the NLDS and losing to the Cardinals in the NLCS
- Won the division in 2014, but lost to the Cardinals in the NLDS
- Another division title in 2015, and another NLDS loss, this time to the Mets
4. Detroit Tigers: 9 points
- In 2012 they won the AL central for the second time out of 4 straight. They beat the A’s in the ALDS, swept the Yankees in the ALCS, and lost to the Giants in the world series
- In 2013 they beat the A’s in the ALDS but lost 4-2 to the Red Sox in the ALCS
- In 2014 they lost to the Orioles 3-0 in the ALDS
3. Kansas City Royals: 10 points (one world series)
- In 2014 the Royals made the playoffs for the first time since 1985. They beat the A’s in the WC game, swept the Angels in the ALDS and swept again in the ALCS vs the Orioles. They lost to the Giants in a 7-game World Series
- Won the AL Central for the first time in 2015 (first division title since 1985), beating the Astros in the ALDS, the Blue Jays in the ALCS and the Mets 4-1 in the World Series
2. St. Louis Cardinals: 12 points
- In 2012, they beat the Braves in the WC game, then the Nationals in the NLDS, but lost to the Giants in the NLCS
- In 2013 they won the division, leading to a divisional series vs the Pirates, winning it 3-2. Next were the Dodgers in the NLCS, beating them 4-2. They lost to the Red Sox in the World Series after 6 games
- Another division title in 2014, beating the Dodgers 3-1 in the NLDS, and losing to the Giants 4-1 in the NLCS
- Won the division in 2015 once more, but lost in the NLDS to the Cubs 3-1
1. San Francisco Giants: 12 points (2 world series)
- After winning the NL West in 2012, the Giants beat the Reds 3-2 in the NLDS, the Cardinals 4-3 in the NLCS, only to have it easy in the World Series, sweeping the Tigers
- In 2014 the Giants beat the Pirates in the WC game, the Nationals (3-1) in the NLDS, the Cardinals (4-1) in the NLCS, and needed 7 games to beat the Royals in the world series.
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