Listed below are the Major League Baseball teams with the best season win–loss records, as determined by winning percentage (.700 or better).
Season records
Legend NL = National League AL = American League AA = American Association
1886–1900 Season Team League Wins Losses Pct. Games played Finish Chicago White Stockings NL 90 34 124 Lost 1886 World Series Detroit Wolverines NL 87 36 123 2nd place in National League Boston Beaneaters NL 93 39 132 Lost 1897 Temple Cup St. Louis Browns AA 95 40 135 Lost 1887 World Series
Modern era (1901–present) Season Team League Wins Losses Pct. Games played Finish Chicago Cubs NL 116 36 152 Lost 1906 World Series Pittsburgh Pirates NL 103 36 139 National League Champions Pittsburgh Pirates NL 110 42 152 Won 1909 World Series Cleveland Indians AL 111 43 154 Lost 1954 World Series * Los Angeles Dodgers NL 43 17 60 Won 2020 World Series Seattle Mariners AL 116 46 162 Lost 2001 ALCS New York Yankees AL 110 44 154 Won 1927 World Series Chicago Cubs NL 107 45 152 Won 1907 World Series Philadelphia Athletics AL 107 45 152 Lost 1931 World Series New York Yankees AL 114 48 162 Won 1998 World Series New York Yankees AL 106 45 152 Won 1939 World Series *- Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the season was shortened to 60 games.
Pre-1886 teams With shorter schedules (fewer than 100 games before 1884), it was more common for teams to finish with .700 or better winning percentages, as there was less of the evening-out effect of a longer season, and some seasons had multiple teams, with three in 1884 (between the three leagues that year) and in 1885.
In the list below (minimum 15 games played), six teams finished with better overall winning percentages than the 1906 Cubs, three being in the early years of the National league, and the other three in leagues whose status as "major" is questionable: two in the National Association, whose status as a major league has long been disputed, and the other in the Union Association, which is conventionally listed as a major league, but this has been questioned due to the league's overall lack of playing talent and poor organizational structure.
In addition, contemporary baseball guides did not consider the Union Association to be a major league: the earliest record referencing the Union Association as a major league dates to 1922.Baseball Prospectus | Unfiltered
Legend NA = National Association NL = National League AA = American Association UA = Union Association
Season Team League Wins Losses Pct. Games played Finish Boston Red Stockings NA 71 8 79 National Association Champions St. Louis Maroons UA 94 19 113 Union Association Champions Boston Red Stockings NA 39 8 47 National Association Champions Chicago White Stockings NL 67 17 84 National League Champions Chicago White Stockings NL 52 14 66 National League Champions Chicago White Stockings NL 87 25 112 Tied 1885 World Series New York Giants NL 85 27 112 2nd National League Philadelphia Athletics NA 21 7 28 National Association Champions Providence Grays NL 84 28 112 Won 1884 World Series Boston Red Stockings NA 52 18 70 National Association Champions Boston Red Stockings NA 43 16 59 National Association Champions Philadelphia Athletics NA 53 20 73 2nd National Association St. Louis Browns AA 79 33 112 Tied 1885 World Series St. Louis Brown Stockings NL 45 19 64 3rd National League Providence Grays NL 59 25 84 National League Champions New York Metropolitans AA 75 32 107 Lost 1884 World Series Boston Red Caps NL 42 18 60 National League Champions The all-time best single season record belongs to the Cincinnati Red Stockings, who posted baseball's only perfect record at 67–0 (57–0 against National Association of Base Ball Players clubs) in 1869, prior to Major League baseball. Their record stretched to 81–0 across the 1870 season before losing 8–7 in eleven innings to the Brooklyn Atlantics in Brooklyn on June 14.History: Legend of the Cincinnati Red Stockings webpage. 1869 Cincinnati Red Stockings Vintage Base Ball Team website (2007). Cincinnati Vintage Base Ball Club. Retrieved 2010-10-15.
See also List of worst Major League Baseball season win–loss records List of Major League Baseball 100 win seasons
References
External links Records and statistics at Baseball Reference Baseball Almanac study of best teams of all time Excerpts from "Baseball Dynasties" by Neyer and Epstein Neyer, Rob, and Eddie Epstein. Baseball Dynasties: The Greatest Teams of All Time. Norton, 2000, 384 p.