Some Facts About 100-win Teams

The Yankees clinched the American League East title Sunday with a win over the Red Sox. The win also gave them 100 for the season. The 100-win plateau has always been intriguing and is one of those magical statistical numbers that makes baseball such a cool sport. But it's not one of those magical numbers that gets much ink. To remedy that fact, here are some tidbits about 100-win seasons:

• The Yankees are the 87th team since 1901 to win 100 games.
• There have been 44 seasons since 1901 when no team reached 100 wins that season. Two of them were strike shortened seasons and two seasons (1918, 1919) were shortened by war.
• There have been 23 seasons that had at least two 100-win teams.
• There were five seasons that featured three 100-win teams: 2003, 2002, 1998, 1977 and 1942. 1942 was the only one when there were only 154 games in a season.
• The longest stretch of years without a 100-win team was nine seasons: 1918-1926.
• The longest stretch of years without a 100-win team since the 162 game schedule is three seasons: 1981-1983 (1981 was strike shortened).
• The longest stretch of seasons in a row with at least one team with 100 wins was seven seasons: 1974-1980.
• The lowest season (full seasons only) below 100 wins during the 154 game schedule was the 1926 Yankees that led the majors with 91.
• The lowest season (full seasons only) below 100 wins during the 162 game schedule was in 1982 when the Brewers led the majors with 95 wins.
• The Yankees have the most 100-win seasons with 18. Twice they finished in second place with 100 or more wins.
• The Athletics (Philadelphia, Kansas City, Oakland) and the Cardinals have the second most 100-win seasons with 8 each.
• 51 of the 87 teams that compiled 100 wins in a season have not won the World Series that year. That's 59%.
• Only five teams have won 100 games three seasons in a row: Athletics (1929-1931), Cardinals (1942-1944), Orioles (1969-1971), Braves (1997-1999) and the Yankees (2002-2004).