MLB Tournament of Champions: Elimination Round Reveal

We needed an extra game to do it, but the field is set for the Elimination Round of the MLB Tournament of Champions!

At the beginning of April, 30 teams, one representing each franchise in Major League Baseball, entered our gauntlet of games, and now we've narrowed the field as Major League Baseball does every year, just in a smaller sample size. Below I'll post full standings from the regular season portion of the tournament, with their records from their actual season, their tournament record, and how it would look aggregated into a 162 game season.

This will immediately be followed up with a look at the bracket and the ten teams who are fighting for the title of Champion of Champions.

1. 2016 Chicago Cubs: 103-58 | 59-33 -> 104-58
2. 1995 Cleveland Indians: 100-44 | 58-34 -> 102-60
3. 1995 Atlanta Braves: 90-54 | 55-37 -> 97-65
4. 2004 Boston Red Sox: 98-64 | 54-38 -> 95-67
5. 2011 Texas Rangers: 96-66 | 53-39 -> 93-69
6. 2007 Colorado Rockies: 90-73 | 52-40 -> 92-70
7. 1975 Cincinnati Reds: 108-54 | 52-40 -> 92-70
8. 2001 Seattle Mariners: 116-46 | 52-40 -> 92-70
9. 1998 San Diego Padres: 98-64 | 49-43 -> 86-76
10. 1970 Baltimore Orioles: 108-54 | 49-44 -> 86-77*
11. 1998 New York Yankees: 114-48 | 48-45 -> 85-78*
12. 1965 Los Angeles Dodgers: 97-65 | 47-45 -> 83-79
13. 1986 New York Mets: 108-54 | 47-45 -> 83-79
14. 2008 Tampa Bay Rays: 97-65 | 47-45 -> 83-79
15. 1971 Pittsburgh Pirates: 97-65 | 46-46 -> 81-81
16. 1984 Detroit Tigers: 104-58 | 46-46 -> 81-81
17. 1989 Oakland Athletics: 99-63 | 46-46 -> 81-81
18. 2005 Houston Astros: 89-73 | 45-47 -> 79-83
19. 1982 Milwaukee Brewers: 95-67 | 44-48 -> 77-85
20. 2011 St. Louis Cardinals: 90-72 | 44-48 -> 77-85
21. 2003 Florida Marlins: 91-71 | 43-49 -> 76-86
22. 2014 Washington Nationals: 96-66 | 42-50 -> 74-88
23. 2015 Kansas City Royals: 95-67 | 42-50 -> 74-88
24. 1991 Minnesota Twins: 95-67 | 40-52 -> 70-92
25. 2010 San Francisco Giants: 92-70 | 40-52 -> 70-92
26. 2002 Anaheim Angels: 99-63 | 39-53 -> 69-93
27. 1993 Toronto Blue Jays: 95-67 | 37-55 -> 65-97
28. 2001 Arizona Diamondbacks: 92-70 | 36-56 -> 63-99
29. 2005 Chicago White Sox: 99-63 | 36-56 -> 63-99
30. 2008 Philadelphia Phillies: 92-70 | 33-59 -> 58-104

I knew that just based on the sheer numbers that a lot of teams that played really well in their era were going to have some pretty bad records, but we ran the gamut from 33 wins to 59, which over the course of a 162 game season ranges from 58 wins to 104. We saw the rough average for making the playoffs pan out as well, as 86 wins was the minimum needed to get in were we to multiply this out. I'm the most shocked though, to be honest, about how poorly the 2005 Chicago White Sox played. I figured they would hold their own in the AL Central, but they really didn't (their dominance of the 2004 Red Sox notwithstanding). Arguments about recency bias, which held up to some degree in my three separate NBA Tournaments of Champions, may have some sway here, but we have a pair of teams from the 1970s in the playoffs in amongst the couple from the 90s and the majority from this century. And yet our three worst teams were also from the new millenium, and our oldest team, the 1965 Dodgers, held their own, finishing just two games out of a playoff spot and over .500.

So with all that out of the way, here is the official MLB Tournament of Champions Elimination Round Bracket!

Wild Card Round

1998 San Diego Padres vs 1975 Cincinnati Reds
1970 Baltimore Orioles vs 2001 Seattle Mariners

Division Series

NL Wild Card Winner vs 2016 Chicago Cubs
2007 Colorado Rockies vs 1995 Atlanta Braves
AL Wild Card Winner vs 1995 Cleveland Indians
2011 Texas Rangers vs 2004 Boston Red Sox

From here on out, the playoffs will play out like Major League Baseball's playoff format will, with the exception that the Wild Card round will expand from a winner take all game to a best of three format, with the team with the better record getting home field advantage in a 1-2 format (mainly for ease of virtual travel, and also to guarantee the worse wild card getting a home game). The remaining rounds will all play out as the current MLB postseason does, with division winners getting home field advantage over wild cards, and records determining it for division winners. Come the Championship of Champions Series, which will also be a best of seven, the team with the better record will get home field advantage. There are a few instances of tied records, but in that case a division title takes priority over a wild card (meaning the 2007 Rockies would host the 2001 Mariners in that scenario), but record against playoff teams in the regular season would be the tiebreaker in a 1975 Reds-2001 Mariners series.

I will also be compiling stats during the Elimination Round, with the intent of building an All-Tournament Team at the end. The All Tournament Team will be composed entirely of players from teams who have made it this far. We'll have more on that though when we get that far.

By the end of the week I will have the results from our two Wild Card series in the books. Good luck to all of our teams remaining in the Tournament of Champions!