All wins in baseball are equal, when it comes to the standings. It doesn’t matter whether it’s by one run in extra innings, or a game that would be called under the mercy rule in Little League - a W is worth the same. And the same thing goes with regard to the opposition you play: getting past the defending World Series champion is no more valuable than beating up on a perpetual door-mat.
The Cincinnati Reds Are The Bullies Of MLB
But some team are just better at that than others. Witness the Cincinnati Reds, who have already accumulated no less than sixty-two wins, facing opponents who currently have losing records. With seven of their last ten games against the Brewers and Astros, they could be getting into pretty rarefied territory. Only one team has posted more than 66 such victories since 2001 - the 2006 Dodgers, who went 69-36.
It takes a confluence of events to be able to get up that high. In the Reds’ case, it’s playing in a division with four other teams currently below .500, providing a lot of such match-ups. 54 to date, including sixteen against the team with the worst record in the majors, the Pirates. Cincinnati has piled up a record of 39-15 against Pittsburgh, Houston, Milwaukee and the Cubs, and ridden that to the brink of the post-season.
Which must be very galling for their rivals in St. Louis. The Cardinals have a far better record against “good” teams - they are 35-26, trailing only the Phillies and Rockies in the NL. That’s compared to the Reds 24-33, and it helps that St. Louis are 12-6 against Cincinnati during head-to-head play this year. Where Tony La Russa’s men have really struggled is against bad teams - they’re just 42-47, a record which has probably cost them a playoff spot this year.
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