Chasing the Century Mark: Will Any MLB Team Reach 100 Wins in 2024?
With the 2024 MLB Trade Deadline having passed and fewer than two months left in the regular season, clubs around the league are getting ready for the last stretch in an attempt to qualify for the postseason this year. There have been numerous captivating narratives that have emerged throughout the 2024 MLB season, such as Bobby Witt Jr.'s MVP-caliber season with the Royals, the Cleveland Guardians' emergence as an unexpected challenger in the American League, and the New York Yankees' severe mid-season downturn in June and July. Nonetheless, the growing parity in the league has undoubtedly been one of the season's most noteworthy storyline turns. There isn't a single team playing at a winning percentage of .600 or above as of August 8th, a sign of greater competition in the league. Due to this, many have been wondering if any club could finish the regular season with 100 wins.
The Los Angeles Dodgers, Atlanta Braves, and Baltimore Orioles were the three clubs who concluded the 2023 season with 100 wins or more. In 2022, four teams finished the season reaching the 100-win mark. At the beginning of 2024, the Braves and Dodgers were the only teams predicted by prominent betting sites to win 100 games this season. With less than 50 games left in the 2024 regular season, there are presently no teams on pace to achieve the century mark this season. The league's increased parity this season has resulted in closer Division and Wild-Card races in each league; nine teams are currently within six games or less of a Wild-Card spot, and in four of the six divisions, the gap between the top team and second-place team is within four games or less.
This year has been particularly cruel for injuries compared to prior seasons, which is one of the main reasons for each league's enhanced competitiveness heading into the final stretch. It is impossible to forecast which teams will be most severely impacted by injuries and which will be able to skate by in relatively good form come October, as it is every year. However, in 2024, things have been very different, with several elite contenders having to cope with players on their squad suffering season-ending injuries with the injury bug not discriminating. The Orioles, for instance, have been among the clubs most severely impacted by pitching injuries, with Kyle Bradish, John Means, Tyler Wells, Danny Coulombe, and Felix Bautista among those who either started the season with season-ending or long-term elbow ailments or had setbacks during it. The Mets, Astros, Rangers, and Braves are among the other notable clubs who have struggled with injuries this season, with the Braves losing ace Spencer Strider to a season-ending UCL injury and four-time All-Star outfielder Ronald Acuna Jr. to an ACL tear.
The expanded playoffs, which were implemented in 2022 and replaced the previous postseason system in which 10 clubs qualified for the postseason, are another factor contributing to the increase in parity within MLB. Due to the inclusion of two additional playoff berths, more teams, including those who may not be among the league's elite, now see themselves as postseason candidates in comparison to prior seasons. As a result of the playoff expansion, teams are now strategizing to take a risk in a best-of-three Wild-Card series and aiming to simply make it into the playoffs and take their chances. The new playoff format has seemingly leveled the playing field among the 100-win teams and those that make the playoffs as a Wild-Card team. This has been evident in the last two postseasons, as top teams' first-round byes have been a disadvantage. As a result, Wild-Card teams like the Phillies, Rangers, and Diamondbacks, all of which won 90 games or fewer during the regular season, have each advanced to the World Series.
As the regular season nears its final stretch, every club must turn its attention to adjusting to the shifting competitive landscape this year. Even though some of the league's best teams, the Orioles, Yankees, Phillies, Guardians, and Dodgers, have had midseason slumps, these groups are still formidable teams that have what it takes to go deep into the postseason. The success of injury-plagued teams in the postseason will depend greatly on their capacity to make necessary lineup and pitching rotation adjustments and maintain consistency. Even though it doesn't seem that there will be a 100-win club this season, the league's competitive balance has been on full show, which is going to lead to an exciting and unpredictable finish to the regular season.
