Best Record Guarantees Nothing

After last night's Yankees win, they are now guaranteed a playoff spot, 6 games up on the Red Sox for the best record in the AL East (and home-field advantage in the first round), 5.5 games up on the Angels for the best record in the American League (and home-field advantage throughout the playoffs), and 4.5 up on the Dodgers for best record in baseball. While the best record in baseball is nice, it guarantees you nothing. You get no more home-field advantage or bragging rights. And as the great Flip Flop Fly Ball shows, it doesn't even give you all that much better odds for a World Series title (I've been told on some browsers the graphic is being cut off, just click on the graphic below to be able to see the whole chart) :


What having the best record in the AL does do however is limit the amount of games the Yankees have to play on the road in the playoffs. Although the Yankees are 44-33 on the road, they have struggled in places like Anaheim and Boston in the recent past. They are also play very well at home with a tie for the major league with 52 wins in the New Yankee Stadium.

I think what that graphic above does show is that once October starts, any team, no matter how they did in the regular season vis-a-vis the other playoffs teams, can win the World Series. That's why, as a Yankees fan, it's great to be back in October, where anything can (and will) happen.