MLB Season & Standings
MLB Standings and Their Relationship with Betting
The MLB standings track the position of all 30 MLB teams throughout the season. Each team competes in either the American League or National League in one or more of the three divisions: East, West, or Central.
The standings show a team’s win-loss record, winning percentage, and how many regular-season games they must win in order to be eligible for one of eight spots available for postseason play. This information is crucial when making MLB picks.
Understanding the Data
The standings’ “W” and “L” columns list the total number of games won and lost by each team. The “PCT” column displays the winning percentages of the teams. This is calculated by subtracting the number of games won from the total number played, and then rounding up to three digits beyond the decimal.
The columns “Home,” “Road,” or “Away” show each team’s win-loss record for games played at its home stadium, and for road games. The “L10” column shows each team’s win/loss record over the past 10 games. It also lists the number of wins. The “STRK” column stands for “streak” and displays each team’s current win-loss record. “W” indicates wins, and “L” indicates losses. In the competitive world of baseball, the Yankees standings tell the story of their season-long journey toward championship contention.
GB stands for “games ahead” or “games below” in the baseball standings. This slot will show the top-ranked team in each division. GB is the average of both wins and losses for each team.
If the division leader has 60 wins, 40 losses, and the second-place team has 55 wins and 45 losses, then the second-placed team will be five games behind. It will have “5.0” in its “GB” column.
Each game won by a division leader increases the GB number by 0.5 and each win by a second-place team decreases it by 0.5. From the top to the bottom of each division standings, the GB number will rise.
MLB standings offer baseball enthusiasts an ever-evolving glimpse into the competitive landscape of America’s beloved pastime.
Why MLB Standings Are Important for Bettors
The MLB Standings are a sports bettor’s best friend. They provide a lot of the data needed to make an informed decision of who to bet on. There are still parts missing – such as the injury report – so the standings can’t be used as the sole analytical tool when determining how to bet on MLB games.
The standings give all the data at a glance. Because the betting perspective can make standings look very different. What is the performance of a favorite team? What about being an underdog? How does scoring translate to record betting totals (baseball over/under lines)? From a Vegas perspective, how much would you have lost or made if you bet on this MLB team every single game?
How the MLB Season Works
There are two leagues for the 30 MLB teams, American and National. Each league is broken into three sections, East, Central and West. Each division has been home to five teams since the 2013 season. After the 2012 season, the Houston Astros moved to the AL West from the NL Central.
MLB has 162-game seasons. The season starts in April, or sometimes at the end of March, and ends in October. Teams play the most teams from their own division and only six games against other league teams. Teams often play one another in a series of three to four games.
Bad weather can cancel a game, but it is possible to have it rescheduled later or as part of a doubleheader (two matches in one day). These games may not be held again if they do not impact the standings, which is a list of teams sorted by how many wins or losses they have.
After the regular season, the highest-ranking teams will be invited to a postseason of playoff games. Teams tied at the end may play another game to determine which team will make it into the playoffs. Each league’s champion is determined by the playoff games. After this, the final two teams advance to the World Series to determine who takes the World Series Championship Pennant.
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Typically six columns, but there can be more.
The percentage of wins over losses for the team.
No, other information, such as injuries and weather, has to be considered.