Key stat proving we ARE the team to beat once again...

.657%

That is our winning percentage against teams currently holding a spot in the playoffs if they started tomorrow. In the 35 games that we have gone 23-12 during, we have a run differential of +61 good for an expected W/L % of .661%...in other words our record against playoff teams isn't a fluke.

And we are absolutely dominating the rest of the MLB in comparison, especially compared to the top AL teams. Boston has the 3rd best record in the MLB against such teams at 13-12 (.520%) with a RD of 8 (expected .535%) - the next team (at least one currently in the playoffs) isn't even close with Tampa coming in at #10 with a 10-12 (.455%) record that is better than their expected record.

Two teams on the outside looking in are the other "close" teams to us - Seattle at #6 with a record of 18-20 (474%) is a fluke as they have a -31 RD coming out to an expected W/L % of .415% and NYY at 17-21 but also fluky as they have the same -31 RD as the Mariners. Toronto is the only team that has been "unlucky" as they are 14-23 but should be 17-20 based on their RD at -13.

Of course...the Athletics have been frauds at 13-19 with a whopping -46 RD good for one of the worst expected W/L % in the MLB at .335%. Not far behind them, the Sox with a -16 RD in only 14 games (6-8) have an expected % of .380. Both of these pretenders see their offense fall off a cliff when facing top competition (As score 3.0 per game and CWS 3.4...way down from their season averages). have the smallest sample size at 6-8 given they feast on the worst division in baseball.

And the top threats in the NL aren't much better - LAD is 14-18 but they do have a +11 RD good for an exp .535%. Only three teams aside from BOS have an actual winning record - the Brewers, Giants and Padres who all have expected W/L hovering around .500%.

Finally, the stat that popped out the most at me: we are scoring 5.68 runs and allowing 3.94 per game against playoff teams. To put this in perspective, the Dodgers, who play in the NL and have the DH to their advantage, are giving up 4.28 per game. While they have the 2nd best offense against playoff teams, they still score over ONE RUN LESS than us per game and only Boston (1.5 runs less than us) and Toronto are even scoring over 4.0 runs.