The real deal

Mariners' 40-game start puts them in elite company

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Out of the Gate Best 40-games starts since 1990 Year  Team  Start  Final  2001  Seattle  31-9  ????  2000  Atlanta  28-12  95-67*  1999  Cleveland  29-11  97-65*  1998  Yankees  31-9  114-48%  1997  Atlanta  27-13  101-61*  1996  Montreal  27-13  88-74  1995  Indians  29-11  100-44#  1994  Yankees  27-13  70-43  1993  Phillies  27-13  97-65#  1992  Orioles  25-15  89-73  1991  Pirates  25 15  98-64*  1990  Reds  29-11  91-71%  * Division champs # League champs % World champs

By Jacob Luft, CNNSI.com

Two or three weeks ago, it would have been easy to dismiss the Mariners as pretenders, declare their torrid start an aberration.

After all, they no longer have a superstar like A-Rod, Junior or Big Unit to carry them.

What they do have is 31 victories after a significant portion of the season -- 40 games. The 31-9 record ties Seattle for the third-best start in major league history and, history shows, makes them legitimate threats to win the World Series.

Of the previous 19 teams to win at least 30 of their first 40 games, 10 went on to win the Series. Six others won the pennant before losing in the Series. Only three failed to make the postseason (see chart, below).

Since division play began in 1969, the Mariners are the 34th team to win at least 27 of their first 40 games. Of the previous 33, only five failed to win their division. A sixth, the 1994 Yankees, was in first place when the strike ended the season. Seven of those 33 clubs won the World Series while another nine won league pennants. The other 11 lost in the LCS or Division Series.

This year's Twins (27-11) won Thursday to become the 35th member of this group, and the 26-11 Indians have a chance to become No. 36.

Of course, how you finish is much more important than how you start. The 1984 Tigers did both extraordinarily well. They began the season with a blistering 35-5 mark, which still stands as the all-time 40-game record. Counting ALCS and World Series games, Detroit also won 35 of its final 40 games.

If You Start Me Up ...
Best 40-games starts in major league history
Year	Team	Start	Final	Postseason
1984	Detroit Tigers	35-5	104-58	WS champs
1939	New York Yankees	33-7	106-45	WS champs
1928	New York Yankeees	33-7	101-53	WS champs
1912	New York Giants	33-7	103-48	NL champs
1902	Pittsburgh Pirates	33-7	103-36	NL champs*
2001	Seattle Mariners	31-9	????	????
1998	New York Yankees	31-9	114-48	WS champs
1946	Boston Red Sox	31-9	104-50	AL champs
1941	St. Louis Cardinals	31-9	97-56	Did not qualify
1929	Philadelphia A's	31-9	104-46	WS champs
1907	Chicago Cubs	31-9	107-45	WS champs
1905	New York Giants	31-9	105-48	WS champs
1977	Los Angeles Dodgers	30-10	98-64	NL champs
1955	Brooklyn Dodgers	30-10	98-55	WS champs
1942	New York Yankees	30-10	103-51	AL champs
1931	Philadelphia A's	30-10	107-45	AL champs
1923	New York Yankees	30-10	98-54	WS champs
1921	Pittsburgh Pirates	30-10	90-63	Did not qualify
1913	Philadelphia A's	30-10	96-57	WS champs
1911	Detroit Tigers	30-10	89-65	Did not qualify
* No World Series held

 

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