The 25 best MLB teams from the 1980s

The Angels claimed the AL West with 93 wins before losing to Milwaukee in a five-game ALCS. The balanced squad finished second in the league in runs, as Doug DeCinces and Reggie Jackson both had 30-plus homers.

Even 100 wins weren’t good enough for the O’s, who finished three games back for the Yankees in the AL East. Ace Steve Stone did win the AL Cy Young after going 25-7 with a 3.23 ERA in 37 starts, and first baseman Eddie Murray launched 32 home runs with 116 RBI.

New York finished two games behind Toronto in the AL East with 97 wins, giving them nothing to show for a great regular season effort. The team led MLB with 839 runs scored, as Don Mattingly won AL MVP and Rickey Henderson finished third place. Ace Ron Guidry also finished second to Bret Saberhagen in the AL Cy Young voting.

Toronto is a forgotten team after falling just short behind Detroit in the AL East with 96 wins. AL MVP George Bell had a spectacular season at the plate, hitting .308-47-134, while ace Jimmy Key finished second to Roger Clemens in the Cy Young vote.

San Diego saw quite a year from 24-year-old Tony Gwynn, who hit .351 with only 23 strikeouts in 675 plate appearances to help prop up the Padres offense. The team won 92 games during the regular season before falling to Detroit in the World Series.

Spurred by another huge season from Mike Schmidt and a great rotation led by Cy Young winner John Denny, the Phillies won 90 games and the pennant before falling to the Orioles in the World Series. Philly’s run prevention trailed only the Dodgers in the NL.

Chicago led MLB with 99 wins during the regular season and a high-powered offense with big years from Carlton Fisk, Greg Luzinski, and Ron Kittle. LaMarr Hoyt also won the AL Cy Young with 24 wins and 11 complete games, but the White Sox lost to Baltimore in the ALCS.

The Giants were swept by Oakland in the Bay Bridge Series, which will long be remembered for a major disruption due to an earthquake. Still, the team had plenty of accomplishments with 92 regular season wins and spectacular seasons from Kevin Mitchell and Will Clark, who finished one-two in the NL MVP voting. The pair combined for 70 home runs and 236 RBI as the offense generated 699 runs.

Detroit was upset by the Twins in the ALCS after a 98-win regular seasons, putting a damper on an otherwise outstanding year. The team led MLB with 896 runs scored, as shortstop Alan Trammell finished second in the AL MVP voting after hitting .343-28-105 with 21 stolen bases, while Matt Nokes and Darrell Evans also had over 30 home runs.

One of the worst World Series winners ever? Minnesota allowed more runs than they scored during the regular season, but managed to win 85 games during the regular season and got hot at the right time. The Twins defeated St. Louis in a seven-game World Series. Minnesota did feature plenty of power, with four hitters contributing at least 28 home runs, including Kirby Puckett, who finished third in the AL MVP vote.

The 1985 Jays squad isn’t remembered all that well after losing to the Royals in the ALCS, but the won 99 games during the regular season while finishing top five in runs scored and runs allowed in MLB. The offense was led by power-hitting outfielders Jesse Barfield and George Bell, while top starters Dave Stieb and Doyle Alexander had dominant seasons.

Two years after winning the World Series, New York nearly equaled their 1986 win total with a 100-win regular season. Darryl Strawberry and Kevin McReynolds finished second and third in NL MVP voting behind Kirk Gibson, while David Cone was third in the NL Cy Young race with a 2.22 ERA in 231.1 innings. Unfortunately, the Mets fell to the Dodgers in a seven-game NLCS.

The Yanks had an impressive 103-win regular season before getting swept by the Royals in the ALCS. New York led MLB with 820 runs scored, as Reggie Jackson hit .300-41-111 to finish second in the MVP race. The team also featured a great bullpen, with sub-3.00 ERAs from Rich Gossage, Rudy May, and Ron Davis.

The A’s fell to the Dodgers in the World Series, but that shouldn’t dampen their accomplishments. The team won 104 games during the regular season behind the power bats of MVP Jose Canseco, Mark McGwire, and Dave Henderson. Ace Dave Stewart finished fourth in the Cy Young voting going 21-12 with a 3.23 ERA in 275.2 innings, and closer Dennis Eckersley was second in the vote.

1981 was a split season due to the player’s strike, but it’s remembered as the year of Fernando Mania in LA. The starting pitcher won NL Cy Young and Rookie of the Year at age 20, going 13-7 with a 2.48 ERA in 25 starts and throwing eight shutouts. The Dodgers rode Valenzuela’s arm, along with the offense of Pedro Guerrero, Ron Cey, and Dusty Baker all the way to the World Series, where they defeated the Yankees in six games.

Oh, what could have been. The Cardinals won 101 games during the regular season. They were only two winnings away from claiming the World Series vs. Kansas City when it all unrivaled following a botched call by first base umpire Don Denkinger. The 1985 St. Louis squad is still remembered fondly by fans with huge seasons from MVP Willie McGee, Vince Coleman (110 stolen bases), and Jack Clark, plus a Cy Young-worthy season from ace John Tudor.

Cardinals fans would argue that the 1985 Royals were undeserving champs, after being awarded a favorable call by umpire Don Denkinger in the eighth inning of Game 6 of the World Series. Still, KC was a fine team in their own right after winning 91 games during the regular season led by a powerful offense that included 30 home run hitters George Brett and Steve Balboni, along with a Cy Young season from Bret Saberhagen and a dominant year from closer Dan Quisenberry.

Kirk Gibson’s heroics throughout the regular season and into the playoffs drove the Dodgers to a World Series championship. He won NL MVP after hitting .290-25-76 with 31 stolen bases, and his dramatic home run in Game 1 of the World Series vs. Oakland set the scene for a five-game series win. Of course, the 94-win team also had several other stars, including Cy Young winner Orel Hershiser, a 20-home run season from Mike Marshall, and a great pen led by Jay Howell, Alejandro Pena, and Brian Holton.

Milwaukee’s elite offense launched 216 home runs with five hitters recording at least 19 home runs. The offensive leader was shortstop Robin Yount, who win AL MVP after hitting .331-29-114, but Cecil Cooper, Ben Oglivie, and Gorman Thomas also had over 30 home runs. Starting pitcher Pete Vuckovich won the AL Cy Young Award after going 18-6 with a 3.34 ERA in 223.2 innings despite shaky control, as the Brew Crew won 95 games during the regular season but lost to the Cardinals in the World Series.

The 1982 Cardinals played their fair share of small ball under Whitey Herzog, with three players swiping over 20 bases including 68 steals from Lonnie Smith. The pitching staff saw a phenomenal season from Joaquin Andujar, going 15-10 with a 2.47 ERA in 265.2 innings, while closer Bruce Sutter gained Cy Young votes after posting a 2.90 ERA and tallying 36 saves in 102.1 innings. On-base machine Keith Hernandez and wizardly shortstop Ozzie Smith were also key to the team’s 92-win regular season and eventual seven-game World Series victory over Milwaukee. Catcher Darrell Porter went on a hot streak during the playoffs, winning both the NLCS and World Series MVPs.

91 wins was enough for the Phils to win the NL East and eventually the World Series in six games over the Royals. Philadelphia saw a historic season from NL MVP Mike Schmidt, who hit .286-48-121 and was the unanimous winner. The team also had Cy Young winner Steve Carlton, who went 24-9 with a 2.34 ERA in 304 innings with 13 complete games. Tug McGraw was a surehanded closer at the end of games, with a 1.46 ERA and 20 saves, while young Lonnie Smith gave the team a spark as a rookie with a .339 batting average and 33 steals in 100 games.

The late 1980s were a great time to be an A’s fan, with stars throughout the roster. The 1989 squad won 99 games during the regular season under manager Tony La Russa, with Mark McGwire, Dave Parker, Jose Canseco, and Dave Henderson showing off big power numbers while Rickey Henderson set the table. Pitchers Dave Stewart, Mike Moore, and Dennis Eckersley each received AL Cy Young votes, while Bob Welch, Todd Burns, and Rick Honeycutt were also part of a dominant pitching staff that only allowed 576 runs during the regular season. Oakland swept San Francisco in the famous Bay Bridge Series, which was disrupted by the tragic Loma Prieta earthquake.

Baltimore finished first in the AL East with 98 wins, with the league’s top two MVP vote-getters in Cal Ripken Jr. and Eddie Murray. The O’s also got great pitching from rookie Mike Boddicker (16-8, 2.77 ERA in 179 innings) as well as ace Scott McGregor. Baltimore defeated Philadelphia in five games to win the World Series, with catcher Rick Dempsey claiming series MVP honors.

Sparky Anderson’s only World Series win in 17 seasons leading the Tigers came in 1984. The Tigers powered their way through the season with 104 wins, sporting three 20-plus home run hitters led by catcher Lance Parrish. Closer Willie Hernandez won the AL MVP and Cy Young Awards after posting a 1.92 ERA in 140.1 innings with 40 saves, while outfielder Kirk Gibson was also in the MVP running with 27 home runs. Detroit defeated San Diego in a five-game series to win the World Series, with shortstop Alan Trammell starring as series MVP.

The legendary 1986 Mets squad won 108 games during the regular season, followed by the World Series in seven games over the Red Sox with the help of Bill Buckner’s famous error in Game 6. Focusing on the Buckner error shouldn’t overshadow a fabulous team that had a plus-195 run differential with huge offensive seasons from Darryl Strawberry, Lenny Dykstra, Keith Hernandez, and Gary Carter, as well as a phenomenal starting rotation led by Dwight Gooden, Ron Darling, and Bob Ojeda.