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Baseball is a game that always boils down to numbers, especially wins and losses, which is why the most regular season wins in MLB history is one of the most coveted team records in the sport.
Obviously, winning the World Series matters. It can also be debated what team had the best talent or performed the best during the regular season. But the most MLB wins in a season is a record that’s cut and dry.
Most regular season wins in MLB history
So what team has the most MLB wins of all time in a single season? Well, the best MLB team season record can be a little confusing because different eras played a different number of regular season games.
In that sense, the winningest MLB seasons could be judged based on winning percentage rather than total wins. However, we wanted to focus solely on wins, so here is a list of the 20 most MLB wins in a season.
20. 1998 Braves, 2019 Dodgers, and 2021 Dodgers (106)
Three teams were able to sneak into the final spot on our list of the most regular season wins in MLB history. Of course, the Dodgers have put together some star-studded teams in recent memory, winning 106 games in both 2019 and 2021 but failing to reach the World Series in both years.
Likewise, the 1998 Braves put together the best regular season they had during their 1990s dynasty. Behind Cy Young winner Tom Glavine, that Atlanta rotation was arguably the best of all time. However, the Braves lost in the NLCS, once again failing to finish the job.
19. 1942 Cardinals (106)
Even with just 154 regular-season games, the 1942 Cardinals were able to reach 106 wins during the regular season. Ace Mort Cooper took home MVP honors this year, winning 22 games and posting a 1.78 ERA.
Stan Musial was also a part of this team, as St. Louis reached the World Series and took care of the Yankees in five games.
18. 1939 Yankees (106)
New York’s dynasty was in full swing by 1939, but this is the best regular season record the Bronx Bombers put together during that era.
Unlike the Cardinals in 1942, this team only played 151 regular-season games, giving them a slight edge in winning percentage. Joe DiMaggio was the MVP that season, batting .381 with 30 homers, but the Yankees also had four other regulars hit over .300. Plus, despite a couple of close games, the Yankees swept the Reds in the World Series, leaving no doubt they were the best team that year.
T16. 2019 Astros (107)
Like many of the Houston teams of the late 2010s, this team was absolutely loaded.
They had Cy Young winner Justin Verlander, Rookie of the Year Yordan Alvarez, two Silver Slugger winners, and a host of other stars. They were unstoppable during the regular season while winning 107 games. But the Astros couldn’t win at home during the World Series, losing to the Nationals in seven games in a series in which the road team won every game.
T16. 2021 Giants (107)
In 2021, San Francisco’s 107 victories were among the most MLB wins ever, which was particularly surprising because nobody saw it coming.
Gabe Kapler rightly won Manager of the Year honors for taking a veteran-laden team with players who looked past their prime and turning them into a juggernaut. They managed to hold off the Dodgers by one game to win the division but lost to Los Angeles in the NLDS, ending a brilliant season in disappointing fashion.
T13. 1932 Yankees (107)
During the era of 154-game regular seasons, the Yankees won 107 during the 1932 campaign.
The team’s roster included nine future Hall of Famers. The Bronx Bombers cruised to the pennant and then swept the Cubs in the World Series. Somehow it was the only championship the franchise had between 1929 and 1935.
T13. 1907 Cubs (107)
We’ll hear about the 1906 Cubs later on our list, but the 1907 Cubs weren’t too bad either. One year after a disappointment in the World Series, the Cubbies came back motivated, dominating the National League and winning the pennant with a 17-game cushion.
More importantly, they didn’t let such a fine effort go to waste. After the first game of the World Series ended in a 3-3 tie, the Cubs won the next four games over the Tigers to capture their first championship in franchise history.
T13. 1931 Athletics (107)
Coming off back-to-back World Series wins, the 1931 Philadelphia Athletics won more games than they did in each of the previous two years. Lefty Grove won 31 games and posted a 2.06 ERA while earning MVP honors while legends Mickey Cochrane, Al Simmons, and Jimmie Foxx led a strong lineup, as that trio combined for 69 home runs.
However, after the A’s captured their third straight American League pennant, they lost the World Series to the Cardinals in seven games, coming up short in their bid for a three-peat.
12. 1970 Orioles (108)
The 1970 Orioles fell one game short of matching the team’s winning total from the previous season.
However, Earl Weaver’s club was nearly as good, running away with the AL East by 15 games thanks to MVP Boog Powell. More importantly, the Orioles finished the job this season, beating the Reds in the World Series after losing the Fall Classic the previous year.
T9. 1975 Reds (108)
The 1975 season was the first of Cincinnati’s back-to-back world championships and undoubtedly the best season of the Big Red Machine. Joe Morgan may have won MVP honors, but Pete Rose, George Foster, Tony Perez, Johnny Bench, and a few others were just as instrumental.
The closet team in the NL West was 20 games back, as the Reds steamrolled the competition. In fairness, the Reds needed seven games to beat the Red Sox in a competitive World Series, although they refused to allow a brilliant regular season to go to waste.
T9. 1986 Mets (108)
As we know, things got a little dicey for the 1986 Mets during the playoffs. They escaped the NLCS against the Astros and then had the most miraculous comeback imaginable in Game 6 of the World Series and came from behind again in Game 7.
But during the regular season, nobody could touch the Mets. They dominated from start to finish, winning 108 games and winning the NL East by 21.5 games.
T9. 2018 Red Sox (108)
Even with four championships in this century, the Red Sox were never better than they were in 2018. Before he found himself in Los Angeles, Mookie Betts won MVP in Boston during the 2018 campaign with Chris Sale and David Price leading the pitching staff.
Even with the Yankees also winning 100 games this year, the Red Sox held them off in the AL East and then beat them in the ALDS. In fact, Boston only lost one game in each postseason series, winning the ALCS and World Series in five games apiece, going 11-3 in the playoffs on top of a 108-win regular season.
T7. 1961 Yankees (109)
With 162 games on the schedule, the Yankees came away with 109 wins during the historic 1961 season. Of course, this is the year that Roger Maris set the single-season home run record with 61 long balls, a record that would stand for more than three decades.
Maris won MVP honors for the second straight season in 1961, although Mickey Mantle was nearly as good, batting .317 and hitting 54 home runs. Naturally, it was never in doubt that the Yankees were the best team in baseball, beating the Reds in the World Series in five games, outscoring them 27-13 in those five games.
T7. 1969 Orioles (109)
Eight years after the Yankees won 109 games, the 1969 Orioles matched their record exactly. This was the first season of division play in baseball, as Baltimore dominated the AL East, winning the division with a 19-game cushion behind Cy Young winner Mike Cuellar.
But after beating the Twins easily in the ALCS, Baltimore failed to win the World Series, losing to the Miracle Mets in five games.
6. 1927 Yankees (110)
Even amidst all of their championships, this was one of the best regular seasons the Yankees put together, winning 110 of their 154 games. Lou Gehrig was the league’s MVP, although Babe Ruth also had an okay season, hitting .356 with 60 homers.
The Bronx Bombers won the pennant with a 19-game cushion and then proceeded to sweep the Pirates in the World Series.
5. 1909 Pirates (110)
Once upon a time, the Pirates were a great franchise, and 1909 was perhaps their best season ever.
They were victorious in 110 of their 152 games and still only held off the Cubs by 6.5 games to win the National League pennant. Honus Wagner had one of his best seasons, batting .339 and driving in 100 runs.
The Pittsburgh pitching staff also had five pitchers with at least 12 wins each. More importantly, the Pirates survived a tough World Series, beating the Tigers in seven games to claim a world championship.
4. 1954 Indians (111)
Behind the likes of Bobby Avila and Al Rosen, Cleveland had an amazing run in 1954, winning 11 straight games on two different occasions.
On the mound, both Early Wynn and Bob Lemon won 23 games to help the Indians reach 111 wins during the season. But destiny was not on their side, as Cleveland was swept by the New York Giants in four games in the World Series.
3. 1998 Yankees (114)
The Yankees were a legitimate dynasty in the late 1990s, and there was certainly no stopping them in 1998 in the first of their three straight World Series wins. Bernie Williams had a brilliant season, batting .339, while the Yankees also had three other regulars hit .300 or better.
Pitching-wise, David Cone led the way with 20 wins while four other starters had at least 12 victories. Mariano Rivera didn’t lose a game and posted a 1.91 ERA. The postseason was also a breeze for the 1998 Yankees, who went 11-2 in the playoffs, sweeping the Padres in the World Series.
2. 2001 Mariners (116)
The 2001 Mariners are credited with tying the record for the most regular season wins in MLB history. The addition of Ichiro Suzuki, who won Rookie of the Year and MVP this season made everything come together for Seattle.
There were times during their 116-46 season that they looked close to unstoppable. However, everything came to a crashing halt when the Yankees beat them 4-1 in the ALCS, ending an otherwise brilliant season in disappointment.
1. 1906 Cubs (116)
The 1906 Cubs get credit for the winningest MLB season because they managed to win 116 games in a 152-game regular season. That’s a winning percentage of .763, which has never been matched or exceeded, making them the winningest baseball team in a single season.
Unfortunately, this team also has the distinction of being the best to never win a World Series.
Against the cross-town White Sox, the Cubs lost the 1906 World Series in six games. The good news is the Cubbies would win it all the next two years before their epic championship drought. But the best regular season in baseball history didn’t end in a World Series title and disproved the Cubs of a potential three-peat.
