Every MLB Franchise's Mt. Rushmore of Legendary Seasons
For some MLB franchises, narrowing the list of all-time great teams to four is not a difficult exercise.
The Detroit Tigers have won four World Series titles in their 124 years, so deciding which seasons to chisel onto their Mt. Rushmore was fairly straightforward.
Things get a bit trickier when it comes to a team like the Seattle Mariners or San Diego Padres who have never won a World Series title, or on the flip side of that the New York Yankees, who have 27 title teams.
Ahead we've narrowed each MLB franchise's history to four legendary seasons to form a Mt. Rushmore, focusing largely on postseason success while also taking into account regular-season dominance and how that team is remembered by the fanbase.
The least obvious choice for each team is then broken down in further detail to explain the logic behind that selection.
Let the debate begin!
Arizona Diamondbacks
1 of 30
2001 (92-70, Won World Series)
2007 (90-72, Lost in NLCS)
2017 (93-69, Lost in NLDS)
2023 (84-78, Lost World Series)
Explain the Pick: 2017
A year after losing 93 games, the D-backs made a drastic turnaround to win 93 games and reach the playoffs in the team's first year under new general manager Mike Hazen and manager Torey Lovullo.
Deadline pickup J.D. Martinez launched 29 home runs in 62 games while joining MVP candidate Paul Goldschmidt in the middle of the lineup, while a starting rotation led by Zack Greinke stayed extremely healthy and had five pitchers make at least 25 starts.
Atlanta Braves
2 of 30
1957 (95-59-1, Won World Series)
1995 (90-54, Won World Series)
2021 (88-73, Won World Series)
2023 (104-58, Lost in NLDS)
Explain the Pick: 2023
The 2023 season ended in disappointment for the Braves, but years from now that team will be remembered for one of the greatest offenses in baseball history.
Their .501 slugging percentage as a team is the highest single-season mark of all-time, and their 124 OPS+ as a team slots behind only the 1927 Yankees (127) and 1931 Yankees (125). They also tied MLB records with 307 home runs as a team and five separate players with 30-homer seasons. Ronald Acuña Jr. became baseball's first 40/70 player and Matt Olson set a franchise record with 54 home runs.
Baltimore Orioles
3 of 30
1966 (97-63, Won World Series)
1970 (108-54, Won World Series)
1983 (98-64, Won World Series)
1997 (98-64, Lost in ALCS)
Explain the Pick: 1997
There is a solid case to be made for the 2023 team signaling the end of a long rebuild and the start of what is expected to be a sustainable run of contention, but the 1997 team is worth revisiting.
Rafael Palmeiro, Roberto Alomar, Cal Ripken Jr., Brady Anderson and B.J. Surhoff led a stacked lineup, while Eric Davis navigated cancer treatment and returned to hit a game-winning home run in the ALCS. On the pitching side of things, the veteran trio of Mike Mussina, Jimmy Key and Scott Erickson each topped 210 innings and won at least 15 games, while Randy Myers was a lockdown closer.
Boston Red Sox
4 of 30
1912 (105-47-2, Won World Series)
2004 (98-64, Won World Series)
2007 (96-66, Won World Series)
2018 (108-54, Won World Series)
Explain the Pick: 2007
The 1912, 2004 and 2018 teams were easy picks for the Mt. Rushmore, and that left a debate between the 2007 and 2013 title-winning teams for the final spot.
The '07 team needed seven games to advance past Cleveland in the ALCS, but then they absolutely steamrolled the Colorado Rockies in the World Series, outscoring them 29-10 in a four-game sweep. The deal to acquire Josh Beckett and Mike Lowell from the Marlins prior to the 2006 season ended up paying off during that title run as Beckett was the ace of the staff and Lowell took home World Series MVP honors.
Chicago Cubs
5 of 30
1908 (99-55-4, Won World Series)
1984 (96-65, Lost in NLCS)
2003 (88-74, Lost in NLCS)
2016 (103-58, Won World Series)
Explain the Picks: 1984 and 2003
Depending on their age, most Chicago Cubs fans experienced at least one of the 1969, 1984 or 2003 teams absolutely ripping out their heart and stomping on it, yet those teams are still looked back on fondly by the fan base.
With the 1908 and 2016 World Series winners bookending our selections, that left only two spots for those three epic letdowns. The '69 team was the only one of the three that failed to make the playoffs, opening the door for the "Miracle Mets" with their late-season collapse, so the 1984 team that lost three straight to close out a best-of-five NLCS with the Padres and the 2003 team best remembered for the Steve Bartman incident get the nod.
Chicago White Sox
6 of 30
1917 (100-54-2, Won World Series)
1959 (94-60-2, Lost in World Series)
1993 (94-68, Lost in ALCS)
2005 (99-63, Won World Series)
Explain the Pick: 1993
The 1993 White Sox almost swept the majors awards.
Frank Thomas (153 G, .317/.426/.607, 41 HR, 128 RBI) won AL MVP, Jack McDowell (34 GS, 22-10, 3.37 ERA, 256.2 IP) won AL Cy Young and Jason Bere (24 GS, 12-5, 3.47 ERA, 142.2 IP) finished runner-up to Tim Salmon in AL Rookie of the Year balloting.
With Alex Fernandez (34 GS, 18-9, 3.13 ERA, 247.1 IP) and Wilson Álvarez (31 GS, 15-8, 2.95 ERA, 207.2 IP) also turning in strong seasons on the mound and Roberto Hernandez (70 G, 38 SV, 2.29 ERA) slamming the door in the ninth inning, they had one of baseball's best pitching staffs. The offense also featured Robin Ventura, Tim Raines and Bo Jackson.
Cincinnati Reds
7 of 30
1940 (100-53-2, Won World Series)
1975 (108-54, Won World Series)
1976 (102-60, Won World Series)
1990 (91-71, Won World Series)
Explain the Pick: 1990
The 1990 Reds were by no means the most dominant team in franchise history, but their four-game sweep of a heavily favored Oakland Athletics team that followed up a World Series title in 1989 with a 103-win season is one of the bigger Fall Classic upsets of the modern era.
Ace José Rijo was the winning pitcher in Game 1 (7.0 IP, 7 H, 0 ER) and Game 4 (8.1 IP, 2 H, 1 ER) of the World Series to take home MVP honors, and he stands as one of the most underrated postseason performers of all-time.
Cleveland Guardians
8 of 30
1920 (98-56, Won World Series)
1948 (97-58, Won World Series)
1954 (111-43-2, Lost World Series)
1995 (100-44, Lost World Series)
Explain the Pick: 1954
With Hall of Fame right-hander Early Wynn anchoring a pitching staff that led the majors with a 2.78 ERA and Hall of Fame outfielder Larry Doby headlining an offense that paced the American League with 156 home runs, Cleveland posted the fifth-highest winning percentage (.721) in MLB history during the 1954 season.
They would get swept by Willie Mays and the New York Giants in the World Series, putting them squarely alongside the 2001 Seattle Mariners for the title of best regular-season team that didn't win a World Series title.
Colorado Rockies
9 of 30
1995 (77-67, Lost in NLDS)
2007 (90-73, Lost World Series)
2009 (92-70, Lost in NLDS)
2018 (91-72, Lost in NLDS)
Explain the Pick: 1995
The 1995 Rockies edged out the Houston Astros by one game in the NL wild-card standings to make the playoffs for the first time in franchise history, as the fledgling club was in just its third year of operation.
Offseason signing Larry Walker (.306 BA, 36 HR, 101 RBI) joined incumbent sluggers Dante Bichette (.340 BA, 40 HR, 128 RBI), Vinny Castilla (.309 BA, 32 HR, 90 RBI) and Andres Galarraga (.280 BA, 31 HR, 106 RBI) to form the "Blake Street Bombers" and the offense carried them all the way to October.
Detroit Tigers
10 of 30
1935 (93-58-1, Won World Series)
1945 (88-65-2, Won World Series)
1968 (103-59-2, Won World Series)
1984 (104-58, Won World Series)
Explain the Pick: 1968
The Tigers have four World Series titles spread nicely over different eras, so they were one of the easier teams to narrow down to a Mt. Rushmore of seasons.
The 1968 World Series is the reason left-hander Mickey Lolich deserves far more recognition as one of the best pitchers of his era. He went 3-0 with three complete games against the St. Louis Cardinals to win World Series MVP honors that year, outdueling Bob Gibson at his absolute peak in the decisive Game 7.
Houston Astros
11 of 30
1986 (96-66, Lost in NLCS)
2005 (89-73-1, Lost World Series)
2017 (101-61, Won World Series)
2022 (106-56, Won World Series)
Explain the Pick: 1986
The 2019 and 2021 teams that won the AL pennant might seem like a more logical choice for the fourth spot, but it's worth looking a bit further back at the best Astros team from before the start of the 21st century.
The 1986 team had AL Cy Young winner Mike Scott (18-10, 2.22 ERA, 306 K, 275.1 IP) and Nolan Ryan (12-8, 3.34 ERA, 194 K, 178.0 IP) fronting the starting rotation, while first baseman Glenn Davis (132 OPS+, 31 HR, 101 RBI) was runner-up to Mike Schmidt in NL MVP voting in his first full season in the majors.
Kansas City Royals
12 of 30
1977 (102-60, Lost in ALCS)
1980 (97-65, Lost World Series)
1985 (91-71, Won World Series)
2015 (95-67, Won World Series)
Explain the Pick: 1977
The 1977 Royals are the only team in franchise history to win 100 games.
George Brett, Hal McRae, Al Cowens and John Mayberry all had at least 20 home runs and 80 RBI for a well-rounded offensive club. On the mound, Dennis Leonard won 20 games and completed 21 of his 38 starts while chewing through 292.2 innings of work, and they essentially made it through a full season using nine different pitchers.
Los Angeles Angels
13 of 30
1986 (92-70, Lost in ALCS)
2002 (99-63, Won World Series)
2005 (95-67, Lost in ALCS)
2009 (97-65, Lost in ALCS)
Explain the Pick: 2009
The 2009 Angels won the AL West title by 10 games, then cruised to a sweep of the Boston Red Sox in the ALDS. They battled back after falling behind 2-0 against the New York Yankees in the ALCS, forcing six games before they were sent packing by the eventual World Series champions.
Jered Weaver, John Lackey and Joe Saunders were a rock solid 1-2-3 atop the rotation, while the offense included the likes of Vladimir Guerrero, Bobby Abreu, Torii Hunter, Kendrys Morales, Mike Napoli and Chone Figgins as all nine starters posted an OPS+ of 100 or higher.
Los Angeles Dodgers
14 of 30
1955 (98-55-1, Won World Series)
1963 (99-63-1, Won World Series)
1988 (94-67-1, Won World Series)
2020 (43-17, Won World Series)
Explain the Pick: 2020
With 1955, 1963 and 1988 all easy picks for the Dodgers, the final spot came down to a pair of shortened-season titles with 1981 and 2020 both up for debate.
The 1981 season featured rookie Fernando Valenzuela taking the league by storm to become the first and still only pitcher to win Rookie of the Year and Cy Young in the same season. However, the .717 winning percentage and plus-136 run differential the Dodgers racked up during the abridged 60-game schedule in 2020 was enough for them to stake claim to the fourth spot.
Miami Marlins
15 of 30
1997 (92-70, Won World Series)
2003 (91-71, Won World Series)
2008 (84-77, Missed playoffs)
2020 (31-29, Lost in NLDS)
Explain the Pick: 2008
The Marlins have made the playoffs just four times in franchise history, so it could have been as easy as going with those four years, but is anyone really going to look back on the 2023 Marlins as a memorable team?
The 2008 squad missed the playoffs, but featured one of the most productive infields in recent memory, with first baseman Mike Jacobs (108 OPS+, 32 HR), second baseman Dan Uggla (126 OPS+, 32 HR), shortstop Hanley Ramírez (143 OPS+, 33 HR, 35 SB) and third baseman Jorge Cantú (108 OPS+, 29 HR) all having big years at the plate.
Milwaukee Brewers
16 of 30
1982 (95-67-1, Lost World Series)
2008 (90-72, Lost in NLDS)
2011 (96-66, Lost in NLCS)
2018 (96-67, Lost in NLCS)
Explain the Pick: 2008
The 2008 Brewers will forever be remembered for the all-in move to acquire CC Sabathia, and the job he did pitching the team into the playoffs for the first time since 1982.
Despite the fact that he was not acquired until July 7, Sabathia was the team leader with 5.2 WAR, going 11-2 with a 1.65 ERA while tossing seven complete games and three shutouts in 17 starts. They lost to the eventual World Series champion Philadelphia Phillies in four games in the NLDS, but the playoff drought was snapped.
Minnesota Twins
17 of 30
1965 (102-60, Lost World Series)
1987 (85-77, Won World Series)
1991 (95-67, Won World Series)
2019 (101-61, Lost in ALDS)
Explain the Pick: 2019
The 2019 Twins might not have won a playoff game as they were swept by the New York Yankees in the ALDS, but they will forever go down as one of the best offensive teams in MLB history.
They set a new MLB record with 307 home runs and became the first team in baseball history with five 30-homer players as Nelson Cruz, Max Kepler, Miguel Sanó, Eddie Rosario and Mitch Garver all reached that mark, while C.J. Cron, Jonathan Schoop and Jorge Polanco all topped 20 homers.
New York Mets
18 of 30
1969 (100-62, Won World Series)
1986 (108-54, Won World Series)
2006 (97-65, Lost in NLCS)
2015 (90-72, Lost World Series)
Explain the Pick: 2006
The 2000 Mets made it to the World Series, but they got crushed by the New York Yankees in five games, and they didn't even win the NL East title during the regular season as they were in the playoffs as a wild-card team.
The 2006 Mets had a stacked offense led by David Wright, Carlos Beltrán, Carlos Delgado and José Reyes, while veterans Tom Glavine, Pedro Martínez and Billy Wagner were the headliners on the pitching staff.
The '06 team's lineup and the '15 team's pitching staff would have been an unstoppable combination.
New York Yankees
19 of 30
1927 (110-44-1, Won World Series)
1939 (106-45-1, Won World Series)
1961 (109-53-1, Won World Series)
1998 (114-48, Won World Series)
Explain the Pick: 1939
The 1927 Yankees and 1998 Yankees are both squarely in the conversation for greatest team in baseball history, while the 1961 Yankees won 109 games and had the added mystique of the Roger Maris and Mickey Mantle home run race.
That left 24 other title-winning teams fighting for one spot.
The 1939 Yankees are the only team since 1900 with a plus-400 run differential, as they outscored the opposition 967-556 and then swept the Cincinnati Reds in the World Series.
Oakland Athletics
20 of 30
1929 (104-46-1, Won World Series)
1973 (94-68, Won World Series)
1989 (99-63, Won World Series)
2002 (103-59, Lost in ALDS)
Explain the Pick: 2002
The team that inspired Moneyball has to make the cut for Oakland, right?
After losing Jason Giambi, Johnny Damon and Jason Isringhausen in free agency on the heels of a 102-win season, the A's found a way to continue winning without all that star power, rattling off a memorable 20-game winning streak en route to the AL West title.
They lost to the Minnesota Twins in five games in the ALDS, but they still stand as one of the most beloved teams in franchise history.
Philadelphia Phillies
21 of 30
1976 (101-61, Lost in NLCS)
1980 (91-71, Won World Series)
1993 (97-65, Lost in World Series)
2008 (92-70, Won World Series)
Explain the Pick: 1976
The Phillies finally got over the hump and won the first World Series title in franchise history in 1980, but they were knocking on the door in 1976 and 1977 when they won 101 games in back-to-back seasons.
Both teams featured roughly the same rosters, with Mike Schmidt and Greg Luzinski leading the way offensively and Steve Carlton anchoring the pitching staff. The '76 team had a six-win advantage in Pythagorean W-L record, so they got the nod for the Mt. Rushmore spot, but that group in general laid the groundwork for the 1980 title.
Pittsburgh Pirates
22 of 30
1909 (110-42-2, Won World Series)
1960 (95-59-1, Won World Series)
1979 (98-64-1, Won World Series)
2013 (94-68, Lost in NLDS)
Explain the Pick: 2013
The 2013 Pirates snapped a stretch of 20 straight losing seasons, the longest such streak in North American professional sports history.
Andrew McCutchen won NL MVP, Francisco Liriano won NL Comeback Player of the Year while emerging as co-ace of the staff alongside A.J. Burnett, Pedro Alvarez tied for the NL lead with 36 home runs and Russell Martin proved to be one of the most impactful free-agent signings of the year.
The chants of "Cueto!" from the PNC Park crowd in the NL Wild Card Game that visibly rattled Cincinnati Reds starter Johnny Cueto will be the enduring memory from that season.
San Diego Padres
23 of 30
1984 (92-70, Lost World Series)
1996 (91-71, Lost in NLDS)
1998 (98-64, Lost World Series)
2022 (89-73, Lost in NLCS)
Explain the Pick: 1996
The 1984 and 1998 Padres are the only teams in franchise history to reach the World Series, while the 2022 team that upended the rival Los Angeles Dodgers in the NLDS is the only other team to make it as far as the NLCS, so the first three spots were easy picks.
The final spot goes to a 1996 team that won 91 games and captured the club's first division title since 1984. Third baseman Ken Caminiti hit .326/.408/.621 with 37 doubles, 40 home runs and 130 RBI to win a steroid-fueled NL MVP award, while Hall of Fame closer Trevor Hoffman had one of his best seasons with 42 saves and 111 strikeouts in 88 innings.
San Francisco Giants
24 of 30
1905 (105-48-2, Won World Series)
1954 (97-57, Won World Series)
1993 (103-59, Missed playoffs)
2012 (94-68, Won World Series)
Explain the Pick: 1993
The 1993 Giants are easily one of the best teams in MLB history to miss the postseason.
Just two years before the introduction of the wild card and expansion from two to three divisions, the Giants won 103 games but finished one game behind the Atlanta Braves in the NL West standings.
Barry Bonds hit .336/.458/.677 with 46 home runs and 123 RBI to win NL MVP in his first season with the Giants, and also the only season he would be teammates with first baseman Will Clark. Third baseman Matt Williams also had a huge season offensively, while Bill Swift and John Burkett were both 20-game winners atop the rotation and Rod Beck saved 48 games in the closer's role.
Seattle Mariners
25 of 30
1995 (79-66, Lost in ALCS)
1997 (90-72, Lost in ALDS)
2001 (116-46, Lost in ALCS)
2022 (90-72, Lost in ALDS)
Explain the Pick: 1997
The 1995 Mariners saved baseball in Seattle, the 2001 Mariners won a record 116 games and the 2022 Mariners snapped a 20-year playoff drought, so the only real question here was which team claimed the fourth spot.
The '97 squad saw Ken Griffey Jr. hit .304/.382/.646 with 56 home runs and 147 RBI to win his only MVP award, while Jay Buhner, Edgar Martinez, Alex Rodriguez, Paul Sorrento and Russ Davis each hit at least 20 home runs. Ace Randy Johnson went 20-4 with a 2.28 ERA and 291 strikeouts in 213 innings to finish runner-up in AL Cy Young voting.
St. Louis Cardinals
26 of 30
1934 (95-58-1, Won World Series)
1967 (101-60, Won World Series)
2004 (105-57, Lost World Series)
2011 (90-72, Won World Series)
Explain the Pick: 2004
The Cardinals have won 11 World Series titles, so there was no need for their Mt. Rushmore to include a non-champion, but most St. Louis fans will agree that the 2004 team is the best Cardinals team they've seen.
The trio of Albert Pujols (173 OPS+, 46 HR, 123 RBI), Jim Edmonds (171 OPS+, 42 HR, 111 RBI) and Scott Rolen (158 OPS+, 34 HR, 124 RBI) had their best combined production as teammates, Larry Walker gave them another elite offensive weapon when he was acquired in August, and the starting rotation of Matt Morris, Chris Carpenter, Jason Marquis, Woody Williams and Jeff Suppan stayed healthy enough to start 154 of 162 games.
Tampa Bay Rays
27 of 30
2008 (97-65, Lost World Series)
2011 (91-71, Lost in ALDS)
2020 (40-20, Lost World Series)
2021 (100-62, Lost in ALDS)
Explain the Pick: 2011
The 2011 Rays won their last five games to close out the regular season, and they needed every single one of those victories to secure a playoff spot.
On the final day of the regular season against the New York Yankees, Dan Johnson hit a pinch-hit, game-tying home run with two outs in the bottom of the ninth and Evan Longoria delivered the walk-off blast in the bottom of the 12th to punch Tampa Bay's ticket to the postseason.
Texas Rangers
28 of 30
1999 (95-67, Lost in ALDS)
2010 (90-72, Lost World Series)
2011 (96-66, Lost World Series)
2023 (90-72, Won World Series)
Explain the Pick: 1999
The Rangers' Mt. Rushmore needed some representation of the 1990s teams that featured some of the most stacked lineups of that era, but never had enough pitching to be a serious threat to win a World Series title.
The '99 team featured AL MVP Iván Rodríguez (125 OPS+, 35 HR, 113 RBI, 25 SB), Rafael Palmeiro (160 OPS+, 47 HR, 148 RBI) and Juan González (141 OPS+, 39 HR, 128 RBI), while Rusty Greer, Lee Stevens and Todd Zeile also added 20-plus homers each.
They managed to win 95 games despite a pitching staff that finished 11th in the AL with a 5.07 ERA.
Toronto Blue Jays
29 of 30
1985 (99-62, Lost in ALCS)
1992 (96-66, Won World Series)
1993 (95-67, Won World Series)
2015 (93-69, Lost in ALCS)
Explain the Pick: 1985
The Blue Jays were a 1977 expansion team, but they didn't make their first trip to the playoffs until 1985 when they came one win away from reaching the World Series.
The outfield of Jesse Barfield, George Bell and Lloyd Moseby led the way offensively, while the trio of Dave Stieb, Doyle Alexander and Jimmy Key each surpassed 200 innings and combined for 45 wins.
Washington Nationals
30 of 30
1981 (60-48, Lost in NLCS)
1994 (74-40, No postseason)
2012 (98-64, Lost in NLDS)
2019 (93-69, Won World Series)
Explain the Pick: 2012
Two teams from the Montreal Expos days and two teams from the Washington Nationals era seems like a fair way to split things up, and while the two Expos picks and the 2019 World Series champions are easy picks, the other Nats choice took some thinking.
The 2012 team represented the club's first winning season following the move to Washington D.C., and also the organization's first playoff appearance since the 1981 Expos made it to the NLCS. A 19-year-old Bryce Harper and 23-year-old Stephen Strasburg were both key contributors.
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