The longest winning streak in MLB
MLB is one of the top sports leagues in America. It has a huge fan following and grabs the attention of millions of baseball enthusiasts from around the world. Baseball is an interesting game as it can change in a flash. It is tough to predict anything in MLB because we have seen the best teams struggle to win and lose many games.
Similarly, weaker teams often put on a good show. In a season, they usually win over 50-60 games. What it does is that it makes it challenging for teams to prolong their winning streak. Yes, it is difficult to continue the form, especially in home and away fixtures, but there have been several winning streaks in MLB history.
In the following list, you will find a combination of recent history and a blast from the past.
18 games streak
It is a tie between four teams with 18 wins in a row. The first team to do it was the Chicago White Stockings, now known as the Cubs, in 1885. Their streak lasted the whole month of June.
The second team was the Boston Beaneaters, now known as the Braves. They won their 18 matches on a trot in 1891and yet could not qualify for the World Series.
The third team was the New York Giants. They achieved the milestone in 1906 when they won 106 games in the season.
The recent event took place in 1953 when the Yankees won 18 matches in a row and won the World Series at the same time.
19 games streak
In 1906, the White Sox were peaking despite being a young franchise. They put on a great show in August and won 19 games straight. The streak helped them to win the American League and also defeated the Cubs in the World Series.
Another team that matched the winning streak was the Yankees in 1947. They peaked at the right time and won the American League pennant with a large margin of 12 games. In the same season, they beat the Dodgers in the World Series and ended their three-year drought of winning the championship.
20 games streak
This goes way back to 1884 when the St. Louis Maroons stepped into the MLB for the first time. The Maroons opened their season with 20 straight wins in their inaugural season. It was the longest streak and the best start in all American pro sports.
In the same season, the Providence Grays matched the Maroons’ winning streak of 20 games. They achieved the milestone late in the season and were good enough to make their way into the World Series. It was their second pennant.
There is a third incident as well of a team winning 20 games consecutively. It was a special one. The Athletics defied all the baseball odds in 2002 and achieved the greatest moments in their history. It was extraordinary for such a small club to win straight games. It also resulted in the Athletics winning the AL West title.
21 games streak
The Cubs may have lost their way between all those years, but they were not as bad of a team as perceived. In 1935, they won 21 consecutive games and the pennant despite being behind. It was the same season when they won 100 games in a season.
If we go a little behind in the timeline, the same club had a 21 games streak in 1880. At that time, the club was called the Chicago White Stockings. Along with a prestigious winning streak, the White Stockings won the National League as well.
22 games streak
For this remarkable moment, you don’t have to go back to the 1880s. The Indians in 2017 were on a whole different level. They were hungry, determined, and focused on lifting the title. Before this season, the Indians lost the title with a 3-1 lead and that may have sparked the fire.
They won 22 straight matches and won the AL Central with a 17 games margin. They also achieved the best record for the American League, with 102 wins and 60 losses. However, the Yankees put an end to their dream run of winning the World Series in the ALDS.
26 games streak
The record is yet to be broken and is still the longest winning streak in baseball history. In 1916, the New York Giants were on the roll and won 26 games straight. It was the same season in which they had a 17 games streak.
However, even after putting on a mammoth of performances, the Giants could not win the National League and finished fourth with seven games off.
