Friday night, the Baltimore Orioles won their 90th game of the season, cut their magic number to three and pushed their run differential to +7.
Only two of those stats actually matter.
If you’re searching for the one that doesn’t, it’s run differential, the statistic that MLB.com omits from their standings as it actually has no actual bearing on where a team finishes after game 162. Somehow though, the number of runs that the Orioles have scored has seemingly become a bigger story throughout this season than the fact that they are steamrolling their opponents.
Not any more.
For those that have followed my posts about this meaningless stat, you already know that the Orioles run differential against the Rangers and Angels this season is -63.
If you take those two teams out, the Birds now have a +70 run differential on the season.
Maybe it’s not luck after all.
It’s not luck, it’s Buck.
But actually, what are analysts on ESPN going to say about the O’s now? “oh, they have a positive run differential, but it isn’t good enough.”
all of their homeruns are too high.
“If you take those two teams out, the Birds now have a +70 run differential on the season.”
That’s completely arbitrary and meaningless. I could hand-pick certain games to “take out” of other team’s schedules to make up run differentials too. While I wouldn’t call it “luck” exactly, they definitely don’t deserve their win-loss record. Barely winning two close games and then getting blown out doesn’t make you a good team.