The Suffer Index is back again, this time with America’s pastime. That’s right, we’re taking on the MLB this time around. Once again, I made a few changes, but I think it better encapsulates the game of baseball. Obviously, the goal is still the same: take all the emotion out of being a fan and look at the cold hard facts to see who really has it the worst.
Without further ado, let’s jump in.
The Process
The past 21 seasons of MLB baseball jump under the lens. Like I said in the opening paragraph, I made some pretty big changes that saw a lot of shakeups amongst the rankings. The only thing that stayed the same was a winning season worth five points.
Here’s how I scored each team:
Regular-season win = .5 points
Winning season = 5 points
Playoff Appearance = 8 points
Playoff series win = 10 points
Championship series appearance = 15 points
World Series appearance = 20 points
World Series Win = 30 points
MVP winner = 12 points
Cy Young winner = 12 points
The MLB plays so many regular-season games that it dilutes the meaning of each and every one. Because of that, I made each win half as valuable in terms of the overall point total. This is where the big shakeup happened. I also made the playoffs at each level worth more because there are only ten total spots open in the playoffs.
Now that all that is out of the way, let’s get into the list:
30. New York Yankees: 1,692 Suffer Index Score
The Bronx Bombers belong on the bottom of the Suffer Index, just as expected. They’ve won the second most regular-season games, mostly because they don’t have losing seasons. That’s right, they’ve won at least 82 games every season since 2000. Out of those 21 winning seasons, they’ve made the playoffs 17 times. Considering only five teams make it out of the AL every season, that’s insane. In addition, the Yanks are first in playoff series wins with 18, second in championship series appearances with nine, and tied for first in World Series appearances with four. However, the franchise only managed to win two of those, despite the postseason success. In addition to the wonderful team success, the franchise isn’t without superstars, winning two MVP and one Cy Young award in the timeframe. That is what a lot of money gets you.
29. St. Louis Cardinals: 1,621 Suffer Index Score
The first NL team on the list is out of St. Louis. The Cardinals are the definition of consistency. They remind me of the Spurs in that way. The Cardinals rank second in regular-season wins, paving the way to 20 winning seasons. They’re second in playoff appearances and playoff series wins with 15 and 17 respectively. They boast the most amount of championship appearances with ten, yes, ten. The Cardinals have been one of the two teams in the NLCS 10/21 seasons. However, they were only able to make it to the World Series three times, winning two of them. Tied in second with three MVP players over the course of 21 seasons with one Cy Young winner, Cards fans should be happy with the consistency they’ve seen over the years because it can always get worse, and oh boy does it.
28. Boston Red Sox: 1,551 Suffer Index Score
What a shocker. A team from Boston is at the bottom of the list involving fandom agony. I don’t know what it is with this city, but they just win. The Red Sox possess the fourth-most wins of any MLB team. Those wins have led to 17 winning seasons, but only ten playoff appearances. To cap it off they’ve won 14 playoff series, four ALCS crowns, and four World Series trophies. If this team gets to the WS, they’re winning it. Boston fans also witnessed two MVP’s and Cy Young winners each. Spoiled is one way to describe Bostonians, especially based on the complaining following a three year drought without a World Series title.
27. Los Angeles Dodgers: 1,490 Suffer Index Score
The Dodgers are the start of Tier Three on The Index. They’ve won the third most regular-season games leading to 19 winning seasons. Of those 19 winning seasons, 12 have resulted in a playoff berth. In those 12 trips to the playoffs, they’ve managed 14 wins and six NLCS appearances. The Dodgers made it to four World Series, winning just one of them, the COVID Championship. While Dodger’s fans have only been witness to one World Series, they’ve seen two MVP’s and four Cy Young awards (thanks to Clayton Kershaw). Hopefully for Dodgers fans, this year was the first of many for the next decade to come.
26. San Fransisco Giants: 1,425 Suffer Index Score
The most inconsistent team on the list, the San Francisco Giants find themselves right in the thick of the bottom. Thanks in large part to their postseason success (when they actually get there), Giants fans haven’t had a ton to complain about. They got to see Barry Bonds absolutely nuke balls out of the park during the early 2000s and the wildest five-season run from 2010 to 2014. The Giants find themselves ranked eighth in regular-season wins, but fourth in playoff series wins with 13, despite making the playoffs a grand total of seven times. If the Giants make the NLCS, they’re going to the World Series. Tied atop the rankings in terms of World Series appearances with four, they won three of those four, all of which came in that fascinating five-year span.
Imagine winning the WS in 2010, only to miss the playoffs in 2011, to then bounce back in 2012 and win your second WS in three years, but miss the playoffs the next year in 2013, only to cap it off with yet another WS victory in 2014. It makes no sense, but it happened. The Giants also possess six MVP players and two Cy Young’s. Overall, a pretty good run for Giants fans.
25. Houston Astros: 1,277 Suffer Index Score
The Astros find themself ranked 25th despite the fact that they’ve only won enough regular-season games to place them at 13th in the league. They’ve only made the playoffs seven times off of 12 winning seasons, but in those seven playoff appearances, they’ve won 12 series, good enough for fifth. They also boast six ALCS appearances, winning three of them. In those three World Series, they lost two of them on the scoreboard and another in public opinion. The ‘Stros haven’t been great, but they’ve won two Cy Young awards and an MVP. Houston fans were witness to one of the most bittersweet moments of their franchise, which they didn’t deserve, but got anyway. If feelings added the index score, Houston would jump much higher.
24. Los Angeles Angels: 1,183 Suffer Index Score
The other LA team based out of Anaheim, the Angels find themselves a couple of spots higher than their counterpart. They just haven’t had the same longevity of success. The Angels find themselves at six in the regular-season win column. They’ve turned those wins into 12 winning records and seven playoff appearances. In those seven playoffs, the Angels took home five total playoff series wins. They’ve reached the ALCS three times, bowing out twice. On the bright side, the one World Series they made it to, they won back in 2002. The three MVP’s all come from the best player in baseball, Mike Trout. The Angels also boast a Cy Young winner to go along with it. The last couple of years have not been good to Angels fans, but at least there’s a Commissioner’s Trophy to gaze at from this decade.
23. Chicago Cubs: 1,157 Suffer Index Score
Ah yes, the Cubs. The team that found a way to completely change its history during the last decade. They rank 13th in regular-season wins and boast 12 winning seasons, which led to eight playoff appearances. Out of those eight trips, they managed seven wins in the playoffs. They’ve also appeared in four NLCS’s and one World Series. They won that World Series, ending a 98-year drought. They also add an MVP and Cy Young winner. While Cubs Fans haven’t had the greatest history, they certainly haven’t suffered nearly as much as other teams this century.
22. Philadelphia Phillies: 1,129 Suffer Index Score.
The team from the City of Brotherly Love finds themselves at 22nd on the list. The team with the weirdest mascot, the Phillies rank 11th on the regular-season win total list. Despite being 11th on the list, they’ve only finished the season over .500 nine times. They’ve also only been to the playoffs five times. However, they turned that into back-to-back World Series appearances. They did end up winning one of those World Series, bringing a title home to Philadelphia. Ryan Howard is their lone MVP and Roy Halladay as their lone Cy Young winner.
21. Atlanta Braves: 1,128 Suffer Index Score
The Atlanta Braves fits Atlanta sports so well: great in the regular season, not so great in the postseason. They rank sixth in regular-season wins but have only won three playoff series, even though they’ve made 12 playoff appearances. They’re the lowest team on the list to not have even appeared in a World Series, even though they’ve made it to two NLCS. Freddie Freeman is their lone MVP winner and they have no Cy Young winners. Atlanta fans really just don’t have it very good, but according to the Suffer Index, don’t have it as bad as 20 other teams.
20. Cleveland Indians: 1,109 Suffer Index Score
The Cleveland Indians are like the Braves, only they don’t make it to the postseason as much. They rank eighth in regular-season wins, making the playoffs just seven times, only winning three playoff series. Those wins led to two ALCS appearances, making one World Series. Unfortunately for Cleveland fans, they weren’t able to win, blowing a 3-1 lead. In an odd twist of fate, the Indians have not a single MVP, but five Cy Young award winners. Only one of the five (Corey Kluber) was a two-time winner for the Indians. It hasn’t been the best for Indians fans and it likely won’t get better any time soon following the recent trade of superstar shortstop Francisco Lindor.
19. Arizona Diamondbacks: 1,080 Suffer Index Score
We’re getting into the territory of teams with better postseason success hopping over teams with better regular-season win totals. The Diamondbacks benefit from their early title run at the turn of the century. Other than that, the D-Backs haven’t done much. They rank 18th in regular-season wins and only have ten winning seasons. Those ten winning seasons only opened up the door to the playoffs five times. Outside of the World Series the D-Backs only won two other playoff series. They do, however, boast four Cy Young winners, three of which are Randy Johnson. The Diamondbacks had a great late 90s-early 2000s, but since then, have been a little down in the dumps. Fortunately for Arizona fans, they could have it so much worse.
18. New York Mets: 1,065 Suffer Index Score
The younger brother in the Big Apple, the Mets live in the shadow of the Yankees, and it’s been that way forever. They rank 16th in regular-season wins with nine winning seasons. They’ve made the playoffs in four of the 21 seasons, three of which they made the NLCS. They only have five playoff series wins, so while yes they made three NLCS appearances and went to two World Series, they couldn’t come away with the coveted hardware. The Mets also have no MVP players but do have 3 Cy Young winners; a back-to-back from Jacob deGrom and one from the knuckleballer, R.A. Dickey. Hopefully for Mets fans, a World Series title is on the horizon with new ownership.
17. Oakland Athletics: 1,062 Suffer Index Score
The Moneyball squad finds itself in the middle of the pack on the Suffer Index. The A’s are a very good regular season team, ranking ninth on the wins list. They also boast 13 winning seasons and 11 playoff berths. But boy do they choke when it comes playoff time. The A’s have only won two playoff series, making one ALCS. They have as many MVP players as they do playoff wins along with a Cy Young winner. It’s a good thing that Steph Curry built the Bay Area into a basketball haven because Oakland fans should not bank on the A’s delivering a title with their playoff inferiority.
16. Detroit Tigers: 1,055 Suffer Index Score
The Tigers aren’t as bad as the Lions, but not as good as the Pistons, so it’s fitting they find themselves in the middle of the road. The Tigers are downright putrid in the regular-season, ranking 27th in regular-season wins. They had two seasons in which they won less than 50 games; 43 and 47 respectively. The Tigers have been to the playoffs five times, winning six series. However, they’ve played in four ALCS’s, reaching the World Series twice. They lost both in an uncompetitive fashion. They’ve witnessed two MVP seasons, one during the Triple Crown season from Miguel Cabrera, the other from Justin Verlander, who also won a Cy Young. Max Scherzer claims the other Cy Young. Detroit sports are on a skid right now and I don’t anticipate the Tigers being the reason it ends.
15. Tampa Bay Rays: 1,053 Suffer Index Score
The Tampa Bay Rays find themselves dead center on the Suffer Index. They rank 22nd in regular-season wins with nine winning seasons. Of those nine seasons, six of them were enough to make it to the playoffs. Once they got there, they weren’t all that bad with seven series wins. The Rays made it to two ALCS’s along with two World Series, but couldn’t manage to win either one. For the Rays, their postseason awards are two Cy Young award winners, one being David Price and the other Blake Snell. Tampa fans aren’t expecting much from a team that isn’t even located in their city, but at least the Lightning are good now.
14. Minnesota Twins: 1,042 Suffer Index Score
The Minnesota Twins are yet another team that has succeeded in the regular-season but flopped in the postseason. The Twins rank 11th in regular-season wins, turning that into nine playoff appearances. In those nine playoff berths, the Twins managed to win a grand total of one playoff series. That’s right; a team with nine postseason appearances has only won one series. That one series was in the ALDS, getting them to their only ALCS appearance. Outside of the postseason woes, the Twins do have two MVPs and two Cy Young’s. I think the Vikings took all the magic from the Twins because this playoff performance is abysmal. Minnesotans do not deserve this postseason atrocity.
13. Washington Nationals/Montreal Expos: 1,039 Suffer Index Score
The only team on here that’s been in two different countries (officially) finds itself at 13. Formerly the Expos, the Nationals ranked as the 20th team when it came to regular-season performance. They had a winning record in ten seasons, reaching the playoffs eight times. The Nats had not won a single playoff series up until their magical run to win the World Series in 2019. In that run, they won their only four playoff series, eventually ending as world champions. Other than that, the Nats and the playoffs haven’t gone together very well. Despite that, the team from the nation’s capital had one MVP, Bryce Harper, and two Cy Young awards, both belonging to Max Scherzer.
12. Texas Rangers: 1,035 Suffer Index Score
The team out of Dallas, Texas sits at 12th on the list in large part due to their lack of consistent postseason success. The Rangers rank 14th in regular-season wins but have only made the playoffs five times over the course of 21 years. They did appear in two World Series during that time, which accounted for all of their playoff victories during this span. The Rangers didn’t have a Cy Young winner but did have two players win MVP in Josh Hamilton and A-Rod. Outside of back-to-back failed attempts on baseball’s biggest stage, the Rangers haven’t given their fans much to get excited about.
11. Chicago White Sox: 1,007 Suffer Index Score
The White Sox, similar to the Mets, are much lower on this list than their city’s counterpart. The White Sox have been extremely average in the regular season, ranking 15th in wins. They’ve posted a winning season ten times in 21 seasons, but have only managed four playoff appearances. In those four appearances, the Sox won only three series, all of which came in their only World Series victory run. They can only pride themselves on one MVP winner, Jose Abreu. For White Sox fans, it’s been one trophy and a whole lot of nothing else.
10. Toronto Blue Jays: 974 Suffer Index Score
The Blue Jays are another team with some regular-season success and very little postseason success. They rank 17th in regular-season wins and can boast about ten seasons finishing above .500. However, those winning seasons didn’t translate to playoff appearances, only appearing in three. Three is also the number of playoff series wins they have. They did make two ALCS’s both of which they lost. The only active Canadian team hasn’t been able to represent the Great White North quite how they want, which is why they find themselves ranked 10th.
9. Milwaukee Brewers: 951 Suffer Index Score
The Brewers haven’t had quite the same success as Wisconsin’s NFL representative. With a 21st ranking in the regular-season, the Brew Crew haven’t quite been able to reach the next level. They turned eight winning seasons into five playoff appearances. Like so many others, the Brewers just couldn’t find their footing in the postseason with only two series wins. Both wins were able to propel the team to an NLCS, but not further. To add on, the Brewers have two MVP winners, Christian Yelich and Ryan Braun. At least Milwaukee fans can look up north to the Packers every year.
8. Seattle Mariners: 946 Suffer Index Score
Another team unable to join prestigious ranks in the playoffs, the Mariners, the 19th ranked regular-season team, have nine winning seasons, but only two playoff appearances. They also hold the record for most wins in a regular season with 116. Like the Brewers one spot lower, both series appearances got them to the ALCS, but not to a World Series. However, an MVP for Ichiro, and a Cy Young, Felix Hernandez, isn’t such a bad thing. There doesn’t seem to be much to look forward to for Seattle fans, but one can always hope.
7. Miami Marlins: 938 Suffer Index Score
The Marlins are one of the worse regular-season teams of the 21st century, ranking 24th. They also have one of the lowest numbers of winning seasons with only seven. Those seven seasons only allowed a playoff run two times. One of those runs had some magic in there, as the Marlins made and won the World Series. Giancarlo Stanton won an MVP for the Marlins back in 2017 and is the lone MVP or Cy Young winner for them during the period. Besides the World Series, the Marlins have been one of the lower-tier teams in the MLB and it shows with their ranking. After their first postseason appearance since the World Series, things are looking up for the Miami fans.
6. Kansas City Royals: 936 Suffer Index Score
The Royals are the lowest team on this list to win a World Series, due in large part to their dead last place regular-season ranking. Four winning seasons ties as the worst in the timeframe. In the two years, they actually made the playoffs, the Royals made the World Series in back-to-back years, losing the first, but winning the second. The Royals don’t have any MVP winners and Zach Greinke is the only Cy Young winner.
5. Colorado Rockies: 906 Suffer Index Score
The Colorado Rockies sit as the 25th ranked regular-season team with seven winning seasons. They have made the playoffs four times this century. In those four postseasons, they won three playoff games, making one NLCS and World Series. However, they did not win that trophy. The Rockies are also one of two teams to not have an MVP or Cy Young winner. The trade of Nolan Arenado doesn’t help. It hasn’t been a good showing for Colorado fans, but it seems that at some point or another, at least one of your four teams is always good, so there’s that to think about. Thank goodness for the 2015 Broncos.
4. Cincinnati Reds: 860 Suffer Index Score
The Cincinnati Reds, the other Ohio team on this list, are much higher than their cross-state “rival” in the Cleveland Indians. The Reds rank 24th in wins during the regular season and add on five winning seasons. If you want to talk about playoff woes, this is your team. In four attempts at the postseason, the Reds haven’t won a single series. They are the only team on the list to accomplish that impressive feat. They do at least have one MVP and Cy Young winner in Joey Votto and Trevor Bauer, respectively. Bauer won his Cy Young this past season and looks poised to make another run next year with whatever team ends up signing him. Unfortunately for Reds fans, Bauer likely ends up somewhere else, but hopefully last season’s success was not a one-off.
3. San Diego Padres: 849 Suffer Index Score
The San Diego Padres were once considered to be the basement of the MLB, but appear on the rise. They sit at 26th in regular-season win total with six winning seasons. Three of those winning seasons saw the Pads make it to the playoffs. Had it not been for this season, they would’ve joined the Reds as teams with no playoff victories in 21 years. Other than the one playoff win, the Padres haven’t done anything else, but do have one Cy Young winner; Jake Peavy won it for them all the way back in 2007. I’m sorry San Diego fans, you guys just don’t have much to cheer for nowadays, but maybe you’ll get lucky with the Padres on the come up.
2. Baltimore Orioles: 823 Suffer Index Score
When I conceived the idea for an MLB Suffer Index, all indications pointed to Baltimore hoisting the crown of misery. Had I not changed the scoring system from the NFL’s Index, that would be the case. The O’s claim the 29th rank in regular-season wins, possessing five winning seasons. They have made the playoffs a grand total of three times and managed to reach an ALCS by winning two playoff series. They are also the other team to not have any MVP or Cy Young, winners. At least Baltimore has the Ravens, as the Orioles aren’t going to cut it.
1. Pittsburgh Pirates: 812 Suffer Index Score
And here it is, the team that has forced their fans to suffer the most.The city’s only franchise that refuses to conform to the ways of sustained athletic achievement and success, they rank 28th in regular-season wins, have four winning seasons, made the playoffs three times, and have only won one game when there. The only thing the Pirates had going for them was an MVP season by Andrew McCutchen. Other than that, the Pirates have long made their fanbase suffer, but who cares because they still have the Steelers and Penguins.
