In baseball, as with most things in life, having money is a considerable advantage. Teams with more money tend to win more, as well they should. This site exists to level the playing field (so to speak). Every team receives a "salary-based handicap" and is evaluated based not on its "real" record, but rather on its expected winning percentage given its salary.
The handicap is based on a formula derived from salary and winning percentage data from 1997-2007
Explore the data in-depth with an interactive visualization
Show standings from year:
2009
2008
2007
2006
2005
2004
2003
2002
2001
2000
1999
1998
1997 2009 average team salary: $88,513,173
New York Yankees
$201,449,189
103
59
87
75
-16
.599
$1,955,817
Boston Red Sox
$121,745,999
95
67
86
76
-9
.554
$1,281,537
Tampa Bay Rays
$63,313,034
84
78
85
77
+1
.496
$753,727
Toronto Blue Jays
$80,538,300
75
87
72
90
-3
.517
$1,073,844
Baltimore Orioles
$67,101,666
64
98
64
98
0
.501
$1,048,464
Minnesota Twins
$65,299,266
87
76
87
76
0
.498
$755,199
Detroit Tigers
$115,085,145
86
77
78
85
-8
.549
$1,346,460
Chicago White Sox
$96,068,500
79
83
74
88
-5
.533
$1,216,057
Kansas City Royals
$70,519,333
65
97
64
98
-1
.505
$1,084,913
Cleveland Indians
$81,579,166
65
97
62
100
-3
.518
$1,255,064
Los Angeles Angels
$113,709,000
97
65
89
73
-8
.548
$1,172,258
Texas Rangers
$68,178,798
87
75
87
75
0
.502
$783,664
Seattle Mariners
$98,904,166
85
77
79
83
-6
.536
$1,163,578
Oakland Athletics
$62,310,000
75
87
76
86
+1
.494
$830,800
Florida Marlins
$36,834,000
87
75
96
66
+9
.447
$423,379
Philadelphia Phillies
$113,004,046
93
69
85
77
-8
.548
$1,215,097
Atlanta Braves
$96,726,166
86
76
81
81
-5
.534
$1,124,723
New York Mets
$149,373,987
70
92
58
104
-12
.573
$2,133,914
Washington Nationals
$60,328,000
59
103
60
102
+1
.491
$1,022,508
St. Louis Cardinals
$77,605,109
91
71
89
73
-2
.514
$852,803
Milwaukee Brewers
$80,182,502
80
82
77
85
-3
.517
$1,002,281
Cincinnati Reds
$73,558,500
78
84
77
85
-1
.509
$943,058
Chicago Cubs
$134,809,000
83
78
73
88
-10
.563
$1,614,179
Houston Astros
$102,996,414
74
88
68
94
-6
.539
$1,391,843
Pittsburgh Pirates
$48,693,000
62
99
67
94
+5
.472
$780,523
Colorado Rockies
$75,201,000
92
70
90
72
-2
.511
$817,402
Los Angeles Dodgers
$100,414,592
95
67
89
73
-6
.537
$1,056,996
San Francisco Giants
$82,616,450
88
74
85
77
-3
.520
$938,823
San Diego Padres
$43,734,200
75
87
81
81
+6
.463
$583,123
Arizona Diamondbacks
$73,516,666
70
92
69
93
-1
.509
$1,050,238
