[FuzzyRussianHat]

Pittsburgh easily claimed the best record in Major League Baseball, but they fell one short of the MLB wins record after going .500 in September. The Pirates earned their first National League East Division crown at 101-61, beating out Boston (92-70), New York (89-73), and last year’s winner Buffalo (85-77). Pittsburgh’s +209 run differential was tied for the third-best thus far in MLB history. They were second in both runs scored (896) and fewest allowed (687) in the NL.

The Giants had them beat by one run for most scored and set a franchise wins record. The Braves have posted three consecutive 90+ win seasons, but they are second place for repeat seasons. Pittsburgh did get some bad news entering the playoffs as pitcher Matt Kilroy suffered a torn flexor tendon. Doctors do think the former first round pick will be back by spring 1889.

Fans expected a tight race in the NL West down the stretch, but it was anti-climactic as Indianapolis won by seven games. The Clowns were 11-1 to start September and finished 19-7 for the month, finishing 95-67 for their second division title (1985). Defending NL champ St. Louis was 15-12 in the month, taking second at 88-74. Louisville meanwhile had a weak finish, dropping to a distant third at 82-80.

The Clowns and Cardinals are the only NL teams to have winning seasons each of MLB’s five seasons so far. St. Louis’s 651 runs allowed were the fewest in MLB. It was a sharp collapse for Cincinnati, who won 83 games the prior year. At 59-103, the Reds had the worst record in the majors and tied for the worst-ever in the NL. Cincy allowed 916 runs, a new NL worst. New Orleans meanwhile set new NL worsts for team batting average (.234), runs (620), and hits (1286).

Boston LB Mike Tiernan was the final NL Batter of the Month with a .359 average, 11 home runs, 31 RBI, and 31 runs in September. Indianapolis’s Perry Werden was Pitcher of the Month with a 1.59 ERA over 51 innings, 5-0 record, and 21 strikeouts. New Orleans reliever Fred Stoutenburg was Rookie of the Month with a 2.63 ERA over 13.2 innings.



Werden had a record-breaking season, setting new bests (162 IP required) for ERA (2.11), WHIP (0.85), and opponent’s OPS (.496). His .189/.266/.496 triple slash also were new records for OBP/SLG, while the AVG was second-best. Werden was also the leader in wins (26-6) and WAR (7.2), making him an obvious choice for Pitcher of the Year.

NL MVP is a much tougher battle with the likes of Tiernan, Dan Brouthers, King Kelly, and others in the hunt. Tiernan’s .743 slugging percentage set a new single-season record (502 PA required). Pittsburgh’s Abner Dalrymple set a new record with 16 triples. Chicago’s Billy O’Brien is expected to win Reliever of the Year again, breaking his own records again for saves (36) and games (68).