The Best Single-Season Records in MLB History
No team has come near 162-0, but a handful of seasons stand as the outer edge of what a baseball team can actually do over six months. These are the records the game is measuring you against.
The 116-win club
The most wins ever recorded in a single season is 116, and two teams share it:
- 2001 Seattle Mariners — 116-46. The record for a 162-game season. Behind Ichiro Suzuki’s debut MVP campaign and a deep, balanced roster, the Mariners were dominant wire to wire — then lost to the Yankees in the American League Championship Series. The most regular-season wins ever, no title.
- 1906 Chicago Cubs — 116-36. The same win total in a 154-game schedule, which makes their .763 winning percentage the best of the modern era. They, too, fell short in October, losing the World Series to the crosstown White Sox.
The most complete: 1998 Yankees
If the question is which record-setting team was best, the common answer is the 1998 New York Yankees, who went 114-48 (.704) and then rolled through the postseason to win the World Series. Fewer regular-season wins than the Mariners or Cubs, but the one team in this tier that finished the job. That combination — an all-time regular season plus a championship — is why the ‘98 Yankees are so often the reference point for a “perfect” real season.
The rest of the 110-win tier
A short list of teams that reached rarefied air:
- 1954 Cleveland Indians — 111 wins (in a 154-game schedule), long the American League standard before Seattle.
- 1927 New York Yankees — 110 wins, the “Murderers’ Row” club considered among the greatest ever.
- 2022 Los Angeles Dodgers — 111 wins, a modern example of a super-team that still lost in the playoffs.
Every one of these teams, across every era, lost at least 36 games. That is the practical floor for losses in a full season, and it sits 36 games away from perfection.
What it means for your run
When you simulate a season in 162-0, these are the marks to chase. Cross 100 wins and you have built a genuine contender. Push past 116 and you have out-run the best regular season in history. The gap from there to 162-0 is the same gap that has stopped every real team ever — which is exactly the point. See our full look at why 162-0 is effectively impossible.
Frequently asked questions
Who has the most wins in a single MLB season?+
The 2001 Seattle Mariners and the 1906 Chicago Cubs are tied at 116 wins. The Mariners did it in the 162-game era (116-46); the Cubs did it in a 154-game schedule (116-36), giving the Cubs the higher winning percentage.
What is the best winning percentage in modern MLB history?+
The 1906 Chicago Cubs at .763 (116-36). Among 162-game teams, the 2001 Mariners' .716 is the benchmark, just ahead of the 1998 Yankees' .704.
Did the winningest teams also win the World Series?+
Not always. The 1906 Cubs lost the World Series and the 2001 Mariners lost in the ALCS. The 1998 Yankees are the standout because they went 114-48 and then won the title, which is why many consider them the most complete of the record-setting teams.