Cleveland Indians: Which World Series run had the better team?

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Cleveland Indians shortstop Omar Vizquel (Photo by JEFF HAYNES/AFP via Getty Images) /

Which Cleveland Indians World Series run had the better team?

Over the last 30 years, the Cleveland Indians have made three of the club’s six World Series appearances all-time. In 1995 the team broke the appearance drought after over 40 years, advancing to face the Atlanta Braves in a series that would go six games. The Tribe returned to game’s biggest stage only a couple years later in 1997, going seven games against the Florida Marlins. Then, most recently in 2016, the battle of the droughts saw the Chicago Cubs and Cleveland Indians go seven games as well.

Now, the Tribe were unable to capture a title in any of the three seasons along with heartbreaking ends in both 1997 and 2016. However, these three seasons are still regarded as some of the best in club history, but which one was the best of the bunch? Which of these three seasons was the best assembled squad, had the best season or should have been the ones hoisting the trophy at the end of the series?

Apart from these three seasons, Cleveland has three other World Series appearances, but they came in a different era of the game. The 1920 and 1948 Championship teams, along with the 1954 group that made it to the World Series, played nearly an entirely different version of the game that makes it far more difficult to compare. The rules and regulations are rather similar, but the approach from each dugout has drastically changed over time.

As for the last three appearances for Cleveland, they are all within a close enough time span that they can be pitted against one another for the best World Series run by the club over the last 30 years. Going category-by-category, which season was the best for the Cleveland Indians that advanced to the World Series, but fell short of winning a title?

Orel Hershiser #55 of the Cleveland Indians (Photo by Ronald C. Modra/Getty Images) /

Cleveland Indians World Series Runs: The Regular Season

For a team to enter the postseason they obviously have to perform well during the regular season and for the 1995, 1997 and 2016 teams, they were able to do just that. Among the three, there is one season that clearly sticks out as the better regular season campaign.

Over the history of the current edition of Cleveland baseball, dating back to the 1901 Cleveland Blues, there have been only three teams that have won 100 games or more. The 1954 team won the most with 111 wins in 156 games before falling short in the World Series. The 2017 team tallied 102 wins over 162 games, losing in the divisional round of the playoffs. The other is the 1995 team that was able to capture 100 wins in just 144 games for a record of 100-44.

In terms of winning percentage, the mark of .694 is the second best season in club history behind only the 1954 squad that posted a .721 winning percentage. However, of the three teams that have won 100 games or more, the 1995 team played the fewest total games over the course of the season.

That isn’t to say that the 1997 and 2016 regular seasons were poor, but the 1995 season was an impressive campaign. The Tribe won the division in each of the three seasons and were just six wins shy of 100 in 2016, but in terms of the best regular season campaign the advantage clearly goes to the 1995 team, not only among these three teams, but possibly over the history of the club.

Cleveland Indians relief pitcher Alan Embree (Photo by CHRIS WILKINS/AFP via Getty Images) /

Cleveland Indians World Series Runs: Team Balance

In talking about team balance, there’s few stats that give a clear indication that are also comparable on the same level. The closest might be runs produced and runs allowed. However, given that the 1995 season had 18 fewer games, we’ll turn those into averages.

Once again, the 1995 season comes out on top in terms of run-averages for the season. During that campaign, the Tribe averaged 5.8 runs per game while allowing just 4.2, outscoring their opponent by an average of 1.6 runs over the course of the season.

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The 2016 season’s pitching staff matched the performance put together in 1995, also giving up an average of 4.2 runs per game. However, where the two seasons see a separation is the offense. The 2016 squad scored just 4.8 runs per game, a full run less on average than in 1995. So, while the pitching was on the same level, the hitting couldn’t keep up.

As for the 1997 season, they land somewhere in the middle. The offense was electric, averaging 5.4 runs per game, only 0.3 off the pace of the 1995 team. Where the team struggled was pitching. In total, the team allowed almost as much as they scored, giving up 5.1 runs per game for only a +0.3 margin for the season.

Once again, this tally goes to the 1995 Cleveland Indians. Not only did they tie the 2016 team for the lowest runs given up on average, but they also averaged the most runs scored among the three teams to create a +1.6 scoring margin for the season.

Mike Napoli of the Cleveland Indians (Photo by Elsa/Getty Images) /

Cleveland Indians World Series Runs: World Series Performance

All three of the series in question went at least six games for the Cleveland Indians. The 1995 team ran into the Atlanta Braves’ juggernaut starting rotation and now trio of Hall of Famers of Greg Maddux, Tom Glavine and John Smoltz. Despite getting the best of Smoltz, the series still lasted just six games, creating a disadvantage in this category against two squads that went seven games.

As for the 2016 team, they had three chances to clinch the title after jumping out to a 3-1 lead in the series. However, karma from the 2016 NBA Finals struck the city. After chanting that the Golden State Warriors blew a 3-1 lead, the Tribe would soon do the same. Game seven needed extra innings to decide a winner after an electric Rajai Davis home run, but a rain delay would dull the momentum for the Tribe with the Cubs capturing the title in seven games.

In 1997, it was a similar story of heartbreak. After a series that was high-scoring and back-and-forth, the deciding game seven saw a total of just five runs scored, two too many, and extra innings needed. After scoring in the bottom of the ninth inning to send the game to extra innings, the Florida Marlins won in the 11th.

In terms of the better World Series performance, the 1997 season has a slight advantage. While the 2016 team jumped out to a better start, the overall series in 1997 was the better grouping of games as the team came just two outs away from capturing a title.

Matt Williams of the Cleveland Indians (Photo -/AFP via Getty Images) /

Cleveland Indians World Series Runs: Which was the better team?

When looking at these three teams there almost has to be a separate category for the regular season and the postseason to decide which team has the advantage. On paper, the 1995 campaign was clearly the better regular season, however, of the three they won the fewest games in the World Series.

If you look at just the World Series, then the 2016 and 1997 teams were rather similar as well. Both went seven games and needed extra innings in game seven, but the 1997 team was a few outs closer to winning the title than the 2016 team came. To a similar point, the 1997 team also had the “worst” regular season of the three.

So, how do you make the call for which team was the best? It might come down to each person’s opinion of what matters more for a World Series runs. Does the regular season to get to the postseason carry more weight, or does the performance in the postseason, more specifically the World Series, matter more?

There’s lot more to debate between these three teams than just these three categories. Regardless, each of the these seasons for the Cleveland Indians are historically some of the best. Hopefully, they will have to take a backseat to a championship team in the relatively near future.

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