King of the Diamond
What if baseball determined its champions in the same way that boxing and wrestling do? That is, the last team standing becomes the new champ.
You may have never asked yourself that question, but I have. So I’ve decided to run a single-season experiment to finally answer it.
The rules are simple: The last team to lose a game in each league during the 2024 becomes the respective league champion (and the last between those two becomes the overall champ). After that, whichever team defeats the reigning title holder takes the theoretical belt.
Rules clarifications
Okay, apparently the rules aren’t that simple after all. Some more details:
- Only regular season games are included as part of this experiment. Exhibition and postseason games are not included.
- The AL/NL championships are not at stake in interleague games.
- Title reigns are measured in days, not games. A reigning champion still accrues championship streak days during interleague series, postponed or suspended games, and off days, as long as there’s at least one other MLB game on the schedule that day.
- The league-wide off days around the All-Star Game do not count. (July 15–18)
- The days in the awkward gap between the Dodgers-Padres opening series in Korea and the rest of the regular season (March 22–27) do not count, but they really wouldn’t anyway—the first champion cannot be declared until each team has played at least one game.
- Title days are accrued at the end of the scheduled day. In the case of a split doubleheader, the winner of the first game does not earn a championship day, but the team winning the second game does. Both teams earn one championship for their overall count.
- The final results of suspended and makeup games are counted on the day that they are completed, not the day that they were originally scheduled. We’re not here to explore the infinite possibilities of space and time.
- If two teams share a title, then each team accrues a full day of streak time. This is only possible in the rare case of a declared tie involving the current champion at the end of the season. Normally, tied games are suspended and concluded at a later date, and are accounted for using the rules outlined above.
Current champions
(Through all games played as of April 26, 2024)
MLB
AL
NL
How they got here
MLB Championship
- On April 21, the Dodgers defeated the Mets, 10-0.
- On April 14, the Mets defeated the Royals, 2-1.
- On April 13, the Royals defeated the Mets, 11-7.
- On April 11, the Mets defeated the Braves, 16-4.
- On April 9, the Braves defeated the Mets, 6-5.
- On April 7, the Mets defeated the Reds, 3-1.
- On April 6, the Reds defeated the Mets, 9-6.
- On April 4, the Mets defeated the Tigers, 2-1.
- On April 3, the Brewers and Pirates lost, leaving the Tigers as the last remaining undefeated team and inaugural MLB champion.
- On April 2, the Yankees lost to the Diamondbacks, leaving 3 teams (Brewers, Pirates, and Tigers) undefeated.
- On March 31, the Braves, Orioles, Guardians, Twins, and Rangers lost, leaving 4 teams (Brewers, Pirates, Tigers, and Yankees) undefeated.
- On March 30, the Reds and Diamondbacks lost, leaving 9 teams undefeated.
- On March 29, the Red Sox, Mets, Phillies, and Blue Jays lost, leaving 11 teams undefeated.
- On March 28, the Cubs, White Sox, Rockies, Astros, Royals, Angels, Marlins, Athletics, Mariners, Giants, Cardinals, Rays, and Nationals lost, leaving 15 teams undefeated.
- On March 21, the Dodgers lost to the Padres, leaving 28 teams undefeated.
- On March 20, the Padres lost to the Dodgers, leaving 29 teams undefeated.
American League Championship
- On April 25, the Guardians defeated the Red Sox, 6-4.
- On April 24, the Red Sox defeated the Guardians, 8-0.
- On April 19, the Guardians defeated the Athletics, 10-2.
- On April 11, the Athletics defeated the Rangers, 1-0.
- On April 10, the Rangers defeated the Athletics, 6-2.
- On April 6, the Athletics defeated the Tigers, 4-0.
- On April 2, the Rangers and Yankees lost, leaving the Tigers as the last remaining undefeated team and inaugural champion in the AL.
- On March 31, the Orioles, Guardians, and Twins lost, leaving 3 teams (Rangers, Tigers, and Yankees) undefeated in AL play.
- On March 29, the Red Sox and Blue Jays lost, leaving 6 teams (Orioles, Guardians, Tigers, Twins, Yankees, and Rangers) undefeated in AL play.
- On March 28, the White Sox, Rockies, Astros, Royals, Angels, Athletics, Mariners, and Rays lost, leaving 8 teams (Orioles, Red Sox, Guardians, Tigers, Twins, Yankees, Rangers, and Blue Jays) undefeated in AL play.
National League Championship
- On April 24, the Brewers defeated the Pirates, 3-2.
- On April 22, the Pirates defeated the Brewers, 4-2.
- On April 17, the Brewers defeated the Padres, 1-0.
- On April 15, the Padres defeated the Brewers, 7-3.
- On April 9, the Brewers defeated the Reds, 9-5.
- On April 8, the Reds defeated the Brewers, 10-8.
- On April 3, the Pirates lost to the Nationals, leaving the Brewers as the last remaining undefeated team and inaugural champion in the NL.
- On March 31, the Braves lost to the Phillies, leaving 2 teams (Brewers and Pirates) undefeated in NL play.
- On March 30, the Reds and Diamondbacks lost, leaving 3 teams (Braves, Brewers, and Pirates) undefeated in NL play.
- On March 29, the Mets and Phillies lost, leaving 5 teams (Diamondbacks, Braves, Reds, Brewers, and Pirates) undefeated in NL play.
- On March 28, the Cubs, Rockies, Marlins, Giants, Cardinals, and Nationals lost, leaving 7 teams (Diamondbacks, Braves, Reds, Brewers, Mets, Phillies, and Pirates) undefeated in NL play.
- On March 21, the Dodgers lost to the Padres, leaving 13 teams undefeated in NL play.
- On March 20, the Padres lost to the Dodgers, leaving 14 teams undefeated in NL play.
Records
Most times as champ (MLB) | New York Mets (4) |
Longest streak (MLB) | New York Mets (7) |
Most times as champ (AL) | Cleveland Guardians (2) Oakland Athletics (2) |
Longest streak (AL) | Oakland Athletics (8) |
Most times as champ (NL) | Milwaukee Brewers (4) |
Longest streak (NL) | Milwaukee Brewers (6) |
Number of days as champion
MLB
NYM | 13 |
LAD | 5 |
ATL | 2 |
CIN | 1 |
DET | 1 |
KC | 1 |
ARI | – |
BAL | – |
BOS | – |
CHC | – |
CHW | – |
CLE | – |
COL | – |
HOU | – |
LAA | – |
MIA | – |
MIL | – |
MIN | – |
NYY | – |
OAK | – |
PHI | – |
PIT | – |
SD | – |
SEA | – |
SF | – |
STL | – |
TB | – |
TEX | – |
TOR | – |
WAS | – |
AL
OAK | 12 |
CLE | 6 |
DET | 4 |
BOS | 1 |
TEX | 1 |
BAL | – |
CHW | – |
HOU | – |
KC | – |
LAA | – |
MIN | – |
NYY | – |
SEA | – |
TB | – |
TOR | – |
NL
MIL | 19 |
SD | 2 |
CIN | 1 |
PIT | 1 |
ARI | – |
ATL | – |
CHC | – |
COL | – |
LAD | – |
MIA | – |
NYM | – |
PHI | – |
SF | – |
STL | – |
WAS | – |
Number of times as champion
MLB
NYM | 4 |
ATL | 1 |
CIN | 1 |
DET | 1 |
KC | 1 |
LAD | 1 |
ARI | – |
BAL | – |
BOS | – |
CHC | – |
CHW | – |
CLE | – |
COL | – |
HOU | – |
LAA | – |
MIA | – |
MIL | – |
MIN | – |
NYY | – |
OAK | – |
PHI | – |
PIT | – |
SD | – |
SEA | – |
SF | – |
STL | – |
TB | – |
TEX | – |
TOR | – |
WAS | – |
AL
CLE | 2 |
OAk | 2 |
BOS | 1 |
DET | 1 |
TEX | 1 |
BAL | – |
CHW | – |
HOU | – |
KC | – |
LAA | – |
MIN | – |
NYY | – |
SEA | – |
TB | – |
TOR | – |
NL
MIL | 4 |
CIN | 1 |
PIT | 1 |
SD | 1 |
ARI | – |
ATL | – |
CHC | – |
COL | – |
LAD | – |
MIA | – |
NYM | – |
PHI | – |
SF | – |
STL | – |
WAS | – |
Team logos courtesy of SportsLogos.net