How Well Do Teams Perform In First Games Of A Homestand or Road Trip?
A's elite ability, Red Sox underwhelming, Brewers home cookin'
Research by Brett Kelly
It’s always nice to start off a series with a win, right? How have teams performed this season in the first game of a series (excluding season openers)?
The Cincinnati Reds and Washington Nationals are road warriors with an 8-2 record. The White Sox only have one win to start a road series this season. Let’s take a look at homestands and those records/
The Bay Area takes the crown here. The Giants are 10-1 (!) in the first game of a homestand and the Athletics are right behind them with a 9-1 record. The Angels, White Sox, Red Sox, Rangers, and Marlins are on the low end each with three wins.
What if we extend this out to include last seasons data? How much does that change the picture?
The Braves catapult to the top of the list in large part to their 11-3 win-loss record in the 2023 season. Let’s move back on over to the homestands.
The Braves are 9-1 this season in the first game of a homestand and 18-5 since the start of the 2023 season, best in MLB. A shocking team here? The Red Sox are just 5-19 to open their series in Fenway Park. Let’s make this sample a little larger and take a look at since the start of the 2021 season.
The Seattle Mariners are 30-13 to start a road series. Their .698 win percentage is .158 better than their overall mark since 2021. The Marlins are the low water mark going 13-37 (.260 win pct) in first game road games which is .176 worse than their total win rate in that span. What teams have excelled in home games in that same timeframe?
The Brewers are 36-17 in the first game of a homestand since the 2021 season, best in MLB. While the Nationals have been competitive on the road they have struggled in homestands by posting a 16-33 record, worst in MLB.
Where do your teams stand in these timeframes?