Will any Major League Baseball team reach 50 victories in 60-game season? Almost surely not

Major League Baseball will play just 37 percent of its usual 162 games this season with 60 games scheduled in the wake of the coronavirus pandemic. The 2020 season will start either July 23 or July 24. It promises to be one unlike any other because it's already a sprint to the finish. A five-game losing streak could be crushing to a team's playoff hopes.

Last season, for example, the Colorado Rockies had a 60-game stretch where they went 37-23. They finished 71-91 overall and 35 games behind the NL West champion Los Angeles Dodgers. Anything can happen in 60 games! This year, teams will 40 games in division and 20 interleague games with their geographic divisional counterpart (East vs. East, etc.).

The Houston Astros led the majors with 107 regular-season wins in 2019, which would equate 40 this year. Thus, the question needs to be asked: How many victories will it take for a team to earn the top seed in the playoffs? Might any club reach 50 wins?

The answer to the 50 question is almost surely not. The best record by an MLB team over any 60-game stretch in history is 52-8 by three: St. Louis Maroons (1884), Chicago Cubs (1906) and New York Giants (1912).

Since those Giants, the lone team to win at least 50 games over a 60-game stretch was the 2017 Dodgers, who went 51-9 at one point. They would finish with a league-best 104 victories but lost to Houston in a seven-game World Series.

There likely will be very few to no fans in the stands at all games. That benefits the Astros and hurts the Texas Rangers. Houston is a winner because it was going to be booed mercilessly on the road this year in the wake of the sign-stealing scandal. The Rangers are losers because they open the spectacular Globe Life Field.

Texas Gov. Greg Abbott has gone on record as saying that pro sports venues could operate at up to 50% capacity, but that was before his state had a major spike in positive coronavirus tests. If that stands, the Rangers would be allowed to host around 20,000 fans.

As of this writing, William Hill sportsbook is not expecting to post win totals for this season simply with the unpredictability and the potential of things being shut down again. The Yankees are +190 favorites on the moneyline odds to win the AL pennant and the Dodgers +160 to win the NL. 

WHICH 2020 FANTASY FOOTBALL SLEEPER SHOULD YOU SNATCH IN YOUR DRAFT? AND WHICH WR1 CANDIDATE CAN YOU WAIT ON UNTIL LATE? JOIN SPORTSLINE NOW TO GET 2020 FANTASY FOOTBALL CHEAT SHEETS FROM THE MODEL THAT WAS ALL OVER DERRICK HENRY'S HUGE SEASON, AND FIND OUT.