Published: June 25, 2021
Updated: July 15, 2026 at 07:32PM
Welcome
Welcome to my baseball season data analysis. This page offers interactive visualizations and detailed data tables that capture team and player performance throughout Major League Baseball (MLB) seasons. You can explore cumulative wins, run differentials, scoring trends, and advanced player statistics such as Wins Above Replacement, on-base plus slugging, and earned run average. The charts and tables highlight team momentum, offensive and defensive strengths, and individual contributions, providing a clear view of which teams and players are excelling over time.
All data are sourced from Baseball Reference and updated daily during the regular season, allowing you to track changes as the season unfolds. Whether you’re a fan, analyst, or fantasy baseball player, these visualizations offer an accessible, data-driven perspective on MLB performance. I hope you find these visualizations and data tables helpful in understanding the current MLB season. Thank you for visiting the page.
Executive Summary1
As Major League Baseball emerges from the All-Star break, team performances are sharpening into focus, revealing distinct patterns of success and momentum. Analysis of the latest data highlights two notable trends: the peculiar statistical profile of the league’s top two teams, the Los Angeles Dodgers and Milwaukee Brewers, and a substantial recent winning streak by the Boston Red Sox. While the Dodgers and Brewers have established a clear cushion atop the standings, their method of accumulating wins appears different from many other successful clubs. Meanwhile, the Red Sox have engineered a rapid turnaround in early July, altering their season’s trajectory. These developments provide a compelling look into team efficiency and mid-season shifts.
The Los Angeles Dodgers (61-36) and Milwaukee Brewers (59-37) boast the two best records in baseball, yet their run differential data present a unique picture. Both teams have posted a median run differential of -1, indicating that in a typical game, they are as likely to be outscored as they are to outscore their opponent. This contrasts with their high winning percentages of 62.9% and 61.5%, respectively. Such a statistical profile suggests a pattern of winning a high volume of close games while their losses have come by wider margins. The Brewers’ success, for instance, is built partly on strong pitching, with players like Jacob Misiorowski ranking among the league leaders in both pitcher Wins Above Replacement (4.2) and WHIP (0.757).
In the American League, the Boston Red Sox have experienced a substantial turnaround. The cumulative win data show a team that has rapidly gained ground in the first part of July. After entering the month with 37 wins as of July 1, the team compiled 9 additional victories by July 12, bringing their total to 46. This surge has moved the Red Sox from a record well below .500 to a more competitive standing at 46-48. This stretch represents one of the most concentrated periods of winning for any team in the league over the past several weeks.
While it is premature to attribute this streak to any single factor, the team’s improved play is evident in the results. Contributions from players like Ceddanne Rafaela, who has accumulated a 4.0 WAR, may reflect the type of all-around performance that fuels such a run. The coming weeks will determine if this period is a temporary surge or a more lasting change in the team’s performance level.
Beyond these specific team trends, the data reveal other concentrations of talent. The Philadelphia Phillies pitching staff features three starters—Zack Wheeler, Cristopher Sánchez, and Jesús Luzardo—who all rank in the top 12 for pitcher WAR, forming one of the league’s most effective rotations. On the offensive side, the Washington Nationals, despite a 48-49 record, showcase a dynamic young core with James Wood, Luis García Jr., and Nasim Nuñez all ranking among the league leaders in home runs, RBI, and stolen bases, respectively. These clusters of elite performance suggest different team-building philosophies at play across the league.
Cumulative Wins
This figure presents cumulative wins by MLB team during the current season. Each panel corresponds to a single team, with the x-axis representing the progression of the season by date and the y-axis showing the total number of wins accumulated to date. This display helps illustrate how quickly teams have been winning games relative to one another and provides a clear view of momentum, slumps, or sustained success over time. Because the plot updates automatically as new data become available, it reflects each team’s current position in the season at the time of the most recent refresh.
Graph Prepared By: Isaac H. Michaels, DrPH
Data Source: www.baseball-reference.com
Head-to-Head Records
This figure presents a cross-tabulated heat map detailing the head-to-head performance of each MLB team during the current season. Each row corresponds to a specific team, while the columns represent their respective opponents. The intersecting cells contain text displaying the exact win-loss record for that specific matchup. Additionally, the background of each cell is colored according to the head-to-head differential using a diverging color scale, where positive values—indicating a favorable margin—and negative values—indicating an unfavorable margin—are visually distinguished. Teams whose rows feature a higher concentration of blues demonstrate broader dominance across the league. In contrast, rows saturated with reds highlight teams struggling against a variety of opponents. This visualization offers a comprehensive, at-a-glance snapshot of individual matchup advantages, intra-league parity, and overall team competitiveness to date.
Graph Prepared By: Isaac H. Michaels, DrPH
Data Source: www.baseball-reference.com
Runs Scored vs. Runs Allowed
This figure plots runs scored against runs allowed for each MLB team during the current season. Each panel corresponds to a single team, with individual points representing games. Points above the diagonal dashed line indicate games in which the team scored more runs than it allowed (wins), while points below the line indicate losses. Points are colored according to game outcome to distinguish between wins and losses. Teams with a larger number of points above the line tend to outscore their opponents more consistently, reflecting stronger overall performance. The figure provides a visual summary of each team’s run-scoring and defensive patterns across all games to date.
Graph Prepared By: Isaac H. Michaels, DrPH
Data Source: www.baseball-reference.com
Runs Differentials
Histograms
This figure shows histograms of game-level run differentials for each MLB team during the current season. Each bar represents the number of games with a given scoring margin, using a bin width of one run. Positive run differentials correspond to wins, while negative values correspond to losses. Bars are colored according to game outcome, distinguishing victories from defeats. Teams with histograms skewed to the right tend to win by larger margins or more frequently, indicating stronger overall performance. In contrast, teams with distributions centered near zero or skewed left tend to have closer or less favorable results. The figure offers a concise visual summary of how dominant — or narrowly competitive — each team’s games have been.
Graph Prepared By: Isaac H. Michaels, DrPH
Data Source: www.baseball-reference.com
Trends
This figure presents game-by-game run differentials for each MLB team over the course of the current season. Each vertical bar represents a single game, with its height indicating the margin of victory or defeat — positive values for wins and negative values for losses. Bars are colored green for wins and red for losses. The plot provides a visual timeline of team performance, revealing patterns such as winning or losing streaks, consistency in run margins, and periods of volatility. Teams with consistently tall positive bars tend to dominate opponents, whereas those with frequent negative bars or alternating patterns suggest closer or less predictable outcomes. Displaying these bars sequentially highlights the rhythm of each team’s season.
Graph Prepared By: Isaac H. Michaels, DrPH
Data Source: www.baseball-reference.com
Player Statistics
Batting
This table summarizes individual batting performance across Major League Baseball for all players with at least 25 at bats during the current season. It provides a comprehensive view of offensive production through both traditional and advanced metrics. Basic counting statistics such as games played (G), plate appearances (PA), hits (H), home runs (HR), and runs batted in (RBI) capture each player’s volume and contribution to team scoring. Rate-based measures—including batting average (BA), on-base percentage (OBP), slugging percentage (SLG), and on-base plus slugging (OPS)—reflect overall hitting efficiency and power.
Advanced indicators such as Wins Above Replacement (WAR), OPS+, and weighted on-base average (rOBA) contextualize performance relative to league and ballpark environments. Together, these metrics allow for comparisons across teams and player types, highlighting both consistent contributors and standout performers. The table serves as a detailed reference for evaluating individual offensive value throughout the season.