Winning percentage
In sports, a winning percentage is the fraction of games or matches a team or individual has won. It is defined as wins divided by wins plus losses (i.e. — the total number of matches). Ties count as a ½ loss and a ½ win. Winning percentage is one way to compare the record of two teams; however, another standard method most frequently used in baseball and professional basketball standings is games behind.
For example, if a team's season record is 28–16–5, the team has participated in 49 matches. The five ties represent 2½ wins and 2½ losses, and so the team has an adjusted record of 30½ wins and 18½ losses, resulting in a .622 winning percentage.
In baseball, pitchers are assessed wins and losses as an individual statistic and thus have their own winning percentage, based on their win–loss record. A pitcher's winning percentage is commonly expressed to three digits.
The name "winning percentage" is actually a misnomer, since a winning percentage, such as .536, is commonly not expressed as a percentage. The same value expressed as a percentage would be 53.6%. In leagues in which points are awarded for ties and overtime losses, it's possible for a team to have a winning percentage above 0.500 (50%) despite losing more than half of the games it has played.
Contents |
Statistics
Major League Baseball
| Win % | Wins | Losses | Year | Team | Comment |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| .798 | 67 | 17 | 1880 | Chicago Cubs | best pre-modern season |
| .763 | 116 | 36 | 1906 | Chicago Cubs | best National League 154-game season |
| .721 | 111 | 43 | 1954 | Cleveland Indians | best American League 154-game season |
| .716 | 116 | 46 | 2001 | Seattle Mariners | best 162-game season |
| .265 | 43 | 119 | 2003 | Detroit Tigers | worst 162-game season |
| .248 | 38 | 115 | 1935 | Boston Braves | worst National League season |
| .235 | 36 | 117 | 1916 | Philadelphia Athletics | worst American League season |
| .130 | 20 | 134 | 1899 | Cleveland Spiders | worst pre-modern season |
National Basketball Association
| Win % | Wins | Losses | Season | Team | Comment |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| .878 | 72 | 10 | 1995–96 | Chicago Bulls | best 82-game season |
| .110 | 9 | 73 | 1972–73 | Philadelphia 76ers | worst 82-game season |
National Hockey League
In ice hockey, standings are determined by points, not wins, changing the nature of this statistic. In the National Hockey League, teams are awarded two points for a win, and one point for either a tie (a discontinued statistic) or an overtime loss. Since this calculation is not based solely on wins, the statistic is called points percentage.[1][2] It can be calculated as follows:
| Points % | Wins | Losses | Ties | Points | Season | Team | Comments |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| .825 | 60 | 8 | 12 | 132 | 1976–77 | Montreal Canadiens | best points % in post-expansion NHL |
| .131 | 8 | 67 | 5 | 21 | 1974–75 | Washington Capitals | worst points % in post-expansion NHL |
References
- ^ "Career Leaders and Records for Points Percentage (Goalie)". Hockey-Reference.com. http://www.hockey-reference.com/leaders/points_pct_goalie_career.html. Retrieved 24 May 2009.
- ^ "2008–2009 – REGULAR SEASON – SUMMARY – POINT PERCENTAGE". NHL.com. http://www.nhl.com/ice/teamstats.htm?fetchKey=20092ALLAAAAll&sort=pointPctg&viewName=summary. Retrieved 24 May 2009.