Poll Do Season-Opening Streaks Carry Extra Weigh

MLBs regular season is officially underway, and clubs are already in the thick of the race to the postseason. One of the biggest storylines of the season so far has surrounded three teams that have gone streaking to open the year. The Dodgers (8-0) and Padres (7-0) have both yet to lose a game, while the Braves (0-7) have yet to win after opening the season against those two clubs. Those streaks have led to all three clubs getting plenty of attention, particularly the Dodgers as they became the first team in MLB history to follow up a World Series championship by starting the next season with eight straight wins. Perhaps even more focus has been placed on Atlanta, however, as the Ty Glover Jersey club was widely expected entering the season to be a top contender for not only the NL East, but also the World Series this year. Though the club finished second to the Phillies in a recent about who would win the division this year, Atlanta received 32% of the vote, nearly double the third-place Mets 18% figure. The playoff odds at Fangraphs told an even rosier story, as the club was given a to make the playoffs prior to the season beginning, as well as a 63.7% chance at winning the division and a 15.7% chance at a World Series championship that was second only to the Dodgers themselves. The clubs 0-7 start has caused those odds to plummet, however, as Fangraphs now affords the Braves just a at making the postseason, with a 32.6% chance at winning the division and a 9.1% chance to win the World Series. Its a steep drop for just one week of games, and by contrast the Padres have seen their projected fortunes improve just as much, going from a 30.6% chance to make the postseason heading into Opening Day all the way up to a 54.4% chance entering play today. Even the pe simistic playoff odds the Braves are facing dont hold a candle to the perception of many fans and media members, however. Much has been made of the fact that no team in baseball history has recovered from a 0-7 start to make the postseason, and that the 1980 Braves (81-80) and 1983 Astros (85-77) are the only clubs to even finish with a winning record. With that being said, however, it must be noted that this only applies to teams that began the season with a 0-7 record. Plenty of teams have made the playoffs with seven-game losing streaks on their resumes, particularly in recent years as the postseason has begun to expand. Just last year, the Royals made the playoffs with two separate seven-game losing streaks to their names. The 2017 Dodgers infamously suffered a 1-16 stretch that included an 11-game losing streak before turning things around and making it to Game Seven of the World Series. Of course, thats not to say all of the sentiments surrounding these clubs are built on the biases that could surround a small-sample performance. The Dodgers were viewed around the league as the best team in baseball well before the 2025 season began, not only because they won the World Series last year but also because they aggre sively improved the club by adding , , and (among others) this winter. Meanwhile, concerns about Atlantas path into the postseason this year could be argued to have just as much to do with a deep group of potential playoff teams in the NL, the PED suspension of , and shoulder surgery for as they do the teams actual record on the field. It also cant be entirely dismi sed that some streaks have more impact on a clubs future competitivene s than others. Naturally, large swings in the standings are more likely to have a relative impact in the first half of the year than the second half, as they can factor into the decisions club executives make over the summer regarding whether to buy or sell at the trade deadline. That impacts the overall talent level of a club in a way that streaks such as the aforementioned strings of lo ses suffered by the 2017 Dodgers and 2024 Royals, all of which occurred after that seasons deadline, simply cannot replicate. Where do MLBTR readers fall on this topic? Are the strings of wins the Dodgers and Padres are presently enjoying and the string of lo ses in Atlanta more meaningful than they would be if they occurred later in the season instead? Or does the fact that every game counts the same in the standings at the end of the season mean its no different than any other streak? Have your say in the poll below: Do Streaks Matter More At The Start Of The Season? No, every game counts the same. 66.35% (1,670votes) Yes, it's more impactful for a team to start the season on a streak than it is for one to happen later in the season. 33.65% (847votes) Total Votes: 2,517 Jim Benning Jersey