Pundits expected the Indians to wallow somewhere in the middle of the American League standings in 1966. Rocky Colavito, Leon Wagner, and Fred Whitfield brought decent power to Cleveland’s lineup, having combined for 80 home runs the year before. Pitcher Sam McDowell was blazingly fast, as proved by his league-leading 325 strikeouts in 1965. But the rest of the squad was nothing special. A .500 season seemed in store.
Yet the Indians shocked everybody by taking their first 10 games in 1966, coasting to a .909 winning percentage by the end of April. It was the second-best opening month for any team in the Modern Era.
There was just one problem. Baltimore chose the same season to enjoy the best April of all. The Orioles’ incredibly deep roster was led by future Hall of Famers Luis Aparicio, Jim Palmer, Brooks Robinson, and Frank Robinson. They scored 5.9 runs per game in April, amassing an 11-1 record for a .917 winning percentage.
The two teams followed divergent paths as the season progressed. The Orioles breezed to the AL title, then swept the Dodgers in the 1966 World Series. The Indians stumbled badly, winning only 38 of their final 90 games. They finished exactly where predicted, fifth in a 10-team league at 81-81.
Listed below are the 10 Modern Era clubs that boasted the best winning percentages at the end of April, regardless of what day a given season began. (A team had to play at least 10 games in the month to qualify.)
All but one of these hot starts occurred between 1961, the era’s starting point, and 1990. The 10th awesome April happened in this century, though still more than two decades ago. The Seattle Mariners went 20-5 to close out the first month of the 2001 season.
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1. Baltimore Orioles (1966)
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Record in April: 11-1 (.917)
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Record in rest of season: 86-62 (.581)
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Overall record: 97-63 (.606)
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Postseason: World Series title
2. Cleveland Indians (1966)
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Record in April: 10-1 (.909)
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Record in rest of season: 71-80 (.470)
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Overall record: 81-81 (.500)
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Postseason: None
3. Detroit Tigers (1984)
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Record in April: 18-2 (.900)
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Record in rest of season: 86-56 (.606)
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Overall record: 104-58 (.642)
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Postseason: World Series title
4. (tie) Oakland Athletics (1981)
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Record in April: 18-3 (.857)
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Record in rest of season: 46-42 (.523)
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Overall record: 64-45 (.587)
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Postseason: Qualified for American League playoffs
4. (tie) Milwaukee Brewers (1987)
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Record in April: 18-3 (.857)
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Record in rest of season: 73-68 (.518)
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Overall record: 91-71 (.562)
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Postseason: None
6. Los Angeles Dodgers (1977)
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Record in April: 17-3 (.850)
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Record in rest of season: 81-61 (.570)
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Overall record: 98-64 (.605)
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Postseason: National League pennant
7. Philadelphia Phillies (1964)
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Record in April: 9-2 (.818)
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Record in rest of season: 83-68 (.550)
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Overall record: 92-70 (.568)
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Postseason: None
8. (tie) New York Mets (1986)
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Record in April: 13-3 (.813)
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Record in rest of season: 95-51 (.651)
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Overall record: 108-54 (.667)
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Postseason: World Series title
8. (tie) Cincinnati Reds (1990)
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Record in April: 13-3 (.813)
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Record in rest of season: 78-68 (.534)
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Overall record: 91-71 (.562)
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Postseason: World Series title
10. Seattle Mariners (2001)
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Record in April: 20-5 (.800)
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Record in rest of season: 96-41 (.701)
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Overall record: 116-46 (.716)
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Postseason: Qualified for American League playoffs
