This season marks 70 years that Baltimore has cheered on the Orioles. In 1954, the St. Louis Browns left the Midwest for the warm embraces of the Charm City. The Orioles have gone on to win three World Series championships and seven American League pennants during that stretch.
That got us wondering: Which Major League Baseball franchises have benefitted most after moving from one city to another? MLB has a long history of franchises moving around, including the Orioles. BetMaryland – home of the best Maryland sportsbook promo codes – wanted to see if the Orioles’ move proved to be a positive shift compared to other relocated MLB franchises. Here is the list, with an explanation of the criteria below.
Best MLB Franchises After Moving
Rank | Team (Past Home/Name) | Avg. Win-Loss % Change |
T1 | Minnesota Twins (Washington Senators) | .109 up |
T1 | Oakland Athletics (Kansas City Athletics) | .109 up |
3 | Baltimore Orioles (St. Louis Browns) | .072 up |
4 | Texas Rangers (Washington Senators) | .071 up |
5 | Los Angeles Dodgers (Brooklyn Dodgers) | .009 up |
6 | Washington Nationals (Montreal Expos) | .001 down |
7 | San Francisco Giants (New York Giants) | .037 down |
8 | Atlanta Braves (Milwaukee Braves) | .042 down |
We used Baseball-Reference.com to find the eight MLB teams that were in a city for at least 10 years, then relocated to their current locale. We ranked the MLB franchises based on the average win-loss percentage change from the previous city to their current one. We only considered the past two cities for each team – for instance, we did not count the Braves’ time in Boston (1876-1952), only their eras in Milwaukee (1953-65) and Atlanta (1966-present).
As of May 28, FanDuel Sportsbook Maryland give the Orioles +1000 odds to win the 2024 World Series and +500 AL championship odds. They sit 34-18, just 1.5 games behind the New York Yankees in the AL East and on pace for 106 wins. Given Baltimore’s start, it’s not out of the question that the O’s could add to their longstanding magic by capturing another championship in 2024. If they do, they would snap a 41-year title drought.
Check out our Baltimore Orioles playoff chances page for the latest.
How O’s Rank Among MLB Relocations
Of the eight teams that have moved since 1950 (again only accounting for their past two cities, with at least 10 years in each town), the Orioles have the third-best boost to their winning percentage. Baltimore has an average winning percentage .072 greater than their time in St. Louis (1902-53).
This should come as no surprise for history buffs. The Browns were usually terrible, winning just one AL pennant in 53 seasons in St. Louis (even that was not their original city; the AL began in 1901 with the original Milwaukee Brewers, who moved to Missouri after one season). And when the Browns finally reached the World Series in 1944? They lost to their city rivals, the NL champion Cardinals, in six games.
Check out how the 2024 Orioles compare to the franchise’s all-time best teams.
The franchise’s improvement since moving to Baltimore is behind only the Minnesota Twins (from the original Washington Senators) and the Oakland Athletics (from Kansas City), who both gained .109 in winning percentage in their new digs.
Baltimore finished ahead of the Texas Rangers (from the second version of the Washington Senators), who gained .071. The Los Angeles Dodgers are fifth with a +.009-win percentage since their move from Brooklyn.
Three franchises have seen their all-time winning percentages dip after moving. The Washington Nationals (formerly the Montreal Expos) have declined by the narrowest of margins at .001, though it’s worth noting that the franchise won its only World Series in Washington. The San Francisco Giants are off by .037 per season since moving from New York and the Atlanta Braves are down by .042 from their years in Milwaukee.
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