September 29, 2006
Low Quality Post Seasons
It strikes me that with so many NL playoff contenders close to .500, the post season might produce one of the lowest combined winning percentages of any set of playoff teams. If you take the set of teams that would be in the playoff right now, their combined winning percentage is .570. That's low, but not the lowest.
In 1981, the split season produced eight teams with a combined percentage of .554. Of course, the Reds, who owned the best overall winning percentage in the National League didn't make the playoffs. The 1996 season is second, with a .567 winnings percentage. Six of the eight teams posted winning percentages less than .570 that year.
Three other seasons, 1987, 1997 and 1982 produced a set of teams with a combined winning percentage under .570. It's a poor crop of post-season teams this year, but by no means the worst.