Los Angeles Dodgers Now Have The Best 162 Game Stretch in Modern MLB History

The Los Angeles Dodgers are on an absolute tear.

Winners of 10 games in a row, 17 of their last 20, and 26 of their last 30, the Dodgers have stormed to the best record in Major League Baseball, racing past the New York Yankees in recent weeks.

They have the best run differential in the league, outscoring opponents by 236 runs in 110 games, or by over 2.1 runs per game.

The Dodgers have accumulated a wealth of talent, from Mookie Betts and Freddie Freeman to Trea Turner and All-Star snub Will Smith.

Even recent acquisition Joey Gallo is contributing after a disastrous tenure in the Bronx:

But their track record of winning extends much further back than just the past 20 or 30 games.

According to writer Blake Harris, the Dodgers are 118-44 over the past 162 games, the best season-long stretch in recent history:

That record amounts to a .728 winning percentage, meaning the Dodgers over the past 162 games have won essentially 73% of the games they've played.

It's even more impressive considering the high mark for best 162 game season in MLB was 116 wins by the Seattle Mariners in 2001.

The Dodgers have been better than that.

Of course, regular season records don't always translate to World Series wins; the baseball postseason essentially amounts to random chance rather than a true test of team superiority.

That's the bitter cruelty of the longevity of a baseball season; teams can assemble an incredible amount of talent, rack up wins and secure home field advantage throughout the playoffs, without guaranteeing anything.

For example, according to Baseball-Reference the Dodgers have just a 25.5% chance of winning the World Series, which essentially means that 3 out of 4 times, another team wins the title.

The combination of homegrown players like Clayton Kershaw, Tony Gonsolin, Gavin Lux, Cody Bellinger and others with free agent signings and successful trades have turned the Dodgers into a juggernaut.

The next step is for them to carry this unprecedented regular season success to October and bring another trophy back to LA.