What is the level of parity in MLB compared to the NBA and NFL?
It depends on your definition.
We ran some numbers: https://www.nytimes.com/athletic/6092838/2025/01/29/major-league-baseball-nfl-nba-parity-analysis/
It depends on your definition.
We ran some numbers: https://www.nytimes.com/athletic/6092838/2025/01/29/major-league-baseball-nfl-nba-parity-analysis/
Comments
MLB has no hard cap, you can literally buy your way into the playoffs every year. The Yankees have for ~30 years by having +WAR players at every spot.
Yes, winning the WS requires some luck and health (Dodgers are testing even that) but MLB has the worst balance.
Baseball is the only one of these sports without a repeat champion since 2000
MLB is the only league where money can guarantee an invite to the dance.
Like if you boil down why salary cap sports work well, a lot of it comes from coaching and scheme, right? Like if you can’t “buy” a better team, it means it comes from coaching.
Baseball just works differently. You don’t “run plays” in baseball the same way.
In other leagues, mistakes or 'bad bets' don't matter.
NBA 5 different champs
MLB 4 different champs
NFL still only 3 champs
I do believe the NFL offers the most parity in every matchup.
Now, the volume of games is a factor for all of this, IMO. MLB produces an upset in nearly every series.
Parity in these leagues is a fascinating question.
Those leagues reward winning incrementally, punish losing with relegation, and don’t reward losing with draft picks, so there is always incentive to make progress.