In MLB standings, how are "games back" calculated?

Answer 1

if the two teams played head to head, how many games would the lower team have to win to pass the higher team in the standings.

Answer 2

It can be done between any team in each division. For example:

HYPOTHETICAL STANDINGS
W-L GB
Team A (50-20)
Team B (48-22) 2 games behind
Team C (44-27) 6.5 games behind
Team D (43-27) 7 games behind
Team E (40-29) 9.5 games behind

The simplest method I have developed is to find the difference in wins and losses between two teams. Between teams A and B that would be 2 wins and 2 losses making them 2 games apart. Between Teams A and C that would be 6 wins and 7 losses making them 6.5 games apart. If the difference is only by 1 game, that would result in half games as part of the calculation. As with everything in life, to explain something makes it sound more difficult than it really is. Just practice. If you still need help, e-mail me any time.

Answer 3

It's the number of games that the second place team would have to win AND the first place team would have to lose, for the two teams to have identical records.

So, if Team A has a record of 50-30 and Team B has a record of 45-35, Team B is 5 games behind Team A. That means that Team A needs to lose 5 games and Team B needs to win 5 games for them to have identical records.

It is also expressed in half games if the two teams being compared haven't played the same number of games. So, if Team A has a record of 50-30 and Team B has a record of 46-35, Team B is 4.5 games behind Team A. That means that Team B needs to win 4 games and Team B needs to lose 5 games for the teams to be even in the standings.

Answer 4

The difference in losses (more minus fewer) plus the difference in wins (more minus fewer), divided by two.

Right now, for example, the Tigers are 65-31 and the White Sox are 58-37. The Sox are: 37 minus 31, six losses; plus 65 minus 58, seven wins; sum of 13 games, divided by two equals 6 1/2 games behind.

[Edit in reponse to above answers:
1. Games behind is equal to the games necessary to *equal* the team in first, not to pass. So the White Sox need a combination of 13 Sox wins and Tigers losses to tie the Tigers. (A Sox win over the Tigers would count as one Sox win and one Tigers loss, of course.)
2. Each win or loss moves the "games back" by 1/2. So in the first answerer's example, if one team is two games back, and it wins while the first-place team loses, the team will then be one game back, not 1 1/2. If the Sox win a game *or* the Tigers lose, the Sox will then be six back. If the Sox win *and* the Tigers lose, the Sox will be 5 1/2 back.]

Answer 5

even as a crew falls in the back of by using 1 million/2 a sport it isn't honestly that they have got performed a million/2 a sport more effective or a lot less, the time period a million/2 sport decrease back shows that a crew has both an extra effective loss or an extra effective win than yet another, like a crew it fairly is 33-21 will be a million/2 a sport in the back of one it fairly is 32-21. i imagine it has some thing to do with the triumphing percentage.

Answer 6

It works like if the braves r behind the yankees by 2 games If the yankees lost to a team and the braves won then the braves would be a 1 and a 1/2 games behind.

Answer 7

The king of kings is wrong.. they'd only be a game back. If you win and the other team loses, you gain a whole game. 1/2 game comes into play if you play and win/lose and the other team did not play that day (or in the case of a team playing a doubleheader and another team playing one game). devyn_d did a great job of explaining it though.

Answer 8

if team A has 2 more wins and 2 less losses than team B then team B is 2 games back of team A.

Answer 9

A loss puts you half a game back and a win puts you half a game up. So if you win but your opponent loses, you gain one game.

Answer 10

its how many more games you have lost than the first plce leader. 1/2 game means you have played one less or one more game than the leader.