Playoff mobility in MLB and the NBA

by Chris Gilligan • October 25, 2021

This visual shows each MLB team's path of postseason success in the Division Series era (from 1995-present). The Wild Card Game was introduced in 2012.

Below, the visual is recreated for the NBA, showing the current era beginning with the 2003 playoffs, when the first round was expanded to seven games.

MLB teams appear to have more volatile playoff results year-to-year, with teams somewhat frequently passing from World Series contenders to missing the playoffs, and vice versa, and most teams showing at least two playoff-contending windows in this time period. The NBA, by comparison, seems to show more stable windows of contention, with teams more often reaching the postseason for periods of a number of years at a time, and much more frequently repeating Finals appearances.