With the Cubs and White Sox set to play this week, I thought it would be a good time to check in on interleague records. Going back to 1997, this is the 21st season of interleague play.
First, let's look at the breakdown between the AL and NL for each year.
| Year | Winner | W-L% |
|---|---|---|
| 1997 | NL | .547 |
| 1998 | AL | .509 |
| 1999 | NL | .538 |
| 2000 | AL | .542 |
| 2001 | AL | .524 |
| 2002 | NL | .512 |
| 2003 | NL | .544 |
| 2004 | AL | .504 |
| 2005 | AL | .540 |
| 2006 | AL | .611 |
| 2007 | AL | .544 |
| 2008 | AL | .591 |
| 2009 | AL | .548 |
| 2010 | AL | .532 |
| 2011 | AL | .520 |
| 2012 | AL | .563 |
| 2013 | AL | .513 |
| 2014 | AL | .543 |
| 2015 | AL | .557 |
| 2016 | AL | .550 |
The American League has won more games 16 of the 20 seasons, including the last 13. Entering 2017, the AL had a record of 2,730-2,434 (.529). So how have teams done this year? The AL has a slim lead at 95-92. I think we can assume a Cubs sweep of the Sox, giving the NL a one-game lead.
Comparing the interleague home records from 1997-2017, we see that being the home team in an interleague game gives you a better chance to win than a normal game. That makes sense because of how teams have to adjust to different rules in the other league.
1997-2017 Home Field Advantage
| Interleague | |
|---|---|
| W-L | W-L% |
| 2929 - 2422 | .547 |
| Non-Interleague | |
|---|---|
| W-L | W-L% |
| 23,932 - 20,586 | .537 |
Lastly, how has your team fared in interleague play?
Baseball is here! And more importantly, that means the over/under game is back. It seems as though everyone is an expert this time of year. Somehow we convince ourselves that we are better at predicting baseball outcomes than everyone else. Well, AFITB is putting that to the test for the third year in a row. Think you know more about baseball than us? You probably do. But go ahead and prove it anyway.