MLB's playoff races are heating up as the regular season nears its final week. Every game matters and, as baseball fans know, magic numbers start to matter. But what the heck is a magic number and where did the term originate?
What is a magic number in MLB?
A magic number is the combination of wins a given team needs and losses by its closest competitor to mathematically clinch a goal, whether it be a playoff spot, division title or wild card spot. There are two ways a given team's magic number can decrease. Each win for a given team decreases the magic number by one. Each loss by a given team's closest competitor also decreases the magic number by one. Should a given team's closest competitor change—for instance, the second place team is surpassed by another team—the magic number will also adjust.
With the formula below, a magic number determines how close a given team is to clinching its given goal.
Games remaining +1 - (losses by second place team - losses by first place team)
Where did the term magic number first originate?
The term magic number dates back to 1947, when it was used in an article published on Sept. 12 in The Washington Post. Discussing the pennant race between the Yankees and Red Sox, the author wrote, "The Yankees reduced the magic number to four. That is the combination of games the Yankees must win or the Red Sox must lose in order to insure the flag for the Yankees."
Back then, a team simply needed to finish first in the American or National League to win the pennant and earn the right to play in the World Series. Magic numbers were a lot simpler to calculate back then! But the term stuck as MLB drastically changed its route to the World Series over the years, and has become a key reference point for broadcasters, pundits and fans as they follow the postseason races to the conclusion of the regular season.
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This article was originally published on www.si.com as Digging Into the Origin Story of the 'Magic Number' for MLB Playoffs.