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As part of the SB Nation MLB awards, the Lone Star Ball community is voting on the best MLB team in 2014. We've been instructed to avoid nominating our own team, so you can't vote for the Rangers as the best team. Sorry about that. I know you really, really wanted to vote for the Rangers.
Ah, the 2014 baseball season. Where the World Series combatants were the National League's fifth best team and an American League team that wouldn't have even made the playoffs in like the last billion seasons. So, what was, in your opinion, the best team in 2014? It's like picking your favorite Uwe Boll movie.
Let's get to the nominees!
Anaheim Angels
1st Place AL West - Pythagorean W-L: 96-66
Technically the team with the best record in baseball in 2014. No one took them seriously because their rotation was so thin it would have made the '90s Rangers playoff teams blush. They were promptly swept out of the playoffs in the first round.
Baltimore Orioles
1st Place AL East - Pythagorean W-L: 94-68
The Orioles won the AL East for the first time since 1997. That's pretty cool. Chris Tillman was their ace which wasn't confusing anyone of Mike Mussina, however.
Kansas City Royals
2nd Place AL Central - Pythagorean W-L: 84-78
Essentially a barely above .500 team that couldn't even win the weakest division in baseball. They caught fire in October to capture hearts while failing to capture the World Series title even though no home team had lost a Game 7 in like 35 years.
Los Angeles Dodgers
1st Place NL West - Pythagorean W-L: 92-70
They had all the makings of a legitimate best team with Clayton Kershaw putting up an all-time great season on the mound and a slew of expensive stars littered around the diamond. But then the St. Louis Cardinals did that October nonsense that they do and ruined it.
San Francisco Giants
2nd Place NL West - Pythagorean W-L: 87-75
I honestly wouldn't have even included them over the division winning Cardinals but for the fact that they won the dang World Series. The Giants were the 5th best team in the National League. Let that sink in. Basically, let's be honest here, Madison Bumgarner was the best team in 2014.
Washington Nationals
1st Place NL East - Pythagorean W-L: 97-65
The Nationals, if we are to count the months and months that comprise 162 games, which is for-freaking-ever, were probably the best team of 2014. But we so rarely count 162 games when the best team can't do better than a first round October ousting in four games against the fifth team in their own league.