How the Diamondbacks fared when having top spring record

The Diamondbacks have been baseball’s best team this spring, leading all of baseball with an 18-4 record.

Usually, spring training stats– let alone team records– are insignificant and offer no insight into how the team will fare when the games count. But when it comes to the Diamondbacks, there is somewhat of an impressive precedent.

The Diamondbacks have led the league in spring training wins three times; in 1999 when they went 22-10, in 2000 when they went 21-12 and in 2002 when they went 23-12. They made the playoffs in 1999 and 2002, and just narrowly missed in 2000.

They also led the National League in 2007 when they went 20-12 and made a run to the NLCS. So three of the Diamondbacks’ four best spring training squads made it to the postseason. The team has made the postseason just five times in franchise history.

The Diamondbacks had the fifth-most wins in the majors during the spring of 2001, when they went 19-14. The only time Arizona made the playoffs after having a losing record in spring training came in 2011, when they went an MLB-worst 12-25.

This year the Diamondbacks are by far the best team in the spring. They have a prolific offense and are the only team in either league playing .800 baseball. Expectations will be high coming into the season in large part for their high-profile acquisitions, and in small part to the team’s spring training record.

Spring training stats typically mean nothing. But based on this precedent, it is impossible to argue that the Diamondbacks’ Cactus League record is a bad thing coming into 2016.