The Dodgers came up just one game short of winning their ninth consecutive National League West division title, but their 2021 season is still one of the best by a defending World Series champion in recent memory.

Los Angeles won its 106th game Sunday to close out the regular season, finishing with a .654 winning percentage and the best regular-season record by a reigning division champ in the divisional era (since 1969).

It’s already easily the best record the Dodgers have had in a season after they won the World Series. Here’s a look at their regular-season record and ultimate result after their previous six titles.

1989: 77-83, .481 (missed playoffs)
1982: 88-74, .543 (missed playoffs)
1966: 95-67, .586 (lost World Series)
1964: 80-82, .494 (missed playoffs)
1960: 82-72, .532 (missed playoffs)
1956: 93-61, .604 (lost World Series)

Los Angeles became the 11th 100-win team ever not to finish in first place, which means it will host the Cardinals in Wednesday's win-or-go-home National League Wild Card Game (8 ET, TBS). That means its chances of repeating as World Series champion for the first time in franchise history are far more difficult. The Dodgers also set records for the most wins by a second-place team in the divisional era and the most wins by a Wild Card team.

But the potential lack of a division crown shouldn’t detract from the historic level of success the Dodgers have had in 2021. While MLB has seen its share of repeat champions over the years, there haven’t been many teams that were this dominant from wire to wire in the immediate wake of a title, at least since 1969.

You were more likely to see seasons like this from defending champions in the first half of the 20th century, when there were fewer teams and clubs played fewer games. The 1931 Philadelphia A’s, for instance, had a .704 winning percentage (107-45) after winning it all in ‘30. No defending champ has topped that since the first modern World Series in 1903, although the ’39 Yankees came close, with a 106-45-1 record (.702) after winning it all in ‘38.

All told, there were 15 pre-1969 seasons (eight by the Yankees) in which the reigning champion had a .640 winning percentage or better. Since the start of the divisional era? None -- until the Dodgers finished at .654 in 2021. They finished atop this list of the best regular-season defending champs in the divisional era.

1971 Orioles: .639 (101-57)
After losing to the Mets in the 1969 World Series, the Orioles made it back to the Fall Classic in ‘70 and won, defeating the Reds four games to one. Baltimore followed that up with its third straight 100-win season in 1971, becoming the second team ever after the '20 White Sox with four 20-game winners on its pitching staff as Jim Palmer, Dave McNally, Mike Cuellar and Pat Dobson all reached the mark. The Orioles made the World Series again but were unable to repeat, losing in seven games to the Pirates.

1990 A’s: .636 (103-59)
Like the Orioles from 1969-71, the A’s won three straight AL pennants from ’88-90 and came away with one title sandwiched between two World Series losses. Led by AL MVP Rickey Henderson and AL Cy Young Award winner Bob Welch, the 1990 iteration won the AL West and cruised past the Red Sox in the ALCS before being swept by the Reds in the Fall Classic.

2018 Astros: .636 (103-59)
Bolstering their 2017 World Series championship-winning roster with the addition of Gerrit Cole, the Astros earned their second straight division crown and swept Cleveland in the ALDS, setting up an ALCS showdown with the 108-win Red Sox. Houston took Game 1 at Fenway Park but lost the next four and was sent home, while the Red Sox went on to defeat the Dodgers in the World Series.

1976 Reds: .630 (102-60)
While the other three clubs on this list weren’t able to bring home a second straight World Series title, the 1976 Reds did just that. Behind another MVP season from Joe Morgan, the Big Red Machine won its division and swept its way through the NLCS and World Series.