Overview of World Series home-field advantage

October 13th, 2017

We are just a week away from the World Series presented by YouTube TV, and we still don't know who will have home-field advantage in the Fall Classic. Why? Because this is the first year that regular-season records are the sole factor in which club will have home-field advantage.
Since there aren't any tiebreakers, here's a look at how home-field advantage could play out, with a note on how the four remaining teams fared in their own confines. Teams are listed in order of their 2017 regular-season record.
NLCS Game 1: Tonight, 8 p.m. ET on TBS
DODGERS: 104-58
The Dodgers had MLB's best record this year, meaning they will have home-field advantage against either the Astros or Yankees, if they defeat the Cubs in the National League Championship Series presented by Camping World.
Sound smart: The Dodgers compiled the most wins in a single season since the Cardinals' 105 in 2004 in large part due to their success at Chavez Ravine, where they went an MLB-best 57-24 during the regular season and are 2-0 thus far in the postseason. (The Yanks are the only other team remaining to win more than 50 games at home this season.)
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ASTROS: 101-59
The Astros finished with the Majors' third-best record, behind only the Dodgers and Indians (102-60), meaning the only way they'll have home-field advantage in the World Series is if they meet the Cubs.
Sound smart: Houston's 101 wins were the second most in franchise history (it won 102 in 1998), and 48 of those came within the confines of Minute Maid Park, where it proved to be an offensive juggernaut. At home, the Astros led the Majors in wRC+ (121), and their .472 slugging percentage at home was their second highest in franchise history.
CUBS: 92-70
The Cubs were the third postseason seed in the NL, and should they complete their back-to-back championship quest, they may need to do so without home-field advantage in any series. They will only have home-field advantage if they meet the Yankees, whom they played in an epic weekend series in May, including an 18-inning slugfest on Sunday Night Baseball, the longest game in Interleague history.
Sound smart: Chicago went 48-33 at Wrigley Field in 2017, which was the third-best home record in the NL. In the Joe Maddon era (since '15), the Cubs are 161-94 at home, including an 8-6 mark in the postseason. Their pitching has been brilliant in this stretch, particularly at home, with a 3.54 ERA and .228 average against, regular and postseason, tops in MLB for both.
YANKEES: 91-71
With the worst record among the final four teams, the Yankees would not get home-field advantage in the World Series.
Sound smart: Yanks pitchers allowed a tied-for MLB-best .217 opposing batting average at home and gave up just 594 hits (7.3 per game), second fewest to only the Dodgers. Their 818 strikeouts there were the second most, while their 3.51 staff ERA at home ranked fourth in MLB.