Worst MLB single-season teams of all time

Maybe the premise for this listing, the 2023 Oakland Athletics appeared to have the makings of one of many worst groups in baseball historical past. Now, we’ll should see if that, the truth is, is to be the case contemplating the A’s have been using a seven-game successful streak in June. And, as of June 13, they did not even have the worst report in baseball. That stated, Oakland’s 10-40 begin was the worst via 50 video games because the 1932 Boston Pink Sox (extra about them later), and its 46 losses coming into June have been essentially the most in major-league baseball historical past. Evidently, the potential for historic futility with this group is value watching.

In 1997, the Marlins rode a high-caliber lineup and robust pitching workers to the franchise’s first World Collection within the fifth 12 months of its existence. The subsequent season, as results of a large, and anticipated, fireplace sale of main expertise like Kevin Brown, Al Leiter, Moises Alou and Devon White — simply to call a couple of — the Marlins posted the worst report in membership historical past. They opened the ’98 marketing campaign with an 11-6 residence win over the Chicago Cubs, then misplaced the subsequent 11 in a row. The Marlins additionally dropped 11 straight spanning Might and June, and have become the primary defending World Collection winner to complete final of their division and lose 100 video games. The 1998 Marlins season can be memorable for Mike Piazza’s five-game stick with the membership.

Three seasons faraway from a World Collection title, received in simply the fourth 12 months of the franchise’s existence, the Diamondbacks endured what stays the worst marketing campaign in membership historical past. Arizona was anticipated to contend in a relatively sub-par AL West in 2004, but it surely totaled a major-league low 615 runs and tied for the fewest residence runs (135). Now, Randy Johnson did throw an ideal sport in Might of that season, and received 16, however the workers posted a tough 4.98 ERA. From June 18-July 25, the Diamondbacks went 4-30. In addition they misplaced 15 of their last 16 street contests.

From 1938-42, the Phillies misplaced at the very least 100 video games in every of these 5 seasons. This ’41 workforce suffered essentially the most defeats amongst these Phillies teams through the stretch. They began the season 1-6, and did not publish their tenth victory till Might 20. The Phillies completed a whopping 57 video games behind the first-place Brooklyn Dodgers within the Nationwide League. Nevertheless, Philadelphia did beat the Dodgers on July 1 within the first Main League Baseball sport to be televised on a business tv station (New York’s WNBT, which grew to become WNBC).

The current-day Baltimore Orioles endured some lean seasons lately, however the franchise’s struggles actually started from the start, again when the membership was first primarily based in Milwaukee in 1901. One of many worst seasons in membership historical past, and all of Main League Baseball, got here in 1939. The Browns would win their first pennant in 1944, however hardly appeared like a winner on the finish of the Nineteen Thirties. This explicit group was a horrible workforce at residence, going 18-59 (good for a modern-era low .234 residence successful proportion). That loss whole was additionally modern-era major-league report till it was equaled in 2019. 

Amid the annals for some of the storied franchises in Main League Baseball, the 1932 Pink Sox maintain a outstanding place inside that legacy. In fact, for loads of the incorrect causes. The ’32 Pink Sox, managed by the forgettable Shano Collins, Marty McManus, and paced by the likes of sweet-swinging Dale Alexander, nonetheless maintain the major-league report for worst modern-era run differential (minus-349). In the meantime, the Pink Sox’s .279 successful proportion remains to be the worst amongst any workforce the franchise has fielded. The excellent news, it could solely be 14 extra years till Boston received a pennant. 

We famous that five-year stretch of futility for the Phillies (1938-’42). The ’41 workforce misplaced essentially the most video games throughout that span, however this ’42 membership posted the worst successful proportion throughout that prolonged rut. These Phillies batted simply .232 and slugged solely 44 residence runs over a 151-game season. In addition they featured 4 pitchers to lose at the very least 16 video games. Philadelphia endured a 13-game dropping streak from Aug. 26-Sept. 7. Now, for as dangerous as this workforce was, and the franchise performed whereas dropping at the very least 89 video games every season from 1933-’47, it received the NL pennant in 1950.

The early years of the Washington Senators, which started play in 1901, have been relatively rocky. The franchise did not publish a successful report till 1912, and managed a World Collection title in 1924. Nevertheless, from 1904-’09, the Senators endured three seasons with at the very least 102 losses. In ’09, Washington suffered the second-most losses within the historical past of the franchise, which is at present the Minnesota Twins. It is maybe greatest identified for recording one of many worst months of baseball within the historical past of the sport whereas dropping an historically-high 29 occasions in 35 contests throughout July.

The primary of two dismal Philadelphia Athletics groups that we are going to spotlight. When it comes to modern-era Main League Baseball, the 1919 A’s personal the fifth-worst successful proportion of all time. As legend goes, Connie Mack seemed to be supervisor in title solely. If truth be told, he was a co-owner who helped eliminate a number of the franchise’s prime gamers throughout that interval. As is the case with another groups on this listing, poor and/or egocentric possession selections performed main roles in why a few of these groups endured really disappointing campaigns. That seemed to be the case with the ’19 Athletics, who averaged simply 3.3 runs and have been shut out 21 occasions.

As famous, this listing has principally highlighted groups from baseball’s fashionable period. Nevertheless, there’s room for exception when it comes these dangerous groups from the 1800s. The Louisville Colonels are one among three groups previous to 1901 to complete a season with a successful proportion worse than .200. In line with STATS Carry out, these Colonels by no means received greater than three straight contests, and endured a 26-game dropping streak from Might 22-June 22. Nevertheless, Louisville did handle to brush a two-game set from the Kansas Metropolis Cowboys in July.

Staying within the 1800s, the second-worst successful proportion of that point interval belongs to the 1890 Pittsburgh Alleghenys, higher identified at the moment because the Pittsburgh Pirates. Offense, apparently, was not a robust go well with for this membership, which hit simply 20 residence runs and posted a tough minus-633 run differential, in line with STATS Carry out. The Alleghenys misplaced 23 in a row spanning August and September, and went a harsh 9-88 on the street throughout this dismal season that point has lengthy forgot — and rightfully so.

A World Collection title would heat the hearts of Pirates’ followers to open the Sixties, however the early-to-mid Nineteen Fifties weren’t good for the franchise. The ’52 season started a string of three straight with at the very least 101 losses. It appeared destined to fail as the connection between ageing common supervisor Department Rickey and star Ralph Kiner had soured, and 13 rookies made the Opening Day roster. The Pirates began 5-28, together with 2-13 at residence and did not win back-to-back video games over their last 43 contests. Kiner hit simply .244, and the workforce batted .231, whereas posting a hefty 4.65 workforce ERA.

Again to the Senators. Sure, the aforementioned 1909 membership was dangerous, however there was really one installment of the franchise that was worse. This ’04 membership nonetheless holds the franchise report for single-season defeats, and its paltry .252 successful proportion is the fourth-worst within the fashionable period of Main League Baseball. The Senators opened the season 0-13, with a tie, earlier than successful their first sport on Might 5. In addition they received simply 15 video games on the street, and have been both held to at least one run or shut out a relatively superb 49 occasions. 

It is necessary to notice that the 2019 Tigers aren’t the worst membership in franchise historical past. However we’ll get to that. Curiously sufficient, the ’19 marketing campaign bought off to a robust begin, because the Tigers opened 7-3 and have been 12-10 on April 23. Nevertheless, the underside dropped out from there. Remarkably, Detroit posted solely three extra successful stretches of two or extra consecutive video games, and not more than three in a row, the remainder of the best way. After going 13-15 on the street in March, April and Might, the Tigers received simply 12 occasions away from residence for the rest of the season. In addition they matched the aforementioned St. Louis Browns with 59 residence losses.

The 2018 season kicked off a stretch of three full seasons with at the very least 108 losses for the Baltimore franchise. Now, the Orioles have mightily turned issues round, with the 83-win season of 2021 and continued success in 2022. Nevertheless, again in ’18, this was one horrible ballclub, which did not rebound from the franchise’s first dropping season since 2011 from the 12 months prior. Buck Showalter’s Orioles completed a traditionally dangerous 61 video games behind AL East-winning Boston, which additionally received the World Collection. Baltimore began 3-17 on the street, and finally traded away stars Manny Machado and Zack Britton. In the meantime, Chris Davis, within the third of a seven-year, $161 million deal, batted simply .168 with 192 strikeouts.

The ’35 Boston Braves sit tied for fourth, with the aforementioned 2018 Orioles, for many losses in a season throughout the fashionable period. It is nonetheless fairly spectacular to suppose that that loss whole, as doubtful as it’s, stays prominently etched in Main League Baseball historical past. Not even the legendary Babe Ruth might assist the Braves from experiencing a large quantity of futility. Ruth, who additionally served as vp and assistant supervisor, appeared in simply 28 video games, batted .181, might barely run or subject, and ended up retiring as a participant on June 1 that season.

We promise, this would be the final time we’ll spotlight a Philadelphia-associated membership. Within the fashionable period, the 117 losses by the Athletics from 1916 are the third-most in Main League Baseball historical past. For almost a century, this was thought-about the worst-ever American League workforce to ever go well with up, and that paltry .235 successful proportion stays the bottom by any major-league membership since 1901. Underneath the path of supervisor Connie Mack, the A’s completed 54 1/2 video games behind the AL pennant-winning Boston Pink Sox. From June 3-Aug. 8, Philadelphia went a disastrous 4-56.

There is just one workforce since 1901 that has misplaced extra video games than these Tigers. We’ll get to that, quickly. No AL workforce has misplaced this many video games in a single season. Underneath the path of former Tigers nice Alan Trammell, the 2003 Detroit membership batted simply .240 and posted a 5.30 workforce ERA with a minus-337 run differential. The Tigers began 1-17 that season, and did not publish consecutive victories till a four-game successful streak from Might 4-7. In addition they misplaced their first 10 street video games, and dropped 12 right away from residence on the finish of the season.

No matter century or period, with regards to Main League Baseball futility, the 1899 Cleveland Spiders are the faux-gold customary. No workforce has ever misplaced extra video games or posted a worse successful proportion than these Spiders, who have been so dangerous that the franchise folded following this marketing campaign — its thirteenth general. The Spiders have been outscored 1,252-529, leading to a major-league worst -723 run differential. Nevertheless, because the story goes, the Spiders were destined to fail by team owners, the Robinson Household, which owned one other membership — the St. Louis Perfectos. Previous to the season, possession despatched the Spiders’ greatest gamers to St. Louis.

Since 1901, no workforce has misplaced extra video games in a single season than the 1962 Mets. Placing all of it into context, this was the franchise’s inaugural season. With the legendary Casey Stengel on the helm, the Mets opened their preliminary marketing campaign with 9 straight losses, and likewise dropped 17 consecutive spanning Might and June. That was one among three double-digit dropping streaks suffered by New York, which ranked final within the majors in hits (1,318), batting common (.240) and ERA (5.04). Now, the silver lining to this dismal debut for the Mets, and their fledgling fan base, was that simply seven years later they have been World Collection champions.