Baseball teams always play for greatness, but the worst MLB record ever is just as important from a historical standpoint. Sure, it may seem naive to remember the worst MLB record ever.
However, MLB's worst record through 162 games is a record like any other, and one that should be remembered, especially in a sport like baseball where records mean everything.
Worst MLB record ever
Of course, we didn't just want to mention the worst season ever. We wanted to give credit to the 10 teams with the fewest MLB wins in a single season.
It's our way of trying to turn the worst baseball record ever into an accomplishment. After all, there's something endearing about teams that are laughably bad over the course of an entire season. With that said, let's share the top ten list of the worst full-season baseball records in big league history.
11. 1965 Mets, 50-112, 309
This isn't the first time the Mets have appeared on our list or the first time they've competed for the worst MLB record ever. The franchise was truly a disaster during the first years of its existence.
Of course, it's important to keep in mind that just four years after losing 112 games, the Mets won the World Series, so they were able to turn things around quickly. In fact, the 1965 team had a few players who would be part of the 1969 team that won the championship, including Cleon Jones, Ron Swoboda, Bud Harrelson, and Ed Kranepool.
There were also notable pitchers like Tug McGraw and Warren Spahn on the list. The Mets even signed Yogi Berra before the 1965 season. But the Mets' standout players in 1965 were either too young or too old to make much of a difference, resulting in 112 losses and only 50 wins.
10. 2019 Tigers, 47-114
Sorry, Detroit, but this won't be the last time the Tigers make our list, even though this is the most recent of the truly terrible teams in big league history.
Ironically, the Tigers started the year with seven wins in their first 10 games. But it was all downhill from there, as Detroit was 5-20 in both June and July. Outside of Miguel Cabrera, it's hard to name anyone on the roster that anyone outside of Detroit would recognize, as things have gotten ugly for the Tigers, who are on an eight-game losing streak of at least five or more games.
9. 2018 Orioles, 47-115
Even for a rebuilding team, this was rock bottom for the Orioles. Some players with big contracts like Chris Davis have significantly underperformed.
Additionally, things were over for Baltimore after the likes of Manny Machado, Kevin Gausman, Jonathan Schaub, Zach Britton, and others were traded at the deadline.
They had no chance after that, going 15-40 in August and September. Of course, the Orioles were also just 6-20 in June under Buck Showalter, all of which contributed to Baltimore finishing 61 games out of first place and 50 games out of a Wild Card spot.
8. 2003 Tigers, 43-119
As far as the American League is concerned, this is the worst team ever, at least in terms of total number of losses, giving them the worst MLB record ever through 162 games.
It was difficult to find a starting rotation with less experience than Detroit's prior to the 2003 season. That did not favor Alan Trammell, who was a legend with the Tigers as a player-manager for the first time in 2003. This team was doomed from the start, and finished April From April 3 to 21 only.
The Tigers would go on to win just five games in June and just six in August. However, the Tigers were in the World Series just three years later, so they got good quickly after that season. But they still had to endure 119 losses and finished 47 games outside of first place.
7. 2024 Chicago White Sox, 41-121
Winning five of their last six games saved the Chicago White Sox from posting a worse full-season record. Chicago has been on a three-game losing streak longer than 10 games, despite getting All-Star-level production from Garrett Crochet and Erik Fedde.
By total losses, the ChiSox had MLB's worst record in the modern era. It was a season that will sadly be remembered for decades to come. The White Sox were so bad that their inability to win games directly helped the Kansas City Royals and Detroit Tigers get Wild Card spots.
6. 1904 Senators, 38-113
In their fourth season of existence, the Senators were having a stinking season.
With the exception of winning 10 of 22 games against St. Louis, the Senators have been beaten by every other team in the American League. They lost three starting pitchers in more than 20 games and Casey Batten was the only one to win more than six games.
In the end, the Senators finished 55.5 games out of first place, 20 more than the next closest team. Things would only improve slightly in the coming years, as the Senators did not win the championship until 1924, two decades after this disastrous campaign.
5. 1962 Mets, 40-120
As we mentioned, the Mets appear on this list more than once. During their inaugural season, the Mets had one of the worst seasons imaginable.
As an expansion team, they had to rely on players from the expansion draft, many of whom didn't make the cut in the major leagues. Even with a proven manager like Casey Stengel leading the way, there wasn't much the Mets could do.
They were comically bad from start to finish, showed no signs of improvement during the season and did not make much progress in the years to come. At the end of the season, they were 60.5 games away from first place in the National League standings. It would take more than 50 years for another team to finish a season more than 60 games out of first place, showing how far behind everyone the 1962 Mets were.
4. 1935 The Braves, 38-115
The 1935 Boston Braves are memorable not only for their 115 losses but because this was Babe Ruth's final season. After years with the Yankees, Ruth signed with the Braves and returned to Boston before the 1935 season.
The problem is that he didn't have much left in the tank, as he hit .181 with six home runs in 28 games before officially retiring on June 1. With the exception of outfielder Wally Berger, the rest of the team wasn't much better. It turned into one of the worst teams ever with pitcher Ben Cantwell becoming the last pitcher in the 20th century to lose 25 games in a single season.
3. 1916 Athletics, 36-117
Believe it or not, it was legendary manager Connie Mack who oversaw this train wreck. Based on winning percentage, this is the second-worst record in baseball history and the worst since 1900.
The amazing part is that the Philadelphia Athletics won the World Series in 1910, 1911, and 1913, and returned to the World Series in 1914. But they went from 99 wins and winning the pennant in 1914 to winning 43 games in 1915. Things got worse the next year; This resulted in a historically poor team in 1916, winning just 36 games, and some baseball historians still consider it the worst team ever.
Read more: The greatest teams in MLB history
2. 1890 Alleghenies, 23-113
This would become the Alleghenys' final season before changing their name to the Pirates. What can you do after winning just 23 games in a 136-game season?
The poor record was because many of the team's best players left to play for the Pittsburgh Burgers in the short-lived Players League. With poor attendance, 97 of those 136 games were played on the road, with the Alleghenys going 9-88 on the road, giving them the worst road winning percentage in MLB history. At the time, 23 wins was a record low, but only until the team reached the top of our list.
1. 1899 Spiders, 20-134
It is the 1899 Cleveland Spiders team that has the honor of having the worst MLB record of all time. The crazy thing is they didn't even need 162 games to get there. Their season lasted only 154 games, yet they beat every other losing team in baseball history in total losses.
The problem for the Spiders this year is that the Robinson family, which owns the club, also bought the St. Louis Cardinals. Louis Perfectos before the 1899 season. Needless to say, this was a conflict of interest and was not handled properly because the family sent most of Cleveland's good players to the Perfectos, who somehow went a mediocre 84-67 that year. However, with the Spiders missing their best players from the previous year, they only managed to win 20 games.
Eventually, the fans stopped coming and the Spiders played most of their games on the road. At one point, the Spiders had lost 24 straight games, one of the longest losing streaks in baseball history, contributing to the lowest winning percentage ever in baseball history.
Who had the worst MLB record?
The 1899 Cleveland Spiders had the worst record in MLB, at 20-134. Since the “modern era” began in 1900, the 2024 Chicago White Sox have lost the most games in a regular season with 121 in the 2024 season.
What is the MLB record for most losses?
In 2024, the Chicago White Sox set the modern-era record for the most losses with 121. The Cleveland Spiders had the most losses with 134 in 1899, but records generally do not include the 19th century.
How many MLB teams have lost 100 games in a season?
Since the expansion era began in 1961, 94 teams have lost 100 or more games in a season.
How many MLB teams have lost 120 games in a season?
two. Since 1900, the 1962 New York Mets and 2024 Chicago White Sox are the only two teams to lose 120 or more games in a season.
Are the White Sox the worst team in history?
Yes, in the modern era the 2024 Chicago White Sox are considered the worst team due to their total losses. However, four teams—the Philadelphia Athletics in 1916, the Boston Braves in 1935, the New York Mets in 1962, and the Washington Senators in 1904—have had a worse winning percentage since 1900.
What MLB team has the most consecutive losses?
The 1961 Philadelphia Phillies hold the record for the most consecutive losses with 23. The 1988 Baltimore Orioles and 2024 Chicago White Sox are tied for second with 21 straight games. The 1969 Montreal Expos, the 1916 and 1943 Athletics, and the 1906 Boston Americans all lost 20 games on the bounce.
