Unbelievable MLB Slump: Which Team’s Record-Breaking Collapse Has Fans Shocked?

Perhaps if the Royals knew what was coming, the start to the 2012 season wouldn’t be so bad. Kansas City finished 72-90 that season but 86-76 in 2013, 89-73 with a World Series appearance in 2014 and 95-67 with a title in 2015.
The Orioles opened the 1988 season with an MLB-record 21-game losing streak. And they might hold that for a while, as the next longest skid is the Cubs’ 14-game drought to begin the 1997 season. The 1988 campaign was the O’s worst season since the franchise moved to Baltimore at 54-107 before going 47-115 in 2018, 54-108 in 2019 and 52-110 in 2021.

We’ve dug into the historical data to discover the worst records to start an American or National League season during the modern era (since 1901).

Sometimes an MLB team can dig itself into such a hole that it’s bound to come up short no matter how well it plays over the five months.

It was another dismal start to a season for the franchise that was known as the lovable losers for much of the last century. They wound up tied for the worst record in the National League at 68-94, but would get back to the postseason a year later.

Those Sox would go on to surpass the 2003 Detroit Tigers (43-119) and 1962 New York Mets (40-120) for the most losses in a season during the modern era (since 1901) at 41-121. The 1899 Cleveland Spiders still have the all-time record at 20-134.

There’s an adage in baseball that you can’t win the division in April, but you can lose it.

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We’ve dug into the historical data to discover the worst records to start an American or National League season during the modern era (since 1901).

Longest Losing Streak to Start a Season

1. 0-21 – 1988 Baltimore Orioles (April 4-28)

The woeful Cubs of the 1990s appear again on this list. The 1994 season began on April 3, but a work stoppage that led to the cancellation of the World Series mercifully ended the Cubs’ season at an NL Central-worst 49-64.

2. 0-14 – 1997 Chicago Cubs (April 1-20)

Ever wondered which MLB teams managed to dig their own graves before the season barely got rolling? It’s a tough pill to swallow when you realize that in baseball, sure, you might not clinch the division in April—but boy, you can definitely lose it right then and there. Think about the 1988 Baltimore Orioles: they stumbled into a record-setting 21-game losing streak to kick off their season, and even with a solid run afterward, they couldn’t climb back to a winning percentage above .500. Or consider the 2024 Chicago White Sox who, after a 3-22 start, headed toward rewriting the modern era’s loss records. It’s a brutal reminder that sometimes, a team’s fate is sealed well before the summer heat peaks. And while comebacks happen, starting off 0-7 or worse makes the climb to respectability nearly impossible. I’ve sifted through the archives, pulling out the most brutal starts in American and National League history since 1901—hopefully, your favorite team has dodged these infamous bullet holes in the past. Ready for a deep dive into the worst season starts and the stories behind them? LEARN MORE

T-3. 0-13 – 1904 Washington Senators (April 14-May 4) 

T-3. 0-13 – 1920 Detroit Tigers (April 14-May 2) 

Longest Losing Streak at Home to Start a Season

1. 0-17 – 1913  New York Yankees (April 17-June 6) 

Not only did the O’s drop 21 straight overall to open the 1988 season, but they also lost the first 13 on the road. Baltimore lost 22 of its first 24 games away from home en route to a 20-61 road record. Only the 2018 Orioles, who went a franchise-worst 47-115, lost more road games in the history of the franchise (19-62).

2. 0-12 – 1994 Chicago Cubs (April 4-May 3) 

The post Which Team Has Gotten Off to the Worst Start in AL/NL History? appeared first on Opta Analyst.

3. 0-10 – 2012 Kansas City Royals (April 13-23)

It’s difficult but not impossible to bounce back from a slow start – as long you don’t start 0-7. The 2011 Tampa Bay Rays, 1995 Cincinnati Reds and 1974 Pittsburgh Pirates didn’t win the World Series, but they’re the only teams to reach the postseason after an 0-6 start.

Longest Losing Streak on the Road to Start a Season

T-1. 0-13 – 1969 Houston Astros (April 8-30)

The 1894 Washington Senators dropped 21 on the road to open the 1894 season, but we’re looking at the modern era. After opening the season 4-20, the 1969 Astros won 19 of the next 23 games to turn things around (most of those at home). This Houston team was great at the relatively new Astrodome (52-29) but horrible on the road (29-52).

T-1. 0-13 – 1988 Baltimore Orioles (April 8-28)

Hopefully, your team isn’t on the list.

T-3. 0-12 – 1960 St. Louis Cardinals (April 12-May 14)    

T-3. 0-12 – 2006 Kansas City Royals (April 11-May 3)     

In 1988, the Baltimore Orioles could’ve gone 79-59 in the American League from May 2 to Oct. 2 and still not finished with a winning percentage above .500. The season was all but over for the historically bad 2024 Chicago White Sox after opening the season 3-22.
It’s difficult to imagine any Yankees team opening a season with 17 straight defeats at Yankee Stadium. But the 1913 team wasn’t the juggernaut that we’ve come to know with Ruth, Gehrig and Co. The Yanks finished 57-94 and ahead of only the St. Louis Browns in the AL standings.