The Worst And Most Embarrassing MLB Teams Since The 1962 Expansion
The worst MLB teams since the 1962 expansion
If you play your cards right, sucking can lead you straight to a World Series title. In a three-year span, the Astros lost 324 games and netted three No. 1 overall picks. Five years after taking Carlos Correa first overall in 2012, he helped lead the team to the 2017 title. Like two of those Astros teams, the 1998 Marlins also find themselves on our list of the worst MLB teams since the 1962 expansion to 20 squads, the result of a fire sale of the best players from the franchise’s 1997 World Series-winning squad. In return, they received a foundation for their 2003 championship-winning team, including future All-Stars A.J. Burnett and Derrek Lee. So cheer up, fans of awful teams, because being bad can bode well for your future. Unless you’re a Padres fan, of course. Then you’re kinda outta luck.20. 2002 Detroit Tigers
A year before the Tigers lost an incredible 119 games, they weren’t much better, going 55-106. Detroit finished dead last in the AL in homers, hits, runs, walks, on-base-percentage, and slugging percentage.
Brandon Inge (pictured), then still a catcher, hit .202/.266/.333 with 101 strikeouts in just 351 plate appearances.
19. 2002 Tampa Bay Devil Rays
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In their fifth year of existence, the Devil Rays set a franchise record for losses that still stands, going 55-106.
Their offense was bad, finishing ahead of only the aforementioned 2002 Tigers in multiple hitting categories, but the pitching was worse, posting an MLB-worst 5.29 ERA. Paul Wilson (pictured) made 30 starts, finishing with an ERA of 4.
83, the second-lowest among Tampa Bay pitchers with at least 10 starts.
18. 1976 Montreal Expos
Five years before Hall of Fame catcher Gary Carter led Montreal to the NLCS, he was manning right field for this 55-107 team. They scored the fewest runs in baseball and had the lowest on-base percentage, and their ERA was the worst in the AL.
17. 2012 Houston Astros
Smack in the middle of the years-long tankfest that helped Houston accumulate enough talent to win the 2017 World Series, this squad, featuring Carlos Lee for half a season and future MVP Jose Altuve, this 55-107 team was particularly ineffective in extra-inning contests, going 1-11.
They were last in the majors in hits and runs.