10 Worst Win Percentage By Teams
The list of worst win percentages in MLB history includes franchises such as Cleveland Spiders, Pittsburgh Allghenys, and others.
These teams include the ones with the lowest win rates including those that are now defunct in the National League.
1. Cleveland Spiders 1899 (.130)
Cleveland Spiders are the title holder for having the worst wins in a single season. They won 20 and lost 134 games in their final season during the 12-team era.
They had decent success in the early 1890s since they had won seven consecutive seasons from 1892 to 1898. While they had yet to win a world series or other major championships, the Spiders had won a Temple Cup in 1895.
However, their downfall began when the franchise owner bought St. Louis Browns in 1899 and transferred all the crucial talents from the Spiders to the Browns, including the Hall-of-Famers Bobby Wallace, CY Young, and Jesse Burkett.
2. Pittsburgh Alleghenys 1890 (.169)
The 1890 Pittsburgh Alleghenys had the lowest win rate with 23 wins by 113 losses. They bounced back after the team was later merged with the Burghers.
When the Alleghenys collapsed after their worst season, they allowed the players to return to their former teams. The reformed team recovered many players that had moved to other leagues in the previous year.
They continued to strive in the Major League, and the Pirates got their opportunities continuously until the 21st century.
3. St. Louis Browns 1897 (.221)
The St. Louis Browns continually got lower wins in the 1890s and were bought off by the Spiders in 1898. Their lowest win percentage was .221 in 1897.
After being sold, they received better players in 1899, with the Spiders transferring all the talents to the Browns. This made the team grow better in the following years, while the original Spiders got folded as a result.
The team became known as the St. Louis Cardinals after 1900 and is continuing its path to success in the MLB.
4. Washington Nationals 1886 (.223)
The Washington Nationals played in the National League for four seasons from 1886 to 1889. Their worst win rate was in 1886, with 28 wins and 93 losses.
They were also referred to as the Washington Statesmen or Senators and had six managers in their four-year period. In the later years, they had a compiled record of .326 winning percentage for 163-337.
Hall of Fame manager Connie Mack of the Philadelphia Athletics was a renowned catcher from the Washington Nationals.
5. Philadelphia Athletics 1916 (.235)
The Philadelphia Athletics was an MLB team from 1901 to 1954 before shifting to Kansas City. Their worst record was 26 wins over 117 losses in 1916.
Later on, they won five World Series during their time as Athletics under the lead of Hall of Fame Manager Connie Mack. Following their move to Kansas City in 1954, the team again shifted to Oakland after fifteen seasons in 1968.
They renamed it Oakland Athletics and are still active in the MLB as of 2023.
6. Boston Braves 1935 (.248)
The Boston Braves is the name of the MLB team Atlanta Braves before relocation. The team had its worst record of .248 in 1935, with 38 wins and 115 losses.
Meanwhile, the history of Braves has four World Series titles and 18 National League Pennants as of 2023. The Braves had their origins in Massasuchetts for 82 years before they moved to Milwaukee for a thirteen years career and later settled in Atlanta, Georgia, after the 1966 season.
7. New York Mets 1962 (.250)
New York Mets is an MLB team known for its success in the current era. However, they were not always among the best, as they had hard times in the 1960s.
Mets had recorded the least win rate of .250 in their first National Lague season in 1962 with 40 wins over 120 losses. They had recently established their team to fill the gap left by the Brooklyn Dodgers and the New York Giants after they moved to different cities.
The Mets bounced back in the later years with their first World Series win in 1969. They also got their first National League Pennant in the same season, followed by four more titles in the future and another World title in 1986.
8. Washington Senators 1904 (.252)
Washington Senators had the worst win rate of .253, with 38 wins over 113 losses in 1904. Their second record was .276 in 1909, with 42 wins and 110 losses.
The Senators are a team known to represent Washinton for 59 years, from 1901 to 1960. Following their poor run in the first decade, they became one of the most successful teams from 1911 to 1933.
They won their first World Series in 1924 and obtained three American League Pennants in 1924, 1925, and 1933. Meanwhile, they are more famous for their mediocrity of getting six losses during the 1940s and 50s.
After 1960, the team officially relocated to Minnesota and was renamed Minnesota Twins. They continued to become a better team following their shift and are still counted among the top teams in MLB.
9. Detroit Tigers 2003 (.265)
The Tigers have seen a decline in their winning percentage after the start of the 21st century. Their worst win rate is .265 in 2003, followed by .291 in 2019.
The Detroit Tigers are among the first eight charter franchises of the American League, founded in 1901. Unlike others, They are the only team remaining in the league to have never changed their name or initial location.
After winning their first World Series title in 1935, they obtained three more in the following decade until the last one in 1984. Similarly, they also have 11 American League Penants as of 2023.
10. Pittsburgh Pirates 1953 (.273)
The Pittsburgh Pirates had their worst season in 1953 with a .273 win percentage. They had won 42 and lost 112 games in that season.
After the merger of Alleghenys and the Burghers in 1891, the team saw its first poor season in 1953. They were founded as the Pittsburgh Alleghenys in 1881 and expanded with the Burghers after all their capable players defected to the other team.
After becoming the Pirates, the franchise has won five World Series Championships and made 9 National League Pennants as of 2023. They were known to be among the best baseball teams of the 20th century.
