What's the Worst MLB Record Ever? Looking at 1899-2025 Records

The 2024 White Sox didn't have the worst record of all time, but they sure had the worst in recent memory. John Kershner / Shutterstock

Losing is part of baseball, but some teams take it to historic extremes. The worst MLB record ever isn’t just about bad luck; it’s a full season of underperformance, poor starts, and sometimes just being outmatched in every category.

Here's a look at the worst single-season records in Major League Baseball history, from the 19th century all the way to the modern.

Contents

1899 Cleveland Spiders (20-134, 13% Won)
1916 Philadelphia Athletics (36-117, 23.5% Won)
1935 Boston Braves (38-115, 24.8% Won)
1962 New York Mets (40-120, 25% Won)
2024 Chicago White Sox (41-121, 25.3% Won)
2003 Detroit Tigers (43-119, 26.5% Won)

1. 1899 Cleveland Spiders (20-134, 13% Won)

The all-time worst team in MLB history, the 1899 Cleveland Spiders, finished with a brutal 20-134 record. That’s a .13 winning percentage, the lowest ever recorded. The team was so bad, other teams refused to travel to Cleveland, forcing the Spiders to play most of their games on the road.

This National League team set the record for most losses in a season, and the franchise was dissolved soon after. No MLB team since has come close to matching this level of futility.

2. 1916 Philadelphia Athletics (36-117, 23.5% Won)

Managed by Connie Mack, the 1916 Philadelphia Athletics had a .235 winning percentage—one of the worst in American League history. Despite Mack's Hall of Fame legacy, this team was completely overmatched.

They posted the fewest runs scored in the league and were often blown out by wide margins. It remains one of the poorest showings by a team with such a respected manager.

3. 1935 Boston Braves (38-115, 24.8% Won)

Before they became the Atlanta Braves, the Boston Braves struggled through the 1935 season. They posted a .248 winning percentage and the worst season for any Braves team.

This was also the final season for Babe Ruth, who retired midseason after a poor start and declining performance. Despite Ruth's presence, the Braves couldn’t avoid one of the worst MLB records.

4. 1962 New York Mets (40-120, 25% Won)

In their inaugural season, the New York Mets posted a 40-120 record, earning the worst record in modern MLB history (post-1900) at that time. Their .250 winning percentage remains one of the lowest in the modern era.

Despite the historically bad season, the Mets built a fanbase and went on to win the World Series just seven years later. But in 1962, they were definitively the worst team.

5. 2024 Chicago White Sox (41-121, 25.3% Won)

The Chicago White Sox finished the 2024 season with the worst record in franchise history and the most losses in the modern MLB era. With historically bad offensive numbers and long losing streaks, they rivaled the worst seasons ever recorded.

By the All-Star break, they had already lost 71 games—the most ever by that point in a season—and by season's end, they ranked last in MLB in on-base percentage (.278) and runs scored (507).

6. 2003 Detroit Tigers (43-119, 26.5% Won)

The Tigers had a nightmare 2003 season, finishing just loss short of the Mets’ 1962 record. Their .265 winning percentage ranks among the worst in major league history.

Detroit endured a long losing streak and finished with the worst run differential in the American League that year. Yet somehow, they won five of their final six games to close out the season.

We created this article in conjunction with AI technology, then made sure it was fact-checked and edited by a HowStuffWorks editor.