Worst MLB Teams To Make The World Series

Who is the worst team to make the World Series?

Based on regular season winning percentage, the 1973 New York Mets were the worst team to make the World Series. They finished the regular season with only a 82-79 record, but made the World Series where they lost to the Oakland Athletics.

Has a team with a losing record ever made the World Series?

No, a team with a losing record in the regular season has never made the World Series.

Has a team with a losing record ever made the World Series the next season?

Yes, this has happened 41 times in history. The 1990 Atlanta Braves (65-97), 2007 Tampa Bay Devil Rays (66-96), 2022 Texas Rangers (68-94), 2012 Boston Red Sox (69-93), 1992 Philadelphia Phillies (70-92), 1960 Cincinnati Reds (67-87), 2005 Detroit Tigers (71-91), 1986 Minnesota Twins (71-91), 1966 Boston Red Sox (72-90), 1925 New York Yankees (69-85), 1987 Los Angeles Dodgers (73-89), 1968 New York Mets (73-89), 1953 New York Giants (70-84), 2022 Arizona Diamondbacks (74-88), 1990 Minnesota Twins (74-88), 1913 Boston Braves (69-82), 1918 Chicago White Sox (57-67), 1958 Los Angeles Dodgers (71-83), 1945 Boston Red Sox (71-83), 2001 Anaheim Angels (75-87), 1989 Cincinnati Reds (75-87), 1932 New York Giants (72-82), 2013 San Francisco Giants (76-86), 2006 Colorado Rockies (76-86), 1997 San Diego Padres (76-86), 1943 St. Louis Browns (72-80), 1906 Detroit Tigers (71-78), 1917 Chicago Cubs (74-80), 1914 Philadelphia Phillies (74-80), 2020 Houston Astros (29-31), 1944 Chicago Cubs (75-79), 1933 Detroit Tigers (75-79), 2014 New York Mets (79-83), 2002 Florida Marlins (79-83), 1971 Cincinnati Reds (79-83), 1964 Minnesota Twins (79-83), 1923 Washington Senators (75-78), 1986 St. Louis Cardinals (79-82), 1919 Brooklyn Robins (69-71), 1996 Florida Marlins (80-82) and 1964 Los Angeles Dodgers (80-82) all made the World Series the next season after having a losing record.

Worst MLB Regular Season Records To Make World Series

By Win % By Worst Winning Percentage
By Most Losses

	Team	Year	Regular Season Record	Result
1	New York Mets	1973	82-79	Lost WS
2	St. Louis Cardinals	2006	83-78	Won WS
3	Arizona Diamondbacks	2023	84-78	Lost WS
4	Minnesota Twins	1987	85-77	Won WS
5	Cleveland Indians	1997	86-75	Lost WS
6	Philadelphia Phillies	2022	87-75	Lost WS
7	New York Yankees	2000	87-74	Won WS
8	Detroit Tigers	2012	88-74	Lost WS
	San Francisco Giants	2014	88-74	Won WS
10	Atlanta Braves	2021	88-73	Won WS
11	Houston Astros	2005	89-73	Lost WS
	Kansas City Royals	2014	89-73	Lost WS
13	New York Yankees	1981	59-48	Lost WS
14	Colorado Rockies	2007	90-73	Lost WS
15	New York Mets	2015	90-72	Lost WS
	Oakland Athletics	1974	90-72	Won WS
	Philadelphia Phillies	1983	90-72	Lost WS
	St. Louis Cardinals	2011	90-72	Won WS
	Texas Rangers	2010	90-72	Lost WS
	Texas Rangers	2023	90-72	Won WS
21	Cincinnati Reds	1990	91-71	Won WS
	Florida Marlins	2003	91-71	Won WS
	Kansas City Royals	1985	91-71	Won WS
	Philadelphia Phillies	1980	91-71	Won WS
25	Los Angeles Dodgers	1959	88-68	Won WS
26	Los Angeles Dodgers	2018	92-71	Lost WS
27	Arizona Diamondbacks	2001	92-70	Won WS
	Boston Red Sox	1967	92-70	Lost WS
	Florida Marlins	1997	92-70	Won WS
	New York Yankees	1996	92-70	Won WS
	Philadelphia Phillies	2008	92-70	Won WS
	San Diego Padres	1984	92-70	Lost WS
	San Francisco Giants	1989	92-70	Lost WS
	San Francisco Giants	2010	92-70	Won WS
	St. Louis Cardinals	1982	92-70	Won WS
36	Los Angeles Dodgers	1981	63-47	Won WS
37	Philadelphia Phillies	2009	93-69	Lost WS
	St. Louis Cardinals	1964	93-69	Won WS
	Washington Nationals	2019	93-69	Won WS
40	Detroit Tigers	1945	88-65	Won WS
41	St. Louis Browns	1944	89-65	Lost WS
	St. Louis Cardinals	1926	89-65	Won WS
43	Atlanta Braves	1991	94-68	Lost WS
	New York Mets	2000	94-68	Lost WS
	Oakland Athletics	1973	94-68	Won WS
	San Francisco Giants	2012	94-68	Won WS
47	Cleveland Indians	2016	94-67	Lost WS
	Los Angeles Dodgers	1988	94-67	Won WS
49	Chicago Cubs	1932	90-64	Lost WS
	Detroit Tigers	1940	90-64	Lost WS

	Team	Year	Regular Season Record	Result
1	New York Mets	1973	82-79	Lost WS
2	St. Louis Cardinals	2006	83-78	Won WS
3	Arizona Diamondbacks	2023	84-78	Lost WS
4	Minnesota Twins	1987	85-77	Won WS
5	Cleveland Indians	1997	86-75	Lost WS
6	Philadelphia Phillies	2022	87-75	Lost WS
7	New York Yankees	2000	87-74	Won WS
8	Detroit Tigers	2012	88-74	Lost WS
	San Francisco Giants	2014	88-74	Won WS
10	Atlanta Braves	2021	88-73	Won WS
11	Houston Astros	2005	89-73	Lost WS
	Kansas City Royals	2014	89-73	Lost WS
13	Colorado Rockies	2007	90-73	Lost WS
14	New York Mets	2015	90-72	Lost WS
	Oakland Athletics	1974	90-72	Won WS
	Philadelphia Phillies	1983	90-72	Lost WS
	St. Louis Cardinals	2011	90-72	Won WS
	Texas Rangers	2010	90-72	Lost WS
	Texas Rangers	2023	90-72	Won WS
20	Cincinnati Reds	1990	91-71	Won WS
	Florida Marlins	2003	91-71	Won WS
	Kansas City Royals	1985	91-71	Won WS
	Philadelphia Phillies	1980	91-71	Won WS
24	Los Angeles Dodgers	2018	92-71	Lost WS
25	Arizona Diamondbacks	2001	92-70	Won WS
	Boston Red Sox	1967	92-70	Lost WS
	Florida Marlins	1997	92-70	Won WS
	New York Yankees	1996	92-70	Won WS
	Philadelphia Phillies	2008	92-70	Won WS
	San Diego Padres	1984	92-70	Lost WS
	San Francisco Giants	1989	92-70	Lost WS
	San Francisco Giants	2010	92-70	Won WS
	St. Louis Cardinals	1982	92-70	Won WS
34	Philadelphia Phillies	2009	93-69	Lost WS
	St. Louis Cardinals	1964	93-69	Won WS
	Washington Nationals	2019	93-69	Won WS
37	Los Angeles Dodgers	1959	88-68	Won WS
38	Atlanta Braves	1991	94-68	Lost WS
	New York Mets	2000	94-68	Lost WS
	Oakland Athletics	1973	94-68	Won WS
	San Francisco Giants	2012	94-68	Won WS
42	Cleveland Indians	2016	94-67	Lost WS
	Los Angeles Dodgers	1988	94-67	Won WS
44	Detroit Tigers	1945	88-65	Won WS
45	St. Louis Browns	1944	89-65	Lost WS
	St. Louis Cardinals	1926	89-65	Won WS
47	Chicago Cubs	1932	90-64	Lost WS
	Detroit Tigers	1940	90-64	Lost WS
49	New York Yankees	1981	59-48	Lost WS
50	Los Angeles Dodgers	1981	63-47	Won WS

All Longest Streaks and Droughts »

Worst Baseball Teams To Make World Series

Who is the worst team to make the World Series?

Has a team with a losing record ever made the World Series?

Has a team with a losing record ever made the World Series the next season?

Worst MLB Regular Season Records To Make World Series

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