The Oakland Athletics are playing through their final days in the Bay Area, but not before they potentially become the worst team in MLB history.
The 2023 season was doomed from the start for Oakland. There have been relocation rumors flying around for years, and things have finally progressed to the point that the team has reached an agreement on a stadium deal in Las Vegas. While the relocation to Southern Nevada has yet to be voted on, it is believed that it will gain league approval when MLB owners meet next month.
Oakland A’s Are Set To Be Worst Team In MLB History
The A’s are on pace to go 29-133. https://t.co/9Gp2gQPeu5
— Tyler Kepner (@TylerKepner) May 28, 2023
Because of this, the team is setting records for poor attendance. Or perhaps the fans aren’t showing up because they don’t want to watch what could be the worst team that the game has ever seen.
Through 55 games, the A’s have an abysmal record of 10-45, marking the worst start that the MLB has seen in 120 years. Just two months into the season, they are already 24.5 games out of first place in their own division, and 29 games behind the league-leading Rays.
Oakland has a run differential of -199, while the second-worst team comes in at -76. They are currently riding an 11-game losing streak, and have won just two of their last 19 games. Things won’t get any easier, as they’ll take on the NL-leading Atlanta Braves before hitting the road for 9 straight games away from home. It isn’t as though the location of the game matters, as the A’s have won 5 games both and home and on the road.
Last year, the Houston Astros allowed 518 runs. So far this season, Oakland has allowed 388 runs.
They’ve scored 189. Run differential: -199. Maybe this embarrassment will finally compel MLB owners to protect their collective product and take more steps to curb tanking.
— Buster Olney (@Buster_ESPN) May 29, 2023
The Athletics are on pace to finish with a record of 29-133, which would easily be the worst mark in the modern era in the MLB. Oddly enough, it was the 1916 Philadelphia Athletics that set the record for the worst winning percentage since 1900 with .235 (36-117), but they only played 153 games back then.
It is the 2003 Detroit Tigers that hold the designation as the worst team to ever play 162 games, and they went 43-119. If the Oakland Athletics continue at their current clip, they’ll finish an incredible 14 games worse than that.