These 12 Teams Endured The Most Miserable Losing Skids In MLB History

Baseball is a game of ups and downs. The Major League season is long. Lulls are to be expected throughout a six-month campaign.

Every team experiences a low point during the year. Some have hit rock bottom in terms of finding ways to lose matchups.

In the modern era, there are 12 franchises that own a losing streak of at least 19 games, making them the longest skids in MLB history.

Which MLB Team Has The Longest Losing Streak?

Organizations on this list range from some of baseball’s biggest brands to consistent cellar dwellers. No club is safe from the inevitable slump. Some franchises even made their way into the group more than once.

Technically, the longest skid of all-time belongs to the Louisville Colonels, which lost 26 straight contests in the 1889 season. The game looked a bit different back then. Many leagues were recognized by the MLB that are now non-existent.

The modern era was introduced with the inception of the American League, which brought about the World Series. For our records, we’ll include only seasons since 1900.

19-game losing streaks

Boston Nationals (Atlanta Braves) – 1906

The 1906 Nationals finished 49-102 and an incredible 66.5 games out of playoff contention. At the time, the regular season champs of the American and National Leagues played in the World Series. That was the extent of the postseason.

The pennant-winning Cubs racked up 116 victories that year before playing for a title against the AL’s White Sox. The Nationals, meanwhile, finished with the worst record in the National League.

They did not win a game between May 17th and June 8th. During that skid, they were shut out nine times and swept five series in a row.

The streak, which started with a loss to Cincinnati, finally ended with a win over St. Louis.

Cincinnati Reds – 1914

The Cincinnati Reds went 60-94 in the 1914 season. For much of the year, it did not seem the record would be so subpar.

On September 4th, in the final month of the season, the Reds were 59-75. While not stellar by any means, there was no indication that the club would finish more than 30 games below .500.

Cincinnati did not win a game between September 5th and September 23rd. The losing streak earned the team a last-place spot in the National League standings, more than 34 games behind the champion Braves.

Luckily, the skid did not continue into the 1915 campaign. The Reds won their final game of the year against the Pirates to stop the bleeding.

Detroit Tigers – 1975

Six decades after the Reds’ experienced their franchise low, the Tigers matched the 19-game losing streak which remains the longest in Detroit’s history.

The club did not win a game between July 29th and August 15th of the 1975 campaign. Seven of those contests were decided by one run with three coming in extra innings.

The skid was the lowlight of a forgettable season in which the team posted an overall record of 57-102. They finished 37.5 games behind AL East winner Boston.

Detroit finally ended its losing streak on August 16th against the Angels.

Kansas City Royals – 2005

The 2005 Royals were one of the worst teams in baseball history. Kansas City finished 56-106. It had three different managers, one of which resigned midseason.

A 19-game losing streak put the struggles in a nutshell. Between July 28th and August 19th, they went winless.

In seven of those losses, they allowed 10 runs or more. In three others, they were shut out.

The team would finish the year 43 games back of the division winning White Sox in the AL Central. They were 11 games below the next-worst team in the American League. The 106 losses remain a franchise worst.

Baltimore Orioles – 2021

The 2021 Orioles are one of just 23 teams in MLB history to loses at least 110 games in a season. That miserable year was headlined by a 19-game losing streak.

Baltimore was winless nearly the entire month of August, failing to win a game between the 3rd and the 24th. The pitching staff gave up just under nine runs a game during the skid.

The squad finally picked up a win on August 25th vs. the Angels.

The losing streak was one of two that reached double digits during the year. The O’s also posted a 14-game skid in the month of May.

20-game losing streaks

Boston Americans (Red Sox) – 1906

There were two teams in Boston during the 1906 MLB season. Both suffered losing streaks of at least 19 games. The Nationals (Braves) have already been mentioned for their struggles. The Americans were even worse.

Six years before its first game at Fenway Park, Boston went 49-105 to finish 45.5 games behind the AL-winning White Sox. It was the worst record in baseball, highlighted by an awful run in May.

The team lost its first game of the month against the Yankees on May 1st. It would not win again until the 25th. By the time the streak ended, the Americans were 6-27.

Interestingly enough, they beat the White Sox to stop the skid. Chicago would later go onto win the World Series.

Philadelphia Athletics – 1916

The Athletics lost 117 games in the 1916 season, a total that ranks fifth all-time. They ended the year with just 36 wins to go down as one of the worst teams in MLB history.

The lowlight was a losing streak that spanned from July 21st to August 8th. The 20-game skid ties a franchise worst.

In a season of downs, the A’s rock bottom came off the heels of a nine-game skid between July 12th and July 20th, which followed a 12-game streak that started in late June.

Between June 27th and August 8th, Philadelphia went just 2-41. They finished 54.5 games out of first place. Unfortunately, the franchise’s pain was far from over.

Philadelphia Athletics – 1943

Less than three decades after the dismal 1916 campaign, the A’s recorded another 20-game losing streak to tie its previous mark.

The 1943 team did not win a game between August 7th and August 24th. On a number of occasions, that involved being swept in doubleheaders.

Seven times they were held to one run or less. Twice they fell in extra innings. At the time the streak started, the A’s were 40-58. The loss total grew to 78 by skid’s end on the way to a 49-105 final record.

At the end of the year, Philadelphia was 49 games out of first place. The team would move to Kansas City a few seasons later.

Montreal Expos – 1969

The 1969 Expos were the first team to take the field in the organization’s 58-year existence. They’d make history for all the wrong reasons in that debut.

Not only did they post a franchise-worst 110 losses, but they lost 20 straight games from May 13th to June 7th. It remains an organization lowlight.

Montreal started its skid with a blowout loss to the Astros. It would finally end with a win over the Dodgers three and a half weeks later.

The squad would finish its season at 52-110, and 48 games back from the NL East lead.

21-game losing streaks

Baltimore Orioles – 1988

The Orioles are one of a few franchises with the unfortunate claim of having multiple appearances on this list. The 2021 team made the cut by dropping 19 straight games. They could not match the organization’s previous low.

In 1988, Baltimore lost 21 straight games on its way to a 54-107 overall record. It remains the worst run in club history.

The O’s started the losing early in that forgettable campaign with the skid kicking off on Opening Day. Between April 4th and April 28th, they were held out of the win column to begin the campaign 0-21.

Manager Cal Ripken Sr. was fired six games in. His successor, Frank Robinson, did little to weather the storm. Baltimore finished the year 34.5 games back in the AL East standings following the miserable start.

2024 White Sox

The 2024 Chicago White Sox were not only the worst team in franchise history, but arguably the worst in MLB history. Their 121 losses are the most in the modern era of professional baseball.

Chicago finished 51.5 games behind the AL Central leading Guardians by posting a 41-121 mark. Manager Pedro Grifol was fired midseason as a result of the struggles.

The White Sox started the year 3-22. They’d experience losing streaks of 12 and 14 contests. None could match the 21-game skid seen in July.

Chicago won the first game of a doubleheader on July 10th against the Twins. They would not pick up another victory until August 6th against the A’s.

Thirteen times they were held to two runs or less. The awful team may be the only to set a franchise record for consecutive losses twice in the same season!

The longest losing streak in MLB history…

1961 Philadelphia Phillies

Philadelphia has been mentioned on this list twice before, albeit with the A’s. The Phillies, however, own the mark for longest losing streak in MLB history.

In 1961, the team lost 23 straight games over the course of a month. From July 29th to August 20th, wins proved elusive.

The Phillies were well off pace for an NL East crown when the streak started. They’d be more than 40 games back by the time it came to a close.

Philadelphia finished the year at 47-107. It was 46 games behind the pennant-winning Reds. Since, no other MLB team has been able to overtake the Phillies atop this list. They’ll hope to see their reign come to an end soon.