Ranking 10 Biggest Collapses in MLB History as Mets, Tigers Attempt to Avoid Infamy
The Detroit Tigers and New York Mets are fighting desperately to avoid a late-season collapse that would knock them out of the postseason picture and add them to the list of infamous September implosions.
The Tigers looked like the best team in baseball at times this year, building their AL Central lead to as many as 14 games in early July and carrying a 9.5-game lead into September.
However, a 5-14 record in September has them trending toward an all-time collapse, as the Cleveland Guardians pulled into a tie atop the division standings on Tuesday.
The Guardians were 11 games back as recently as Sept. 5, and trailed by as many as 15.5 games in the division race at one point. That would be the largest deficit ever overcome by a division winner if they can complete the comeback.
Meanwhile, the Mets had the best record in baseball on June 12, but they are 36-52 since that point, and what was still a 4.5-game cushion in the NL wild-card standings on Aug. 27 has disappeared during an ugly September.
Both will fit comfortably into the 10 biggest collapses in MLB history if they end up on the outside looking in when the playoff field is decided.
For now, here's a look at the list of the biggest September swoons they are trying to avoid joining in the coming days.
10. 2010 San Diego Padres
1 of 10
Top 5 WAR Leaders
1B Adrián González (152 OPS+, 64 XBH, 31 HR, 101 RBI, 4.4 WAR)
3B Chase Headley (97 OPS+, 43 XBH, 11 HR, 58 RBI, 3.9 WAR)
SP Mat Latos (14-10, 2.92 ERA, 189 K, 184.2 IP, 3.2 WAR)
OF Will Venable (104 OPS+, 31 XBH, 13 HR, 29 SB, 2.7 WAR)
C Yorvit Torrealba (103 OPS+, 21 XBH, 7 HR, 37 RBI, 2.6 WAR)
The Good Times
The Padres had a 6.5-game lead in the NL West standings on Aug. 25, and they had not suffered through a losing streak longer than three games to that point in the season. The starting rotation was rock solid, with five pitchers making at least 25 starts. And the bullpen was lights-out, shouldering the load with a middling offense outside of Adrián González.
The Collapse
A loss to the Arizona Diamondbacks on Aug. 26 marked the beginning of a 10-game losing streak that completely transformed the NL West race, with the Padres left clinging to a one-game edge.
They lost their division lead for good on Sept. 26, and the Giants hammered the final nail into the coffin with a 3-0 shutout on the season's final day to leave the Padres one game behind the Braves in the wild-card race.
To add insult to injury, the Padres traded away a young Corey Kluber at the deadline in a three-team deal to acquire outfielder Ryan Ludwick from the St. Louis Cardinals.
9. 1978 Boston Red Sox
2 of 10
Top 5 WAR Leaders
OF Jim Rice (157 OPS+, 86 XBH, 46 HR, 139 RBI, 7.6 WAR)
SP Dennis Eckersley (20-8, 2.99 ERA, 162 K, 268.1 IP, 7.3 WAR)
C Carlton Fisk (125 OPS+, 64 XBH, 20 HR, 88 RBI, 5.9 WAR)
SP Luis Tiant (13-8, 3.31 ERA, 114 K, 212.1 IP, 5.6 WAR)
OF Fred Lynn (133 OPS+, 58 XBH, 22 HR, 82 RBI, 4.4 WAR)
The Good Times
Aided by a dominant 23-7 showing in May, the Red Sox led the AL East standings by as many as 10 games in early July. They also had a 14-game advantage over the rival Yankees—who were in fourth place at the time—on July 19.
The Collapse
The 1978 Red Sox collapse was not as acute as some of the others on this list, but rather a slow erosion of their division lead during a 3-13 start to September, which included a four-game sweep by the Yankees at Fenway Park.
At the end of that skid, they were 3.5 games behind their surging rivals, and it took an 11-2 finish and a seven-game winning streak down the stretch to force a Game 163. A three-run home run from Bucky "Bleeping" Dent led the Yankees to a 5-4 victory and sent the Red Sox home for the season.
8. 2009 Detroit Tigers
3 of 10
Top 5 WAR Leaders
SP Justin Verlander (19-9, 3.45 ERA, 269 K, 240.0 IP, 5.5 WAR)
1B Miguel Cabrera (144 OPS+, 68 XBH, 34 HR, 103 RBI, 5.1 WAR)
OF Curtis Granderson (102 OPS+, 61 XBH, 30 HR, 20 SB, 4.4 WAR)
SP Edwin Jackson (13-9, 3.62 ERA, 161 K, 214.0 IP, 4.2 WAR)
3B Brandon Inge (87 OPS+, 44 XBH, 27 HR, 84 RBI, 2.8 WAR)
The Good Times
After a World Series run in 2006, the Tigers missed the playoffs each of the next two seasons, but things seemed to be trending in the right direction again in 2009. They were the only AL Central team with a winning record when their division lead swelled to a season-high seven games on Sept. 6.
The Collapse
From Sept. 6 forward, the Minnesota Twins posted the best record in the majors with an 18-8 mark, while the Tigers were 11-15 during that same stretch. That set up a tie-breaking Game 163, and it was a doozy.
The game went to extra innings, and both teams scored a run in the 10th. After a scoreless 11th and a zero in the top of the 12th, Alexi Casilla delivered a walk-off RBI single in the bottom of the inning, getting to closer Fernando Rodney in his fourth inning of work.
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7. 1962 Los Angeles Dodgers
4 of 10
Top 5 WAR Leaders
SS Maury Wills (99 OPS+, 29 XBH, 104 SB, 130 R, 6.0 WAR)
OF Tommy Davis (151 OPS+, 63 XBH, 27 HR, 153 RBI, 5.9 WAR)
OF Willie Davis (115 OPS+, 49 XBH, 21 HR, 32 SB, 5.8 WAR)
SP Don Drysdale (25-9, 2.83 ERA, 232 K, 314.1 IP, 5.4 WAR)
SP Sandy Koufax (14-7, 2.54 ERA, 216 K, 184.1 IP, 4.5 WAR)
The Good Times
The Dodgers were 100-55 and staked to a four-game lead in the NL standings with seven games remaining coming down the stretch in 1962. With three games against the expansion Houston Colt .45s and three against the Cardinals at home to close out the regular season, they were in the driver's seat for the NL pennant.
The Collapse
Despite the favorable schedule, the Dodgers dropped two of three to the Colt .45s and were swept by the Cardinals, including back-to-back shutouts in Game 161 and Game 162.
Finishing 2-4 in those games would have been enough for them to still punch their ticket to the World Series, but instead, they ended the season locked in a tie with the rival Giants for the second time in 11 years.
The two teams again split the first two games, and the Dodgers again folded with a lead in the ninth inning, allowing four runs in the top of the ninth en route to a 6-4 loss and another heartbreak.
6. 1995 California Angels
5 of 10
Top 5 WAR Leaders
OF Tim Salmon (165 OPS+, 71 XBH, 34 HR, 105 RBI, 6.6 WAR)
OF Jim Edmonds (129 OPS+, 67 XBH, 33 HR, 107 RBI, 5.6 WAR)
3B/OF Tony Phillips (123 OPS+, 49 XBH, 27 HR, 113 BB, 4.4 WAR)
DH Chili Davis (146 OPS+, 43 XBH, 20 HR, 86 RBI, 3.5 WAR)
RP Troy Percival (62 G, 29 HLD, 1.95 ERA, 11.4 K/9, 3.2 WAR)
The Good Times
The Angels had a 10.5-game lead on the Texas Rangers and an 11.5-game advantage over the Seattle Mariners in the AL West standings on Aug. 16, dominating the opposition with a plus-178 run differential.
The Collapse
After their dominant start to the season, the Angels went 14-28 over their final 42 games, including a pair of nine-game losing streaks. They still had a 5.5-game lead in the division after the first skid, but the second dropped them to two games back on Sept. 23.
Unlike most teams on this list, they actually finished strong, going 6-1 in their final seven games to force a tie-breaker with the Mariners. However, a complete game from ace Randy Johnson (9.0 IP, 3 H, 1 ER) ended their season and put the finishing touches on their collapse.
5. 2011 Atlanta Braves
6 of 10
Top 5 WAR Leaders
RP Eric O'Flaherty (78 G, 32 HLD, 0.98 ERA, 8.2 K/9, 3.3 WAR)
SP Jair Jurrjens (13-6, 2.96 ERA, 90 K, 152.0 IP, 3.2 WAR)
SP Tim Hudson (16-10, 3.22 ERA, 158 K, 215.0 IP, 3.0 WAR)
RP Jonny Venters (85 G, 35 HLD, 1.84 ERA, 9.8 K/9, 3.0 WAR)
C Brian McCann (122 OPS+, 43 XBH, 24 HR, 71 RBI, 2.6 WAR)
The Good Times
Despite a 7.5-game deficit in the NL East standings on Sept. 1, the Braves were still comfortably in the projected playoff picture. They held an 8.5-game edge over the St. Louis Cardinals in the wild-card standings and had the second-best overall record in the National League.
The Collapse
After getting swept by the Cardinals on Sept. 11 as part of a 4-8 start to September, the Braves' edge in the wild-card standings had been whittled to 4.5 games. That shrank to just one game heading into the final series of the year against a Philadelphia Phillies team that had already clinched the NL East.
Needing just one win to salvage their season, the Braves dropped the first two in the series, but led 3-2 heading into the ninth inning in Game 162. However, rookie closer Craig Kimbrel blew the save, and four innings later, Hunter Pence delivered the game-winning RBI for the Phillies in the top of the 13th.
4. 2011 Boston Red Sox
7 of 10
Top 5 WAR Leaders
OF Jacoby Ellsbury (146 OPS+, 83 XBH, 32 HR, 39 SB, 8.3 WAR)
2B Dustin Pedroia (131 OPS+, 61 XBH, 21 HR, 26 SB, 8.0 WAR)
1B Adrian Gonzalez (155 OPS+, 75 XBH, 27 HR, 117 RBI, 6.9 WAR)
SP Josh Beckett (13-7, 2.89 ERA, 175 K, 193.0 IP, 5.8 WAR)
SP Jon Lester (15-9, 3.47 ERA, 182 K, 191.2 IP, 4.3 WAR)
The Good Times
The AL East race was a back-and-forth battle between the Red Sox and Yankees throughout the 2011 season, with no team building a lead of more than three games in June, July and August.
The Red Sox had a 1.5-game lead entering September, but the Yankees had an eight-game cushion over the Tampa Bay Rays in the wild-card standings, so both teams looked to be comfortably in the playoff field.
The Collapse
A 4-13 skid in September that included a 1-6 showing head-to-head against the Rays left the two teams tied in the AL wild-card standings heading into the final day of the season.
The Red Sox blew a save and suffered a walk-off loss to a 93-loss Orioles team, while the Rays came back from behind 7-0 against the Yankees for a dramatic walk-off win on a 12th-inning home run from Evan Longoria.
3. 1951 Brooklyn Dodgers
8 of 10
Top 5 WAR Leaders
2B Jackie Robinson (154 OPS+, 59 XBH, 19 HR, 25 SB, 9.7 WAR)
C Roy Campanella (159 OPS+, 67 XBH, 33 HR, 108 RBI, 6.9 WAR)
1B Gil Hodges (138 OPS+, 68 XBH, 40 HR, 103 RBI, 5.4 WAR)
SS Pee Wee Reese (104 OPS+, 38 XBH, 10 HR, 20 SB, 5.1 WAR)
SP Preacher Roe (22-3, 3.04 ERA, 113 K, 257.2 IP, 5.1 WAR)
The Good Times
Just two years removed from winning the 1949 NL pennant and with a roster loaded with Hall of Fame talent, the Dodgers appeared to be in complete control of the National League race. Their division lead swelled to a season-high 13 games on Aug. 11, with 48 games left on the schedule.
The Collapse
The 1951 season is best remembered for the "Shot Heard 'Round the World" off the bat of Bobby Thompson to give the Giants the NL pennant, but that only happened as a result of the Dodgers' collapse.
They went 26-22 over their final 48 games, while the Giants were 37-7 over that same stretch, erasing that division lead and forcing a best-of-three playoff for a trip to the World Series.
After splitting the first two games, the Dodgers led 4-1 going into the bottom of the ninth inning in Game 3, three outs from clinching a trip to the Fall Classic. Two singles, a double and a legendary three-run blast from Thompson later, their season was over.
2. 2007 New York Mets
9 of 10
Top 5 WAR Leaders
3B David Wright (149 OPS+, 73 XBH, 30 HR, 107 RBI, 8.3 WAR)
OF Carlos Beltrán (125 OPS+, 69 XBH, 33 HR, 112 RBI, 5.4 WAR)
SS José Reyes (102 OPS+, 60 XBH, 78 SB, 119 R, 5.1 WAR)
SP Orlando Hernández (9-5, 3.72 ERA, 128 K, 147.2 IP, 2.5 WAR)
SP John Maine (15-10, 3.91 ERA, 180 K, 191.0 IP, 2.4 WAR)
The Good Times
The Mets were 83-62 on Sept. 12, good for the best record in the National League and a seven-game advantage over the Philadelphia Phillies in the NL East standings. With a 9-2 record in their first 11 September games, they were firing on all cylinders and appeared to have a playoff berth locked up.
The Collapse
By Sept. 18, their division lead had been slashed to just 1.5 games after a five-game losing streak that included a three-game sweep by the Phillies. Another five-game skid down the stretch knocked them out of the division lead for the first time since May 15 with two games left to play.
A 13-0 blowout win in Game 161 moved them into a tie in the NL East, but veteran Tom Glavine (0.1 IP, 5 H, 2 BB, 7 ER) was shelled in the regular-season finale against a 91-loss Marlins team.
The Phillies took care of business on their end with a 6-1 win over the Nationals, and the Mets ended the year one game back in the NL East standings and one game back in the wild-card standings.
1. 1964 Philadelphia Phillies
10 of 10
Top 5 WAR Leaders
3B Dick Allen (162 OPS+, 80 XBH, 29 HR, 91 RBI, 8.8 WAR)
SP Chris Short (17-9, 2.20 ERA, 181 K, 220.2 IP, 6.2 WAR)
OF Johnny Callison (125 OPS+, 71 XBH, 31 HR, 104 RBI, 6.1 WAR)
SP Jim Bunning (19-8, 2.63 ERA, 219 K, 284.1 IP, 5.5 WAR)
OF Tony Gonzalez (108 OPS+, 32 XBH, 4 HR, 40 RBI, 2.7 WAR)
The Good Times
The Phillies had a 6.5-game lead over the Cincinnati Reds and St. Louis Cardinals with 12 games remaining on Sept. 20, and they looked poised to clinch their first World Series berth since 1950 and just the third postseason appearance in franchise history.
The Collapse
That comfortable lead quickly evaporated when the Phillies lost 10 straight, including three-game sweeps by both the Reds and Cardinals. And by the end of that skid, they sat third in the NL standings.
They won their final two games on the road in Cincinnati, but the Cardinals won their 162nd game to claim the NL pennant by one game and seal the biggest collapse in MLB history.
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