All 30 MLB Teams' Worst Player of 2026 Regular Season
For some players, the 2026 MLB season can't end soon enough.
For just about 180 days' worth of games, most of us have been delighted by the ascendant stars such as Pete Crow-Armstrong, Jacob Misiorowski and Cam Schlittler. Yet all 30 fanbases also know the horrors of the other side of the spectrum, where the worst players in the league reside.
We're going to dispense with courtesy and point an accusing finger at every team's worst player of the 2026 season. This is mostly about production, but also about which players really hurt a given team. The bigger the waste, the larger the crime.
We'll go division by division, starting in the AL East and ending in the National League West.
American League East
1 of 6
Baltimore Orioles: CF Leody Taveras
WAR: -0.1 rWAR, 0.3 fWAR
By WAR, there are definitely worse players on the 2026 Orioles. That means you, Dylan Beavers. It also means you, Trey Gibson, Dean Kremer and Andrew Kittredge.
At a certain point, though, it's the sheer size and emptiness of a sample size that stands out. Taveras has gotten 474 plate appearances this year. He has only rewarded the Orioles with a 78 OPS+. Only nine players are in that particular club, as six of them have more rWAR than Taveras.
Boston Red Sox: C Carlos Narváez
WAR: -0.4 rWAR, -0.2 fWAR
Lest anyone forget, Narváez was Boston's catcher on Opening Day this year. He was meant to be their No. 1 behind the plate, and deservedly so after a 2025 season that resembled a breakout.
Instead, he was so bad on both sides of the ball (including a 52 OPS+ in 197 plate appearances) that the Red Sox felt compelled to do a Hail Mary trade for Adley Rutschman in August. That has yet to yield short-term returns. The long-term risk of it blowing up in Boston's face is very real.
New York Yankees: RHP Camilo Doval
WAR: -0.8 rWAR, -0.9 fWAR
Doval was an All-Star closer for the Giants in 2023. There was some hope that he could revert to that form when the Yankees acquired him at the deadline in 2025.
He instead posted a 4.54 ERA in 44 appearances this year, after which the Yankees gave up and shipped him to Pittsburgh. It was a case of addition by subtraction for their bullpen, though uncertainty remains about whether the team has a setup man as good as Doval was supposed to be.
Tampa Bay Rays: LHP Steven Matz
WAR: -0.7 rWAR, -0.2 fWAR
The Rays have their share of less-than-awesome players, but they've been pretty good at limiting exposure to the truly bad ones. But with Matz, they haven't had much choice but to keep using him.
He's on a two-year, $15 million contract, which is on the steep side by Rays standards. Yet even though they've tried everything to get him into a groove, his ERA is over 5.00 as a starter and a reliever over 77.0 total innings.
Toronto Blue Jays: RHP Max Scherzer
WAR: -0.5 rWAR, -0.4 fWAR
When the Blue Jays re-signed Scherzer earlier this year, they likely didn't expect him to live up to his Hall of Fame future. They just needed him to anchor the back end of what looked like a strong rotation.
Instead, he's had the worst year of his career, making only 16 starts and posting a 6.07 ERA. Because of injuries, the pain of this performance has only been magnified in a Toronto rotation that has never really had momentum.
American League Central
2 of 6
Chicago White Sox: INF/OF Luisangel Acuña
WAR: -0.4 rWAR, -0.4 fWAR
To be fair, Edgar Quero has taken exactly as many plate appearances (217) as Acuña and has been even more of a straggler, to the tune of -0.8 rWAR. At least he's off the roster, whereas Acuña is still doing the bad kind of damage.
He has only a 47 OPS+ for the season, making him 53 percent worse than the average hitter. Among hitters with at least 200 plate appearances, only three have been less productive at the plate.
Cleveland Guardians: DH Rhys Hoskins
WAR: -0.9 rWAR, -0.4 fWAR
Because of a back injury, Hoskins hasn't suited up for the Guardians since August 18. Maybe it's not a coincidence that they're 20-10 since then?
It's a mean thing to say about a genuinely likeable player who has had a really good major league career. But then again, when you're a bat-only player who can only hit .179 with a 93 OPS+, you have to know there's no avoiding shade.
Detroit Tigers: CF Matt Vierling
WAR: -0.9 rWAR, -0.4 fWAR
As bad as Jahmai Jones was (i.e., 24 OPS+) as a Tiger, at least they only gave him 105 plate appearances before moving on. By comparison, Vierling got 291 turns at the plate before a groin injury ended his season in late July.
With these, he somehow regressed even further from last year's 75 OPS+ to a 64 OPS+ this year. Even if using him as an everyday center fielder wasn't necessarily the plan, here's hoping the Tigers have learned their lesson.
Kansas City Royals: C/DH Salvador Perez
WAR: -0.6 rWAR, -1.3 fWAR
What a career Perez has had. He's been an All-Star nine times and a World Series champion once. He can claim to have held the catcher home run record for a time before Cal Raleigh came along.
We bring all this up to help soften the blow of what has been by far the worst season of Perez's 15 years in the big leagues. Even if he can still handle himself behind the plate, nobody likes looking at a .227/.271/.374 slash line. That's over 604 plate appearances.
Minnesota Twins: RHP Simeon Woods Richardson
WAR: -1.3 rWAR, -1.3 fWAR
Woods Richardson made only 12 appearances as a Twin, ultimately covering just 47.2 innings. As far as sample size goes, this should put him more in misdemeanor territory than felony territory.
You see those numbers. Now dig these: He had a 7.74 ERA with 26 strikeouts and 25 walks, as the Twins went 2-10 in his 12 appearances.
American League West
3 of 6
Athletics: LHP Jeffrey Springs
WAR: -0.5 rWAR, -0.6 fWAR
It's a thankless job pitching for the A's. Yet someone has to do it. Nobody knows that better than Springs. He's made a team-high 28 starts.
In these starts, he has a 6.18 ERA. You probably don't need me to confirm it, but here goes anyway: That is by far the highest ERA of any starter who has made at least 28 starts this season.
Houston Astros: RHP Mike Burrows
WAR: -1.0 rWAR, -0.9 fWAR
There's always intrigue whenever the Astros acquire a new pitcher. Perhaps it's a bit dusty at this point, but they have a history of finding guys who had been missing something and then helping them find it.
They couldn't do so with Burrows, who's only now on a rehab assignment since injuries forced him out of the rotation in early July. He had a 5.99 ERA in 18 appearances earlier in the year, 11 of which resulted in Houston losses. With the Astros fighting for their lives in the AL West, that sure looks relevant now.
Los Angeles Angels: RHP Grayson Rodriguez
WAR: -1.0 rWAR, -0.7 fWAR
For our purposes, the Angels represented a target-rich environment. Do you have any idea how bad Christian Moore, Logan O'Hoppe and Moisés Ballesteros were/have been for them? Look it up.
Even so, Rodriguez's 5.96 ERA over 93.2 innings hurts the Angels a little more. Remember that they gave up Taylor Ward to get him. He still has 1.8 rWAR, even after a late-season slide with Seattle.
Seattle Mariners: DH Rob Refsnyder
WAR: -1.0 rWAR, -1.0 fWAR
Refsnyder only took 129 plate appearances for the Mariners. It did cross our mind that maybe that's too few to throw a tantrum over.
Then again, he did this after signing for $6.25 million, and he really was that bad. The 35 OPS+ was bad. Given his job description as a platoon right-handed hitter, the .506 OPS against lefties was even worse.
Texas Rangers: 2B Josh Smith
WAR: -0.7 rWAR, -0.3 fWAR
Smith was the Rangers' Opening Day second baseman and seemingly set to be a solid regular there all year. He had been a Silver Slugger in 2024. He still salvaged a 100 OPS+ even after regressing in 2025.
Well, he's in Toronto now precisely because his 69 OPS+ over 154 plate appearances basically broke Texas' plan at second base. Ezequiel Duran's rise is a related story, but it matters that the Rangers went 18-27 in the 45 games Smith played.
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National League East
4 of 6
Atlanta Braves: SS Ha-Seong Kim
WAR: -0.8 rWAR, -1.1 fWAR
As bad as his WAR is, the real number that stands out with Kim is his -3 OPS+. You don't often see a negative OPS+, much less from an actual hitter rather than a pitcher.
How many hitters in the live-ball era have taken at least 130 plate appearances and posted a negative OPS+? Just three: Andy Anderson in 1949, Cam Callagher in 2023 and Kim in 2026.
Miami Marlins: RHP Pete Fairbanks
WAR: -1.2 rWAR, -1.1 fWAR
The Marlins went unusually out of their way to sign Fairbanks last winter, inking him to a one-year, $13 million contract after their cross-state rivals in St. Petersburg cut him loose. For this, they thought they were getting a closer.
Instead, they got arguably the most volatile reliever of the 2026 season. Fairbanks struck out 57 batters in 41.1 innings but also allowed eight home runs and 32 runs overall. He was apparently battling thoracic outlet syndrome, necessitating season-ending surgery.
New York Mets: 1B Jorge Polanco
WAR: -1.4 rWAR, -1.4 fWAR
We can have an honest debate about whether Kodai Senga belongs here, but at least he's redeemed himself a bit since he moved to the bullpen. There will be no such redemption for Polanco, whose season ended in August because of ankle surgery.
Even sans context, a .148/.201/.230 slash line over 145 plate appearances is pretty dismal. And lest anyone forget, the context in this case concerns how Polanco was meant to be Pete Alonso's replacement. Mets fans don't seem convinced.
Philadelphia Phillies: RF Adolis García
WAR: -0.9 rWAR, -0.1 fWAR
Speaking of palace intrigue, the Phillies' one-year, $10 million deal with García was meant to help them forget about Nick Castellanos before he was even off the roster. They planned to slot García into right field, a spot normally reserved for Castellanos.
Not that Castellanos did any better (he was actually worse) following his eventual release, but to call García a bust would be underselling it. He got 259 plate appearances before season-ending surgery in June. He only managed a 60 OPS+ with an inflated 32.4 K%.
Washington Nationals: RHP Miles Mikolas
WAR: -0.8 rWAR, -0.9 fWAR
Here's one you don't see very often: In 116.0 innings pitched across 25 total appearances for the Nationals, Mikolas gave up more home runs (27) than walks (23).
You know, just in case anyone was still wondering where his 5.82 ERA came from. The Nationals finally gave up and released Mikolas in August, potentially spelling the end of the 38-year-old's career.
National League Central
5 of 6
Chicago Cubs: RHP Edward Cabrera
WAR: -1.2 rWAR, -0.6 fWAR
Cabrera should be a really fun pitcher. He averages 96.5 mph on the fastball. His changeup can and will go higher than that. It's been clocked at 97.1 mph, which should be the ultimate reminder that modern pitchers have gone too far.
In reality, he's had an up-and-down career that hit a low point this year. At least he's healthy, but a 5.67 ERA and 1.450 WHIP are not what the Cubs had in mind when they traded their No. 1 prospect for Cabrera in January.
Cincinnati Reds: 3B Ke'Bryan Hayes
WAR: -0.7 rWAR, -1.2 fWAR
Even before 2026, Hayes dared to answer a question nobody was asking: How bad does a guy have to be at the plate before even his Gold Glove defense is no excuse to keep playing him?
Well, now we're really finding out in 2026. Hayes has gone from a 63 OPS+ across 2024 and 2025 to a mere 20 OPS+ this season. The best thing he's done all year is make John Sadak blow his stack. That's only because of the unavoidable yucks.
Milwaukee Brewers: RF Sal Frelick
WAR: -0.5 rWAR, -0.4 fWAR
This time last year, Frelick was putting the finishing touches on what looked like a breakout season. He finished with an 111 OPS+, which paired nicely with his Gold Glove-caliber defense in right field.
Well, now his OPS+ is down to a career-low 72. He's barely breaking even defensively, with a -2 DRS and +1 OAA. A shoulder injury didn't help his throwing, but no such convenient excuse can completely wash away the broader disappointment of his season.
Pittsburgh Pirates: DH Marcell Ozuna
WAR: -1.1 rWAR, -1.0 fWAR
Ozuna came back from the brink by slamming 79 home runs for the Braves across the 2023 and 2024 seasons. Even though he regressed in 2025, the Pirates made a $12 million bet on the possibility that he still had some of that juice left.
He did not. Before being released in August, Ozuna managed only a 66 OPS+ and eight home runs in 280 plate appearances. As the 35-year-old has yet to catch on with a team since then, his career may actually be over this time.
St. Louis Cardinals: LHP Matthew Liberatore
WAR: -0.9 rWAR, -0.2 fWAR
Only 32 pitchers have made at least 30 starts in 2026. Liberatore is one of them. That, plus 149.2 innings pitched, gives him a certain amount of value that is hard to measure in an era where starters just don't work as much.
Even so, this is another Jeffrey Springs conundrum. Durability is nice, but Liberatore has done more harm than good when he's pitched. His ERA is 5.36. He's served up 27 home runs, so it's no wonder the Cardinals have lost 16 of his 30 starts.
National League West
6 of 6
Arizona Diamondbacks: RHP Zac Gallen
WAR: -1.6 rWAR, -1.0 fWAR
The lizard-brained among us still see Gallen's name and have a little "Ace!" lightbulb go off in our heads. At least, that's how it works for yours truly, who still remembers when Gallen was a Cy Young Award contender.
In actuality, he's a guy with a 6.12 ERA over 104.1 innings. That -1.6 rWAR would be the worst among all pitchers with at least 100 innings this year… if not for this next guy.
Colorado Rockies: RHP Michael Lorenzen
WAR: -1.7 rWAR, -1.5 fWAR
It isn't actually that rare for a pitcher to allow over 100 earned runs in a season. What is rare is doing it in fewer than 130 innings. With 127.1 innings and 102 earned runs, Lorenzen is only the sixth pitcher to ever do it.
To be fair, he threw 11.2 innings and allowed 11 runs when he joined the Blue Jays. But when you're a pitcher that even the Rockies are comfortable releasing, well, that's just never a good sign.
Los Angeles Dodgers: RHP Edwin Díaz
WAR: -1.1 rWAR, -1.1 fWAR
So far, we've done our best to avoid dunking on guys who have been really bad in small sample sizes. Díaz arguably deserves the same measure of grace, as he's made only 18 appearances and logged 15.2 innings this year.
And yet, it seems appropriate to make him an exception to the rule. He's the only $23 million-per-year reliever in MLB. The Dodgers surely expected more than 26 hits, 11 walks and 18 earned runs allowed in his 15.2 innings. Their only hope now is that injuries are to blame for all that has gone wrong.
San Diego Padres: RHP Griffin Canning
WAR: -0.5 rWAR, -0.5 fWAR
For a team that's on track to make the playoffs, the Padres are a surprisingly target-rich environment for bad players. Yes, we did consider Nick Castellanos and Casey Mize for this spot.
Canning gets the boot instead because of the depth of the damage he's caused. He's fourth on the team with 83.2 innings pitched, so there's real pain reflected in his 5.59 ERA. Most notably, the Padres are 2-9 in his 11 starts.
San Francisco Giants: RHP Ryan Walker
WAR: -1.0 rWAR, -1.0 fWAR
The Giants didn't have a set closer back on Opening Day, but Walker pretty much had first dibs on the gig. Even if he'd had a rough one in 2025, he was a genuine relief ace with a 1.91 ERA over 80.0 innings the year before.
This didn't pan out. Walker's form has indeed only gotten uglier, resulting in a 7.16 ERA and 1.806 WHIP over 32.2 innings. He has barely more strikeouts (23) than walks (19).
Stats courtesy of Baseball Reference, FanGraphs and Baseball Savant.
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