7 Teams with the Worst Luck in Baseball History

Even the most talented MLB teams could enjoy having luck on their side as they attempt to win a World Series. 

Whether it’s witnessing the team’s offensive performance peak at the right time during the regular season, watching a bunted ball roll foul at the last second or having a fielder in the right place at the right time, luck can be a welcome addition to a team that has put a contender on the field.

But not every team has enjoyed having luck on its side throughout major-league history.

Instead of watching the ball roll in their favor, some teams have watched the ball roll past their fielder, into an interfering fan’s glove or out of the ballpark as they endure another losing season.

Not every team has had the good fortunes of luck through most of their history in Major League Baseball, but some teams have rarely had any luck at all.

Here are seven teams who have had some of the worst luck in baseball history.

Louisville Colonels

The 1889 Louisville Colonels lost a major-league-record 26 consecutive games on their way to a 27-111 record.

The team finished 66.5 games out of first place and was coached by four different managers over the course of the season.

By the end of the losing streak, Louisville was 9-46.

The team also had losing streaks of 14 and 12 games following their record 26-game losing streak.

Louisville had two starting pitchers combine for nearly 60 losses, as well as three starting pitchers combine for less than 10 wins.

The team would go from worst to first in 1890 before nine consecutive losing seasons ended with the team’s final season in 1899.

Baltimore Orioles

The Baltimore Orioles have not finished higher than third place in 14 years.

The team has not had good luck in trying to beat the New York Yankees, Boston Red Sox and, most recently, the Tampa Bay Rays to win the American League East.

But Baltimore has also lacked luck when it comes to drafting prospects.

As of late, Baltimore has witnessed a number of its prospects struggle to find success at the major-league level.

Baltimore has made the playoffs twice since 1984 and has had 11 different managers in the last 20 years.

Baltimore has witnessed a number of prospects that it once passed on while drafting emerge as Major League Baseball’s top-level current talent.

Seattle Mariners

It was 15 years before the Seattle Mariners had their first winning season.

In 34 seasons, Seattle has made four playoff appearances and has never advanced past the ALCS.

In 2010, Seattle had one of the worst offensive seasons in major-league history. The team’s second- and third-highest batting averages among players who played in more than 100 games were .259 and .245, respectively.

The team also did not have any players hit over 20 home runs or accumulate more than 70 RBI.

Seattle has also finished in the top two in its division seven times in over 30 years.

In 1980, the team lost a record 83 night games.

After witnessing star players win World Series titles with other teams and free-agent signings of their own turn in less-than-desired results, Seattle’s bad luck has provided the team with a season of over 100 wins, followed by six last-place finishes in 10 years.

New York Mets

The New York Mets lost over 100 games in five of their first six seasons.

By their eighth season, they had won the World Series.

However, the team has not been as fortunate as of late.

After starting 29 games in 2010, pitcher Johan Santana missed all of the 2011 season due to injury.

Third baseman David Wright and shortstop Jose Reyes missed a combined 228 games from 2009 to 2011 while spending time on the disabled list.

New York has also made just one trip to the playoffs in the last 10 years.

In 2010, New York began the season with Reyes and Carlos Beltran on the disabled list prior to the team’s second of what would eventually turn into three consecutive fourth-place finishes in the National League East.

Cleveland Spiders

Cy Young won 25 games for the Cleveland Spiders in 1898, his final season with the team.

The next year, Cleveland set the major-league record for worst record in baseball history.

In 1899, Cleveland went 20-134 and finished 84 games out of first place.

The team had five pitchers who made 12 starts or more combine to go 12-98 with a 6.49 ERA.

Meanwhile, Young went 26-16 in his first season with St. Louis, where he was joined by a number of former Cleveland players who were acquired by St. Louis prior to the season.

The team also played a number of what were supposed to be home games on the road as the team’s performance declined.

1899 was the Cleveland Spiders' final season.

Boston Red Sox

Prior to a recent string of 14 consecutive winning seasons, the Boston Red Sox had not won a World Series title since 1918.

Two years later, Boston sent Babe Ruth to the New York Yankees.

Over 80 years later, Boston had not won another World Series title.

Boston would lose four World Series between 1946 and 1986.

The team’s final World Series loss gave even more credence to the "Curse of the Bambino."

Boston was up 5-3 in the 10th inning of Game 6 before an error by first baseman Bill Buckner led to the New York Mets winning the game—and eventually the World Series in seven games.

Boston has also had to witness a 1978 season in which the team won its final eight regular season games before losing to the New York Yankees in game 163.

The team has also lost four World Series after losing in Game 7 of each series.

Chicago Cubs

The Chicago Cubs have not won a World Series in 103 years.

Since their last title in 1908, the team has had run-ins with goats, Steve Bartman and a 1969 season in which the team went 8-17 in the month of September before finishing in second place.

Chicago has finished in first place 12 times since its 1908 World Series-winning season.

The team has not appeared in a World Series in over 60 years.

Their last trip to the World Series, in 1945, ended with a loss to the Detroit Tigers following a rumored curse placed on the team after a man and his goat were denied entrance into a game during the series.

Twenty-four years later, Chicago had an 84-58 record while in first place with 20 games left in the season. However, after going 8-17 in the month of September, Chicago would eventually miss the playoffs.

In 2003, Chicago would advance to the NLCS against the Florida Marlins and was one win away from playing in its first World Series since 1945 after it took a 3-1 lead in the series.

Chicago was winning Game 6 of the series 3-0 in the eighth inning before a fan by the name of Steve Bartman interfered with outfielder Moises Alou’s attempt to catch a foul ball.

Florida would go on to score eight runs in the inning before winning the game and eventually the series.