With just a few days remaining in the regular season, the AL West is on track to make a rather underwhelming kind of history. Following Tuesday’s games, the Texas Rangers and Houston Astros both stood at 78-79, tied for first place—a rare feat, as no division winner covering a full season has ever finished with a losing record.
Historically, no team has reached the playoffs with a sub-.500 record unless it occurred in years when the postseason temporarily expanded. For example, during the shortened 2020 season affected by the COVID-19 pandemic, both Milwaukee and Houston qualified for the playoffs despite finishing 29-31. In 1981, the Kansas City Royals posted an overall 50-53 record but led the AL West during the strike-shortened second half, securing a playoff spot. In 1994, the Rangers were leading the AL West at 52-62 when the players’ strike abruptly ended the season, with all teams in the division below .500 and the postseason canceled.
Since MLB expanded the postseason to 12 teams in 2022, the chances of a sub-.500 team making the playoffs have increased. Earlier this season, it seemed possible that multiple American League teams with losing records might make the postseason, but the Cleveland Guardians and Chicago White Sox have since reached 81 wins, closing that door. Despite this, the AL West pennant race could still result in a last-place team advancing.
To highlight this possibility, here’s a look at 10 of the weakest teams ever to make the playoffs, arranged chronologically with their records and run differentials considered. Some of these squads went on surprising postseason runs, so the Rangers and Astros shouldn’t be counted out yet.
1973 New York Mets
- Record: 82-79 (1st in NL East)
- Run Differential: +20
- Postseason: Won NLCS 3-2 over Cincinnati, lost World Series 4-3 to Oakland
Known for Tug McGraw’s “Ya gotta believe!” mantra, the Mets surged from last place after August 30 to clinch the division by 1.5 games. Tom Seaver led the pitching staff, and the NLCS included a famous fight between Bud Harrelson and Pete Rose. They fell just short in the World Series despite holding a 3-2 lead.
1984 Kansas City Royals
- Record: 84-78 (1st in AL West)
- Run Differential: -13
- Postseason: Lost ALCS 3-0 to Detroit
Despite being 11 games below .500 mid-July, the Royals prevailed in a weak division. George Brett hit a career-low .284, and Dan Quisenberry secured 44 saves, finishing second in Cy Young voting. The team rebounded the next year to win the World Series.
1987 Minnesota Twins
- Record: 85-77 (1st in AL West)
- Run Differential: -20
- Postseason: Won ALCS 4-1 over Detroit, won World Series 4-3 over St. Louis
Frank Viola led a weak pitching rotation, but strong offensive performances from Kirby Puckett, Kent Hrbek, Gary Gaetti, and Tom Brunansky powered the Twins. They had home-field advantage despite a significantly worse regular-season record, and went undefeated at home during the playoffs.
1995 Colorado Rockies
- Record: 77-67 (2nd in NL West, Wild Card)
- Run Differential: +2
- Postseason: Lost NLDS 3-1 to Atlanta
The Rockies became the first NL wild card team during a pandemic-shortened season. They had the worst postseason ERA in a non-DH league but led the NL in runs scored, powered by Dante Bichette who led in homers and RBIs.
2005 San Diego Padres
- Record: 82-80 (1st in NL West)
- Run Differential: -42
- Postseason: Lost NLDS 3-0 to St. Louis
Led by Jake Peavy and closer Trevor Hoffman, the Padres sneaked into the playoffs despite generating one of the weakest offenses. They were decisively beaten in the NLDS, never holding a lead in the series.
2006 St. Louis Cardinals
- Record: 83-78 (1st in NL Central)
- Run Differential: +19
- Postseason: Won NLDS 3-1 over San Diego, won NLCS 4-3 over Mets, won World Series 4-1 over Detroit
Under Tony La Russa, this Cardinals team nearly blew a large division lead but rallied to claim the pennant. Their roster featured stars like Albert Pujols and Adam Wainwright, culminating in a World Series title.
2017 Minnesota Twins
- Record: 85-77 (2nd in AL Central, Wild Card)
- Run Differential: +27
- Postseason: Lost Wild Card game to New York Yankees
Following a dismal 103-loss season, the Twins bounced back to make the playoffs. Key contributors included Byron Buxton, Brian Dozier, and Joe Mauer, even though the team was only moderately successful in a weak American League.
2023 Miami Marlins
- Record: 84-78 (3rd in NL East, Wild Card)
- Run Differential: -57
- Postseason: Lost NL Wild Card Series 2-0 to Philadelphia
The Marlins had the poorest run differential ever by a playoff team at the time and relied on clutch pitching and winning close games. However, most of their core players had negative WAR, and the offense was limited mainly to Luis Arraez and Jorge Soler.
2023 Arizona Diamondbacks
- Record: 84-78 (2nd in NL West, Wild Card)
- Run Differential: -15
- Postseason: Won NL Wild Card Series 2-0 over Milwaukee, beat 3-0 in NLDS, won NLCS 4-3 over Philadelphia, lost World Series 4-1 to Texas
Starting August below .500, Arizona surged into the postseason and pulled off major upsets against division champs en route to winning their second franchise pennant. Despite a negative run differential and being outscored in the NLCS, they exceeded expectations.
2025 Cincinnati Reds
- Record: 83-79 (3rd in NL Central, Wild Card)
- Run Differential: +35
- Postseason: Lost NL Wild Card Series 2-0 to Los Angeles
With limited star power aside from Elly De La Cruz and Hunter Greene, the Reds earned a playoff spot by avoiding prolonged slumps and winning just enough games. Their postseason was short-lived as they were swept by the .
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
Fan Take: This unusual scenario in the AL West sheds light on how baseball’s expanded postseason format has changed the dynamics of playoff qualification, where even teams with losing records still have a shot at glory. For fans, it means more drama and unpredictability down the stretch, but also raises questions about the value of regular-season success and the potential need for further tweaks to keep competition fair and intense.
Source: www.foxsports.com
