Everyone wants to win a World Series, but someone has to be the worst team in all of baseball. We continue our MLB odds series with a special worst regular season record prediction and pick.
Last year it was the Washington Nationals that took the crown as the worst team in the MLB. The season saw six players make their MLB debut and the departure of John Bell and Juan Soto. Top pitcher, Stephen Strasburg, pitched only 4.2 innings, and the Nats lost 107 times. 2021 saw the Orioles finish with 110 losses, and 2020 had the Pirates at the bottom with a 19-41 record. Two of the worst winning percentage seasons in 1900 were found in 2019 and 2018, with 47-114 Tigers and 47-115 Orioles respectively.
Here are the Worst Regular Season Record in MLB odds, courtesy of FanDuel.
MLB Odds: Worst Regular Season Record in MLB
Washington Nationals: +260
Oakland Athletics: +270
Colorado Rockies: +500
Cincinnati Reds: +700
Detroit Tigers: +750
Pittsburgh Pirates: +1500
Why The Nationals Will Have The Worst Record in MLB
The first, and most obvious reason, is they were just the worst team in all of baseball last year. Team batting leader Cesar Hernandez is now in Detroit, and Nelson Cruz is now a Padre. The offense was dreadful last season. Their on-base percentage (OBP), Slugging percentage, On-base plus slugging (OPS), and OPS+ (adjusted to the ballpark) were all below the league average on the season. Take out Soto and Bell, and it plummets. There was not much done to help either, with Corey Dickerson and Jeimer Candelario being the major off-season bats added.
The rotation is not much better. Patrick Corbin gets the opening day start, and while he did help them win a World Series, he has been one of the worst starters in MLB the last two years. Behind him is Josiah Gray, who has yet to put anything together as a professional, having an ERA over five in the last two years. Maybe the prize from the Juan Soto trade, Mackenzie Gore can be a stud for the rotation, but the pitching is well below standard in Washington.
Playing in potentially the hardest division in baseball, there seems to be little hope the Nationals can avoid losing 100 games and be a solid pick for the worst record in the MLB.
Why The Athletics Will Have The Worst Record in MLB
The Oakland Athletics had the second-worst record in baseball last year losing 102 times. The A's also did not make too many massive offseason moves, although they have some more than the Nationals. Aledmys Diaz and Jace Peterson are expected to add a little to this offense, and pitcher Shintaro Fujinami will join the rotation from Japan. They did trade off Sean Murphy, which was arguably the best player on the team last year.
One major area of concern for the Athetlics is how young they are. Tyler Soderstrom and Ken Waldichuck are expected to be bigger contributors for the A's this season. Soderstrom made it up to triple-a last year and played well in the minors. Waldichuck pitched 34 2/3 innings last year with the big league club and did well in his showings. Zack Gelof will probably begin the year in Las Vegas but could see a call-up.
Overall, the A's lack major players, although they have a bunch of platoon players, there is not a single standout on the offensive production side. The pitching rotation was not good, ranking bottom five in the league in most major statistics. There is not a ton of help coming either, so the A's may be the worst regular season record in MLB pick.
Why The Rockies Will Have The Worst Record in MLB
The Rockies finish with the worst record in baseball if a few things happen. First, the pitching does not improve. Last year they had the second-worst ERA, while starters were 22nd in ball bases per nine innings, 29th in strikeouts per nine innings, and 26th in home runs per nine innings. Marquez was awful last year, but spring training shows he may be primed for a comeback. Freeland was the best Rockies pitcher last year and showed good stuff for Team USA. Gombar is coming off a bad year, but 2021 showed he is solid, and Urena joins the staff this year, which may help.
The other thing is injuries. The Rockies have bats with the signing of Jurickson Profar, and the return of Kris Bryant, CJ Cron, and Charlie Blackmon. Last year the bats were derailed by injuries, specifically to Bryant. If they can avoid injuries and get better starting pitching, they will not be bad, but that is a major if.
Why The Tigers Will Have The Worst Record in MLB
The 2022 Tigers were supposed to be exciting, but were anything but. The Javy Baez contract seemed to have backfired, and he has to improve if the Tigers will be better. Miguel Cabrera feels like Ryan Zimmerman of a few years ago, you may get a highlight here and there, but it just takes up a roster spot. Spencer Torkelson was supposed to be a stud but had a horrid 2022. Jonathan Schoop is a solid defender, but his bat leaves something to be desired.
The rotation looked good last year too, but Mize was derailed by injuries, and Skubal had to be shut down too. Eduardo Rodriquez looked good in spring training but was not as expected last season. Everything that could go wrong for the Tigers in 2022 did, and with little changes, a new GM, and some major holes, this lines up to be another bad year for the Tigers.
Final Worst Regular Season Record in MLB Prediction & Pick
The biggest difference between the Nationals and the other four teams is the division they play in. The Mets and Braves sit second and fifth in current World Series winners odds. The Phillies just went to the World Series, and the Marlins are not a bad ball club. With almost no one in the lineup providing a ton of power or production and with a bad rotation that is hoping for young stars to blossom, they will take the crown as the worst team in the MLB.
Final Worst Regular Season Record in MLB Prediction & Pick: Washington Nationals go 51-111
Final Worst Regular Season Record in MLB Prediction & Pick: Washington Nationals (+260)
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