The Colorado Rockies continue to make history.
With yesterday's 2-0 loss to the Philadelphia Phillies, which completed the series sweep, the Rockies are 8-42 to start the season. That 50-game start is officially the worst in MLB's modern era, which dates back to 1901. According to ESPN, the Rockies' 50-game record is the worst of any team since the 1895 Louisville Colonels, who won just seven games in that span.
After a 2024 season in which the Chicago White Sox became one of the worst teams in modern history — the White Sox went 41-121, which is the worst record since the 1962 New York Mets and the worst of any team playing 162 games — it was assumed it would be a while until we saw a team nearly as bad as that. Unfortunately for the Rockies, history waits for no one, and Colorado is on pace to shatter the White Sox's mark.
If the Rockies continue to win at this rate (eight wins for every 50 games), Colorado would have 26 wins by the end of the season, which would be the third-worst win total in MLB history. No team in the modern era has failed to win fewer than 36 games — the 1916 Philadelphia Athletics hold the record — and only two teams, regardless of era, have won fewer than 27 games in a season. The 1890 Pittsburgh Alleghenys went 23-113, and the 1899 Cleveland Spiders hold the distinction of having the worst record, at least for now, of any MLB team. The Spiders went 20-134 that season.
However, the Rockies, unlike the Allghenys or Spiders, are set to play 162 games. The Alleghenys played 136 games, putting them on pace for 27 wins in a 162-game season, while the Spiders played 154 games in 1899.
While the Spiders would still have a worse 162-game record if the Rockies stay on this pace, there is no guarantee they can actually stay on this pace. Colorado started off the season relatively fast; they won three of their first 12 games, but since then, they have won only five of the last 38.
To make matters worse for the Rockies, they play in the NL West, of which all four teams, other than the Rockies, have winning records. If the season ended today, a majority of the division would make the playoffs, and it might only get tougher for lowly Colorado if the teams add to their rosters with midseason trades.
The Rockies begin a weekend home series with the New York Yankees today.