List of Major League Baseball longest losing streaks
This is a list of the longest team losing streaks in Major League Baseball history. Streaks started at the end of one season are carried over into the following season. Two lists are provided—one with streaks that consist entirely of regular-season games and one with streaks of playoff games only.
The 1889 Louisville Colonels hold the record for the longest losing streak in official MLB history at 26 games, though the 1875 Brooklyn Atlantics lost 31 consecutive games in the National Association, a number that is not considered official by MLB. In the modern two-league era, the longest losing streak belongs to the 1961 Philadelphia Phillies at 23 games. In the American League, the 1988 Baltimore Orioles hold the record at 21 games. The longest ever losing streak consisting entirely of postseason games belongs to the Boston Red Sox, who following their historic loss in the 1986 World Series were swept in three consecutive postseason appearances from 1988 to 1995, losing a total of 13 games in a row.
The longest losing streak by a defending World Series Champion is 11 by both the 1998 Florida Marlins (Now Miami Marlins) (2x) and the 1986 Kansas City Royals.
Key
| ^ | Denotes streaks that included unofficial ties | |
| ** | Denotes streaks that spanned over two seasons | |
| Denotes streaks that are currently in progress | ||
Streak
Regular season
This list contains only the top 20 streaks consisting entirely of regular-season games.
| Rank | Games | Team | Season(s) | Season record(s) |
Date | Score | Opponent | Date | Score | Opponent |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Beginning (first defeat) | End (first victory) | |||||||||
| 1 | 26 | Louisville Colonels | 1889 | 27–111 | May 22, 1889 | 2–11 | Baltimore Orioles | June 23, 1889 | 7–3 | St. Louis Browns |
| 2 | 24 | Cleveland Spiders | 1899 | 20–134 | August 26, 1899 | 1–2 | New York Giants | September 18, 1899 | 5–4 | Washington Senators |
| 3 (tie) | 23 | Pittsburgh Alleghenys | 1890 | 23–113 | August 12, 1890 | 12–13 | Chicago Colts | September 4, 1890 | 6–2 | Cleveland Spiders |
| 3 (tie) | 23 | Philadelphia Phillies | 1961 | 47–107 | July 29, 1961 | 3–4 | San Francisco Giants | August 20, 1961 | 7–4 | Milwaukee Braves |
| 5 | 22 | Philadelphia Athletics | 1890 | 54–78 | September 16, 1890 | 1–5 | Baltimore Orioles | Foldeda | N/A | N/A |
| 6 | 21 | Baltimore Orioles | 1988 | 54–107 | April 4, 1988 | 0–12 | Milwaukee Brewers | April 29, 1988 | 9–0 | Chicago White Sox |
| 7 (tie) | 20 | Louisville Colonels | 1894 | 36–94 | May 28, 1894 | 2–4 | Pittsburgh Pirates | June 19, 1894 | 9–4 | Pittsburgh Pirates |
| 7 (tie) | 20 | Boston Americans | 1906 | 49–105 | May 1, 1906 | 0–8 | New York Highlanders | May 25, 1906 | 3–0 | Chicago White Sox |
| 7 (tie) | 20 | Philadelphia Athletics | 1916 | 36–117 | July 21, 1916 | 2–7 | Cleveland Indians | August 9, 1916 | 7–1 | Detroit Tigers |
| 7 (tie) | 20 | Philadelphia Athletics | 1943 | 49–105 | August 7, 1943 | 1–3 | New York Yankees | August 24, 1943 | 8–1 | Chicago White Sox |
| 7 (tie) | 20 | Montreal Expos | 1969 | 52–110 | May 13, 1969 | 3–10 | Houston Astros | June 8, 1969 | 4–3 | Los Angeles Dodgers |
| 12 (tie) | 19 | Boston Beaneaters | 1906 | 49–102 | May 17, 1906 | 0–2 | Cincinnati Reds | June 9, 1906 | 6–3 | St. Louis Cardinals |
| 12 (tie) | 19 | Cincinnati Reds | 1914 | 60–94 | September 5, 1914 | 2–12 | St. Louis Cardinals | September 23, 1914 | 3–0 | Boston Braves |
| 12 (tie) | 19 | Detroit Tigers | 1975 | 57–102 | July 29, 1975 | 2–4 | New York Yankees | August 16, 1975 | 8–0 | California Angels |
| 12 (tie) | 19 | Kansas City Royals | 2005 | 56–106 | July 28, 2005 | 5–10 | Tampa Bay Devil Rays | August 20, 2005 | 2–1 | Oakland Athletics |
| 16 (tie) | 18 | Cincinnati Reds | 1876 | 9–56 | July 11, 1876 | 2–8 | New York Mutuals | August 25, 1876 | 3–1 | Louisville Colonels |
| 16 (tie) | 18 | Louisville Colonels^ | 1894 | 36–94 | August 15, 1894 | 4–14 | Philadelphia Phillies | September 6, 1894 | 15–10 | Boston Beaneaters |
| 16 (tie) | 18 | St. Louis Browns | 1897 | 29–102 | September 3, 1897 | 1–22 | Baltimore Orioles | September 27, 1897 | 5–4 | Cincinnati Reds |
| 16 (tie) | 18 | Washington Senators | 1903 1904 |
43–94 38–113 |
September 24, 1903 | 2–12 | Cleveland Indians | May 5, 1904 | 9–4 | New York Highlanders |
| 16 (tie) | 18 | Philadelphia Athletics | 1920 | 48–106 | June 8, 1920 | 5–7 | Cleveland Indians | June 28, 1920 | 6–2 | Washington Senators |
| 16 (tie) | 18 | Washington Senators | 1948 | 56–97 | September 3, 1948 | 2–6 | New York Yankees | September 19, 1948 | 10–7 | Chicago White Sox |
| 16 (tie) | 18 | Washington Senators | 1959 | 63–91 | July 19, 1959 | 5–6 (10) | Kansas City Athletics | August 5, 1959 | 9–0 | Cleveland Indians |
Playoffs
This list contains only streaks consisting entirely of postseason games.
| Rank | Games | Team | Season(s) | Date | Score | Opponent | Date | Score | Opponent |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Beginning (first defeat) | End (first victory) | ||||||||
| 1 | 13 | Boston Red Sox | 1986, 1988, 1990, 1995 | October 25, 1986 | 5–6 (10) | New York Mets | September 29, 1998 | 11–3 | Cleveland Indians |
| 2 | 12 | Minnesota Twins | 2004, 2006, 2009–10 | October 5, 2004 | 6–7 (10) | New York Yankees | |||
| 3 (tie) | 10 | Milwaukee/Atlanta Braves | 1958, 1969, 1982, 1991 | October 6, 1958 | 0–7 | New York Yankees | October 10, 1991 | 1–0 | Pittsburgh Pirates |
| 3 (tie) | 10 | Kansas City Royals | 1980–81, 1984–85 | October 19, 1980 | 3–4 | Philadelphia Phillies | October 11, 1985 | 6–5 | Toronto Blue Jays |
| 5 (tie) | 9 | Texas Rangers | 1996, 1998–99 | October 2, 1996 | 4–5 (12) | New York Yankees | October 6, 2010 | 5–1 | Tampa Bay Rays |
| 5 (tie) | 9 | San Diego Padres | 1998, 2005–06 | October 17, 1998 | 6–9 | New York Yankees | October 7, 2006 | 3–1 | St. Louis Cardinals |
| 5 (tie) | 9 | Chicago Cubs | 2003, 2007–08 | October 12, 2003 | 0–4 | Florida Marlins | October 7, 2015 | 4-0 | Pittsburgh Pirates |
| 5 (tie) | 9 | Los Angeles Angels | 2005, 2007–08 | October 12, 2005 | 1–2 | Chicago White Sox | October 5, 2008 | 5–4 (12) | Boston Red Sox |
| 9 (tie) | 7 | Minnesota Twins | 1965, 1969–70 | October 14, 1965 | 0–2 | Los Angeles Dodgers | October 7, 1987 | 8–5 | Detroit Tigers |
| 9 (tie) | 7 | San Francisco Giants | 1989, 1997 | October 14, 1989 | 0–5 | Oakland Athletics | October 4, 2000 | 5–1 | New York Mets |
| 9 (tie) | 7 | Cincinnati Reds | 1995, 2010 | October 10, 1995 | 1–2 (10) | Atlanta Braves | October 6, 2012 | 5–2 | San Francisco Giants |
Regular season and playoffs
This list includes streaks that involve both regular season games and games which occurred in the playoffs.
| Rank | Total games | Playoff games | Team | Season(s) | Season record(s) |
Date | Score | Opponent | Date | Score | Opponent |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Beginning (first defeat) | End (first victory) | ||||||||||
| 1 | 11 | 4 | Boston Red Sox | 1988 1989 |
89-73 83-79 |
September 30, 1988 | 2-4 | Cleveland Indians | April 9, 1989 | 8-6 | Kansas City Royals |
| 2 (tie) | 9 | 3 | St. Louis Cardinals | 1996 1997 |
88-74 73-89 |
October 14, 1996 | 0-14 | Atlanta Braves | April 8, 1997 | 2-1 | Montreal Expos |
| 2 (tie) | 9 | 3 | Boston Red Sox | 1995 1996 |
86-58 85-77 |
October 1, 1995 | 1-8 | Milwaukee Brewers | April 7, 1996 | 3-1 | Kansas City Royals |
| 2 (tie) | 9 | 4 | New York Yankees | 1963 1964 |
104-57 99-63 |
September 27, 1963 | 3-4 | Minnesota Twins | April 19, 1964 | 5-3 | Baltimore Orioles |
| 5 (tie) | 8 | 1 | New York Yankees | 2000* | 87-74 | September 25, 2000 | 4-15 | Detroit Tigers | October 4, 2000 | 4-0 | Oakland Athletics |
| 5 (tie) | 8 | 3 | Los Angeles Dodgers | 1996 1997 |
90-72 88-74 |
September 26, 1996 | 1-6 | San Francisco Giants | April 2, 1997 | 5-1 | Philadelphia Phillies |
| 5 (tie) | 8 | 4 | Los Angeles Dodgers | 1966 1967 |
95-67 73-89 |
October 5, 1966 | 2-5 | Baltimore Orioles | April 18, 1967 | 7-2 | Cincinnati Reds |
| 5 (tie) | 8 | 4 | Pittsburgh Pirates | 1927 1928 |
94-60 85-67 |
October 2, 1927 | 0-1 | Cincinnati Reds | April 15, 1928 | 3-2 | Cincinnati Reds |
| 9 (tie) | 7 | 3 | Los Angeles Angels | 2014 2015 |
98-64 85-67 |
September 26, 2014 | 3-4 | Seattle Mariners | April 7, 2015 | 2-0 | Seattle Mariners |
| 9 (tie) | 7 | 1 | Cincinnati Reds | 2013 2014 |
90-72 76-86 |
September 24, 2013 | 2-4 | New York Mets | April 2, 2014 | 1-0 | St. Louis Cardinals |
| 9 (tie) | 7 | 1 | Tampa Bay Rays | 2010 2011 |
96-66 91-71 |
October 12, 2010 | 1-5 | Texas Rangers | April 8, 2011 | 9-7 | Chicago White Sox |
| 9 (tie) | 7 | 3 | Philadelphia Phillies | 1976 1977 |
101-61 101-61 |
October 9, 1976 | 3-6 | Cincinnati Reds | April 15, 1977 | 7-2 | Montreal Expos |
| 9 (tie) | 7 | 4 | Detroit Tigers^ | 1907 1908 |
92-58 90-63 |
October 6, 1907 | 4-10 | St. Louis Browns | April 16, 1908 | 4-2 | Chicago White Sox |
Footnotes
- a The Philadelphia Athletics folded following the 1890 season without breaking their losing streak.
See also
- List of Major League Baseball longest winning streaks
- List of National Basketball Association longest losing streaks