Worst MLB Opening Day records
Every MLB team hopes Opening Day will pave their way to the World Series. But not every club gains an Opening Day win. The five MLB teams below have the worst Opening Day record to date, ranked by their winning percentage.
#5 Philadelphia Phillies: .474 (65-72)
The Philadelphia Phillies currently hold the number five spot for the worst Opening Day record. Their first opener was in 1883 against the Providence Grays, where they lost 4-3. Not only was their very first opener memorable, the Phillies had 12 openers go into extra innings. Their last extra-innings opener was in 2007 against the Atlanta Braves, which went 10 innings and resulted in a 5-3 loss.
Even though the Phillies have one of the worst winning records overall, they had their first winning record in ages last season. This goes to show that even with losing an opener, if the Phillies have a sound team and keep players like Bryce Harper healthy, they might have a shot at a comeback.
#4 Oakland Athletics: .471 (57-64)
The Oakland Athletics have slotted fourth in this countdown for the worst MLB Opening Day record. Take a look at their first opener in 1901 against the Washington Senators. Sadly, the Oakland Athletics lost to the Washington Senators 5-1.
However, the Oakland Athletics have won nine World Series with their last World Series win in 1989 against the San Francisco Giants, 4-0. In 2019, the Oakland Atheltics won a total of 97 games, which gave them a chance to play in the Wild Card against the Tampa Bay Rays. Although they lost the Wild Card in 2019, the Athletics are now looking forward to a new season.
"'This is something that I’ve been working for all my life,' #Hawaii’s Ka’ai Tom earns spot on Oakland Athletics Opening Day roster @Just_Blaze25 #Athletics #RootedInOakland #MLBHawaii @StLouisHawaii" - @ Rob DeMello
#3 Texas Ranger: .442 (27-34)
The Texas Rangers, formally known as the Washington (D.C.) Senators, are third on the list for MLB's worst Opening Day record. The Texas Rangers played their first opener against the Chicago White Sox and lost 4-3. The seasons to follow did not bare any fruit, until the mid-1990s when the Texas Rangers had some heavy hitters on the team.
In 2010, the Texas Rangers made their first appearance in a World Series against the San Francisco Giants, where they lost 4-1. The following year, the Texas Rangers were back to play in the 2011 World Series against the St. Louis Cardinals. Unfortunately, they lost again with a score of 4-3. Despite having powerful hitters, the Texas Rangers have only been to the World Series twice in their entire club history.
"2022 Texas Rangers Roster Projection 1.0: Who will be where on Opening Day?" - @ The Athletic Dallas
#2 Los Angeles Angels: .426 (26-35)
Moving closer to number one, the Los Angeles Angels are next on our list with 26 wins and 35 losses for their openers overall.The Los Angeles Angels first opener was in 1961 against the Minnesota Twins, where they lost 4-2. Even with their sub-par winning record, the Los Angeles Angels still managed to have a fair season.
Despite the Angels having one of the worst Opening Day records for MLB, in 2002 the Los Angeles Angels won their first play-off series and advanced to the World Series, which they won against the San Francisco Giants. For the Los Angeles Angels, will losing Opening Day put a cloud over their 2022 season, or will they overcome the hurtle and thrive?
"Three Bold Predictions for the Los Angeles #Angels in 2021 #AngelsWin #WeBelieve #MLB #OpeningDay" - @ Angels win . com
#1 Miami Marlins: .413 (12-17)
To-date, the Miami Marlins have the worst MLB Opening Day record. The Miami Marlins are one of the newest MLB teams, established in 1993. Their first opener was on April 05, 1993, against the Los Angeles Dodgers, where they won, 6-3.
From the begining, the Miami Marlins produced losing records for the first four seasons. In the 1998 season, the Miami Marlins lost 108 of the total 162 games. The season before, however, the Marlins won the 1997 MLB World Series against the Cleveland Gaurdians, 4-3. Then in 2002, they won the MLB World Series against the New York Yankees, 4-2.
"Go off, kid." - @ Miami Marlins
How will these five teams fare in 2022? We'll soon find out!