Remembering the 5 worst expansion teams in MLB history
On this day in 1995, Major League Baseball awarded expansion franchises to Arizona and Tampa. It remains MLB's last foray into expansion - though if new commissioner Rob Manfred has his way, the 30-team league could find itself a little larger in the years to come.
The Diamondbacks and Devil Rays began play in 1998, and neither team fared all that well. Arizona finished with just 65 victories, while the Devil Rays - despite boasting marquee names in Wade Boggs and Fred McGriff - wound up with only 63 victories.
Where did they rank among the worst first-year teams in MLB history? They didn't! Here's a list of the most dreadful expansion clubs ever:
5) 1961 Washington Senators (61-100)
The Senators weren't just a bad offensive club - they were 2013 San Diego Padres-level bad. Journeyman catcher Gene Green led the team with 18 home runs while Willie Tasby was the only player to finish with more than 65 RBIs. The pitching staff was adequate for an expansion team, finishing sixth out of 10 AL teams in ERA (4.23), but compiled just 666 strikeouts over 1,425 innings.
4) 1977 Toronto Blue Jays (54-107)
People came out in droves to support Toronto's first MLB team - the club drew more than 1.7 million fans in its inaugural season - but the product on the field was an eyesore. No player drove in more than 64 runs, the team finished with a hideous -217 scoring differential and no pitching staff in the AL issued more walks (623). Oh, and Exhibition Stadium ... ugh.
3) 1969 Montreal Expos (52-110)
This team had a few guys who could rake - Rusty Staub belted 29 homers while both he and Mack Jones finished with 79 RBIs - but the pitching staff struggled from start to finish. Four starters under the age of 26, led by future All-Star Bill Stoneman, went a pitiful 27-56, with Stoneman surrendering 26 home runs and a whopping 123 walks in 235 2/3 innings.
2) 1969 San Diego Padres (52-110)
The Expos had a partner in ineptitude in their inaugural campaign, as the Padres fared no better. The team slashed a J.P. Arencibia-like .225/.285/.329 - good for last in the NL in every category - while failing to reach 100 home runs for the season. On the positive side, the Padres did register a slightly better ERA than the sad-sack Expos - though they had a league-low 764 strikeouts.
1) 1962 New York Mets (40-120)
The inaugural Mets' season wasn't just the worst expansion showing, it was among the worst campaigns in major-league history. New York was outscored by an absurd 331 runs - more than three per defeat - and, aside from a strong showing from the original Frank Thomas (34 HR, 94 RBI), it was a forgettable year across the board.