The 1961 Philadelphia Phillies lost 23 games in a row. The 1988 Baltimore Orioles started 0-21. The 2024 Chicago White Sox dropped 21 straight in July on their way to a record of 121 losses. Every few years, one team manages to make history in the wrong direction.
So, who gets that dubious honor in 2026?
Kalshi is running a market on exactly that question: Longest 2026 regular season losing streak? and what used to be a runaway race has turned into a genuine toss-up between the New York Mets and the Miami Marlins, who are now tied for the longest skid of the season at 12 games apiece.
How The Mets Got There First
New York opened the season with one of the most expensive rosters in the sport, a payroll north of $375 million, and still stumbled into a 12-game losing streak beginning April 9. "We're all very aware of it," shortstop Francisco Lindor said while the Mets were in the middle of it. By the time the streak ended, New York had fallen to 7-16, the worst record in baseball at that point.
A Juan Soto quad strain didn't help. With their star right fielder out for 15 games, the Mets' offense went cold, and the bullpen leaked just as badly, with closer Devin Williams cratering after a strong start to the year. That 12-game skid stood alone atop the market for months.
Miami Matches Them, Then Snaps the Streak
The Marlins spent June looking like the best team nobody was talking about, going 20-6 that month, their second-ever 20-win month, and climbing six games over .500 for the first time since 2023.
Then July happened.
A July 10 loss to the Cleveland Guardians opened a skid that carried through the All-Star break and kept going, costing Miami nine more games after the break and dropping the club to a franchise-worst 12 straight losses with a July 26 defeat to the San Diego Padres.
"We're going to meet this head on," Marlins manager Clayton McCullough said as the streak dragged on. "There's no hiding from it. It's what it is."
In dramatic fashion, Miami snapped the streak the very next night with a thrilling 8-7 walk-off victory over the Philadelphia Phillies. The Marlins actually torched Cy Young contender Zack Wheeler for five early runs before their own bullpen collapsed, leaving them in a 7-5 hole heading into the ninth. But Miami staged a spectacular three-run rally against All-Star closer Jhoan Durán to seal the win.
The comeback capped their misery at 12 games, exactly matching New York's mark and setting up the current standoff, since neither team can lose the tiebreaker unless someone else passes them first.
Longest Losing Streaks in MLB History: Can Anyone Break the Record?
The modern-era record is 23 games, set by those same 1961 Phillies. Reaching that number would require a truly historic level of dysfunction. That said, the 2024 White Sox, who set the current record for losses in a season, did put together a 21-game skid, so it's not impossible for a bad team to get there.
Whether it's the Mets running out of roster depth, or some other team collapsing quietly in the background, Kalshi's market suggests the answer will come from Miami o NYC. Given New York's recent history and the pressure of carrying a massive payroll through a brutal slump, the Mets are the ones with the most to prove… and the most ways to keep losing.
