Two American League Teams Who Have Already Sealed Their Fate for 2026

These two AL teams have already done enough damage to themselves.

Sep 12, 2025; Boston, Massachusetts, USA; Boston Red Sox manager Alex Cora (13) signals to the bullpen during the sixth inning against the New York Yankees at Fenway Park. Mandatory Credit: Paul Rutherford-Imagn Images | Paul Rutherford-Imagn Images

The 2026 season has been an interesting one so far. There are a lot of teams that have performed well and some that have been nothing short of disappointing.

While there is still a lot of time left in the 2026 season, it may be already be all over but the crying for certain teams that have gotten off to bad starts. Sometimes, even early on in the season, it can be too late to turn things around and return to the top.

The American League is relatively weak this season, with only a few teams over the .500 mark, but these two teams have already sealed their fate.

Boston Red Sox

Apr 27, 2026; Toronto, Ontario, CAN; Boston Red Sox thrid baseman Caleb Durbin (5) reacts after hitting an RBI single against the Toronto Blue Jays in the sixth inning at Rogers Centre. Mandatory Credit: Dan Hamilton-Imagn Images | Dan Hamilton-Imagn Images

This seems to be a pattern for the Red Sox. They have a couple of down years, reach the playoffs one year, and then fall back down to earth. The Red Sox were a wild card team last season and won 89 games during the regular season, but after being eliminated by the Yankees in the postseason, they have come crashing back down to earth.

They are 12-18 and sit in last place in the AL East. They also hold the second worst record in the junior circuit. While they are just two games back in the wild card race, things got so bad that the Red Sox ended up firing Alex Cora and four other coaches.

The drama surrounding that and the fact that the players seemingly had no say could ultimately be the deciding factor for the Red Sox. It's clear that there is discord within the organization, and sometimes, that can be hard to overcome.

Houston Astros

Apr 14, 2026; Houston, Texas, USA; Houston Astros manager Joe Espada looks on from the dugout before the game against the Colorado Rockies at Daikin Park. Mandatory Credit: Troy Taormina-Imagn Images | Troy Taormina-Imagn Images

While the Astros haven't fired anybody yet, that could change very soon. It was clear at the end of last season that they were on their way down and that their dynasty had finally fallen.

They narrowly missed the postseason and now have the worst record in the American League. The main problem for Houston is their lack of pitching. Losing Framber Valdez clearly hurt the rotation, especially considering that Tatsuya Imai hasn't been as good as advertised and is also on the injured list.

At a certain point, it may be too late for the Astros to patch the holes in their pitching staff. The offense can only do so much to keep them in games, so it might be time to count the Astros out of the playoff picture.