Alone at the Bottom: How Athletics Became Baseball's Worst Team

At one point, this team looked like a lock for the playoffs, but now it holds the worst record in baseball.

Jul 26, 2026; Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA; Athletics first baseman Nick Kurtz (16) reacts during the fourth inning against the Minnesota Twins at Target Field. Mandatory Credit: Jeffrey Becker-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

A result that was inevitable since June.

The Athletics are now all alone at the bottom of the MLB hierarchy. At 48-75, the Athletics have fallen below both the Rockies and the Angels, two teams considered the worst in MLB. Keep in mind that just two months ago, the Athletics were 10+ games ahead of them record-wise.

Are Injuries To Blame?

Jul 21, 2026; Phoenix, Arizona, USA; Athletics catcher Shea Langeliers against the Arizona Diamondbacks at Chase Field. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

The short answer to this question is: Sort of. With the Athletics down both their All-Stars, Nick Kurtz and Shea Langeliers, it has been clear that this team lacks the star power to put together a successful season. However, signs of a collapse this bad were still present even when healthy.

For starters, there have been two very ugly losing streaks that have brought us to this point. The first one ran from July 3 to July 18; during this span, the A's lost 10 consecutive games. But it is also important to note that the Athletics would have Kurtz, Langeliers, Zack Gelof, and Joshua Kuroda-Grauer all healthy for a majority of those games, with only Kurtz joining the IL on July 10.

Jul 19, 2026; West Sacramento, California, USA; Athletics third baseman Joshua Kuroda-Grauer (44) bats during the second inning against the Washington Nationals at Sutter Health Park. Mandatory Credit: Scott Marshall-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

So even at full strength, for the most part, with only Brent Rooker being a notable contributor out at the time, the A's were still not winning games. Considering most of these players were considered part of the "New-Age Athletics," it is concerning to think about the future.

The Real Culprit: The Pitching

Jul 31, 2026; West Sacramento, California, USA; Athletics pitcher Jeffrey Springs (59) throws a pitch against the Detroit Tigers during the first inning at Sutter Health Park. Mandatory Credit: Ed Szczepanski-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

The Athletics' pitching staff is ranked dead last in MLB in ERA. While this is inflated by a handful of double-digit losses this season, the point still stands. The pitching staff this season is also currently the fourth-worst in terms of ERA since the Athletics' inception.

The Athletics’ pitching problems are amplified by an inconsistent young offense, which gives the staff little support and makes every mistake harder to overcome. With few options left to address the issue and only reliever Seth Johnson added at the trade deadline, there is no clear path for improvement in the short term.

Athletics pitcher Jacob Lopez (57) walks off the mound after the second inning of the MLB Interleague game between the Cincinnati Reds and the Athletics at Great American Ball Park in downtown Cincinnati on Wednesday, Aug. 5, 2026 The game was tied 1-1 after three innings. | USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect

And even though Jacob Lopez, JT Ginn, and Gage Jump have, for the most part, slowed the bleeding in the rotation, there are still Jeffrey Springs, Mason Barnett, and Jack Perkins at the tail end of the rotation, which recently produced a -16 run differential in the series vs. the Rays.

With the bullpen so inconsistent, the offensive struggles, and the rotation simply being bad, there is simply no overcoming the title of the worst team in baseball.

Is a Turnaround Even Possible?

Jul 21, 2026; Phoenix, Arizona, USA; Athletics manager Mark Kotsay against the Arizona Diamondbacks at Chase Field. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

As mentioned earlier, injuries were not the direct cause of the skid, however, they will make it nearly impossible for the Athletics to get the ball rolling again, The team we have now is likely the team we will have once the season ends, With Kurtz potentially missing the rest of the season, and Kuroda-Grauer taking things slow there is not a "savior" who will radically change the trajectory of the season.

Jacob Wilson also missed Saturday's game against the Rangers after taking a nasty hit by a pitch. Considering he has played a lot of DH instead of shortstop, this could imply that his early-season back injury is still nagging him, which in turn means that any complications, even minor ones, with his hand injury could be enough to pull the plug on his season.

Aug 10, 2026; West Sacramento, California, USA; Athletics shortstop Jacob Wilson (5) runs towards first base after hitting an RBI double against the Tampa Bay Rays in the seventh inning at Sutter Health Park. Mandatory Credit: Cary Edmondson-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

So, with all the factors discussed above and the odds of things getting even worse, this team's current standing is likely where they will finish. What is most painful about this skid is that, at one point, the Athletics were in the driver’s seat of the AL West and are now 14.5 games back with the worst record in baseball. Tragic.