This year's American League might be the worst in Major League Baseball history
The 2026 American League season has started poorly, with most teams underperforming and on pace for subpar records. In contrast, the entire National League Central division is above .500, highlighting the AL's struggles. High-payroll teams like the New York Mets and Philadelphia Phillies are also underperforming significantly.
- ▪The average American League team is on pace to win just 77 games in the 2026 season.
- ▪All five teams in the National League Central had winning records in early May 2026.
- ▪The New York Mets, despite having the second-highest payroll, were 11-22 and 12.5 games behind in their division.
- ▪The Philadelphia Phillies were 13-20 and 10.5 games out of first place despite a top-5 payroll.
- ▪Thirteen of the 15 American League teams would be in last place or tied for last in the NL Central based on their records.
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OutKick This year's American League might be the worst in Major League Baseball history The average AL team is on pace to win just 77 games while the entire NL Central division is over .500 in early May By Ian Miller OutKick Published May 3, 2026 3:25pm EDT Facebook Twitter Threads Flipboard Comments Print Email Add Fox News on Google close Video Do Yankees fans have a right to be concerned? | The Herd The New York Yankees have the 22nd-most optimistic fanbase in the MLB. Colin Cowherd asks if Yankees fans should be concerned or hopeful for the upcoming season. We’re already over 20% of the way through the 2026 Major League Baseball season, and some very surprising trends are becoming clear.
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