It has been a rough go for the Oakland Athletics on the field over the last year. They lost 102 games, finishing with a better record than only the lowly Washington Nationals, and doing so by finishing the season on a four-game winning streak.
But things have been tough off of the field for a good while for the A’s. They play in one of the most run-down ballparks in all of the major leagues, and are playing in a city that can’t seem to figure out how to get them a new one. There have been new stadium proposals over the years, but there is the constant, yearly threat of the team potentially leaving Oakland altogether and finding a home in Las Vegas or Fremont or Portland.
The Oakland Athletics Are Favorites To Finish With Worst Record In MLB
The A’s had the lowest attendance in baseball, with an embarrassing average of 9,973 fans per game. Surprisingly, that was actually up from 2021 when they averaged 8,767, giving them back-to-back pathetic attendance years.
There won’t be much reason for fans to buy tickets in 2023, either. The roster is had a serious void in talent, and they’ll have problems with keeping the fan base entertained starting from Day 1.
The oddsmakers have taken notice. As it stands today, the Athletics are “favored” to be the worst team in all of baseball. They have a +275 chance of finishing with the league’s worst record, even better odds than the Nationals who were the worst team in baseball last season and didn’t do much to improve their roster.
| Team | Odds Of Finishing Last | Play |
|---|---|---|
| Oakland A’s | +275 |  |
| Washington Nationals | +300 | |
| Colorado Rockies | +350 | |
| Cincinnati Reds | +550 | |
| Kansas City Royals | +900 | |
There are a handful of teams that are possibilities for finishing with the league’s worst record. The aforementioned Nationals are not far behind the A’s, coming in at +300 to place in dead last. Two more National League teams follow them in the Colorado Rockies (+350) and Cincinnati Reds (+550), with the Kansas City Royals (+900) rounding out the top five.
There are always surprises in baseball, both at the top and bottom of the final standings. There is a chance that one of those bottom five teams ends up vying for a playoff spot come September. But it probably won’t be the Oakland Athletics, and no one would be there to see it if it did happen.
Add Sportslens to your Google News Feed!
