MLB's worst teams in 2026 are still pretty bad, but at least they are reasonably bad

The full-blown tank is no longer trending in Major League Baseball.

After a handful of infamous team performances in recent seasons — like the Colorado Rockies losing 119 games last season and the Chicago White Sox dropping an MLB-record 121 games in 2024 — the worst teams have been much more competitive.

In fact, there's a decent chance that no team will lose 100 games for the first time since 2017.

The worst teams are the Rockies (46-72), Los Angles Angels (45-73), Athletics (47-71) and Kansas City Royals (49-70), putting them all within reach of avoiding triple-digit losses even if they play below-average baseball.

This year's show of relative competitiveness by the league's bottom feeders might just be a statistical outlier, though it might also be a sign that teams are viewing complete teardowns as a less compelling strategy.

The Houston Astros paved the way for the all-out tank in the early 2010s when they lost at least 106 games in three straight seasons. It was a painful stretch but paid off in the coming years with World Series titles in 2017 and 2022.

The problem is it doesn't always work out as planned. The Baltimore Orioles were awful from 2018 to 2021 while they rebuilt their roster with high draft picks, but have zero playoff wins to show for it five years later. At last week's trade deadline, they unloaded former No. 1 overall pick Adley Rutschman to the Boston Red Sox and appear headed for another rebuild.

Atlanta Braves ace Chris Sale was ejected by umpire Dan Merzel before a pitch was thrown in Sunday’s game against the New York Yankees. The veteran lefty was still in a foul mood a day after being called for a balk that scored a run.

Pregame MLB ejections are rare, but not completely unprecedented.

San Francisco Giants manager Bob Melvin was ejected before a game against the Colorado Rockies in 2024 after he and bench coach Ryan Christensen delivered the lineup card to home plate umpire Alex MacKay.

Earlier this season, Brent Suter of the Los Angeles Angels and Steven Wilson and Manuel Rodriguez of the Tampa Bay Rays were ejected because of a “standoff” following the “The Star-Spangled Banner.” Umpire Lance Barrett tossed the trio after they refused to leave the field.

Historically, former Baltimore Orioles manager Earl Weaver is famous for a 1975 incident when he was ejected from the first game of a doubleheader for arguing with umpire Ron Luciano. Before the second game even started, Luciaino tossed Weaver again when he continued arguing.

Toronto Blue Jays right-hander Max Scherzer moved into 10th place in career strikeouts, passing Hall of Famer Walter Johnson in the Blue Jays’ 7-5 win over Philadelphia on Saturday night. Scherzer has 3,516 strikeouts over 19 years.

How many of the other top 10 can you name?

The race for National League MVP is shaping up to be a classic.

Los Angeles Dodgers two-way star Shohei Ohtani and the Chicago Cubs' uber-athletic Pete Crow-Armstrong have turned the competition into a two-man race with roughly 25% of the regular season remaining.

As of Sunday, Crow-Armstrong was a slight favorite over Ohtani, according to FanDuel Sportsbook, and both teams are firmly in the playoff hunt. Crow-Armstrong is trying to earn his first MVP award while Ohtani is chasing No. 5, which would be the second-most in MLB history behind Barry Bonds, who had seven.

Here's a look at the resume of both players.

— Crow-Armstrong has blossomed into a full-blown superstar for the Cubs, greatly improving his consistency at the plate. He's slashed .286/.388/.544 through Sunday's games and has 26 homers, 71 RBIs and 30 stolen bases, all while playing an exceptional center field.

The two-time All-Star also has been worth 7.4 WAR so far this season, according to baseball-reference.com, which is the best in the big leagues.

— Ohtani continues to be an offensive powerhouse, though his numbers are down from previous season. The Japanese standout is slashing .292/.395/.542 and has 26 homers and 71 RBIs. Unlike Crow-Armstrong, Ohtani usually doesn't provide any value in the field, serving as designated hitter when he's not pitching.

But that's the thing: When Ohtani is healthy, he is also one of MLB's most dominant pitchers. The right-hander has an 8-2 record and 1.79 ERA over 14 starters with 95 strikeouts over 85 2/3 innings.

Ohtani hasn't pitched since July 3, mainly because of soreness in his left knee. He resumed playing catch on Saturday and is slowly working toward a return to the mound. If he can provide a few good starts in September for the Dodgers, it might tip the MVP scale back in his favor.

From No. 9 to No. 1 — Gaylord Perry (3,534), Justin Verlander (3,554), Don Sutton (3,574), Tom Seaver (3,640), Bert Blyleven (3,701), Steve Carlton (4,136), Roger Clemens (4,672), Randy Johnson (4,875), Nolan Ryan (5,714)

AP MLB: https://apnews.com/hub/MLB

Chicago Cubs' Pete Crow-Armstrong steals second base during the second inning of a baseball game against the Kansas City Royals, Friday, Aug. 7, 2026, in Kansas City, Mo. (AP Photo/Charlie Riedel)

Toronto Blue Jays pitcher Max Scherzer reacts after a strike out against Philadelphia Phillies' Bryan de la Cruz during the fifth inning of a baseball game, Saturday, Aug. 8, 2026, in Philadelphia. (AP Photo/Derik Hamilton)

Los Angeles Dodgers' Shohei Ohtani reacts after hitting the ball against the Arizona Diamondbacks in the first inning of a baseball game, Sunday, Aug 9, 2026, in Phoenix. (AP Photo/Rick Scuteri)

Kansas City Royals' Jac Caglianone celebrates in the dugout after hitting a two-run home run during the seventh inning of a baseball game against the Chicago Cubs, Saturday, Aug. 8, 2026, in Kansas City, Mo. (AP Photo/Charlie Riedel)

METAIRIE, La. (AP) — Veteran NFL linebacker Deion Jones grinned while pondering the mixed reaction he's received from friends and loved ones since signing with the New Orleans Saints.

Few can appreciate the intensity of the longstanding Saints-Falcons rivalry better than Jones, who grew up in New Orleans and began his NFL career with the Falcons as a second-round draft pick out of LSU in 2016.

“I have some friends and family that are very excited for me to be here,” Jones said after the Saints' practice Sunday, noting that he already had bumped into a few old friends from Jesuit High School. “I also have some friends that were fans of me, and Atlanta fans. So, they say they've got a lot of stuff to take back right now.”

Jones joined the Saints after a recent tryout and will have played for every team in the NFC South Division if he winds up on New Orleans' regular-season roster.

After spending his first six seasons with the Falcons, he played one season in the AFC with Cleveland before returning to the NFC South with Carolina in 2023 and Tampa Bay from 2024 through last season.

“I basically made the whole trip now” through the division, Jones said. “Full circle, back home where it all started. And I’m looking to have a lot of fun with it.”

Jones, a 2017 Pro Bowl player for Atlanta, appeared in 17 games for the Buccaneers in 2025, all as a reserve linebacker and special teams regular. He is expected to have similar roles in New Orleans.

Saints coach Kellen Moore said that while his staff hopes Jones' local roots could be an asset, that had nothing to do with his evaluation as a player.

“He's a really good football player who's had success in our division for a long time,” Moore said. "Last year he played special teams in Tampa and had a nice little success there.

“Local ties are a nice bonus,” Moore continued. “It builds in a comfort level of all of us being on the same page. He understands the expectations here and what this place is all about.”

After his first practice with Saints on Saturday, Jones joined his new teammates to watch former New Orleans quarterback Drew Brees' induction speech at the Pro Football Hall of Fame.

It was poignant moment for Jones, who was in high school in New Orleans in 2009, when Brees led the Saints to the franchise's only Super Bowl title. Back then, the Saints were a symbol of hope and rebirth in their city, which was still rebuilding from the widespread devastation of Hurricane Katrina four years earlier.

Jones eschewed the opportunity to boast about the late, game-clinching interceptions he had against Brees in 2016 and 2017, one of which he returned 90 yards for a touchdown in his first-career game in the Superdome.

“I didn’t really think about” those interceptions, Jones said. “Just knowing what he did for the city, competing against him and his intensity and how he carried the team, I mean, I just loved it on the other side of the ball. It made me play better, made me want elevate my style of play.”

Jones said that even when he played for the Falcons, he enjoyed seeing the Saints do well against any team but his, understanding what they meant to his relatives and people with whom he grew up.

““It was fun, always messing with my uncles and family about being the bad guy coming to the city,” Jones said. "I’ve always been the Saints supporter. I know what the Saints do for the city. I know this is the heartbeat; if the Saints are doing well, the city’s doing well.

“I had fun coming in and trying to disrupt that every now and again,” Jones continued. "But it’s a blessing to be on this side.”

AP NFL: https://apnews.com/hub/nfl

FILE - Atlanta Falcons outside linebacker Deion Jones (45) intercepts a pass from New Orleans Saints quarterback Drew Brees, not pictured, and returns it for a touchdown, in the second half of an NFL football game in New Orleans, on Sept. 26, 2016. (AP Photo/Butch Dill, File)