MLB's 5 Biggest Disappointments So Far
We're about 50 games into the 2026 MLB season, and that's long enough to determine which teams are exceeding expectations, and which are not.
We'll deal with the latter here.
Here are the five most-disappointing teams two months into the 2026 MLB season.
5. Baltimore Orioles
The O's went big in the offseason to add to their young and exciting core, including slugger Pete Alonso from the Mets. The offense didn't take off and has been merely average this season, but the pitching has gone in the tank. Only the Rockies and Nationals have worse starting rotations (11-22, 5.20 ERA) and the bullpen ranks 25th.
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Kyle Bradish has a respectable 4.13 ERA in 10 starts, but is just 2-6 and the team sits last in an overall down AL East at 21-28.
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4. Houston Astros
Losing Framber Valdez to the Tigers was an off-season blow, but Houston had enough left to be a contender in the AL West. Instead, they're 20-30 through 50 games. The pitching staff ranks dead-last in ERA (5.36) and has given up more runs than every team outside the nation's capital.
Houston missed the playoff last year for the first time in eight seasons, though still had a respectable 87-75 record. Its current trajectory points to the worst record for the franchise since 2013.
3. Toronto Blue Jays
After reaching the World Series in 2025, Toronto went big in the off-season to add final pieces to win a title or at least remain strongly in the conversation. Instead, they're 21-27, struggling with an inconsistent offense, ranked in the bottom 10 in home runs and runs scored.
Japanese import Kazuma Okamoto has been a success with 10 HRs, but nobody else has more than five. The Jays are on pace to have their worst season since 2019.
2. Boston Red Sox
The Sox came into the season with the eighth-highest Over/Under total on wins, at 87.5. The reality has not matched expectation – Boston is 21-27 through 48 games, already well behind the Rays and Yankees in the AL East.
Boston hit the panic button early, firing manager Alex Cora and many of his staff on April 25. The problem has been the offense – only the Giants are scoring fewer than the 3.7 runs per game Boston generates.
1. New York Mets
This is the easy one. The Mets spent a ton of money to improve on last year's big disappointment. But throwing cash at the problems didn't fix anything. The Mets have the second-highest payroll at $383.5 million; only the Dodgers are higher.
And yet they're mired in last place in the NL East at 21-27 – just behind the Miami Marlins and their $79.4 million roster. Juan Soto has been productive since his return from injury. Perhaps that sparks the Mets to a turnaround and reality can start catching up to expectation.
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This story was originally published May 20, 2026 at 12:21 PM.