Four in a row! This team is becoming less interesting by the day...

So, at 18-50 (.242), the 1923 Athletics are virtually guaranteed to finish with more wins that the 1899 Spiders; they only need to win 3 out of their final 94 games. That seems easy enough. If you project out their current winning percentage, however, they would still project to 39-123, which would be worse by wins, losses, and winning percentage than the 1962 New York Mets. Still worth writing about. And they are beating their Pythagorean expectation of 38-124 by one win. So hang on.

However, their winning percentage is now better than the 1916 Philadelphia Athletics (36-117, .235). We'll see if they can sustain this breakneck pace.

And they are catching up the with the 2023 Kansas City Royals (18-46), who are on a losing streak.

As usual, let's see how they stack up historically.

By Wins

All-time: The 2023 Oakland Athletics are now tied for 34th for the worst all-time wins total. They are ahead of the 1877 NL Cincinnati Reds (not the same Reds; 15-42), the 1876 Milwaukee Grays (15-45), the 1890 AA Baltimore Orioles (15-19), and the 1871 NA Washington Olympics (15-15). They are tied with the 1884 UA Kansas City Cowboys (16-63), the 1874 NL Hartford Dark Blues (16-37), and the 1871 NA New York Mutuals (16-17). Next on the list are the 1883 NL Philadelphia Quakers (now the Phillies; 17-81), and the 1873 NA Brooklyn Athletics (17-37). The Royals are tied for 40th on this list.

Since 1876: The A's are tied for 12th worse with the 1884 KC Cowboys, ahead of the 1878 Grays, 1877 Reds, and the 1890 Orioles. Next on the list are the 1883 Quakers. The Royals are tied for 15th on this list.

American League: Oakland #1, Kansas City #2. Next on the list are the 2020 Texas Rangers (22-38).

Since 1901: Oakland #1, Kansas City #2. Next on the list are the 2020 Pittsburgh Pirates (19-41).

Since 1876, >100 games: A's #1, Royals #2. Next on the list are the worst reasonably modern team, the 1899 NL Cleveland Spiders (20-134).

By Winning Percentage

All-time: The White Elephants at .242 currently have the 30th worst all-time winning percentage, ahead of 1884 US Altoona Mountain City (6-19; .240), and behind the 1872 NA Brooklyn Atlantics (9-28; .243). The Royals (.281) are 59th on this list.

Since 1876: The East Bay team is 15th on this list, ahead of Altoona, but behind the 1886 NL Kansas City Cowboys (30-91; .245). Kansas City is 42nd on this list.

American League: Here is where things get interesting. The 2023 A's now have a better winning percentage than the 1916 Philadelphia A's (36-117; .235), the second worst-team of the 20th century. The A's are still behind the #3 1904 Washington Senators (38-113; .252). The Royals are 9th on this list.

Since 1900: 1916 A's #1; 2023 A's #2. Next on this list is the 1935 Boston Braves (38-115), the second worst National League team of the 20th century. KC is 14th on this list.

Since 1876, >100 games: Oakland is now #7 on this list, ahead of the 1916 White Elephants, and behind the 1886 Kansas City Cowboys (30-91; .245). The Kansas City Royals are 27th on this list.

When and if the A's pass the 1962 New York Mets in wins, I will stop writing about it until they have lost 100 games. Actually, I'll start writing about this topic again when any of the teams have lost 100 games.

And note, the Texas Rangers (41-22) now have more wins than the 1962 New York Mets. They are the second team that has past that threshold.

Well, well, well - Look who has won two in a row!

So the A's have won 2 in a row, and are now 12-45. This is actually the second time they have won two in a row; they beat the Royals two in a row in early May. This time, beat a really good team in Atlanta.

Baseball is weird.

So where does this put them in my tracking?

By Wins

All Time: Oakland is tied for 12th with the 1884 UA Washington Nationals (12-51) and the 1884 AA Richmond Viriginians (12-30). They are two ahead of the 1871 NA Cleveland Forest Cities (10-19). Next on the list is the 1871 NA Troy Haymakers (13-15).

Since 1876: The A's are tied for 6th with the same 1884 Washington and Richmond teams. They are 3 ahead of the 1876 NL Cincinnati Reds (9-56) (not related to modern Reds). Next on the list is the 1876 Philadelphia Athletics (14-45) (not related to the current Athletics).

American League: The A's are first on the list for least wins. The next team is the 2023 Kansas City Royals (17-39), who are also probably going to lose at least 100 games this year. Next after that is the 2020 Texas Rangers (22-38). The next non-pandemic, non-2023 team on the list is the 1916 Philadelphia Athletics (36-117), the original tanking team.

Since 1901: The A's are first on this list as well, and KC is 2nd. 3rd is the 2020 Pittsburgh Pirates (19-41). The 1916 A's are the next non-pandemic, non-2023 team on the list. Boy, were those A's bad.

All-time, at least 100 decisions: The A's are on this list, and KC is second. Third is the 1899 NL Cleveland Spiders (20-134), the team that broke syndicate ownership, where the same owner owned two teams and would move all of the good players to one team and the bad players to the other. The National League owners shed this team for 1900, as well as the moribund Louisville Colonels and Washington Senators. They also got rid of the Baltimore Orioles, who were good. I really need to read up again on what happened during the stretch from 1899-1904. The structure of baseball changed more dramatically at any other time except (maybe) 1993-1998, during which 4 expansion teams were added, 4 divisions were made 6, one team changed leagues, interleague play was introduced, and we got the wild card.

By Winning Percentage

All Time: The A's are tied for 22nd with the 1875 NA St. Louis Red Stockings (.211). They are better than the 1872 NA Middletown Mansfields  (.208; where is Middletown, anyway?), and are ahead of the 1882 NL Worcester Ruby Legs (.214), who would be disbanded after one more season, and the players remaining were moved to a new team called the Philadelphia Phillies. 

Since 1876: The A's are 9th on this list, ahead of the 1884 NL Kansas City Cowboys (.203), and behind the 1882 Ruby Legs mentioned above.

American League: A's are worst. Next is the 1916 A's at .235.

Since 1900: The same.

All-time, at least 100 decisions: The A's are 4th, ahead of the 1889 Louisville Colonels (.196), and behind the 1897 St. Louis Browns (now the Cardinals) (.221).

More the next time the A's win. Could be tomorrow. Could be in two weeks. We'll just have to see.