The 5 Worst Collapses in MLB History

With the MLB season entering the stretch, division leaders like the Yankees, the Phillies, the Angels, and the Cardinals need to avoid the mistakes that these five teams made that cost them their season. So, you know, if you are a player in any of these teams, read and learn! Otherwise, just laugh at the past dumbass collapses.

5. The 2004 Yankees

It wasn’t a late season collapse, but the worst collapse in sports deserves a mention. After beating the Red Sox in heartbreaking fashion in the 2003 ALCS, the Yankees met their division rivals once again in the 2004 ALCS.

Finding themselves up 3-0, the Yankees went on to lose the next four games becoming the only team in sports to ever lose a best-of-seven series after being up 3-0.

4. The 1995 Angels

In the middle of August, the Angels were dominating the American League West with an 11.5 game lead. In the following six weeks, the Angels lost 27 of their last 39 games, and finished the season in a tie with the Mariners. The season ended in a tie-breaker game that the Angels went on to lose. (Surprise, surprise…)

3. The 1978 Red Sox

At the end of July of 1978, the Red Sox were up on the Yankees by 14 games. By the end of the season, the Sox finished tied with the Yankees and lost a tie-breaker game to miss out on the playoffs. Can you say, “D’oh!”?

2. The 1964 Phillies

The Phillies Phold resulted in the worst collapse in baseball for more than 40 years (until the 2007 Mets). With a 6.5 game lead in the division, the Phillies managed to do something almost statistically impossible by blowing their lead in the final 12 games of the year.

1. The 2007 Mets

The legendary 2007 Mets team managed the absolute worst late season collapse. Despite the great years by David Wright, Carlos Beltran, Jose Reyes, Carlos Delgado, Moises Alou, Oliver Perez, John Maine, and El Duque, the team managed to piss away a 7.5 game lead in the final 17 games of the season.

After leading the division the entire year, the Mets finished second to the Phillies and third in the wild card standings. Pathetic.

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