11 straight losses and counting — where does the 2026 Mets streak rank in MLB history?
Eleven games. The New York Mets have now lost eleven consecutive games, and there is no end in sight.
We first wrote about this streak when it hit five games. Then it was a bad week. Now it's a historic collapse, and it's worth putting in proper context — because the Mets aren't just having a rough patch. They're entering territory that only a handful of teams in MLB history have ever reached.
Where 11 Games Ranks Historically
Losing streaks of this length don't happen often. Most teams in a slump will find a win somewhere — a hot starter, a lucky bounce, a rainout that breaks the rhythm. The Mets have found none of that.
Here's how the worst losing streaks in modern MLB history stack up:
| Streak | Team | Year | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 23 games | Philadelphia Phillies | 1961 | MLB modern record |
| 21 games | Baltimore Orioles | 1988 | Lost first 21 games of the season |
| 20 games | Louisville Colonels | 1889 | 19th century, but it counts |
| 11 games | New York Mets | 2026 | Active — and counting |
Eleven games is bad. But here's the number that should terrify Mets fans: they need just 12 more consecutive losses to tie the modern MLB record set by the 1961 Phillies.
The Countdown to Infamy
Nobody wants to be in this conversation. But here we are.
| Losses to go | What it means |
|---|---|
| 1 more | A full dozen straight — a truly brutal dozen |
| 7 more | Ties the 1988 Orioles' infamous season-opening collapse |
| 12 more | Ties the 1961 Phillies for the modern MLB record |
| 13 more | New York Mets make history nobody asked for |
The 1961 Phillies are one of the most notorious teams in baseball history — not because they were bad overall, but because of that streak. Twenty-three straight losses burned that team's name into the record books forever. Right now, the 2026 Mets are on pace to have that same conversation.
How Does This Happen?
The Mets entered 2026 with real expectations. This isn't a rebuilding team. This is a roster built to compete, with payroll to match. And yet here they are, eleven losses deep, with a manager whose seat gets warmer by the day and a front office watching the standings in quiet panic.
Losing streaks like this are rarely about one thing. It's pitching that unravels at the wrong moment. It's an offense that goes cold the same week the bullpen falls apart. It's momentum — or the complete absence of it — turning every close game into another loss.
At some point this has to stop. Every streak ends. But the Mets have given their fans no reason to believe that point is coming soon.
Make Your MLB Picks
The Mets' misery is everyone else's opportunity. Check our daily MLB picks and make your picks in Crystal Ball Picks — because right now, fading the Mets might be the easiest call in baseball.
Streak is active as of April 19, 2026. We'll update as it develops — for better or much, much worse.