Inspired by this year’s lowly AL West, here are the weakest teams to make MLB’s postseason

With just a few days remaining in the regular season, the American League West might be setting the stage for a rather lackluster postseason. The Texas Rangers and Houston Astros are currently tied for first place at 78-79. No full-season division champion has ever been crowned with a losing record, and no team has advanced to the postseason with a sub-.500 record, unless you consider the Milwaukee and Houston teams from 2020, who both finished 29-31.

In 1981, Kansas City finished 50-53, but they secured a playoff spot as the top team in the American League West following the strike. MLB expanded its postseason to 12 teams in 2022, increasing the chances of a sub-.500 team making it in October.

Here are 10 of the weakest teams to make the postseason, listed chronologically with their records and run differentials in mind. Keep in mind that some of these teams went on extended postseason runs, so don't rule out the Rangers or Astros just yet.