The worst MLB teams from the 2000s

The 2003 Tigers were truly one of the worst teams in MLB, with a .265 winning percentage that just beat out the 1962 New York Mets after finishing 43-119. The season was part of a rebuild from GM Dave Dombrowski that would bear fruit a few years later, but the team failed to generate offense beyond DH Dmitri Young and had three starters lose at least 17 games, including 21-loss starter Mike Maroth.

Three years after winning the World Series, Arizona saw an epic collapse with the worst offense in baseball and 111 losses. Star left fielder Luis Gonzalez missed significant time to injury, while center fielder Steve Finley was traded at the deadline. Despite the team's poor performance, ace Randy Johnson finished second in NL Cy Young voting after going 16-14 with a 2.60 ERA and 290 strikeouts in 245.2 innings.

Remarkably, Detroit's 106-loss season in 2002 wasn't nearly their worst of the decade, but this squad was arguably less watchable than the 119-loss rendition. The Tigers finished last in MLB with only 575 runs scored, and Bobby Higginson was the only regular with an on-base percentage above .340. The team also traded ace Jeff Weaver at midseason.

Tampa Bay lost at least 90 games in each of their first 10 seasons, but the 2002 squad was their worst with 106 losses. The team allowed a league-high 918 runs, punctuated by Tanyon Sturtze finishing the season 4-18 with a 5.18 ERA over 33 starts. The lineup did have a major positive, with the arrival of top prospect Carl Crawford in left field.

The Royals lost 100-plus games four times between 2002-2006, with their 106-loss campaign in 2005 being their worst. Kansas City struggled to hit for power, launching only 126 home runs, and the pitching was just behind Tampa Bay as the second-worst in baseball. DH Mike Sweeney was the team's only 20-HR hitter, and Zack Greinke struggled in his first full season after a strong rookie showing in 2004.

Milwaukee had too many holes in a lineup that scored the second-fewest runs in MLB (627), with very little run production beyond Richie Sexson and Jose Hernandez. The result was 106 losses, with ace Ben Sheets (4.15 ERA in 216.2 innings) one of their only bright spots.

Kansas City lost over 100 games for the second time in three years, finishing last in the AL Central with 104 losses in 2004. The team's 905 runs allowed was third-worst in MLB, with little quality pitching beyond rookie Zack Greinke. DH Mike Sweeney was the only regular member of the lineup with at least 20 home runs or an .800-plus OPS.

The Nats lost more than 100 games for the second consecutive season, with the worst pitching in the NL allowing 874 runs en route to 103 losses. The lineup provided very little help for middle-of-the-order hitters Ryan Zimmerman and Josh Willingham, while John Lannan was the team's only regular starting pitcher with a sub-4.00 ERA.

The young Nationals failed to produce a 15-home run hitter in 2008, and the pitching wasn't much better in a 102-loss season. John Lannan was the team's best pitcher, going 9-15 but posting a strong 3.91 ERA in 31 starts.

The Mariners were elite early in the 2000's, but started a major slide late in the decade. The roster had plenty of talent in 2008, including Ichiro Suzuki, Adrian Beltre, Raul Ibanez, and Felix Hernandez, but lost 101 games with terrible seasons from the likes of Richie Sexson, Jose Vidro, and Carlos Silva.

Tampa Bay reached 100 losses for the third time in franchise history, losing 101 in Joe Maddon's first year as manager. The team's youth movement was taking shape with young players like Carl Crawford, B.J. Upton, Delmon Young, Rocco Baldelli, Jonny Gomes, Scott Kazmir, and James Shields, but the team finished last in MLB with only 689 runs scored.

The Royals had their third consecutive 100-loss season and fourth in five years, losing exactly 100 games in 2006. The team's offense showed some improvement with a breakout season from third baseman Mark Teahen, but the pitching was the worst in baseball with 971 runs allowed.

KC had their first 100-loss season in franchise history in 2002, with a team that struggled to find pitching for most of the year beyond ace Paul Byrd. The lineup did see excellent campaigns from Carlos Beltran, Raul Ibanez, and Mike Sweeney.

A very thin lineup doomed the Pirates in 2001, who lost 100 games and scored only 657 in spite of 30-plus home run seasons from Brian Giles and Aramis Ramirez. Pittsburgh had disappointing production from catcher Jason Kendall and first baseman Kevin Young, while both 200-inning starting pitchers (Todd Ritchie and Jimmy Anderson) posted ERAs well above 4.00.

The Devil Rays franchise was going in the wrong direction, with their first 100-loss season in their fourth year of existence. Manager Larry Rothschild was fired after a 4-10 start to the season in favor of Hal McRae, and the team shipped face of the franchise Fred McGriff to the Cubs at midseason. Greg Vaughn was the only player to reach 20 home runs with the team, while four different starting pitchers reached 12 losses.

Pittsburgh capped off an entire decade without finishing .500 in 2009, losing 99 games. The season did mark the arrival of soon-to-be franchise player Andrew McCutchen, who finished fourth in the Rookie of the Year race, but had a much longer way to go in their rebuild. Ace Zach Duke lost 16 games despite a 4.06 ERA in 32 starts.

The Padres lost 99 games under Bud Black in 2008 in spite of big bats like Adrian Gonzalez, Brian Giles, and Jody Gerut, with a lineup that was otherwise thin and aging to score only 637 runs. Reigning NL Cy Young winner Jake Peavy did post a 2.85 ERA in 27 starts, and the pitching staff also had future Hall of Famers Greg Maddux and Trevor Hoffman.

Seattle's run of four consecutive seasons with more than 90 wins ended in 2004, as the team finished 63-99. The lineup got old quickly, as every regular was now 30-plus, led by Ichiro Suzuki, Edgar Martinez, Bret Boone, and John Olerud. The pitching also had its fair share of issues, with the 41-year-old Jamie Moyer posting a 5.21 ERA as the No. 1 starter.

The hiring of manager Lou Piniella had little impact on the lowly Devil Rays, who went 63-99 after reaching 100 losses in the previous two seasons. Top outfield prospects Carl Crawford and Rocco Baldelli did makes significant impacts at age 21, and Aubrey Huff had a breakout season hitting .311-34-107.

The 2001 season is remembered far more by Orioles fans for Cal Ripken Jr.'s swan song than the success on the field. Ripken called it quits after his 19th All-Star appearance, but the team lost 98 games and finished out of the playoffs for the fourth consecutive year.