Either the Houston Astros or the Texas Rangers are about to make the wrong kind of baseball history.
Houston's 6-5 loss to the Athletics on Friday ensured that the eventual AL West champion can't finish the season with a winning record - a first in MLB history. Both teams now sit tied atop the division at 79-81 after Texas also lost 10-2 to the Minnesota Twins. The best either team can do is finish at an even .500.
The previous worst record for a division-winning team belonged to the 2005 San Diego Padres, who finished atop the NL West at 82-80. The 1973 New York Mets also won their division with 82 wins and reached the World Series. The 1994 Rangers were in first place despite sitting 10 games below .500 when the players' strike halted that season, but MLB does not count that as an official division title.
Whichever AL West team eventually makes the playoffs will also be the first club to reach October without a winning record in a 162-game season. The 2020 Astros made the playoffs at 29-31 during the pandemic-shortened campaign - when a special one-off format was used - and ended up reaching the ALCS.
Houston can clinch the AL West on Saturday with a win and a Texas loss. If the teams finish tied, the Astros will win the division, as they hold the tiebreaker after winning the season series against the Rangers.
