The New York Mets entered the 2026 season with sky-high expectations and the second-highest payroll in Major League Baseball at $370 million.
Yet here we are in mid-April, watching an 11-game losing streak that has Mets fans reliving the franchise’s darkest days.
The team sits at 7-15, dead last in the NL East and sporting the worst record in baseball.
With star Juan Soto sidelined by a right calf strain, the Amazin’s have won just five games since an early-season 11-7 victory over the Pirates.
This current slump isn’t just painful — it’s historic.
The Mets have now suffered 14 losing streaks of 10 or more games in their 65-year history.
Here’s the complete ranked list of the longest losing streaks in New York Mets history, complete with season and final division standing.
The Record 17-Game Losing Streak: 1962 Mets Expansion Nightmare
The longest losing streak in New York Mets history remains the infamous 17-game skid from their inaugural 1962 season.
That expansion team, stocked with castoffs and rookies, finished dead last (10th out of 10) in the National League with a dismal 40-120-1 record.
That 17-game stretch still ranks as the 22nd-longest in MLB history.
15-Game Losing Streaks in Mets History: 1963 and 1982
Two separate 15-game losing streaks tie for second place on the all-time Mets list:
- 1963: Another brutal year for the early Mets, who again finished 10th out of 10.
- 1982: The team ended the season 6th out of 6 in the NL East.
Both 15-game streaks rank as the 38th-longest in major-league history.
For longtime Mets fans, these stretches defined the franchise’s early reputation for futility.
13-Game Losing Streaks: 1962 and 1980
The Mets also own two 13-game losing streaks:
- 1962 (their second long skid that year) — 10th in the division.
- 1980 — Finished 5th out of 6 in the NL East.
These remain painful reminders of how quickly things can spiral, even in more modern eras.
Mets 12-Game Losing Streak in 2002
The 2002 campaign produced a 12-game losing streak, with the team finishing 5th out of 5 in the NL East.
It was part of a rebuilding season that tested even the most loyal Queens faithful.
11-Game Losing Streaks in Mets History — Including the 2026 Skid
The Mets have endured five different 11-game losing streaks:
- 1962
- 1963
- 1965 (two separate 11-game skids)
- 1991
- 2004
- 2026 (current streak)
The 2004 streak (August 28–September 8) was the last time New York lost 11 straight until now.
The current 2026 skid has already tied that mark and sits among the franchise’s longest since the turn of the millennium.
10-Game Losing Streaks: The 1965 Mets and Recent History
The Mets have also posted multiple 10-game losing streaks, most notably two in 1965 (both ending with a 10th-place divisional finish).
Until this month, the last 10-game skid occurred more than two decades ago.
Where Does the 2026 Mets Losing Streak Rank?
The 2026 Mets’ 11-game losing streak currently ties for seventh-longest in franchise history.
While it hasn’t reached the expansion-era disasters of the 1960s, it’s the longest since 2004 and comes with far higher expectations — and a far bigger payroll.
History shows that teams rarely recover quickly from early-season double-digit losing streaks, especially in April.
Only a handful of clubs have lost 10 straight that early and still reached the postseason.
MLB Context: How Bad Are Mets Losing Streaks Compared to the Rest of Baseball?
For perspective, the modern-era record belongs to the 1961 Philadelphia Phillies (23 games).
The all-time mark is the 1889 Louisville Cardinals with 26 straight losses.
Yet even in today’s game, a 10-game skid in April feels season-altering — just ask the 2025 Cleveland Guardians, one of the few recent teams to survive such a slump and still make the playoffs.
Can the 2026 Mets Snap Their Losing Streak? Upcoming Schedule and Outlook
After a brutal 0-6 road trip that extended the skid, the Mets return to Citi Field this week.
They host the Minnesota Twins for a three-game series starting Tuesday, April 21, followed by the Colorado Rockies.
Home cooking and a favorable matchup could provide the spark needed to end the misery.
Manager Carlos Mendoza and the front office face mounting pressure.
Soto’s return from the IL will help, but the pitching staff and lineup must find consistency fast.
Mets fans have seen this movie before — and they know how it usually ends unless something dramatic changes.
The 2026 season is still young, but the longest losing streaks in New York Mets history are already casting a long shadow over Queens.
Will this current skid become just another footnote, or will it define another lost year?
Only time — and the next few games — will tell.
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