The American League West is set to enter the MLB record books for the wrong reasons. Following losses by both the Houston Astros and the Texas Rangers on Friday, the division is guaranteed to crown a champion that does not possess a winning record, marking the first time such an outcome has occurred in Major League Baseball history, according to Yahoo Sports.
Both teams currently hold identical 79-81 records with only two games remaining in the regular season. While playoff teams at or below .500 have existed in the past, no division winner has ever finished with a losing record. The previous record for the closest division champion to .500 was held by the 2005 San Diego Padres, who finished 82-80.
The race remains tight heading into the final weekend. Because the Astros own the tiebreaker over the Rangers, Houston remains in the lead. For the Rangers to claim the title, they must secure at least one more win than the Astros in their respective final matchups against the Minnesota Twins and the Oakland Athletics.
The division’s overall performance has been historically poor, with the five teams collectively sitting 84 games below .500 and carrying a combined -473 run differential. The struggle has been so pronounced that three teams—the Astros, the Angels, and the A’s—have dismissed their general managers during the 2026 season.