Hope springs eternal in baseball. Every team shows up to spring training with a clean slate, a handful of optimistic headlines, and at least one fan yelling “this is the year!” from the cheap seats. But for some franchises, that optimism seems to exist in a vacuum, completely detached from reality.
These teams enter every season chest out, heads high, and dreams way bigger than the baseball gods usually allow. They act like October regulars, but come July, things start to unravel again. Let’s count down the 15 MLB teams that always think it’s their year, even though it never is.
15. Cincinnati Reds
Reds fans have mastered convincing themselves that “the rebuild is finally over.” But every promising young core seems to fade before it ever fully clicks.
14. Colorado Rockies
Every season, someone in Denver convinces themselves that altitude = advantage. Sadly, it usually just equals inflated ERAs and a last-place finish.
13. Los Angeles Angels
They have the stars (well, one star now). They never have the pitching, the depth, or any clue how to win over 75 games.
12. Chicago Cubs
One World Series title in over a century didn’t kill the eternal optimism. But every “next great Cubs team” somehow turns into a .500 outfit by August.
11. San Diego Padres
Every year is the year — until it’s not. The Padres love making big moves and promises, but the results rarely match the energy.
10. Detroit Tigers
The post-Verlander years have been full of “this is the year we turn the corner” speeches. And with the way they’re performing this season? Maybe they’ll finally be right.
9. Toronto Blue Jays
Toronto loves to hype its young core, but playoff reality often arrives with a broom. The talent is there — the results, not so much.
8. Philadelphia Phillies
The Phillies swagger into every season like they’ve already clinched the pennant. Then they forget how to hit for three weeks straight, and everyone panics.
7. Seattle Mariners
The “this is finally our time” Mariners always come with promise and heartbreak. Playoff droughts, near misses, and weird late-season collapses — it’s all part of the brand.
6. Arizona Diamondbacks
They’ll get hot in April and talk big in May. But by July, they’re selling at the deadline and acting like it was a “development year” all along.
5. Texas Rangers
Even after winning it all, Rangers fans still approach every season with sky-high expectations and a deep fear that it was all a fluke. Somehow, both feel true.
4. Miami Marlins
Two World Series titles can’t cover up the chaos. The Marlins always claim they’re building something special, then tear it down the second it costs money.
3. Minnesota Twins
They perform well during the regular season, then vanish in October. The Twins’ confidence is always high until the Yankees show up and ruin everything.
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2. New York Mets
The Mets spend big, talk bigger, and collapse in the most creative ways possible. It’s a yearly tradition full of hope, hype, and heartbreak.
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1. Chicago White Sox
No team talks itself into greatness like the White Sox. But every season becomes a masterclass in dysfunction, false hope, and underachievement.
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