Boston Red Sox manager Alex Cora. Kim Klement Neitzel-Imagn Images

Five MLB teams looking to bounce back from slow starts

By Daniel Morrison | Last updated Apr 6, 2026 12:37 PM ET

The MLB season is still young. Most teams have played fewer than 10 games, but there are already a few fan bases ready to hit the panic button.

There are a few teams that likely won't be bouncing back from their slow starts. Apologies to the Colorado Rockies and Chicago White Sox. It's the teams off to slow starts that had high expectations for the season that you need to keep your eye on. Those teams are the ones who could make noise despite the slow start to the season.

Here's a look at five of those teams off to slow starts. In particular, the ones who expect to turn their bad starts around soon.

1. Boston Red Sox

The Boston Red Sox have the worst record in MLB at just 2-7. That’s five games out of first in the AL East. Meanwhile, their run differential is -15, which is 27th in MLB. It's a mess, but the team is talented and the season is young. So, fans expect a turnaround in short order.

2. Chicago Cubs

The Chicago Cubs are expected to compete for the NL Central this season, but it's been a slow start to the season. At 4-5, the Cubs are in last place in their division. There are signs of life, though, like a +3 run differential. So, the Cubs should be moving up soon.

3. San Francisco Giants

The San Francisco Giants got off to an awful first series, getting swept and only scoring one run in that opening series. Even with a series win mixed in, that's contributed to a 3-7 start. That puts them behind the Colorado Rockies in the NL West race. It's also contributed to an MLB-worst -25 run differential, though they still have wild-card hopes.

4. Seattle Mariners

The Seattle Mariners are coming off a trip to the ALCS and are seen as the favorite in the AL West. However, at 4-6, they're sitting in fourth place in the division. That's got the Mariners in the middle of the pack as it stands now, but with plenty of time, expect this talented team to figure it out.

5. Baltimore Orioles

It wasn't that long ago when the Baltimore Orioles were a consistent favorite in the AL East. Now, in a very crowded division, Baltimore has a lot of young talent but is still fighting for its place. A 3-6 start won't help matters there. That includes a recent three-game losing streak. So, it'll need to turn things around or risk getting buried in the division race.

Daniel Morrison

Dan Morrison is a writer originally from Massachusetts, now residing in Florida. He spent four years at On3, working on the National News Desk there. Prior to that, he’s also contributed at Underdog Dynasty.

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