Defunct franchises

Historical MLB franchises

Every major league baseball club that no longer exists, back to the 1870s.

Baltimore Orioles (AA/NL, 1882–1899)
Baltimore · AA/NL · 1882–1899
1133-1049Win% 0.51918 seasons
1894189518961897
YearTeamWLWin%Notes
1882Baltimore Orioles19540.260
1883Baltimore Orioles28680.292
1884Baltimore Orioles63430.594
1885Baltimore Orioles41680.376
1886Baltimore Orioles48830.366
1887Baltimore Orioles77580.570
1888Baltimore Orioles57800.416
1889Baltimore Orioles70650.518
1890Baltimore Orioles15190.441
1891Baltimore Orioles71640.526
1892Baltimore Orioles461010.313
1893Baltimore Orioles60700.462
1894Baltimore Orioles89390.695Pre-1903 cup appearance
1895Baltimore Orioles87430.669Pre-1903 cup appearance
1896Baltimore Orioles90390.698Pre-1903 cup / pennant winner
1897Baltimore Orioles90400.692Pre-1903 cup / pennant winner
1898Baltimore Orioles96530.644
1899Baltimore Orioles86620.581
Providence Grays (NL, 1878–1885)
Providence · NL · 1878–1885
438-278Win% 0.6128 seasons
18791884
YearTeamWLWin%Notes
1878Providence Grays33270.550
1879Providence Grays59250.702Pre-1903 cup / pennant winner
1880Providence Grays52320.619
1881Providence Grays47370.559
1882Providence Grays52320.619
1883Providence Grays58400.592
1884Providence Grays84280.750Pre-1903 cup / pennant winner
1885Providence Grays53570.482
Cleveland Spiders (AA/NL, 1887–1899)
Cleveland · AA/NL · 1887–1899
827-938Win% 0.46913 seasons
189218951896
YearTeamWLWin%Notes
1887Cleveland Spiders39920.298
1888Cleveland Spiders50820.379
1889Cleveland Spiders61720.459
1890Cleveland Spiders44880.333
1891Cleveland Spiders65740.468
1892Cleveland Spiders93560.624Pre-1903 cup appearance
1893Cleveland Spiders73550.570
1894Cleveland Spiders68610.527
1895Cleveland Spiders84460.646Pre-1903 cup / pennant winner
1896Cleveland Spiders80480.625Pre-1903 cup appearance
1897Cleveland Spiders69620.527
1898Cleveland Spiders81680.544
1899Cleveland Spiders201340.130
Louisville Colonels (AA/NL, 1882–1899)
Louisville · AA/NL · 1882–1899
993-1320Win% 0.42918 seasons
1890
YearTeamWLWin%Notes
1882Louisville Eclipse42380.525
1883Louisville Eclipse52450.536
1884Louisville Colonels68400.630
1885Louisville Colonels53590.473
1886Louisville Colonels66700.485
1887Louisville Colonels76600.559
1888Louisville Colonels48870.356
1889Louisville Colonels271110.196
1890Louisville Colonels88440.667Pre-1903 cup / pennant winner
1891Louisville Colonels54830.394
1892Louisville Colonels63890.414
1893Louisville Colonels50750.400
1894Louisville Colonels36940.277
1895Louisville Colonels35960.267
1896Louisville Colonels38930.290
1897Louisville Colonels52780.400
1898Louisville Colonels70810.464
1899Louisville Colonels75770.493
Boston Red Stockings (AA, 1891)
Boston · AA · 1891–1891
93-42Win% 0.6891 seasons
1891
YearTeamWLWin%Notes
1891Boston Red Stockings93420.689Pre-1903 cup / pennant winner
Philadelphia Athletics (AA, 1882–1890)
Philadelphia · AA · 1882–1890
560-498Win% 0.5299 seasons
1883
YearTeamWLWin%Notes
1882Philadelphia Athletics41340.547
1883Philadelphia Athletics66320.673Pre-1903 cup / pennant winner
1884Philadelphia Athletics61460.570
1885Philadelphia Athletics55570.491
1886Philadelphia Athletics63720.467
1887Philadelphia Athletics64690.481
1888Philadelphia Athletics81520.609
1889Philadelphia Athletics75580.564
1890Philadelphia Athletics54780.409
Detroit Wolverines (NL, 1881–1888)
Detroit · NL · 1881–1888
426-437Win% 0.4948 seasons
1887
YearTeamWLWin%Notes
1881Detroit Wolverines41430.488
1882Detroit Wolverines42410.506
1883Detroit Wolverines40580.408
1884Detroit Wolverines28840.250
1885Detroit Wolverines41670.380
1886Detroit Wolverines87360.707
1887Detroit Wolverines79450.637Pre-1903 cup / pennant winner
1888Detroit Wolverines68630.519
Washington Senators (AA/NL, 1891–1899)
Washington · AA/NL · 1891–1899
454-788Win% 0.3659 seasons
YearTeamWLWin%Notes
1891Washington Statesmen44910.326
1892Washington Senators58930.384
1893Washington Senators40890.310
1894Washington Senators45870.341
1895Washington Senators43850.336
1896Washington Senators58730.443
1897Washington Senators61710.462
1898Washington Senators511010.336
1899Washington Senators54980.355
Cincinnati Kelly's Killers (AA, 1891)
Cincinnati · AA · 1891–1891
43-57Win% 0.4301 seasons
YearTeamWLWin%Notes
1891Cincinnati Kelly's Killers43570.430
Columbus Solons (AA, 1889–1891)
Columbus · AA · 1889–1891
200-209Win% 0.4893 seasons
YearTeamWLWin%Notes
1889Columbus Colts60780.435
1890Columbus Solons79550.590
1891Columbus Solons61760.445
Milwaukee Brewers (AA, 1891)
Milwaukee · AA · 1891–1891
21-15Win% 0.5831 seasons
YearTeamWLWin%Notes
1891Milwaukee Brewers21150.583
Philadelphia Quakers (AA, 1891)
Philadelphia · AA · 1891–1891
73-66Win% 0.5251 seasons
YearTeamWLWin%Notes
1891Philadelphia Quakers73660.525
Brooklyn Gladiators (AA, 1890)
Brooklyn · AA · 1890–1890
26-72Win% 0.2651 seasons
YearTeamWLWin%Notes
1890Brooklyn Gladiators26720.265
Rochester Hop Bitters (AA, 1890)
Rochester · AA · 1890–1890
63-63Win% 0.5001 seasons
YearTeamWLWin%Notes
1890Rochester Hop Bitters63630.500
Syracuse Stars (AA, 1890)
Syracuse · AA · 1890–1890
55-72Win% 0.4331 seasons
YearTeamWLWin%Notes
1890Syracuse Stars55720.433
Toledo Maumees (AA, 1890)
Toledo · AA · 1890–1890
68-64Win% 0.5151 seasons
YearTeamWLWin%Notes
1890Toledo Maumees68640.515
Indianapolis Hoosiers (NL, 1887–1889)
Indianapolis · NL · 1887–1889
146-249Win% 0.3703 seasons
YearTeamWLWin%Notes
1887Indianapolis Hoosiers37890.294
1888Indianapolis Hoosiers50850.370
1889Indianapolis Hoosiers59750.440
Kansas City Blues (AA, 1888–1889)
Kansas City · AA · 1888–1889
98-171Win% 0.3642 seasons
YearTeamWLWin%Notes
1888Kansas City Blues43890.326
1889Kansas City Blues55820.402
Washington Nationals (NL, 1886–1889)
Washington · NL · 1886–1889
163-337Win% 0.3264 seasons
YearTeamWLWin%Notes
1886Washington Nationals28920.233
1887Washington Nationals46760.377
1888Washington Nationals48860.358
1889Washington Nationals41830.331
New York Metropolitans (AA, 1883–1887)
New York · AA · 1883–1887
270-309Win% 0.4665 seasons
1884
YearTeamWLWin%Notes
1883New York Metropolitans54420.563
1884New York Metropolitans75320.701Pre-1903 cup appearance
1885New York Metropolitans44640.407
1886New York Metropolitans53820.393
1887New York Metropolitans44890.331
Kansas City Cowboys (NL, 1886)
Kansas City · NL · 1886–1886
30-91Win% 0.2481 seasons
YearTeamWLWin%Notes
1886Kansas City Cowboys30910.248
St. Louis Maroons (NL, 1885–1886)
St. Louis · NL · 1885–1886
79-151Win% 0.3442 seasons
YearTeamWLWin%Notes
1885St. Louis Maroons36720.333
1886St. Louis Maroons43790.352
Buffalo Bisons (NL, 1879–1885)
Buffalo · NL · 1879–1885
314-333Win% 0.4857 seasons
YearTeamWLWin%Notes
1879Buffalo Bisons46320.590
1880Buffalo Bisons24580.293
1881Buffalo Bisons45380.542
1882Buffalo Bisons45390.536
1883Buffalo Bisons52450.536
1884Buffalo Bisons64470.577
1885Buffalo Bisons38740.339
Cleveland Blues (NL, 1879–1884)
Cleveland · NL · 1879–1884
242-299Win% 0.4476 seasons
YearTeamWLWin%Notes
1879Cleveland Blues27550.329
1880Cleveland Blues47370.559
1881Cleveland Blues36480.429
1882Cleveland Blues42400.512
1883Cleveland Blues55420.567
1884Cleveland Blues35770.313
Columbus Colts (AA, 1883–1884)
Columbus · AA · 1883–1884
101-104Win% 0.4932 seasons
YearTeamWLWin%Notes
1883Columbus Colts32650.330
1884Columbus Colts69390.639
Indianapolis Blues (AA, 1884)
Indianapolis · AA · 1884–1884
29-78Win% 0.2711 seasons
YearTeamWLWin%Notes
1884Indianapolis Hoosiers29780.271
Richmond Virginians (AA, 1884)
Richmond · AA · 1884–1884
12-30Win% 0.2861 seasons
YearTeamWLWin%Notes
1884Richmond Virginians12300.286
Toledo Blue Stockings (AA, 1884)
Toledo · AA · 1884–1884
46-58Win% 0.4421 seasons
YearTeamWLWin%Notes
1884Toledo Blue Stockings46580.442
Washington Nationals (AA, 1884)
Washington · AA · 1884–1884
12-51Win% 0.1911 seasons
YearTeamWLWin%Notes
1884Washington Nationals12510.191
Troy Trojans (NL, 1879–1882)
Troy · NL · 1879–1882
134-191Win% 0.4124 seasons
YearTeamWLWin%Notes
1879Troy Trojans19560.253
1880Troy Trojans41420.494
1881Troy Trojans39450.464
1882Troy Trojans35480.422
Worcester Brown Stockings (NL, 1880–1882)
Worcester · NL · 1880–1882
90-159Win% 0.3613 seasons
YearTeamWLWin%Notes
1880Worcester Brown Stockings40430.482
1881Worcester Brown Stockings32500.390
1882Worcester Brown Stockings18660.214
Cincinnati Reds (NL, 1876–1880)
Cincinnati · NL · 1876–1880
125-217Win% 0.3665 seasons
YearTeamWLWin%Notes
1876Cincinnati Reds9560.139
1877Cincinnati Reds15420.263
1878Cincinnati Reds37230.617
1879Cincinnati Reds43370.537
1880Cincinnati Reds21590.263
Syracuse Stars (NL, 1879)
Syracuse · NL · 1879–1879
22-48Win% 0.3141 seasons
YearTeamWLWin%Notes
1879Syracuse Stars22480.314
Indianapolis Browns (NL, 1878)
Indianapolis · NL · 1878–1878
24-36Win% 0.4001 seasons
YearTeamWLWin%Notes
1878Indianapolis Browns24360.400
Milwaukee Grays (NL, 1878)
Milwaukee · NL · 1878–1878
15-45Win% 0.2501 seasons
YearTeamWLWin%Notes
1878Milwaukee Grays15450.250
Hartford/Brooklyn Hartfords (NL, 1876–1877)
Hartford/Brooklyn · NL · 1876–1877
78-48Win% 0.6192 seasons
YearTeamWLWin%Notes
1876Hartford Dark Blues47210.691
1877Brooklyn Hartfords31270.534
Louisville Grays (NL, 1876–1877)
Louisville · NL · 1876–1877
65-61Win% 0.5162 seasons
YearTeamWLWin%Notes
1876Louisville Grays30360.455
1877Louisville Grays35250.583
St. Louis Brown Stockings (NL, 1876–1877)
St. Louis · NL · 1876–1877
73-51Win% 0.5892 seasons
YearTeamWLWin%Notes
1876St. Louis Brown Stockings45190.703
1877St. Louis Brown Stockings28320.467
New York Mutuals (NL, 1876)
New York · NL · 1876–1876
21-35Win% 0.3751 seasons
YearTeamWLWin%Notes
1876New York Mutuals21350.375
Philadelphia Athletics (NL, 1876)
Philadelphia · NL · 1876–1876
14-45Win% 0.2371 seasons
YearTeamWLWin%Notes
1876Philadelphia Athletics14450.237
About this page

Franchises that played at least one National League, American League, American Association, Players League, Federal League or Union Association season but no longer exist as independent clubs. Includes 19th-century charter members and short-lived 1870s and 1880s teams.

Disambiguators in parens separate name collisions: Orioles (1) is the 1882-1899 American Association club, Reds (1) is the early Cincinnati franchise, and so on.

The active 30 are at /teams/mlb. Source: MLB workbook (Totals sheet, defunct rows). Championships count pre-1903 cup wins and NL pennants.