From worst to first: 13 improbable turnarounds in MLB history

The Red Sox won 93 games in 2016, besting both the Orioles and Blue Jays by four games to win the American League East. Boston’s win total marked a 15-game improvement on its 78-84 record from 2015, which resulted in a last-place finish.

The remarkable reversal helped the club become the 13th team in Major League Baseball history to go from worst to first. It’s a feat that requires a perfect storm — a savvy offseason signing, a timely trade or the emergence of a star.

The Red Sox signed ace starter David Price, saw right-hander Rick Porcello turn into a Cy Young winner and experienced the meteoric rise of outfielder Mookie Betts, propelling Boston to the pinnacle of the AL East.

It took nearly 90 years of Major League Baseball before a team ascended from worst to first. It has now happened 13 times since 1990, aided somewhat by the expansion to six divsions. This fact alone should give hope to fans of the six teams that finished in last in 2016: the Rays, Twins, A’s, Braves, Reds and Padres.

Here is every team that preceded the 2016 Red Sox in successfully completing the one-year turnaround.

1990/91 Braves

The 1991 Braves collected 94 wins, a 29-game improvement from the prior season. The free-agent signing of Terry Pendleton fueled the revival. The third baseman hit a National League-best .319, along with 22 home runs and 86 RBIs, en route to being named NL Most Valuable Player.

Blossoming young arms Tom Glavine, John Smoltz and Steve Avery helped Atlanta’s pitching staff record the NL’s third-lowest ERA, just one year after finishing last in the league in the same category.

Atlanta’s resurgence sparked a stretch of 14 straight division titles, which stands as the longest streak in MLB history.

1990/91 Twins

After not having a single team ever go from worst to first, it happened twice in the same season. The Twins went from 74-88 and a last-place finish in the AL West to winning the division and the World Series — over the Braves — a year later. They improved by 21 games, going 95-67.

The additions of designated hitter Chili Davis, right-hander Jack Morris and 1991 Rookie of the Year Chuck Knoblauch helped Minnesota execute a turnaround season.

1992/93 Phillies

The Phillies experienced a 27-win improvement from 1992-93, largely in part to veteran leadership and offensive firepower. They went 97-65 to capture the NL East.

Center fielder Lenny Dykstra hit .305 with 19 home runs and 66 RBIs, along with 37 stolen bases, while catcher Darren Daulton and first baseman John Kruk combined for 38 homers and 190 RBIs as Philadelphia led the NL in …

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