Which MLB Teams Have Never Won A World Series?

Forbes

30 October 2023

Since the World Series debuted in 1903, only six current teams have failed to win baseball’s biggest prize. None have come closer than the Texas Rangers.

With their seven-game ALCS win over the rival Houston Astros, the Rangers clinched a spot in the 2023 World Series to set up a championship clash with the Arizona Diamondbacks, who won their lone title in 2001.

The Rangers have spent 63 years in pursuit of a World Series title. The franchise reached this stage twice before, in 2010 and 2011, but fell short both times. The Rangers entered the 2023 World Series as betting favorites to beat Arizona – which previously made history as the fastest expansion team in MLB history to win it all after joining the league in 1998.

Betting on a First-Time MLB Winner

Entering the season, DraftKings Sportsbook offered a prop bet on whether one of those six teams without a World Series title would break through. The wager had bettors answering “yes” or “no” on whether there would be a first-time World Series winner in 2023.

The bet will likely be offered again next season.

MLB First-Time WS Winner

Yes: +320
No: -425

For those new to baseball betting, a bettor who put $100 on the “yes” wager would profit $320 if one of those six teams walked away as champion. When considering a wager like this, remember that betting “yes” is like a futures bet where you get several chances to win. A bettor who took the “no” side had to risk $425 to profit $100.

Now, let’s look at the teams who have never won the World Series.

Texas Rangers

While the Rangers defied the odds with their run to the 2023 World Series, Dallas-Fort Worth baseball fans have seen some lackluster baseball since the team moved to Arlington in 1972.

The team’s precursor, the Washington Senators, never won a World Series, either. The tough times changed in 1996, with the team securing a playoff appearance after winning the AL West. The Rangers saw a repeat performance in 1998, with Juan Gonzalez winning MVP.

The Rangers won the division again in ‘99 but never advanced beyond the ALDS in three playoff appearances. More time in the MLB wilderness followed with third- or fourth-place finishes from 2000-07.

After two second-place divisional finishes in 2008-09, the Rangers saw the two best seasons in their history. In 2010 and 2011, with team legends like Josh Hamilton and Adrian Beltre, the team secured back-to-back World Series appearances. The first saw the Rangers fall in five games to the San Francisco Giants and the second Series loss in Game 7 at the hands of the St. Louis Cardinals.

The Rangers made the playoffs three times over the next 11 years before making a deep run in 2023, knocking off the defending champion Astros in the ALCS to clinch their third World Series appearance in franchise history.

Colorado Rockies

The Colorado Rockies entered MLB as an expansion franchise in 1993. Considering that, the team found quick success by grabbing three third-place finishes and a second-place finish in four of their first five seasons. That second-place finish included an NLDS appearance that saw the Rockies fall to the Atlanta Braves in four games but earned Don Baylor Manager of the Year honors.

A dry stretch followed, with the Rockies not making the playoffs again until 2007. The team won 14 of their final 15 games to rally down the stretch for a second-place finish in the NL West, snagging a playoff appearance.

The Rockies then proved to be a juggernaut, knocking off the Phillies 3-0 in the NLDS. They followed up with another sweep in four games of the Diamondbacks for the team’s first and only pennant. The improbable run earned them the nickname “Rocktober,” with players like Matt Holliday and Todd Helton leading the way.

However, the fun ended in the World Series after getting swept by the Boston Red Sox. The club has made only three playoff appearances since, with a lone postseason win in the 2018 Wild Card.

Milwaukee Brewers

The Milwaukee Brewers may have caused many fans to tip back a few beers after qualifying for the postseason only twice in the club’s first 30 years. The team debuted in 1969 and finally saw an ALDS appearance in 1981 after a strike cut short about one-third of the league’s games that year.

Milwaukee took advantage and scraped together the team’s second-best finish since the franchise entered the league. The Brewers lost to the Yankees in five, but returning to the postseason a year later proved that ‘81 wasn’t a fluke.

The team again won the AL East, with Robin Yount, Paul Molitor and Cecil Cooper showing some power from the plate. The 1982 season proved the best in Brewers history, with the team advancing to the World Series but falling in Game 7 to the St. Louis Cardinals.

From 1983 to 2007, the franchise missed the playoffs but finally returned in 2008, only to lose to the Phillies in the NLDS. Another NLCS appearance followed in 2011, with four straight playoff appearances from 2018-21 and another appearance in 2023. None of those have matched that miracle season of 1982, however.

San Diego Padres

After debuting in 1969, the San Diego Padres struggled before making the club’s first postseason appearance in 1984. That playoff drought came despite possessing two Cy Young winners, Randy Jones and Gaylord Perry, and 1976 Rookie of the Year winner Butch Metzger.

That 1984 season proved magical for Padres fans, beating the Cubs 3-2 in the ALDS but falling to the Detroit Tigers in five games in the World Series. The Padres saw more success in the mid-’90s with a pair of division titles.

The second of those division titles, in 1996, saw the Padres advance to the World Series thanks to great seasons by players like Tony Gwynn, Greg Vaughn, Ken Caminiti, Andy Ashby and Kevin Brown. But the season ended with a sweep by the Yankees.

Another drought ensued for the franchise from 1999 to 2019, with only two postseason appearances, both losses. Some recent years have been better, with the Padres finishing runner-up in 2020 and 2022 in the NL West and advancing to the NLDS and NLCS before missing the playoffs again in 2023.

Seattle Mariners

Since the Seattle Mariners debuted in 1977, they have struggled and are the only franchise on this list without a World Series appearance. Despite legends like Ken Griffey Jr., Alex Rodriguez, Edgar Martinez and Ichiro Suzuki suiting up for Seattle, winning seasons have been rare.

The Mariners’ first playoff appearance came in 1995 with an AL West title. After dispatching the Yankees in five games in the ALDS, the run ended against Cleveland in the ALCS. Randy Johnson earned the Cy Young award, and Lou Pinella was voted Manager of the Year.

The Mariners were back in the postseason two years later but fell in the ALDS to the Orioles despite Griffey earning MVP honors. After solid seasons in 2000 and 2001, the Mariners fell in the ALCS to the Yankees in both years. Some solace? The Yanks won the Series in 2000.

The team then suffered a 21-year postseason drought before returning in 2022, finishing second in the AL West before getting swept by the division leader Astros, who went on to win the World Series. Seattle finished one game short of the postseason in 2023 and still waits on its first World Series appearance.

Tampa Bay Rays

Despite numerous top-notch seasons since the franchise’s debut in 1998, the Rays are yet to bag the ultimate prize in baseball. It seems the team makes a playoff run every few years but falls short.

The latest came in the shortened Covid-19 bubble season in 2020, when the Rays played the Los Angeles Dodgers in the World Series at Globe Life Field in Arlington, Texas. The team lost in six games after finishing first in the AL East for the third year since 2010.

The Rays looked every bit of an expansion franchise for the team’s first decade in existence. The club never found a winning season and finished no higher than fourth in any of those seasons. But 2008 brought a dream season, with the Rays winning the AL East and advancing to the World Series. The team lost to the Phillies in five games, but Evan Longoria earned Rookie of the Year, and Joe Madden took Manager of the Year.

After winning or finishing second in the division in 2010 and 2011, the Rays lost to the Rangers in the ALDS. The franchise then saw some wins in the Wild Card round in 2013 and 2019, with playoff appearances also coming in each of the last three seasons. The Rays may not have won a World Series, yet they make some playoff noise on a semi-regular basis.