A list of teams that have not won a World Series to date

A list of teams that have not won a World Series to date

Kevin Omuya
updated at April 12, 2023 at 8:27 PM

The excitement of cheering for our favourite team to a significant victory, especially a championship, is a huge reason for doing it. You are in luck if your favourite team tends to play itself into a playoff spot. If you root for one of the underwhelming teams that have not won a World Series, you might not like it.

Teams that have not won a world series
Jarred Kelenic is #10 of the Seattle Mariners bats during the game against the San Diego Padres at Peoria Stadium on February 24, 2023, in Peoria, Arizona. Photo: Chris Bernacchi
Source: Getty Images

No Major League Baseball club ever stops working toward the ultimate prize of winning the World Series. Both players and front office staff put in many hours striving for a shot at the World Series, but some teams have more success than others at making the postseason and ultimately winning the title. It has been contested annually since 1903. The 1992 and 1993 World Series were defeated by the Toronto Blue Jays, making them the only non-American team to do it.

How many teams have never won a World Series?

Six MLB teams have never won a World Series. The Rangers, Padres, Brewers, Mariners, Rockies, and Rays have never won. Of these six teams without a title, only one has never made it to the World Series: the Mariners. Until this year, the Mariners had the longest playoff drought across the four major pro sports, according to the MLB.

The Rays appeared most recently, losing to the Los Angeles Dodgers in 2020. Let us look at each team that did not win a World Series.

6. Colorado Rockies

What teams did not win a world series?
Bernabel #76 of the Colorado Rockies during the game against the Milwaukee Brewers at Salt River Fields on February 26, 2023, in Scottsdale, Arizona. Photo: David Durochik
Source: Getty Images

Colorado Rockies is among the teams that have never won a World Series. Although they have yet to win a division title, the Rockies made the National League playoffs as a Wild Card team in 2007. They won 21 out of 22 games during their run to the World Series, where the Boston Red Sox swept them.

Coors Field in Denver, Colorado, is the highest altitude stadium in Major League Baseball at 5,200 feet (1,580 meters) above sea level. The dry, thin air in Denver makes Coors Field one of the best-hitting environments in the world, giving the Rockies a minor offensive edge in most games.

As a member of MLB since 1993, the Rockies are relatively new to the league. They have had talents like Todd Helton, Larry Walker, and Troy Tulowitzki play there, and they want to win a World Series soon.

5. Texas Rangers

How many teams have never won a world series?
Jacob Barnes #68 of the Texas Rangers pitches during their game against Cleveland Guardians at Progressive Field on Sunday, February 26, 2023, in Cleveland, Ohio. Photo: Adam Glanzman
Source: Getty Images

Texas Rangers are one of the baseball teams that have not won a World Series. They have the longest active drought. The drought began in 1961 when the Washington Senators were established as a professional baseball team.

After moving to Texas in 1972, the team changed its name to reflect its new home state. The Rangers did not make the postseason for the first time until 1996, and the Yankees swept them in four games in the Division Series.

The Rangers' 2010 and 2011 World Series losses to the San Francisco Giants and the St. Louis Cardinals were devastating. They were up by two runs in the bottom of the ninth inning against the Cardinals and had a chance to win it all thanks to a two-run triple from David Freese. The Rangers declared they intend to break their championship drought by signing shortstop Corey Seager to a record-setting 10-year, $325 million contract.

4. Tampa Bay Rays

Baseball teams that haven't won a world series
Tampa Bay Rays Pitcher Ryan Thompson (81) during the MLB spring training game against Baltimore Orioles on March 05, 2023, at Tropicana Field in St. Petersburg, FL. Photo: Cliff Welch
Source: Getty Images

The Rays, who joined MLB in 1998 as the Devil Rays but changed their name in 2002, have never won the World Series. To the satisfaction of the team's 7,000 cheering fans, the term "Devil" was removed from the moniker after it failed to win over most of the fan base.

Once they changed their name, things started looking up for the Rays. They moved from an MLB-worst 97-loss average to 2008 and 2020 American League championships.

Even though the 2008 World Series was a disappointing loss for the Rays (5-1) to the Phillies (4-0), it was still an incredible season for Tampa Bay, as it was their first time in the postseason. The Los Angeles Dodgers swept the Tampa Bay Rays in six games in 2020. Tampa Bay has an impressive knack for finding hidden gems, and despite playing in one of the smallest MLB markets and one of the poorest stadiums in the league, they can compete with some of the top teams.

3. Milwaukee Brewers

Six teams that have not won a world series
Hendry Mendez #83 of the Milwaukee Brewers bats during the game against the Colorado Rockies at Salt River Fields on February 26, 2023, in Scottsdale, Arizona. Photo: David Durochik
Source: Getty Images

Created in 1969 as the Seattle Pilots, the organisation moved to Milwaukee. It changed its name to the Milwaukee Brewers in 1972 after filing for bankruptcy because Seattle had the weakest stadium in the league and the highest ticket prices.

In 1982, the Brewers won the American League and made it to the World Series for the first time in franchise history. They won Game 1 of the World Series 10-0 and went up 3-2 in the series before the Cardinals returned and won in seven games.

In 2018, Milwaukee competed in the National League Championship Series, where the Los Angeles Dodgers swept them. In 2021, they fell to the Atlanta Braves. The Brewers have recently routinely punched above their weight in the playoffs, giving their fans hope that they can finally win a World Series for the team.

2. San Diego Padres

Teams that have never won a world series
Luis Campusano, #12 of the San Diego Padres, hits a home run during a spring training game against the Arizona Diamondbacks on March 4, 2023, in Scottsdale, Arizona. Photo: Matt Thomas
Source: Getty Images

Although they have been playing since 1969, the San Diego Padres have yet to win a World Series since joining Major League Baseball. The Padres have won two National League championships, in 1984 and 1998.

The Padres beat the Cubs in the National League Championship Series in 1984, setting up a World Series game against the Tigers. As a result of their 1998 World Series victory over the Atlanta Braves, they were awarded a matchup against the New York Yankees. Both series ended with a five-game loss for the Padres.

San Diego is the largest American city that has yet to win a title in a major sports league. The 2016 move of the San Diego Chargers to Los Angeles further complicated their chances. Since the San Diego Chargers were moving to Los Angeles in 2016, they will no longer have an NFL team to support.

Fans can appreciate that the team's ownership is prepared to spend like a major league club. The Padres have signalled their determination to end their long postseason drought by signing one of the league's best shortstops, Fernando Tatis Jr., to one of the most significant MLB contracts in history.

1. Seattle Mariners

Teams that have never won a world series
Julio Rodriguez #44 greets teammate Sam Haggerty #0 of the Seattle Mariners against the Chicago Cubs at Sloan Park on March 01, 2023, in Mesa, Arizona. Photo: Chris Coduto
Source: Getty Images

Seattle's MLB franchise, the Mariners, has been around since 1977 but has yet to bring home baseball's ultimate prize. They are the only MLB franchise that has never reached the Fall Classic.

In the 1990s and early 2000s, the Mariners enjoyed some success, as seen by their appearance in the American League Championship Game three times (they lost all three). The Mariners' 20-year exile from the playoffs ended in 2022 when they finished the regular season with a 90-72 record.

T-Mobile Park is one of the greatest in Major League Baseball, and the Mariners would want to host additional postseason games there. Since Seattle is a significant market, the Mariners can afford to make massive salary investments and participate in blockbuster transactions to break their long championship drought.

Who won the most World Series?

Who won the most World Series?
Josh Donaldson, #28 of the New York Yankees, during a Grapefruit League Spring Training game at George M. Steinbrenner Field on March 06, 2023, in Tampa, Florida. Photo: Julio Aguilar
Source: Getty Images

With 27 championships, the New York Yankees have more than any other team. From 1949 through 1953, the Yankees won five games in a row, an MLB record.

What team purposely lost the World Series?

The White Sox of Chicago. Eight members of the Chicago White Sox were suspected of throwing the 1919 World Series against the Cincinnati Reds for money from a betting syndicate directed by Arnold Rothstein, which became known as the "Black Sox Scandal" in Major League Baseball.

It is worth noting that some of these teams that have not won a World Series have only existed for a relatively short time, such as the Arizona Diamondbacks and Tampa Bay Rays. However, they have yet to win a World Series title, which is the ultimate goal of every team in Major League Baseball.

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Kevin Omuya
Kevin Omuya is a Content Writer with 4 years of experience who joined Sports Brief in 2022. In 2019 he held a Bachelor of Arts in Journalism & Digital Media from KCA University.