The grandest stage in MLB has crowned dozens of champions hoisting the Commissioner’s Trophy. Yet, a handful of active franchises have repeatedly knocked on the door of glory only to come away empty-handed, still chasing the first championship in club history.
A total of five active MLB franchises have never won a World Series: the San Diego Padres, Milwaukee Brewers, Seattle Mariners, Colorado Rockies, and Tampa Bay Rays.
Among those five ringless clubs, Seattle stands alone as the only franchise never to capture an American League pennant or reach the Fall Classic since its inception in 1977.
The Rays came closest in recent memory to won a World Series for the first time, pushing the Los Angeles Dodgers to six games during the pandemic-shortened 2020 campaign.
Championship rings at a World Series Championship ceremony.
Franchises that have reached the World Series
While the Rays, Padres, Brewers, and Rockies have all broken through to win pennants, all four fell short of finishing the job. Here is how each franchise has fared on baseball’s biggest stage:
| Franchise | World Series Appearances | Results |
| San Diego Padres | 2 (1984, 1998) | Lost 4-1 vs. DET (1984); lost 4-0 vs. NYY (1998) |
| Milwaukee Brewers* | 1 (1982) | Lost 4-3 vs. STL (1982) |
| Colorado Rockies | 1 (2007) | Lost 4-0 vs. BOS (2007) |
| Tampa Bay Rays* | 2 (2008, 2020) | Lost 4-1 vs. PHI (2008); lost 4-2 vs. LAD (2020) |
The Padres and Brewers share baseball’s longest active championship droughts at 57 seasons apiece, while the Mariners will hit the half-century mark without a title in 2027. By comparison, the Rockies (33 seasons) and Rays (28 seasons) remain relatively young franchises still seeking their maiden ring.
When was the last time a franchise ended a historic drought?
In 2023, the Texas Rangers snapped a 63-year title drought dating back to their founding in 1961. Texas put an end to the franchise’s long wait by dispatching the Arizona Diamondbacks in five games (4–1).
Key takeaways
- Five active MLB franchises have never won a World Series title.
- The Seattle Mariners remain the only MLB franchise to never reach the Fall Classic.
- The Texas Rangers snapped a 63-year championship drought by winning the 2023 World Series.
