What MLB Teams Have Never Won a World Series? The 4 Still Waiting
Four MLB teams have never won a World Series. They are the San Diego Padres, Seattle Mariners, Colorado Rockies and Tampa Bay Rays. All four joined the majors in 1969 or later, and every older club has at least one title.
The Milwaukee Brewers came off the list on October 28, 2026. They beat the Rays 4-1 in the World Series, in their 58th season.
Who in each class has won
14 clubs have joined since 1961. 9 have won a World Series and 5 have not.
Gold bar: seasons to the first title. Striped bar: still waiting.
Four clubs, six World Series, no titles
The four clubs have played in six World Series and lost every one. They won 5 games in those Series and lost 24.
| Club | First season | Seasons | World Series | Playoff years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| San Diego Padres | 1969 | 58 | 1984: lost to Tigers 1-4 1998: lost to Yankees 0-4 | 10 |
| Seattle Mariners | 1977 | 50 | Never reached one | 6 |
| Colorado Rockies | 1993 | 34 | 2007: lost to Red Sox 0-4 | 5 |
| Tampa Bay Rays | 1998, as the Devil Rays | 29 | 2008: lost to Phillies 1-4 2020: lost to Dodgers 2-4 2026: lost to Brewers 1-4 | 10 |
The four clubs without a World Series title, oldest first. Season and playoff counts include 2026.
San Diego started in 1969, the same year as Milwaukee, so 2026 was the 58th season for both. The Brewers knocked the Padres out of the 2026 playoffs, 3-1 in the Division Series.
How close each club has come
Mariners: 116 wins in 2001, a Game 7 in 2025
Seattle has never played in a World Series. The Mariners have reached the ALCS four times, in 1995, 2000, 2001 and 2025, and lost all four. The 2001 team tied the MLB record with 116 wins, then lost to the Yankees in five games. In 2025 the Blue Jays won Game 7 by 4-3 on a three run homer by George Springer.
Padres: two pennants, one World Series game won
San Diego won the 1984 NLCS after dropping the first two games to the Cubs. Detroit then took the World Series in five games. In 1998 the Padres beat the Astros and the Braves, and the Yankees swept them. Their most recent NLCS trip ended with a 4-1 loss to the Phillies in 2022.
Rockies: 7 straight playoff wins in 2007, then a sweep
Colorado swept the Phillies and the Diamondbacks in 2007, then lost four straight to the Red Sox. The Rockies have five playoff trips and have never won the NL West. Since that pennant they have won 2 playoff games, in the 2009 Division Series and the 2018 Wild Card Game.
Rays: 3 for 3 in the ALCS, 0 for 3 in the World Series
Tampa Bay has won every ALCS it has played: Boston in 2008, Houston in 2020 and Cleveland in 2026. The World Series has gone the other way. Tampa Bay lost to the Phillies, the Dodgers and, in 2026, the Brewers.
Ten expansion clubs that ended the wait
Fourteen clubs have joined the majors since 1961. Ten have won a World Series, and every club still waiting joined in the same year as one that won.
| Club | First season | First title | Beat | Season number | Series record |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Arizona Diamondbacks | 1998 | 2001 | Yankees 4-3 | 4th | 1-1 |
| Florida (now Miami) Marlins | 1993 | 1997 | Indians 4-3 | 5th | 2-0 |
| New York Mets | 1962 | 1969 | Orioles 4-1 | 8th | 2-3 |
| Toronto Blue Jays | 1977 | 1992 | Braves 4-2 | 16th | 2-1 |
| Kansas City Royals | 1969 | 1985 | Cardinals 4-3 | 17th | 2-2 |
| Los Angeles Angels | 1961 | 2002 | Giants 4-3 | 42nd | 1-0 |
| Washington Nationals | 1969, as the Montreal Expos | 2019 | Astros 4-3 | 51st | 1-0 |
| Houston Astros | 1962, as the Colt .45s | 2017 | Dodgers 4-3 | 56th | 2-3 |
| Milwaukee Brewers | 1969, as the Seattle Pilots | 2026 | Rays 4-1 | 58th | 1-1 |
| Texas Rangers | 1961, as the Washington Senators | 2023 | Diamondbacks 4-1 | 63rd | 1-2 |
The ten clubs from 1961 or later with a World Series title, quickest first title at the top. Series records run through 2026.
2001: Arizona wins in season 4
The Diamondbacks beat the Yankees in seven games in only their fourth season. No club since 1961 has won a first title sooner. Florida was next, beating Cleveland in 1997 in its fifth season.
2023: Texas wins in season 63
The Rangers began as the Washington Senators in 1961 and lost the 2010 and 2011 World Series. They beat Arizona 4-1 in 2023, their 63rd season. That was the most recent first title until 2026.
2026: Milwaukee wins in season 58
The Brewers had led St. Louis 3-2 in the 1982 World Series and lost the last two games. In 2026 they beat Tampa Bay in five, clinching with a 4-1 win at Tropicana Field. Only Texas waited more seasons for a first title among these ten clubs.
Every club older than 1961 has a title
All 16 clubs that played before expansion have won the World Series at least once. The Phillies were the last of them, beating the Royals in 1980 in their 98th season.
Compare the four with
The Marlins, Angels and Nationals have never lost a World Series. Toronto was 2-0 until the 2025 Series, which the Dodgers won in seven games.
Questions about the clubs still waiting
Which MLB team has never been to the World Series?
The Seattle Mariners. They began in 1977 and have reached the ALCS four times without winning it. The closest call was 2025, when Toronto beat them 4-3 in Game 7 on a George Springer home run.
Who was the last MLB team to win its first World Series?
The Milwaukee Brewers, in 2026. They beat the Tampa Bay Rays 4-1 in their 58th season, counting from 1969 as the Seattle Pilots. Before them, the Texas Rangers won their first title in 2023.
Which team has gone the longest since its last World Series title?
The Cleveland Guardians. Their last title came in 1948, and 2026 was their 78th straight season without one. Cleveland lost the 1954, 1995, 1997 and 2016 World Series and fell to Tampa Bay in the 2026 ALCS.
Which MLB teams have never lost a World Series?
Three clubs: the Miami Marlins (2-0), Los Angeles Angels (1-0) and Washington Nationals (1-0). The Marlins won in 1997 and 2003, the Angels in 2002 and the Nationals in 2019.
Which club still waiting has come closest?
The Tampa Bay Rays, with three World Series trips: 2008, 2020 and 2026. They have won 4 games in those Series and lost 12. Milwaukee beat them in five games in 2026.
One club’s full October record is on the Brewers World Series history page. Every champion and runner up since 1903 sits on our World Series winners by year list. The MLB hub holds the rest of our baseball counts.
Sources
Results, first seasons and playoff counts line up across MLB.com, Baseball-Reference, SABR, CBS Sports and AP reports. Main pages: MLB.com on the longest title droughts and Baseball-Reference on expansion teams.
Last verified: October 30, 2026.
