List of Major League Baseball franchise postseason droughts
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Throughout the history of Major League Baseball (MLB), franchises have had various postseason and World Series droughts.
All 16 of the original Major League franchises (i.e., those in place when the first World Series was played in 1903) have won the World Series, with the longest wait for a franchise's first championship being for the Phillies (77 seasons, ending in 1980). Since expansion began in 1961, five of the 14 expansion teams have never won the World Series. Furthermore, one franchise, the Cleveland Guardians, currently has a championship drought that pre-dates the expansion era. The three longest championship droughts in history were ended recently by the Red Sox (85 seasons, ending in 2004), the White Sox (87 seasons, ending in 2005), and the Cubs (107 seasons, ending in 2016).
Only one expansion franchise (the Seattle Mariners) has never won a pennant (i.e., the league championship, the two winners of which meet in the World Series). The three longest pennant droughts in history were recently ended by the Rangers (49 years, starting with the team's foundation and ending in 2010), the Cubs (70 years, ending in 2016), and the Nationals (50 years, starting with the team's foundation and ending in 2019, and including the franchise's entire 36 years as the Montreal Expos). As the Nationals are the third franchise to be based in the city of Washington, their 2019 pennant also ended a drought of 52 seasons played in Washington since their last pennant, which was in 1933 (discounting the 33 seasons during which there was no team in Washington).
As of the 2024 season, every active MLB franchise has qualified for the playoffs, especially since expansion of the playoffs in 1994 made that feat easier. The Angels have the longest active postseason drought at 10 years, while the Cincinnati Reds have the longest active postseason series-win drought at 28 years.[1] Long postseason droughts were ended recently by the Nationals (30 years, ending in 2012), the Pirates (20 years, ending in 2013), the Royals (28 years, ending in 2014), the Blue Jays (21 years, ending in 2015), and the Mariners (20 years, ending in 2022).
This list includes only the modern World Series between the American League (AL) and the National League (NL), not the various 19th-century championship series. Those teams which have never achieved a particular accomplishment in their franchise history are listed by the date they entered the leagues.
Postseason droughts
[edit]Longest current postseason droughts
[edit]Longest postseason droughts in the expanded-postseason era
[edit]After the postseason was expanded in 1995 to include eight teams (further expanded in 2012 to ten teams and again expanded in 2022 to 12 teams, including a 16-team postseason in 2020), 18 of the 30 teams qualified within the first five years, and few teams went for long droughts without at least participating in the first round of the postseason. This list only shows droughts of 15 or more seasons that occurred primarily in the expanded-postseason era.[2] Active droughts are listed in bold type.
| Seasons | Team | Previous Appearance | Next Appearance |
|---|---|---|---|
| 30 | Montreal Expos/Washington Nationals | 1981 | 2012 |
| 28 | Kansas City Royals | 1985 | 2014 |
| 25 | Milwaukee Brewers | 1982 | 2008 |
| 21 | Toronto Blue Jays | 1993 | 2015 |
| 20 | Pittsburgh Pirates | 1992 | 2013 |
| 20 | Seattle Mariners | 2001 | 2022 |
| 18 | Detroit Tigers | 1987 | 2006 |
| 16 | Florida/Miami Marlins | 2003 | 2020 |
| 15 | California/Anaheim Angels | 1986 | 2002 |
Longest current postseason series win droughts
[edit]League division champion droughts
[edit]Longest current division champion droughts
[edit]No league division champions were won in 1994 due to the players' strike that year.
* Because of the wild card postseason berth, the franchise has won two World Series championships (1997, 2003) without winning the division.
Longest division championship droughts through history
[edit]List begins with 1969, the time divisional play started in Major League Baseball. This list only shows droughts of 10 or more seasons. Active droughts are listed in bold type.
| Seasons | Team | Previous Division Title | Drought Streak | Next Division Title |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 32 | Colorado Rockies | — | 1993—2024 | — |
| 32 | Florida/Miami Marlins | — | 1993—2024 | — |
| 32 | Pittsburgh Pirates | 1992 | 1993—2024 | — |
| 30 | Montreal Expos/Washington Nationals | 1981 | 1982—2011 | 2012 |
| 29 | Kansas City Royals | 1985 | 1986—2014 | 2015 |
| 28 | Milwaukee Brewers | 1982 | 1983—2010 | 2011 |
| 27 | Washington Senators/Texas Rangers | — | 1969—1995 | 1996 |
| 26 | Cleveland Indians | — | 1969—1994 | 1995 |
| 23 | Detroit Tigers | 1987 | 1988—2010 | 2011 |
| 23 | Seattle Mariners | 2001 | 2002—2024 | — |
| 21 | Toronto Blue Jays | 1993 | 1993—2014 | 2015 |
| 18 | Seattle Mariners | — | 1977—1994 | 1995 |
| 18 | San Diego Padres | 2006 | 2007—2024 | — |
| 17 | California/Anaheim Angels | 1986 | 1987—2003 | 2004 |
| 17 | New York Mets | 1988 | 1989—2005 | 2006 |
| 16 | Minnesota Twins | 1970 | 1971—1986 | 1987 |
| 16 | Baltimore Orioles | 1997 | 1998—2013 | 2014 |
| 15 | Chicago Cubs | — | 1969—1983 | 1984 |
| 15 | San Diego Padres | — | 1969—1983 | 1984 |
| 15 | San Francisco Giants | 1971 | 1972—1986 | 1987 |
| 15 | Houston Astros | 2001 | 2002—2016 | 2017 |
| 14 | Chicago White Sox | — | 1969—1982 | 1983 |
| 14 | New York Yankees | 1981 | 1982—1995 | 1996 |
| 14 | Cincinnati Reds | 1995 | 1996—2009 | 2010 |
| 13 | St. Louis Cardinals | — | 1969—1981 | 1982 |
| 13 | Baltimore Orioles | 1983 | 1984—1996 | 1997 |
| 13 | Chicago Cubs | 1989 | 1990—2002 | 2003 |
| 13 | Philadelphia Phillies | 1993 | 1994—2006 | 2007 |
| 13 | Arizona Diamondbacks | 2011 | 2012—2024 | — |
| 12 | Montreal Expos | — | 1969—1980 | 1981 |
| 12 | Seattle Pilots/Milwaukee Brewers | — | 1969—1980 | 1981 |
| 12 | New York Mets | 1973 | 1974—1985 | 1986 |
| 12 | Chicago White Sox | 2008 | 2009—2020 | 2021 |
| 12 | Atlanta Braves | 1969 | 1970—1981 | 1982 |
| 12 | Philadelphia Phillies | 2011 | 2012—2023 | 2024 |
| 12 | Cincinnati Reds | 2012 | 2013—2024 | — |
| 11 | Houston Astros | — | 1969—1979 | 1980 |
| 11 | Detroit Tigers | 1972 | 1973—1983 | 1984 |
| 11 | San Diego Padres | 1984 | 1985—1995 | 1996 |
| 11 | Boston Red Sox | 1995 | 1996—2006 | 2007 |
| 10 | California Angels | — | 1969—1978 | 1979 |
| 10 | Boston Red Sox | 1975 | 1976—1985 | 1986 |
| 10 | Cincinnati Reds | 1979 | 1980—1989 | 1990 |
| 10 | Pittsburgh Pirates | 1979 | 1980—1989 | 1990 |
| 10 | Houston Astros | 1986 | 1987—1996 | 1997 |
| 10 | Minnesota Twins | 1991 | 1992—2001 | 2002 |
| 10 | Tampa Bay Devil Rays/Rays | — | 1998—2007 | 2008 |
| 10 | Texas Rangers | 1999 | 2000—2009 | 2010 |
| 10 | Detroit Tigers | 2014 | 2015—2024 | — |
| 10 | Los Angeles Angels | 2014 | 2015—2024 | — |
League championship appearance droughts
[edit]Longest current league championship appearance droughts
[edit]No league championships were played in 1994 due to the players' strike that year.
| Seasons | Team | Last appearance |
|---|---|---|
| 32 | Pittsburgh Pirates | 1992 |
| 29 | Cincinnati Reds | 1995 |
| 23 | Seattle Mariners | 2001 |
| 22 | Minnesota Twins | 2002 |
| 21 | Miami Marlins | 2003 |
| 19 | Chicago White Sox | 2005 |
| 18 | Oakland Athletics | 2006 |
| 17 | Colorado Rockies | 2007 |
| 15 | Los Angeles Angels | 2009 |
| 11 | Detroit Tigers | 2013 |
| 10 | San Francisco Giants | 2014 |
| 10 | Baltimore Orioles | 2014 |
| 9 | Kansas City Royals | 2015 |
| 8 | Toronto Blue Jays | 2016 |
| 7 | Chicago Cubs | 2017 |
| 6 | Milwaukee Brewers | 2018 |
| 5 | St. Louis Cardinals | 2019 |
| 5 | Washington Nationals | 2019 |
| 4 | Tampa Bay Rays | 2020 |
| 3 | Atlanta Braves | 2021 |
| 3 | Boston Red Sox | 2021 |
| 2 | San Diego Padres | 2022 |
| 1 | Houston Astros | 2023 |
| 1 | Texas Rangers | 2023 |
| 1 | Arizona Diamondbacks | 2023 |
| 1 | Philadelphia Phillies | 2023 |
| 0 | Cleveland Guardians | 2024 |
| 0 | New York Yankees | 2024 |
| 0 | Los Angeles Dodgers | 2024 |
| 0 | New York Mets | 2024 |
World Series appearance droughts
[edit]Longest current World Series appearance droughts
[edit]No World Series was played in 1994 due to the players' strike that year.
| Seasons | Team | Last World Series appearance |
|---|---|---|
| 48 | Seattle Mariners | Never (franchise started in 1977) |
| 45 | Pittsburgh Pirates | 1979 |
| 42 | Milwaukee Brewers | 1982[4] |
| 41 | Baltimore Orioles | 1983 |
| 34 | Cincinnati Reds | 1990 |
| 34 | Oakland Athletics | 1990 |
| 33 | Minnesota Twins | 1991 |
| 31 | Toronto Blue Jays | 1993 |
| 26 | San Diego Padres | 1998 |
| 22 | Los Angeles Angels | 2002 |
| 21 | Miami Marlins | 2003 |
| 19 | Chicago White Sox | 2005 |
| 17 | Colorado Rockies | 2007 |
| 12 | Detroit Tigers | 2012 |
| 11 | St. Louis Cardinals | 2013 |
| 10 | San Francisco Giants | 2014 |
| 9 | Kansas City Royals | 2015 |
| 9 | New York Mets | 2015 |
| 8 | Chicago Cubs | 2016 |
| 8 | Cleveland Guardians | 2016 |
| 6 | Boston Red Sox | 2018 |
| 5 | Washington Nationals | 2019 |
| 4 | Tampa Bay Rays | 2020 |
| 3 | Atlanta Braves | 2021 |
| 2 | Houston Astros | 2022 |
| 2 | Philadelphia Phillies | 2022 |
| 1 | Arizona Diamondbacks | 2023 |
| 1 | Texas Rangers | 2023 |
| 0 | Los Angeles Dodgers | 2024 |
| 0 | New York Yankees | 2024 |
Longest Major League pennant droughts through history
[edit]List begins with 1903, about the time the current configuration of National League and American League stabilized and also the year of the first World Series. No pennants were won in 1994 due to the players strike that year. This list only shows droughts of 20 or more seasons. Active droughts are listed in bold type.
| Seasons | Team | Previous Pennant | Drought Streak | Next Pennant |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 70 | Chicago Cubs | 1945 | 1946—2015 | 2016 |
| 50 | Montreal Expos/Washington Nationals | — | 1969—2018 | 2019 |
| 49 | Washington Senators/Texas Rangers | — | 1961—2009 | 2010 |
| 48 | Seattle Mariners | — | 1977—2024 | — |
| 45 | Chicago White Sox | 1959 | 1960—2004 | 2005 |
| 45 | Pittsburgh Pirates | 1979 | 1980—2024 | — |
| 43 | Houston Colt .45s/Astros | — | 1962—2004 | 2005 |
| 42 | Milwaukee Brewers | 1982 | 1983—2024 | — |
| 41 | St. Louis Browns | — | 1903—1943 | 1944 |
| 41 | Los Angeles/California/Anaheim Angels | — | 1961—2001 | 2002 |
| 41 | Baltimore Orioles | 1983 | 1984—2024 | — |
| 40 | Philadelphia/Kansas City/Oakland Athletics | 1931 | 1932—1971 | 1972 |
| 40 | Cleveland Indians | 1954 | 1955—1994 | 1995 |
| 39 | Chicago White Sox | 1919 | 1920—1958 | 1959 |
| 34 | Philadelphia Phillies | 1915 | 1916—1949 | 1950 |
| 34 | Cincinnati Reds | 1990 | 1991—2024 | — |
| 34 | Oakland Athletics | 1990 | 1991—2024 | — |
| 33 | Boston Braves | 1914 | 1915—1947 | 1948 |
| 33 | Minnesota Twins | 1991 | 1992—2024 | — |
| 32 | Pittsburgh Pirates | 1927 | 1928—1959 | 1960 |
| 32 | Milwaukee/Atlanta Braves | 1958 | 1959—1990 | 1991 |
| 31 | Washington Senators/Minnesota Twins | 1933 | 1934—1964 | 1965 |
| 31 | Toronto Blue Jays | 1993 | 1994—2024 | — |
| 29 | Philadelphia Phillies | 1950 | 1951—1979 | 1980 |
| 28 | Kansas City Royals | 1985 | 1986—2013 | 2014 |
| 28 | Los Angeles Dodgers | 1988 | 1989—2016 | 2017 |
| 27 | Boston Red Sox | 1918 | 1919—1945 | 1946 |
| 27 | Cleveland Indians | 1920 | 1921—1947 | 1948 |
| 26 | San Francisco Giants | 1962 | 1963—1988 | 1989 |
| 26 | San Diego Padres | 1998 | 1999—2024 | — |
| 24 | Detroit Tigers | 1909 | 1910—1933 | 1934 |
| 23 | St. Louis Cardinals | — | 1903—1925 | 1926 |
| 22 | Detroit Tigers | 1945 | 1946—1967 | 1968 |
| 22 | Anaheim/Los Angeles Angels | 2002 | 2003—2024 | — |
| 21 | Washington Senators | — | 1903—1923 | 1924 |
| 21 | St. Louis Browns/Baltimore Orioles | 1944 | 1945—1965 | 1966 |
| 21 | Minnesota Twins | 1965 | 1966—1986 | 1987 |
| 21 | Detroit Tigers | 1984 | 1985—2005 | 2006 |
| 21 | Atlanta Braves | 1999 | 2000—2020 | 2021 |
| 21 | Arizona Diamondbacks | 2001 | 2002—2022 | 2023 |
| 21 | Florida/Miami Marlins | 2003 | 2004—2024 | — |
| 20 | Brooklyn Dodgers | 1920 | 1921—1940 | 1941 |
| 20 | Cincinnati Reds | 1940 | 1941—1960 | 1961 |
| 20 | Boston Red Sox | 1946 | 1947—1966 | 1967 |
Major League pennant droughts by city/region
[edit]This list only includes cities/regions with current Major League Baseball franchises. Years during which a city/region did not field a Major League Baseball team are not counted.
*city without Major League Baseball franchise for 7 seasons (1970–1976)
†number does not indicate a pennant won, but rather total seasons played.
World Series championship droughts
[edit]Longest current World Series championship droughts
[edit]The Commissioner's Trophy was introduced during the 1967 World Series.
No World Series was played in 1994, and counts as a drought season for those franchises.
Longest World Series championship droughts through history
[edit]The first World Series was played in 1903. No World Series was played in 1904 or 1994. This list only shows droughts of 30 or more seasons. Active droughts are listed in bold type.
| Seasons | Team | Previous Title | Drought Streak | Next Title |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 107 | Chicago Cubs | 1908 | 1909—2015 | 2016 |
| 87 | Chicago White Sox | 1917 | 1918—2004 | 2005 |
| 85 | Boston Red Sox | 1918 | 1919—2003 | 2004 |
| 77 | Philadelphia Phillies | — | 1903—1979 | 1980 |
| 76 | Cleveland Indians/Guardians | 1948 | 1949—2024 | — |
| 63 | St. Louis Browns/Baltimore Orioles | — | 1903—1965 | 1966 |
| 62 | Washington Senators/Minnesota Twins | 1924 | 1925—1986 | 1987 |
| 62 | Washington Senators/Texas Rangers | — | 1961—2022 | 2023 |
| 56 | Seattle Pilots/Milwaukee Brewers | — | 1969—2024 | — |
| 56 | San Diego Padres | — | 1969—2024 | — |
| 55 | New York/San Francisco Giants | 1954 | 1955—2009 | 2010 |
| 55 | Houston Colt .45s/Astros | — | 1962—2016 | 2017 |
| 52 | Brooklyn Dodgers | — | 1903—1954 | 1955 |
| 50 | Montreal Expos/Washington Nationals | — | 1969—2018 | 2019 |
| 48 | Seattle Mariners | — | 1977—2024 | — |
| 45 | Pittsburgh Pirates | 1979 | 1980—2024 | — |
| 42 | Boston/Milwaukee Braves | 1914 | 1915—1956 | 1957 |
| 41 | Philadelphia/Kansas City/Oakland Athletics | 1930 | 1931—1971 | 1972 |
| 41 | Los Angeles/California/Anaheim Angels | — | 1961—2001 | 2002 |
| 41 | Baltimore Orioles | 1983 | 1984—2024 | — |
| 40 | Detroit Tigers | 1984 | 1985—2024 | — |
| 38 | New York Mets | 1986 | 1987—2024 | — |
| 37 | Milwaukee/Atlanta Braves | 1957 | 1958—1994 | 1995 |
| 35 | Oakland Athletics | 1989 | 1990—2024 | — |
| 34 | Pittsburgh Pirates | 1925 | 1926—1959 | 1960 |
| 34 | Cincinnati Reds | 1940 | 1941—1974 | 1975 |
| 34 | Cincinnati Reds | 1990 | 1991—2024 | — |
| 33 | Minnesota Twins | 1991 | 1992—2024 | — |
| 32 | Detroit Tigers | — | 1903—1934 | 1935 |
| 32 | Colorado Rockies | — | 1993—2024 | — |
| 31 | Los Angeles Dodgers | 1988 | 1989—2019 | 2020 |
| 31 | Toronto Blue Jays | 1993 | 1994—2024 | — |
World Series championship droughts by city/region
[edit]This list only includes cities/regions with current Major League Baseball franchises. Years during which a city/region did not field a Major League Baseball team are not counted.
| Region | Drought (seasons) | Last World Series title |
|---|---|---|
| Cleveland | 76 | Cleveland Indians, 1948 |
| Milwaukee | 63* | Milwaukee Braves, 1957 |
| San Diego | 56‡ | None |
| Seattle | 49† ‡ | None |
| Pittsburgh | 45 | Pittsburgh Pirates, 1979 |
| Baltimore | 41 | Baltimore Orioles, 1983 |
| Detroit | 40 | Detroit Tigers, 1984 |
| Cincinnati | 34 | Cincinnati Reds, 1990 |
| Minneapolis–Saint Paul | 33 | Minnesota Twins, 1991 |
| Denver | 32‡ | None |
| Toronto | 31 | Toronto Blue Jays, 1993 |
| Tampa-St. Petersburg | 27‡ | None |
| Phoenix | 23 | Arizona Diamondbacks, 2001 |
| Miami-Ft. Lauderdale | 21 | Florida Marlins, 2003 |
| Philadelphia | 16 | Philadelphia Phillies, 2008 |
| New York City | 14 | New York Yankees, 2009 |
| St. Louis | 13 | St. Louis Cardinals, 2011 |
| San Francisco Bay Area | 10 | San Francisco Giants, 2014 |
| Kansas City | 9 | Kansas City Royals, 2015 |
| Chicago | 8 | Chicago Cubs, 2016 |
| Boston | 6 | Boston Red Sox, 2018 |
| Washington, D.C. | 5 | Washington Nationals, 2019 |
| Los Angeles | 3 | Los Angeles Dodgers, 2020 |
| Atlanta | 3 | Atlanta Braves, 2021 |
| Houston | 2 | Houston Astros, 2022 |
| Dallas-Ft. Worth | 1 | Texas Rangers, 2023 |
*city without Major League Baseball franchise for 4 seasons (1966–1969)
†city without Major League Baseball franchise for 7 seasons (1970–1976)
‡number does not indicate a title won, but rather total seasons played.
World Series in which neither team had previously won a championship
[edit]In these instances, the World Series matchup ensured that one team would win the first championship in its history.
*In these cases, each team was making its first World Series appearance.
World Series in which neither team had previously lost a championship
[edit]In these instances, the World Series matchup ensured that one team would lose the first championship in its history.
*In these cases, each team was making its first World Series appearance.
World Series in which both teams had ended pennant droughts of 20-plus seasons
[edit]| Season | Won | Drought (seasons) | Lost | Drought (seasons) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2005 | Chicago White Sox | 45 | Houston Astros | 43 |
| 1948 | Cleveland Indians | 27 | Boston Braves | 33 |
World Series in which neither franchise had won a championship in 30-plus seasons
[edit]Bold denotes team that won.
| Season | American League | Drought (seasons) | National League | Drought (seasons) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2016 | Cleveland Indians | 67 | Chicago Cubs | 107 |
| 2010 | Texas Rangers | 49* | San Francisco Giants | 55 |
| 2005 | Chicago White Sox | 87 | Houston Astros | 43* |
| 2002 | Anaheim Angels | 41* | San Francisco Giants | 47 |
| 1995 | Cleveland Indians | 46 | Atlanta Braves | 37 |
| 1975 | Boston Red Sox | 56 | Cincinnati Reds | 34 |
| 1972 | Oakland Athletics | 40 | Cincinnati Reds | 31 |
Numbers marked with * indicates that the number is counted from either the franchise's first year of existence or the first year of the modern World Series (1903).
World Series Championship droughts by division
[edit]| Division | Last World Series championship | Seasons |
|---|---|---|
| American League Central | 2015 — Royals | 8 |
| National League Central | 2016 — Cubs | 7 |
| American League East | 2018 — Red Sox | 5 |
| National League West | 2020 — Dodgers | 3 |
| National League East | 2021 — Braves | 2 |
| American League West | 2023 — Rangers | 0 |
See also
[edit]
- List of Major League Baseball franchise postseason streaks
- List of Major League Baseball postseason series
- List of Major League Baseball postseason teams
- List of all-time Major League Baseball win–loss records
- List of NBA franchise post-season droughts
- List of NFL franchise post-season droughts
- List of NHL franchise post-season droughts
- List of MLS club post-season droughts
References
[edit]- ^ "Longest MLB Postseason Series Win Droughts, Active and All-Time". champsorchumps.us. Retrieved October 1, 2023.
- ^ "How did these teams do after ending long playoff droughts?". mlb.com. Retrieved October 16, 2024.
- ^ (never since moving from NL East in 1994)
- ^ (never since joining NL in 1998)
- ^ Pre-dates the Commissioner's Trophy
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