Baseball is a cruel game. It’s built on failure. You can fail seven out of ten times at the plate and end up in Cooperstown. But for a handful of fanbases, that failure isn't just a batting average—it’s a decades-long identity.
Honestly, it’s getting lonely at the bottom.
Since the Texas Rangers finally kicked their way out of the "never-won" club back in 2023, the list of franchises without a trophy has shrunk to a measly five. Five teams. That’s it. Out of 30 Major League clubs, only a small group of "have-nots" are still waiting for that parade.
If you’re a fan of one of these teams, you know the vibe. It’s a mix of "maybe next year" and a deep-seated fear that the universe actually has a personal vendetta against your city. Let’s look at what teams never won a World Series and why they’re still stuck in the basement of history.
The Loneliest Team in Baseball: Seattle Mariners
The Seattle Mariners are in a league of their own. And not in the "we're so good" kind of way.
They are the only franchise in Major League Baseball that has never even played in a World Series. Think about that for a second. Every other team has at least won a pennant. Even the expansion teams that popped up in the 90s have made it to the big dance. But the M’s? Still waiting for an invite.
It’s not like they haven’t had talent. We’re talking about the house that Ken Griffey Jr. built. They had Alex Rodriguez and Randy Johnson at the same time. They had Ichiro Suzuki. In 2001, they won 116 games—tying the 1906 Cubs for the most regular-season wins in history.
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And they didn't even make it past the ALCS.
Basically, being a Mariners fan is a masterclass in patience. As of early 2026, the buzz around Seattle is reaching a fever pitch because the team has been knocking on the door lately. But until they actually step onto that World Series dirt, they remain the ultimate outlier.
The San Diego Padres: Always the Bridesmaid
The Padres have been around since 1969. They’ve actually made it to the World Series twice, but they had the worst possible luck with timing.
In 1984, they ran into a Detroit Tigers team that started the season 35-5. In 1998, they faced the New York Yankees—the 114-win version that many people consider the greatest team of all time. You’ve basically got to feel for Tony Gwynn. He hit .371 in that '98 series and still got swept.
San Diego spends money now. They’ve got the stars. They’ve got the atmosphere at Petco Park. But the trophy case is still empty.
The Small Market Scrappers: Milwaukee and Tampa Bay
Milwaukee and Tampa Bay represent two very different ways to fail at winning a World Series.
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The Brewers actually made it once, way back in 1982. The weird part? They were an American League team then. They lost to the Cardinals in seven games, then moved to the National League in 1998. They haven’t been back since. They’ve been good lately—consistently good—but "consistently good" doesn't get you a ring.
Then you’ve got the Rays.
The Tampa Bay Rays are the smartest kids in the room. They win 90+ games with a payroll that wouldn’t cover the Yankees’ catering budget. They’ve been to two World Series (2008 and 2020). They lost to the Phillies and the Dodgers.
- 2008: The "Worst to First" run that ended against Cole Hamels.
- 2020: The "Bubble World Series" where Kevin Cash famously pulled Blake Snell too early.
Rays fans are still salty about that Snell decision. You sort of have to be. When you’re a small-market team, your windows of opportunity are tiny. You can't afford to blink.
The Colorado Rockies: 2007 and Nothing Else
If the Mariners are the loneliest, the Rockies are the most confusing.
In 2007, they went on a run called "Rocktober." They won 21 out of 22 games heading into the World Series. They looked invincible. Then they had to wait eight days for the American League to finish their series.
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They got cold.
The Boston Red Sox swept them, and the Rockies haven't really been a serious threat since. Playing at Coors Field creates this weird paradox where they can hit everything, but their pitchers' arms eventually fall off. They’ve never even won their own division. Not once.
Why Haven't They Won?
It’s usually a mix of three things:
- The "Super Team" Blockade: As the Padres found out in '98, sometimes you’re just good at the same time someone else is legendary.
- Spending Gaps: Teams like the Rays and Brewers have to be perfect to win because they can't outspend their mistakes.
- The Playoff Lottery: Modern baseball playoffs are a crapshoot. The best team rarely wins; the hottest team does.
What You Should Do Next
If you’re a fan of these teams or just a baseball nerd keeping score, keep a close eye on the Mariners and Padres over the next couple of seasons. Both organizations have spent the last few years aggressively building rosters specifically designed to end these droughts.
Check the upcoming trade deadlines. Look for these "never-won" teams to be the most aggressive buyers. The pressure to get off this list is massive, and in the current MLB landscape, the gap between the haves and the have-nots is narrowing.
Keep a spreadsheet of "World Series Appearances vs. Wins" for the current decade. You’ll notice that the frequency of first-time winners is actually increasing. The Rangers broke through. The Nats broke through. The era of the "cursed" franchise is slowly dying, which means Seattle or San Diego might be closer than you think.