MLB Teams Without a World Series Title – Who’s Still Waiting?
The 2024 Major League Baseball season ended with the Los Angeles Dodgers and the New York Yankees looking to add to their World Series championship total. The Dodgers won their eighth World Series, preventing the Yankees from winning a record 28th championship. The Yankees may still have the best MLB jerseys of all time.
Plenty of eyes will be on both teams throughout the 2025 MLB season. It will be worth watching to see if there will be a first-time World Series champion for the second time in the last three years after the Texas Rangers won the franchise’s first World Series title in 2023 to be removed from the list of teams that have never won a World Series.
When looking at some hard-luck franchises, remember that you get a bonus on your first three deposits when you bet via the BetUS sportsbook.
Let’s look at the five MLB teams without a World Series title.
Five Teams In Pursuit Of First World Series Title
1. Tampa Bay Rays
The Rays reached the World Series in their 10th season of existence before losing in five games to the Philadelphia Phillies in the 2008 Fall Classic. Tampa Bay lost in six games to the Dodgers in 2020 to remain one of the teams without a World Series title.
The Rays have reached the playoffs five times in the previous six seasons despite having a payroll well below that of many American League East rivals.
Tampa Bay has work to do with nine American League teams having shorter MLB betting odds of winning the World Series than the +5000 mark for the Rays when the 2025 season began.
For those asking how many teams make the playoffs, the answer is 12, with the six division winners joined by six wild-card teams. Tampa Bay looks to be among those 12 teams.
2. Colorado Rockies
Things looked pretty good when Colorado reached the playoffs in its third season.
The 15th season in franchise history saw Colorado go 7-0 to reach the World Series for the first time before being swept by the Boston Red Sox in the 2007 World Series.
The Rockies have made the playoffs just three times since. Although Colorado beat the Chicago Cubs in the wild-card game, the Rockies haven’t won a playoff series since 2007. They are still among the MLB teams that have never won a championship.
Colorado (+50000) had the longest odds of winning the World Series at the start of the season, tied with the Miami Marlins and Chicago White Sox.
3. Seattle Mariners
Seattle has had plenty of star power since entering the majors in 1977, with Ken Griffey Jr., Randy Johnson, Alex Rodriguez, and Ichiro Suzuki among the prominent Mariners.
Team success has been more elusive.
The Mariners have made the playoffs just five times and reached the American League Championship Series three times from 1995 to 2001, but have yet to reach the World Series.
The 2001 playoffs saw Seattle fall to the New York Yankees in five games despite winning 116 games during the regular season. That was supposed to be the season that featured Mariners’ World Series wins.
Seattle opened the 2025 season at +3000 to win the World Series and +215 to win the American League West title.
4. Milwaukee Brewers
Milwaukee won the World Series in 1957. However, the title was won by the Milwaukee Braves. The Brewers played their inaugural season 12 years later.
The Brewers made the World Series in 1982 before losing to St. Louis in seven games. They moved from the American League to the National League in 1998 and have made it to the National League Championship Series in 2011 and 2018.
The Brewers have made the playoffs six times in the previous seven seasons and began 2025 at +5000 in the odds of winning the World Series.
5. San Diego Padres
San Diego has the best World Series championship odds of +2800 of the five franchises searching for their first World Series title. Playing in the same division with the star-studded Los Angeles Dodgers could be a stumbling block.
The Padres debuted in 1969. Their first playoff appearance came in 1984 when San Diego lost to Detroit in five games in the World Series. The only other World Series appearance came in 1998 when the Padres were swept in four games by the New York Yankees. Their last NLCS appearance was in 2022.
Questions Of The Day
Which MLB teams don't have a World Series?
The Colorado Rockies, Milwaukee Brewers, San Diego Padres, Seattle Mariners, and Tampa Bay Rays are still seeking their first World Series titles.
What is the longest a baseball team has gone without winning a World Series?
The San Diego Padres entered MLB in 1969 and has yet to win the World Series.
Who has the longest playoff drought in the MLB?
The Los Angeles Angels haven’t made the postseason since 2014.
What year had no World Series?
No World Series was held in 1904 and 1994.
