The Texas Rangers completed the comeback, toppling the in-state rival Houston Astros in the 2023 ALCS to advance to the World Series — just their third in franchise history (dating back to 1972) and their first since 2011. But Texas’ history in the Fall Classic is one of heartbreak: In fact, the Rangers are one of just six Major League teams to have never won a title in franchise history. Before they attempt to end that drought this weekend — Game 1 from Arlington is set for Friday, Sept. 27 — here’s a look at the full list, in order of how long the wait has been.
MLB teams that have never won a World Series
Tampa Bay Rays (1998)
The Rays have the excuse of having not been around as long as the other teams on this list, although they’ve had their fair share of chances given how competitive they’ve been over the past few years. Alas, despite two World Series appearances and five straight playoff berths dating back to 2019, Tampa remains titleless: They fell to the Phillies in six games in the 2008 Fall Classic, then lost to the Dodgers in 2020.
Colorado Rockies (1993)
The Rockies, on the other hand, have had a hard time making a dent in October since coming into the Majors in 1993. The Rockies have made the playoffs just five times in 30 years, losing in the NLDS in 1995 before going on their Rocktober run all the way to the franchise’s first World Series berth in 2007. Alas, they were summarily swept by the Red Sox in that series, and in three postseason appearances since, they’ve managed to win just one game. (The franchise has also never won the NL West.)
Seattle Mariners (1977)
The suffering of Mariners fans over the years has been well-documented, so we don’t need to rehash all of it here. To sum it up in a single sentence: Not only has Seattle never won a title, they’re the only team on this list who’s never even made it to the World Series, having never won a pennant in over 45 years of existence. Things are looking up in recent years, though: The team snapped the longest postseason drought in any of the four major North American sports last season, and while they fell just short in the AL West and AL Wild Card chase in 2023, Julio Rodriguez and Co. should be contending for a long time to come.
Texas Rangers (1972)
Texas has made the World Series exactly twice, doing it in successive fashion in both 2010 and 2011. They lost the former in five games to the Even Year Giants, while they lost the latter in seven games to the Cardinals in one of the most heartbreaking endings in postseason history. (Just try saying the words “David Freese” anywhere in the DFW metroplex.) Other than that, it’s been a pretty barren history for the franchise since moving from D.C. to north Texas in 1972, as the Rangers entered the 2023 postseason with a 3-16 record in the playoffs outside of those two pennant runs.
Milwaukee Brewers (1970)
Milwaukee has seen a World Series parade before — the Braves won it all back in 1957 before bolting for Atlanta — but the Brewers are still without a championship after more than 50 years. The franchise has been to the Fall Classic exactly once, with the famed “Harvey’s Wallbangers” team losing a heartbreaker of a seven-game series to the Cardinals in 1982. They nearly made it back in 2018 but fell to the Dodgers in the NLCS, again in seven games.
