We rebuilt all 121 World Series from 1903 to 2025 from MLB's Stats API, assigned each winner and loser to its franchise, and checked every result against MLB.com's list of World Series champions. A franchise keeps its history when it moves or changes names, so the Expos count with the Washington Nationals and the Seattle Pilots with the Brewers. There was no World Series in 1904 or 1994.
The longest active World Series droughts in MLB
Cleveland's 77 seasons lead the next-longest waits by 20. Thirteen franchises have gone at least 30 seasons without a title, and seven of them at least 40. After the four teams at 49 seasons or more come the Pittsburgh Pirates, without a title or a pennant since 1979, the Baltimore Orioles, without either since 1983, and the Detroit Tigers, champions in 1984.
The five franchises without a title are all expansion teams, and all but one have at least won a pennant:
- Milwaukee Brewers: 57 seasons since 1969, when they began as the Seattle Pilots. Pennants in 1982, as an American League team, lost to the St. Louis Cardinals in seven games, and 2026, their first in the National League.
- San Diego Padres: 57 seasons since 1969. Pennants in 1984 and 1998.
- Seattle Mariners: 49 seasons since 1977, and the only franchise that has never reached the World Series.
- Colorado Rockies: 33 seasons since 1993. One pennant, in 2007.
- Tampa Bay Rays: 28 seasons since 1998. Pennants in 2008, lost 4-1 to the Philadelphia Phillies, 2020, lost 4-2 to the Los Angeles Dodgers, and 2026.
Every MLB team's last World Series title and last pennant
Sixteen franchises have won the World Series since 2001, and the other 14 have not won it this century. The New York Yankees, with 27 titles, 16 more than the St. Louis Cardinals in second, last won in 2009 and have gone 16 seasons without one, though they reached the World Series in 2024. Cleveland's last pennant came in 2016, when it lost Game 7 to the team with the longest drought ever.
| Team | Titles | Last title | Last pennant | Seasons without a title |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cleveland Guardians | 2 | 1948 | 2016 | 77 |
| Milwaukee Brewers | 0 | Never | 2026 | 57 (since 1969) |
| San Diego Padres | 0 | Never | 1998 | 57 (since 1969) |
| Seattle Mariners | 0 | Never | Never | 49 (since 1977) |
| Pittsburgh Pirates | 5 | 1979 | 1979 | 46 |
| Baltimore Orioles | 3 | 1983 | 1983 | 42 |
| Detroit Tigers | 4 | 1984 | 2012 | 41 |
| New York Mets | 2 | 1986 | 2015 | 39 |
| Athletics | 9 | 1989 | 1990 | 36 |
| Cincinnati Reds | 5 | 1990 | 1990 | 35 |
| Minnesota Twins | 3 | 1991 | 1991 | 34 |
| Colorado Rockies | 0 | Never | 2007 | 33 (since 1993) |
| Toronto Blue Jays | 2 | 1993 | 2025 | 32 |
| Tampa Bay Rays | 0 | Never | 2026 | 28 (since 1998) |
| Arizona Diamondbacks | 1 | 2001 | 2023 | 24 |
| Los Angeles Angels | 1 | 2002 | 2002 | 23 |
| Miami Marlins | 2 | 2003 | 2003 | 22 |
| Chicago White Sox | 3 | 2005 | 2005 | 20 |
| Philadelphia Phillies | 2 | 2008 | 2022 | 17 |
| New York Yankees | 27 | 2009 | 2024 | 16 |
| St. Louis Cardinals | 11 | 2011 | 2013 | 14 |
| San Francisco Giants | 8 | 2014 | 2014 | 11 |
| Kansas City Royals | 2 | 2015 | 2015 | 10 |
| Chicago Cubs | 3 | 2016 | 2016 | 9 |
| Boston Red Sox | 9 | 2018 | 2018 | 7 |
| Washington Nationals | 1 | 2019 | 2019 | 6 |
| Atlanta Braves | 4 | 2021 | 2021 | 4 |
| Houston Astros | 2 | 2022 | 2022 | 3 |
| Texas Rangers | 1 | 2023 | 2023 | 2 |
| Los Angeles Dodgers | 9 | 2025 | 2025 | 0 |
World Series droughts broken in the last 25 years
The three longest waits between titles in World Series history all ended in this century. The Boston Red Sox swept the Cardinals in 2004, 86 years after their 1918 title. The Chicago White Sox swept the Houston Astros a year later, 88 years after 1917. The Chicago Cubs beat Cleveland in seven games in 2016, 108 years after 1908. No other franchise has gone more than 63 years between titles.
Five franchises won their first title in the same span: the Arizona Diamondbacks in 2001, in their fourth season, the fastest of any expansion team, one season quicker than the 1997 Florida Marlins; the Anaheim Angels in 2002, in their 42nd; the Astros in 2017, in their 56th; the Nationals in 2019, in their 51st; and the Texas Rangers in 2023, in their 63rd. The San Francisco Giants' 2010 title was the franchise's first since the New York Giants of 1954, and the first of three in five years.
| Year | Champion | Wait ended | Beat |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2001 | Arizona Diamondbacks | First title, in season 4 | New York Yankees |
| 2002 | Anaheim Angels | First title, in season 42 | San Francisco Giants |
| 2003 | Florida Marlins | 6 years (since 1997) | New York Yankees |
| 2004 | Boston Red Sox | 86 years (since 1918) | St. Louis Cardinals |
| 2005 | Chicago White Sox | 88 years (since 1917) | Houston Astros |
| 2006 | St. Louis Cardinals | 24 years (since 1982) | Detroit Tigers |
| 2007 | Boston Red Sox | 3 years (since 2004) | Colorado Rockies |
| 2008 | Philadelphia Phillies | 28 years (since 1980) | Tampa Bay Rays |
| 2009 | New York Yankees | 9 years (since 2000) | Philadelphia Phillies |
| 2010 | San Francisco Giants | 56 years (since 1954) | Texas Rangers |
| 2011 | St. Louis Cardinals | 5 years (since 2006) | Texas Rangers |
| 2012 | San Francisco Giants | 2 years (since 2010) | Detroit Tigers |
| 2013 | Boston Red Sox | 6 years (since 2007) | St. Louis Cardinals |
| 2014 | San Francisco Giants | 2 years (since 2012) | Kansas City Royals |
| 2015 | Kansas City Royals | 30 years (since 1985) | New York Mets |
| 2016 | Chicago Cubs | 108 years (since 1908) | Cleveland Indians |
| 2017 | Houston Astros | First title, in season 56 | Los Angeles Dodgers |
| 2018 | Boston Red Sox | 5 years (since 2013) | Los Angeles Dodgers |
| 2019 | Washington Nationals | First title, in season 51 | Houston Astros |
| 2020 | Los Angeles Dodgers | 32 years (since 1988) | Tampa Bay Rays |
| 2021 | Atlanta Braves | 26 years (since 1995) | Houston Astros |
| 2022 | Houston Astros | 5 years (since 2017) | Philadelphia Phillies |
| 2023 | Texas Rangers | First title, in season 63 | Arizona Diamondbacks |
| 2024 | Los Angeles Dodgers | 4 years (since 2020) | New York Yankees |
| 2025 | Los Angeles Dodgers | 1 year (since 2024) | Toronto Blue Jays |
How many different World Series champions per decade
The 1980s were the most open decade: nine different champions in 10 World Series, with only the Dodgers winning twice. The 1950s were the most closed, with four champions and six titles for the Yankees. This century has stayed spread out, with eight different winners in the 2000s and seven in the 2010s, 16 in the 25 seasons since 2001.
The 2020s have narrowed again: four champions in six seasons, three of the titles for the Dodgers. Their wins in 2024 and 2025, the second in seven games against the Toronto Blue Jays, made them the first back-to-back champions since the Yankees won three straight from 1998 to 2000. The Blue Jays, whose run is in our history of the Blue Jays in the postseason, have now gone 32 seasons since their 1993 title.
Which 2026 playoff teams carry the longest droughts
Of the 12 teams in the 2026 postseason, the four longest droughts belonged to Cleveland, the Padres, the Brewers and the Rays, and three of them reached the League Championship Series. The Padres went out to Milwaukee 3-1 in the Division Series, and the Mariners missed the postseason. The four League Championship Series teams, in MLB's postseason data:
- Milwaukee Brewers: 103-59, the best record in the majors. Never won. They beat the Padres 3-1, then swept the Dodgers 4-0 for their first National League pennant; their only other pennant came in 1982, in the American League.
- Tampa Bay Rays: 98-64, AL East champions. Never won. They swept the Yankees 3-0, then beat Cleveland 4-2, winning the last three games, for their third pennant after 2008 and 2020.
- Cleveland Guardians: 85-77, American League Central champions. Last title 1948, against the Boston Braves; last pennant 2016. They came back from 0-2 to beat the Chicago White Sox in the Division Series, then lost the ALCS in six games.
- Los Angeles Dodgers: 100-62, the 2024 and 2025 champions, who swept the Brewers in the 2025 NLCS. They beat the Atlanta Braves 3-1, then were swept by Milwaukee.
Neither the Brewers nor the Rays has won the World Series, so 2026 will produce a first-time champion and leave four franchises without a title. It is the first World Series since 1980 between two franchises without a title; that year the Philadelphia Phillies beat the Kansas City Royals. Cleveland, out in the ALCS, keeps the longest drought, which reaches 78 seasons once the 2026 World Series ends.
The Brewers had the best record in the majors, and for context, the team with the best record has won the title 8 times in 31 seasons since 1995, as our study of the best record in MLB shows. As of 8:47 p.m. ET on October 21, no World Series game had been played. Game 1 is on Friday, October 23, at 8 p.m. ET in Milwaukee, and every series is on our 2026 MLB playoff bracket.
World Series droughts: frequently asked questions
Which MLB team has the longest World Series drought? The Cleveland Guardians, who last won in 1948 and have gone 77 seasons without a title through 2025. Their last pennant came in 2016, and they lost the 2026 ALCS to the Tampa Bay Rays in six games.
Which MLB teams have never won the World Series? Five: the Milwaukee Brewers, San Diego Padres, Seattle Mariners, Colorado Rockies and Tampa Bay Rays. The Brewers and Rays meet in the 2026 World Series, so one of them will win its first title. The Mariners are the only franchise that has never reached a World Series.
What is the longest World Series drought ever? The Chicago Cubs went 108 years between titles, from 1908 to 2016. The Chicago White Sox waited 88 years, from 1917 to 2005, and the Boston Red Sox 86, from 1918 to 2004.
How many different teams have won the World Series since 2001? Sixteen in 25 seasons, including five first-time champions: the Diamondbacks, Angels, Astros, Nationals and Rangers. The 2026 champion, Milwaukee or Tampa Bay, will make it 17 in 26 seasons, six of them first-time champions.
How this was built: all 121 World Series from 1903 to 2025, from MLB's Stats API, with each winner and loser assigned to its franchise by the API's team id, which stays the same through moves and name changes. Every result matches MLB.com's list of champions. A pennant means a World Series appearance; the 1904 pennants, with no World Series, change no team's last pennant. A drought is the number of completed seasons since the last title through 2025, or since the first season for teams that have never won, with first seasons taken from the API's standings. Waits ended are the years between titles. 2026 standings and postseason results are from the same API, as of 8:47 p.m. ET on October 21.