With Rangers’ World Series win, only five teams remain without a title

The long wait is finally over.

The Texas Rangers won their first World Series championship by defeating the Arizona Diamondbacks in five games.

The Rangers, formerly the Washington Senators from 1961–1971, reached the World Series in back-to-back years in 2010 and 2011, but lost to the San Francisco Giants − led by manager Bruce Bochy − in five games in 2010 and in seven heartbreaking games to the St. Louis Cardinals in 2011. They were one strike away from a title in Game 6 – twice – before losing that game and Game 7.

They reached the postseason three of the next five seasons after that 2011 defeat, but never got past the Division Series, until this year.  

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Here are the five teams left that have never won a World Series championship (first season in parentheses): 

Milwaukee Brewers (1969)

The Brewers have reached the postseason in five of the last six seasons, only to lose. In 1982, ‘Harvey’s Wallbangers’ lost a memorable seven-game World Series against the Cardinals.

San Diego Padres (1969)

The Padres have reached the World Series twice, but both times faced a formidable foe. The 1984 club, led by Tony Gwynn and Steve Garvey, lost in five games to the powerful Detroit Tigers, who led the majors with 104 wins. In 1998, the Padres were swept by the 1998 New York Yankees, who won 114 games in the regular season. 

Seattle Mariners (1977)

Under manager Lou Piniella, the Mariners went to the ALCS three times, only to lose to Cleveland in 1995 and the Yankees in 2000 and 2001. Piniella opted out of his contract after the 2002 season and the franchise has only had one postseason appearance since (2022). Seattle remains the only team to never play in the Fall Classic.

Colorado Rockies (1993) 

In their only appearance in 2007, the Rockies were no match for the Boston Red Sox and were swept in four games. The Rockies have only reached the postseason three times since.

Tampa Bay Rays (1998)

The low-budget Rays never won more than 70 games until the 2008 season. Led by manager Joe Maddon, the Rays went from worst-to-first during a magical 2008 season but lost a five-game World Series to the Philadelphia Phillies. The Rays returned to the Fall Classic in 2020, only to fall short again. Rays manager Kevin Cash pulled ace Blake Snell with one out in the sixth despite the fact Snell was mowing down the Dodgers to start Game 6; Los Angeles promptly scored two runs to take the lead and went on to win the title.