In 2019, the Washington Nationals won the franchise’s first World Series title, beating the Houston Astros in seven games. Two years prior, the Astros won its first championship. That title snapped a 55-year drought that dated back to the inception of the organization. Now that Washington and Houston have claimed World Series titles over the past seasons, you may be wondering how many teams in Major League Baseball have yet to win one. We can answer that question.
How many MLB teams have not won a World Series?
As of 2023, there are six active teams that have yet to win a World Series in Major League Baseball. Those six are:
Five of these six teams have made the World Series at least once. Tampa Bay, San Diego, and Texas have made the Fall Classic twice, only to lose on each occasion. The only team out of this group not to win a league pennant and make it to the World Series at least once is the Seattle Mariners.
Founded in 1998, the Tampa Bay Rays have the shortest title drought among this group of six. San Diego and Milwaukee — dating back to the team’s first season in Seattle — have the two longest droughts. Both entered MLB in 1969, but have yet to capture a World Series championship.
Interestingly enough, San Diego and Milwaukee are not the two teams in Major League Baseball with the longest championship drought. That distinction belongs to the Cleveland Guardians. Cleveland’s last title came in 1948.
