The Tampa Bay Rays’ history has been rather interesting, going back to the franchise’s founding as the Devil Rays in 1997. Tampa endured a decade of futility, followed by a 14-year run that saw it make the MLB Postseason eight times. But, did the Tampa Bay Rays ever win the World Series during any of the franchise’s playoff runs? We can answer that question.
Tampa Bays Rays history
The Tampa Bay Rays franchise, formerly known as the Devil Rays, has never won a World Series in the team’s history.
While the Rays have not won a World Series in its history, the team has had plenty of success in recent years. Tampa Bay had made the playoffs over four consecutive years, from 2019-2022. The Rays made four other MLB Postseason appearances in the franchise’s history (2008, 2010, 2011, 2013).
The Rays’ first appearance in the Playoffs was a historic one, as the team made it to the World Series one year after a 96 loss season in 2007. A year later, the Rays would win 97 games, 31 more than the year prior. In the 2008 Playoffs, Tampa would knock off the White Sox and Red Sox before meeting the Phillies in the World Series. Philadelphia would win that series in five games to win its first crown in 28 years.
Tampa would return to the World Series during the shortened 2020 season. Tampa led all AL teams in wins (40) in the regular season, before beating the Yankees and Astros in the ALDS and ALCS, respectively. Unfortunately for the Rays, the team would fall short in the Fall Classic yet again. This time around, it was at the hands of the Los Angeles Dodgers. The Dodgers defeated the Rays in six games.
Tampa Bay has done a strong job of building perennial playoff teams on a budget. Considering that, it’s fair to expect that in the near future, the Rays may be able to crack through and bring the Commissioner’s Trophy to Tampa.
