The Cleveland Guardians have the longest World Series drought in Major League Baseball. Their last title came in 1948, and 77 seasons have passed since, the longest active streak in the sport. The Guardians are the American League’s No. 2 seed in 2026 with a bye into the Division Series. Behind them, the Padres and Brewers have gone 57 seasons without a championship since both joined the majors in 1969.
Every Team’s World Series Drought
| Team | Last title | Seasons since | 2026 playoffs |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cleveland Guardians | 1948 | 77 | Yes, AL No. 2 seed |
| San Diego Padres | Never (since 1969) | 57 | Yes |
| Milwaukee Brewers | Never (since 1969) | 57 | Yes |
| Seattle Mariners | Never (since 1977) | 49 | No |
| Pittsburgh Pirates | 1979 | 46 | No |
| Baltimore Orioles | 1983 | 42 | No |
| Detroit Tigers | 1984 | 41 | No |
| New York Mets | 1986 | 39 | No |
| Athletics | 1989 | 36 | No |
| Cincinnati Reds | 1990 | 35 | No |
| Minnesota Twins | 1991 | 34 | No |
| Colorado Rockies | Never (since 1993) | 33 | No |
| Toronto Blue Jays | 1993 | 32 | No |
| Tampa Bay Rays | Never (since 1998) | 28 | Yes |
| Arizona Diamondbacks | 2001 | 24 | Wild card race on the final day |
| Los Angeles Angels | 2002 | 23 | No |
| Miami Marlins | 2003 | 22 | No |
| Chicago White Sox | 2005 | 20 | Yes |
| Philadelphia Phillies | 2008 | 17 | Wild card race on the final day |
| New York Yankees | 2009 | 16 | Yes |
| St. Louis Cardinals | 2011 | 14 | No |
| San Francisco Giants | 2014 | 11 | No |
| Kansas City Royals | 2015 | 10 | No |
| Chicago Cubs | 2016 | 9 | Yes |
| Boston Red Sox | 2018 | 7 | Yes |
| Washington Nationals | 2019 | 6 | No |
| Atlanta Braves | 2021 | 4 | Yes |
| Houston Astros | 2022 | 3 | AL West race on the final day |
| Texas Rangers | 2023 | 2 | AL West race on the final day |
| Los Angeles Dodgers | 2025 | 0 | Yes, defending champions |
Seasons without a title counted through 2025. For teams that have never won, the count starts with their first season. The final day of the 2026 regular season settles the AL West and the last NL wild card.
Cleveland’s 77 Years
Cleveland won the World Series in 1920 and 1948 and has lost four since, in 1954, 1995, 1997 and 2016. The last two were among the most painful in the sport: the Marlins won Game 7 in 1997 on an 11th inning single, and the Cubs won Game 7 in 2016 in extra innings in Cleveland to end their own 108 year drought.
Droughts That Ended Recently
The Cubs held the record until 2016, when they won for the first time since 1908. The Red Sox ended an 86 year wait in 2004, and the White Sox won in 2005 for the first time since 1917. More recently, the Rangers won their first title in 2023, and the Nationals won their first in 2019 as a franchise that began as the Montreal Expos in 1969.
More World Series History
World Series winners by year · Teams that have never won a World Series · World Series appearances by team · Guardians playoff schedule