List of Major League Baseball franchise postseason droughts
Throughout the history of Major League Baseball, Current [Major League Baseball franchises|franchises] have had various postseason and World Series droughts.
All 16 of the original major league franchises have won the World Series, with the longest wait for a franchise's first championship being for the Phillies. Since expansion began in 1961, five of the 14 expansion teams have never won the World Series. Furthermore, one franchise, the Cleveland Guardians, currently has a championship drought that predates the expansion era. The three longest championship droughts in history were ended recently by the Red Sox, the White Sox, and the Cubs.
Only one expansion franchise has never won a pennant. The three longest pennant droughts in history were recently ended by the Rangers, the Cubs, and the Nationals. As the Nationals are the third franchise to be based in the city of Washington, their 2019 pennant also ended a drought of seasons played in Washington since their last pennant, which was in 1933.
As of the 2025 season, every active MLB franchise has qualified for the playoffs, especially since expansion of the playoffs in 1994 made that feat easier. The Angels have the longest active postseason drought at 11 years, while the Cincinnati Reds have the longest active postseason series-win drought at 29 years. Long postseason droughts were ended recently by the Nationals, the Pirates, the Royals, the Blue Jays, and the Mariners.
This list includes only the modern World Series between the American League and the National League, not the various 19th-century championship series. Those teams which have never achieved a particular accomplishment in their franchise history are listed by the date they entered the leagues.
Postseason droughts
Longest postseason droughts in the expanded-postseason era
After the postseason was expanded in 1995 to include eight teams, 18 of the 30 teams qualified within the first five years, and few teams went for long droughts without at least participating in the first round of the postseason. This list only shows droughts of 15 or more seasons that occurred primarily in the expanded-postseason era. Active droughts are listed in bold type.| Seasons | Team | Previous appearance | Next appearance |
| Montreal Expos/Washington Nationals | 1981 | 2012 | |
| Kansas City Royals | 1985 | 2014 | |
| Milwaukee Brewers | 1982 | 2008 | |
| Toronto Blue Jays | 1993 | 2015 | |
| Pittsburgh Pirates | 1992 | 2013 | |
| Seattle Mariners | 2001 | 2022 | |
| Detroit Tigers | 1987 | 2006 | |
| Florida/Miami Marlins | 2003 | 2020 | |
| California/Anaheim Angels | 1986 | 2002 |
League division champion droughts
Longest current division champion droughts
No league division champions were won in 1994 due to the players' strike that year.Longest division championship droughts through history
List begins with 1969, the time divisional play started in Major League Baseball. This list only shows droughts of 10 or more seasons. Active droughts are listed in bold type.League championship appearance droughts
Longest current league championship appearance droughts
No league championships were played in 1994 due to the players' strike that year.World Series appearance droughts
Longest current World Series appearance droughts
No World Series was played in 1994 due to the players' strike that year.Longest major league pennant droughts through history
List begins with 1903, about the time the current configuration of National League and American League stabilized and also the year of the first World Series. No pennants were won in 1994 due to the players strike that year. This list only shows droughts of 20 or more seasons. Active droughts are listed in bold type.Major league pennant droughts by city/region
This list only includes cities/regions with current Major League Baseball franchises.Years during which a city/region did not field a Major League Baseball team are not counted.
World Series championship droughts
Longest current World Series championship droughts
The Commissioner's Trophy was introduced during the 1967 World Series.No World Series was played in 1994, and counts as a drought season for those franchises.
Longest World Series championship droughts through history
The first World Series was played in 1903. No World Series was played in 1904 or 1994. This list only shows droughts of 30 or more seasons. Active droughts are listed in bold type.World Series championship droughts by city/region
This list only includes cities/regions with current Major League Baseball franchises.Years during which a city/region did not field a Major League Baseball team are not counted.
World Series in which neither team had previously won a championship
In these instances, the World Series matchup ensured that one team would win the first championship in its history.| Season | Won | Lost |
| Philadelphia Phillies season|Philadelphia Phillies] | Kansas City Royals season|Kansas City Royals] | |
| Cleveland Indians season|Cleveland Indians] | Brooklyn Dodgers season|Brooklyn Dodgers] | |
| Pittsburgh Pirates season|Pittsburgh Pirates] | Detroit Tigers season|Detroit Tigers] | |
| 1907 [Chicago Cubs season|Chicago Cubs] | Detroit Tigers season|Detroit Tigers] | |
| * | Chicago White Sox season|Chicago White Sox] | Chicago Cubs season|Chicago Cubs] |
| * | New York Giants season|New York Giants] | Philadelphia Athletics season|Philadelphia Athletics] |
| * | Boston Americans season|Boston Americans] | Pittsburgh Pirates season|Pittsburgh Pirates] |
World Series in which neither team had previously lost a championship
In these instances, the World Series matchup ensured that one team would lose the first championship in its history.| Season | Won | Lost |
| Cleveland Indians season|Cleveland Indians] | 1948 [Boston Braves season|Boston Braves] | |
| Cincinnati Reds season|Cincinnati Reds] | Chicago White Sox | |
| Boston Red Sox season|Boston Red Sox] | Brooklyn Robins season|Brooklyn Robins] | |
| Boston Red Sox season|Boston Red Sox] | Philadelphia Phillies season|Philadelphia Phillies] | |
| * | Chicago White Sox | Chicago Cubs |
| * | New York Giants season|New York Giants] | Athletics season|Philadelphia Athletics] |
| * | Boston Americans | Pittsburgh Pirates |
World Series in which neither franchise had won a championship in 30-plus seasons
Bold denotes team that won.| Season | American League | Drought | National League | Drought |
| Cleveland Indians | Chicago Cubs | |||
| Texas Rangers season|Texas Rangers] | * | San Francisco Giants season|San Francisco Giants] | ||
| Chicago White Sox | 2005 [Houston Astros season|Houston Astros] | * | ||
| Anaheim Angels season|Anaheim Angels] | * | San Francisco Giants | ||
| Cleveland Indians | 1995 [Atlanta Braves season|Atlanta Braves] | |||
| 1975 | Boston Red Sox | Cincinnati Reds season|Cincinnati Reds] | ||
| 1972 | 1972 [Oakland Athletics season|Oakland Athletics] | Cincinnati Reds |
Numbers marked with * indicates that the number is counted from either the franchise's first year of existence or the first year of the modern World Series.
Closest approaches without winning the World Series
| Team | Wild Card Series appearances | Division Series appearances | Championship Series appearances | World Series appearances | Fewest wins short of World Series Title |
| List of [Milwaukee Brewers seasons|Milwaukee Brewers] | 4 | 6 | 4 | 1 | 1 win short: 1982 |
| List of [Tampa Bay Rays seasons|Tampa Bay Rays] | 5 | 7 | 2 | 2 | 2 wins short: 2020 |
| San Diego Padres seasons|San Diego Padres] | 4 | 7 | 2 | 2 | 3 wins short: 1984 |
| List of [Colorado Rockies seasons|Colorado Rockies] | 2 | 4 | 1 | 1 | 4 wins short: 2007 |
| Seattle Mariners seasons|Seattle Mariners] | 1 | 6 | 4 | 0 | 5 wins short: 2025 |