The Rangers can exhale. They have been down to one out to go before, and came up one win short. On Wednesday, the Rangers finished the job.
Winning a World Series is significant for any team. Flags fly forever, and fans will always remember the victories that lifted their team to World Series glory. But winning a title is especially significant for teams that have never won a World Series.
The Diamondbacks checked the World Series box in Year 4 of their existence in 2001. Texas, founded in 1961, has now been to the World Series three times. It lost the first two trips, to the Giants in 2010 and then to the Cardinals the following year. But it took four of five against the Diamondbacks to claim their first championship in franchise history.
MORE: Which teams have won the most World Series titles?
Texas has now left the short list of the 30 active MLB franchises that have never won a World Series. Which teams are left on that list?
MLB teams that have never won a World Series
There are only five active MLB franchises that have yet to win a World Series. The Padres, Brewers, Mariners, Rockies and Rays are the only teams yet to win a World Series. All have existed for at least 25 years without a ring.
| Team | Year founded | World Series appearances | World Series drought (Years) |
| Padres | 1969 | 1984, 1998 | 54 |
| Brewers | 1969 | 1982 | 54 |
| Mariners | 1977 | None | 46 |
| Rockies | 1993 | 2007 | 30 |
| Rays | 1998 | 2008, 2020 | 25 |
Most World Series appearances without a win
The Rangers' win leaves the Padres and Rays, who each made it to the World Series twice, as the teams with the most appearances without a win. San Diego made it in 1984 and 1998, losing to the Tigers 4-1 in 1984 and falling 4-0 to the Yankees in 1998. The 1998 Padres were managed by Bochy. The Rays fell to the Phillies 4-1 in 2008, then lost to the Dodgers 4-2 in 2020.
Which teams have never been to a World Series?
This list is down to just one team: the Mariners. Seattle has only been to the playoffs five times in its 46 years of existence, and has never reached the Fall Classic.
For a team with only five playoff appearances, the Mariners have made it close. Seattle has been to the ALCS in three of its five postseason trips. The Mariners fell to Cleveland in six games in 1995, lost to the Yankees in six games in 2000 and to the Yankees again in five games in 2001.
