Five Best MLB Teams that Never Won a World Series

Winning a championship in any professional sport is incredibly difficult – and that’s an understatement. We see generational athletes and coaches go their whole career without winning a championship. In the NFL and NBA, there have been many seasons where the best team doesn’t win in the end. But relative to the MLB, the best teams in the NBA and NFL win championships far more often. 

In MLB, we regularly see all-time teams dominate the regular season, only to falter when it matters most. Game-to-game variance is the nature of the sport that has a 162-game season. Baseball teams with 100+ wins typically have a few stretches where they lose three, four or more in a row. When a dominant team finds itself under the pressure of a best-of-three, best-of-five or best-of-seven playoff series, the season can end in a blink of an eye. Whether due to starting pitching matchups, impact hitters slumping, red-hot opponents or controversial circumstances, a few MLB squads are remembered as some of the greatest teams to never win it all. Here are the top five, ranked from fifth to first.

5. 1906 Chicago Cubs

With a staggering 116 wins and an MLB-best .763 winning percentage, the 1906 Cubs were an all-time powerhouse. The famed “Tinkers-to-Evers-to-Chance” infield and a pitching staff boasting a collective 1.76 ERA led to a +323 run differential. Their defense and run prevention were unmatched, making them the class of the league.

But in the World Series, they ran into their crosstown rivals, the Chicago White Sox – dubbed the “Hitless Wonders” for their weak offense. Yet, it was the Sox’s bats that came alive, delivering 26 hits over the final two games to clinch the series in six.

4. 2017 Los Angeles Dodgers

Many fans of the organization will argue the 2017 Los Angeles Dodgers were the best to never win. While a different Dodger squad ranks higher on our list, there is no denying the pure magic  of the 2017 Dodgers (10 walk-off wins), and nobody will ever forget the scandal that helped keep them one win away from claiming glory. 

The 2017 Dodgers were a juggernaut, winning 104 games and enjoying an electric 43-7 midseason stretch, the best in MLB since 1912. The team was poised to exceed 110 wins, but an 11-game losing streak in early September, after they had basically clinched a playoff berth, kept them from achieving a historic mark. Former bench bat and utility man Justin Turner became a leader and a staple at third base and in the middle of the lineup, en route to a career season. Career utility man and backup Chris Taylor became a revelation as the leadoff hitter. Cody Bellinger won Rookie of the Year with 39 home runs. Shortstop Corey Seager followed his Rookie of the Year campaign with an equally bright second season.Clayton Kershaw, Alex Wood, and a stellar bullpen, featuring closer Kenley Jansen, anchored the pitching staff. The team’s depth and dominance saw them steamroll through the playoffs, entering the World Series with an 8-1 postseason record.

But their championship hopes were dashed against the Houston Astros, later revealed to have been electronically stealing signs throughout the season. The series featured heartbreak after heartbreak, from blown leads in Game 5 to Yu Darvish’s disastrous outings in Games 3 and 7. The Dodgers were outscored 15-7 in the ninth inning or later during the series. 

3. 2004 St. Louis Cardinals

The 2004 Cardinals were a force of nature, winning 105 games and boasting an MVP-caliber trio of Albert Pujols, Jim Edmonds, and Scott Rolen – earning the “MV3” moniker. A midseason trade for Larry Walker made their lineup even scarier, and after emerging victorious in a hard-fought seven-game NLCS against the Houston Astros, they entered the World Series as heavy favorites.

Unfortunately for St. Louis, they ran into the Boston Red Sox, a team playing with destiny on their side. The Sox swept the Cardinals in four games, capping their historic curse-breaking run in front of a stunned St. Louis crowd. This Cardinals team, one of the franchise’s best ever, became a footnote to one of baseball’s most iconic stories. It’s funny how sports work: a weaker Cardinals squad would win the World Series just two years later.

2. 2022 Los Angeles Dodgers

This Dodgers team might be the most baffling postseason flop in MLB history. The 2022 Dodgers didn’t rely on as much as the 2017 Dodgers. Instead, they flat-out dominated. These LA Dodgers won 111 games, the most in franchise history, with a +334 run differential – the best since 1939. The league’s best hitting and best pitching was the product of a genius mix of veteran talent that was acquired via trade or signed via free agency, and young, homegrown talent. The Dodgers breezed to the NL West title, finishing 22 games ahead of second place.

However, their dominance ended abruptly in the NLDS against the San Diego Padres. Despite a significant talent gap, the Padres stunned the Dodgers in four games, capitalizing on untimely pitching struggles and offensive silence from stars Mookie Betts, Freddie Freeman and Trea Turner. For a team as complete as the 2022 Dodgers, anything less than a title was unacceptable.

1. 2001 Seattle Mariners

The 2001 Mariners tied the 1906 Cubs with an MLB-record 116 wins and had a +300 run differential. Led by MVP Ichiro Suzuki, who hit .350 and stole 56 bases, and surprise slugger Bret Boone, who drove in 141 RBIs, Seattle combined elite hitting and pitching for a dominant regular season.

But postseason success eluded them. They barely escaped the ALDS against Cleveland before running into the New York Yankees, a dynasty seeking its fourth straight title. Injuries and a cold offense led to a disappointing ALCS loss in just five games.