World Series droughts are, sadly, more prevalent these days thanks to a lack of spending across baseball, minus the upper-echelon of big markets. Organizations like the Pittsburgh Pirates and Oakland Athletics do as little as possible to win. Sure, owners like Bob Nutting say all the right things. They win via player development, and cannot compete with the likes of the Dodgers or Mets due to their market size and media contracts. Those of us who know better understand that at least some of that is BS.
What's made the ALCS so intriguing is that both the Seattle Mariners and Toronto Blue Jays have World Series droughts of their own. Toronto last won in the early-90's, while the Mariners...well they've never quite reached the mountaintop. If either of these teams can win two playoff series over higher-spending teams, then why can't their primary small-to-mid-market competition?
Team | World Series drought |
|---|---|
Guardians | 77 years |
Padres | 57 years |
Mariners | 48 years |
Pirates | 46 years |
Brewers | 43 years |
Orioles | 42 years |
Tigers | 41 years |
Mets | 39 years |
Athletics | 36 years |
Reds | 35 years |
Twins | 34 years |
That's a lot of teams! That being said, some organizations on this list have a better chance than others at redemption. If we don't include the Mariners or Blue Jays – one of which will end their drought on Monday night in Game 7 – these teams are closest to ending a long nightmare for their respective fanbases.
4. Detroit Tigers
Yes, I said it! The Tigers have about 365 days to end their World Series drought, and their best chance at doing so is to make sure Scott Harris doesn't trade Tarik Skubal this winter. Skubal is a Scott Boras client, which means he will more than likely enter free agency, but the Tigers ace has also admitted how much he enjoys playing in the Motor City.
"I hope so. Obviously there's a business side of the game that's not as good or beautiful as the baseball side," Skubal said, visibly uncomfortable. "I love playing here...I'd love to spend my entire career here...I don't get to write my own contracts so there's that business side of the sport that gets a little messy...it's out of my control."
To sign Skubal long term, the Tigers will need buy-in from ownership. As much as we'd love to see a mid-market team keep their ace rather than force his hand, it's also highly unlikely Tigers ownership pays up. With that, their choice is to keep Skubal knowing full well he could leave them for dry next winter, or trade a two-time AL Cy Young winner for whatever they can get. My money is on the latter, but if Harris instead runs it back with Skubal and actually adds to this roster, the Tigers have a good chance to end their drought in 2026.
3. Milwaukee Brewers
The Brewers had the best record in baseball this season, so it's surprising they're not higher on this list. If you consider the Pilots drought beforehand, Milwaukee hasn't sniffed a World Series in 53 years. Since the Brewers came to town, they haven't made one Fall Classic in 43 years. It's not great! Again, the Brewers would be higher on this list if not for their offseason ahead.
As I wrote just last week, Milwaukee has a tough road ahead. This winter, they have to decide on club options for several key players, including Jose Quintana and Brandon Woodruff. Their ace, Freddy Peralta, also has just one year left on his deal (and it's a club option) for $8 million. He'd be a huge addition for another contending team and Milwaukee has done this before.
The Brewers traded Corbin Burnes just a few years ago. Perlata is on a similar timeline and could fetch even more. That being said, Milwaukee has a former executive of the year in Matt Arnold, and a likely NL manager of the year winner in Pat Murphy. They have a great foundation, and thus have earned a spot on this list.
2. Pittsburgh Pirates
Sure, call me a homer. I do live in Pittsburgh, after all. But the Pirates have plenty of reason to be optimistic moving forward, assuming they don't get in their own way. Again, that is a huge assumption! Pittsburgh could've cleaned house this winter and let Ben Cherington walk the plank. Instead, they kept him around for reasons I don't really understand.
The Pirates have one of the best pitching staffs in baseball already. Paul Skenes should win the NL Cy Young despite not making the postseason. Mitch Keller was a prime trade candidate at the deadline and Cherington smartly held onto him thanks to a team-friendly contract. Bubba Chandler was excellent in his Pittsburgh cameo and an ace-level talent in his own right. Jared Jones should eventually return and pitch well. There are a lot of ifs involved, but the Pirates problems are not their pitching.
The big if for the Pirates is simple: They need some offense. The Pirates ranked near the bottom of the league last season in runs scored and batting average. That all includes with runners in scoring position. Don Kelly could be a very good manager if given the right pieces. That means adding to a lineup that features Oneil Cruz, Bryan Reynolds and little else of substance. Konnor Griffin is coming, but not that soon.
1. New York Mets
It's me, payroll guy. The Mets will spend more than any of the teams listed above, including in the neat table I provided. Because of this simple fact, Steve Cohen's team will always have a better chance to win the World Series than most. The Mets have a strong farm system and player development infrastructure – they made sure of that when they hired David Stearns. What Stearns needs help with is using the resources available to him.
This free agency crop isn't the one to invest heavily in. The Mets already did that last winter, when they signed Juan Soto to a record-breaking contract. Soto's $765 million shouldn't keep Cohen from adding, say, a Skubal or Hunter Greene via trade. What the Mets need more than most teams is starting pitching they can rely on. Right now, Cohen and Stearns don't have that, and much of the bullpen is set to reach free agency.
But again, the Mets can afford to replace their rotation and bullpen on the fly. They are mentioned for just about every free agent and trade target. Sure, they haven't won the World Series since before I was born...but they also have fewer limitations than the other teams on this list, who also have struggled to reach the baseball mountaintop.