Mike Trout and 3 more modern MLB stars who will retire without a World Series ring

In an era of baseball where complex stats like WAR, wOBA, and wRC+ dominate player evaluations, there is one stat that often stands out when measuring the value of a player: World Series rings. The World Series is the culmination of 162 hard-fought regular season games, and three grueling weeks of playoffs where everything boils down to a best-of-seven series to determine it all. Some players are known for their post-season ability, others for their lack thereof, and some don't have any experience.

This raises a compelling question: What does winning a World Series ring truly say about the greatness of a player? Does the absence of a championship tarnish an otherwise Hall-of-Fame career, or is it merely a footnote in a player's individual achievement? Baseball, after all, is a team sport, and even the most extraordinary talents cannot secure a title single-handedly.

Let's take a deeper look as we analyze 4 superstars who will likely never win a ring.

4. Joey Votto is unlikely to win a World Series ring with retirement around the corner

Joey Votto is a Cincinnati Reds legend, an All-Star first baseman with the club since 2007. The six-time all-star was a force to be reckoned with for many years both offensively and defensively, but like the other names on this list, that World Series ring still eludes him.

Not only has Votto never won the World Series, he has never won a playoff series. The Reds only made it to the playoffs four times in the 17 years that Votto was with the team, in 2010, 2012, 2013, and 2020.

Votto's immense success will not be forgotten by the Reds anytime soon, however with the 41-year-old star announcing his retirement from baseball earlier this year, we will never see him get the ring many believe he deserves.

3. Nolan Arenado is stuck on the St. Louis Cardinals, which are retooling

Nolan Arenado started his career with the historically-bad Colorado Rockies with whom he reached the playoffs twice, in 2017 and 2018. In 2021 he was traded to the St. Louis Cardinals. With his new club he has also reached the playoffs twice, in 2021 and 2022.

In his four playoff series, he has only played in eight games, in which he went 5-33, significantly underperforming his typical abilities. Arenado has a career batting average of .285, a slugging of .516, an OPS of .857, and a WAR of 56.4. However, even though these stats are impressive as is, Arenado's fielding ability from the hot corner is what propelled him to the star he is.

Having ten Gold Gloves to complement his five Silver Slugger awards at third base, it is clear he is the cream of the crop, however as time quickly catches up to Arenado, it will be tough to see him earn a ring with the mediocre Cardinals.

2. Zack Greinke is a former ace who won't win a World Series ring

Zack Greinke in his prime was one of baseball's most dominant arms, with overpowering velocity and dominating off-speed, Greinke was a stud from the day he made his debut.

The four-time all-star had far more post-season chances than most of the names on this list, having pitched in 22 games over 8 different seasons. Grienke finished runner-up in the 2019 and 2021 World Series, both with the Houston Astros.

Greinke now plays for the Kansas City Royals and while they do have a chance at a World Series this year still, they are certainly not the favorites by a long shot. However, being 40 years old is looming over his shoulder, he is quickly running out of time to secure his ring.

1. Mike Trout is a legend, but he's unlikely to win a World Series with the Angels

Mike Trout was at one point the undisputed greatest active player in the MLB, and even now he is one of the best all-time baseball players. There is no doubt that Mike Trout is a future Hall-of-Famer. However, since Trout made his debut with the Los Angeles Angels in 2011 he has seen three total post-season games in 2014, in which he went 1-12 with a home run.

Since then the Angels have failed to reach the postseason, despite having two of the best players ever on the same team at the same time, with two-way star Shohei Ohtani playing alongside Trout for six seasons. With Trout not getting any younger and the Angels continuing to struggle year after year, it seems it is unlikely we will ever see him achieve the ring he deserves.

Despite this, Trout has a career batting average of .299, a slugging of .581, an OPS of .991, and a WAR of 86.2. It is safe to say Trout has put together an unforgettable career, but only time will tell how much the lack of a ring affects his legacy.