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. Note that no pennants were won in 1994 due to strike. This list only shows droughts of 20 or more seasons. Active droughts are listed in bold type.
| Seasons | Team | Prev. Pennant | Next Pennant |
|---|---|---|---|
| 67 | Chicago Cubs | 1945 | — |
| 49 | Washington Senators/Texas Rangers | 1961* | 2010 |
| 45 | Chicago White Sox | 1959 | 2005 |
| 44 | Montreal Expos/Washington Nationals | 1969* | — |
| 43 | Houston Colt .45s/Astros | 1962* | 2005 |
| 41 | St. Louis Browns | 1903* | 1944 |
| 41 | Los Angeles-California-Anaheim Angels | 1961* | 2002 |
| 40 | Philadelphia-Kansas City-Oakland Athletics | 1931 | 1972 |
| 40 | Cleveland Indians | 1954 | 1995 |
| 39 | Chicago White Sox | 1919 | 1959 |
| 36 | Seattle Mariners | 1977* | — |
| 34 | Philadelphia Phillies | 1915 | 1950 |
| 33 | Boston Braves | 1914 | 1948 |
| 32 | Pittsburgh Pirates | 1927 | 1960 |
| 33 | Pittsburgh Pirates | 1979 | — |
| 32 | Milwaukee-Atlanta Braves | 1958 | 1991 |
| 31 | Washington Senators/Minnesota Twins | 1933 | 1965 |
| 30 | Milwaukee Brewers | 1982 | — |
| 29 | Philadelphia Phillies | 1950 | 1980 |
| 29 | Baltimore Orioles | 1983 | — |
| 27 | Boston Red Sox | 1918 | 1946 |
| 27 | Cleveland Indians | 1920 | 1948 |
| 27 | Kansas City Royals | 1985 | — |
| 26 | San Francisco Giants | 1962 | 1989 |
| 24 | Detroit Tigers | 1909 | 1934 |
| 24 | Los Angeles Dodgers | 1988 | — |
| 23 | St. Louis Cardinals | 1903* | 1926 |
| 22 | Detroit Tigers | 1945 | 1968 |
| 22 | Oakland Athletics | 1990 | — |
| 22 | Cincinnati Reds | 1990 | — |
| 21 | St. Louis Browns/Baltimore Orioles | 1944 | 1966 |
| 21 | Minnesota Twins | 1965 | 1987 |
| 21 | Detroit Tigers | 1984 | 2006 |
| 21 | Washington Senators | 1903* | 1924 |
| 21 | Minnesota Twins | 1991 | — |
| 20 | Brooklyn Dodgers | 1920 | 1941 |
| 20 | Cincinnati Reds | 1940 | 1961 |
| 20 | Boston Red Sox | 1946 | 1967 |
* Year does not indicate a pennant, but rather the team's first year of existence or the first year of the modern World Series (1903).
Read more about this topic: List Of Major League Baseball Franchise Postseason Droughts
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