The 9 MLB Teams That Have Lost The Most World Series

Twenty-nine of the 30 Major League Baseball franchises have made at least one appearance in the World Series, with the lone exception being the Seattle Mariners.

Twenty-five of those organizations have gone on to take home the Commissioner’s Trophy. The New York Yankees lead the way with 27 titles.

But what about those teams on the losing end? For every winner, there must be a runner-up that just missed out on glory. Here, we’ll highlight those second-place finishers.

MLB teams with the most World Series losses.

There are nine franchises with at least five losses in the World Series. Among them are some of the league’s biggest brands. Also included are smaller market teams with little success on the big stage.

We’ll list these clubs in reverse order ending with the most frequent loser.

Athletics

World Series losses: 5

The Athletics have appeared in 14 World Series all-time. The franchise has been largely successful in those appearances, boasting a 64% success rate.

The franchise has won nine titles. It’s also lost on five different occasions, the most recent of which came all the way back in 1990.

Atlanta Braves

World Series losses: 6

The Atlanta Braves have played in the World Series 10 different times, most recently hoisting the Commissioner’s Trophy in 2021. Success, however, has been sporadic.

The team lost six of its first nine appearances, including a 1-4 mark across five opportunities in the 1990s. Overall, the Braves are 4-6 in World Series showdowns.

Philadelphia Phillies

World Series losses: 6

Atlanta’s NL East rival Philadelphia has been even less successful in baseball’s biggest event. The Phillies are just 2-6 across eight World Series appearances.

The franchise was 1-4 in its first five chances to win a title. It picked up a second championship in 2008 before dropping series in 2009 and 2022.

Detroit Tigers

World Series losses: 7

Detroit has played for a World Series title on 11 separate occasions. It owns a 36% success rate in those appearances.

The Tigers dropped their first four championship chances before winning it all in 1935. Since, they’ve gone 3-3 across their last six tries with the most recent coming in 2012. They own a 4-7 overall mark.

Chicago Cubs

World Series losses: 8

The Cubs have, at times, been one of baseball’s best teams. They’ve also seen long stints of mediocrity. Chicago appeared in three straight World Series from 1906-08, winning two.

It then lost seven straight times between 1910 and 1945 before ending the drought with their most recent title in 2016. Overall, the club is 3-8 across 11 opportunities.

St. Louis Cardinals

World Series losses: 8

The Cardinals are one of the most respected franchises in the sport, seeing tons of success over the years. That includes having made 19 World Series appearances across their storied history.

They’ve been able to secure 11 championships in that time, good for the second-most in the MLB. Unfortunately, they also land high on this list with eight World Series losses.

San Francisco Giants

World Series losses: 12

The Giants have played in 20 World Series, which ranks third all-time in Major League Baseball history. Unfortunately, they’ve been on the losing end more times than not.

San Francisco is 8-12 in championship opportunities, good for a win rate of 40%. Surprisingly, that number has skyrocketed in recent years as the franchise lost 12 of its first 17 tries before winning three titles between 2010-14.

Los Angeles Dodgers

World Series losses: 14

The Dodgers have seen even less World Series success than the rival Giants boasting the same number of championships despite having more appearances.

Los Angeles is 8-14 in its 22 tries, winning just 36% of the time with a title on the line. Similar to San Francisco, that number has actually increased in recent years as the team won World Series in 2020 and 2024 after dropping 14 of its first 20 chances.

New York Yankees

World Series losses: 14

The Yankees are tied with the Dodgers atop the list with 14 all-time series losses. Despite the totals being the same in quantity, the numbers differ significantly given the club’s unmatched success.

New York has appeared in 41 World Series, nearly double the next closest competitor. It’s won 27 championships, good for a win rate of just under 66%.

After dropping their first two title opportunities, the Yankees ripped off 16 wins in their next 18 tries. They’ve gone 11-10 in the 21 chances to follow, with the most recent appearance coming in 2024 – a loss to the Dodgers.