The Best MLB Teams to Never Win a World Series
Doc gave up the game-tying home run in the ninth inning of Game 4 Getty Images
Baseball pundits always argue whether the World Series champion is the best team in baseball or just the team that got hot at the right time heading into the playoffs. Sometimes, the World Series winner is the best team in baseball. In other years, it’s more debatable. Here are some of the best MLB teams that failed to close their seasons with a World Series championship.
1988 New York Mets
The Mets’ middle of the lineup featured Darryl Strawberry, Kevin McReynolds, and Howard Johnson. Keith Hernandez, Gary Carter, and Lenny Dykstra rounded out the list. The rotation was solid, too, with Dwight Gooden, Ron Darling, and David Cone.
Strawberry led the team with 39 home runs, David Cone had 20 wins, and Gooden added 18.
However, the Mets fell to the Dodgers in the NLCS in seven games.
1990 Oakland A’s
The A’s were led by league MVP Rickey Henderson and power hitters Mark McGwire and Jose Canseco. Their pitchers were also pretty good, with Bob Welch winning the Cy Young that year. Dave Stewart, Mike Moore, and legendary closer Dennis Eckersley made it hard for opposing batters.
The Bash Brothers, McGwire, and Canseco hit 76 home runs combined. Henderson batted .328 and hit 28 home runs. Stewart and Welch both had 20-plus wins for the A’s pitching staff.
The A’s were ultimately upset in the World Series by the Cincinnati Reds.
1993 Atlanta Braves
The Braves won 104 games in 1993 to barely win the NL West over the San Francisco Giants. They had stars in David Justice, Fred McGriff, and Ron Gant. On the mound, Greg Maddux, Tom Glavine, and John Smoltz made up one of the most feared pitching staffs.
Justice led the Braves with 40 home runs, and Gant with 36. Maddux and Glavine led the way on the mound with 42 wins combined.
The Braves lost to the Philadelphia Phillies in the NLCS.
1995 Cleveland Indians
The 1995 Indians breezed through the strike-shortened season, winning 100 of their 144 games. Cleveland had incredible talent at the plate with Manny Ramirez, Albert Belle, Kenny Lofton, Jim Thome, and Eddie Murray. They had Orel Hershiser, El Presidente Dennis Martinez, and 1995 Cy Young Candidate Jose Mesa on the mound.
Belle had a fantastic season, batting .317 and hit 50 home runs. Martinez led the Indians in ERA with 3.08, and Charles Nagy and Hershiser had 16 wins.
Unfortunately, the Indians could not get past the Atlanta Braves, who had future Hall of Famers Greg Maddux, John Smoltz, Tom Glavine, and Chipper Jones.
2001 Seattle Mariners
The Mariners won 116 games in 2001, which tied for the most wins in a single season in MLB history. AL MVP Ichiro Suzuki led the Mariners and also won the American League batting title. Along with Suzuki, the Mariners had Edgar Martinez, John Olerud, and Brett Boone. Four of their starting pitchers (Freddy Garcia, Jaime Moyer, John Halama, and Paul Abbott) won at least 15 games. Their closer, Kazuhiro Sasaki, also saved 45 games.
Suzuki and Boone were monsters at the plate. Suzuki batted .350, while Boone batted .331 with 37 home runs.
Even with all that firepower, the Mariners were upset in the ALCS by the New York Yankees in five games.
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