Does a professional athlete in a team sport need to win a championship to be considered an all-time great? The simple answer is “No”. Many great ball players have had Hall of Fame, or MLB Hall of Fame worthy, careers without winning a World Series. Some never even reached the playoffs. Let’s look at the 10 Greatest MLB Players to Never Win A World Series.
Who are the 10 best MLB players who never won a World Series?
Harmon Killebrew
From 1954-1975 “The Killer” was one of the most feared hitters in the game. The former MVP and 13x All-Star finished his career with 573 home runs, ranking 12th all-time. He hit 40+ home runs in 8 seasons and led the American League in that category 6 of those seasons. Killebrew’s Twins had very limited postseason exposure, as they only made the playoffs in 3 of his 22 seasons.
A 1965 World Series appearance and back-to-back ALCS appearances in 1969-70 all ended in disappointment, but Killebrew can’t shoulder all of the blame for that. Like all of the other players on our list, Harmon Killebrew is an all-time great player who was unable to win a World Series title.
Rod Carew
What more is there to say about someone who was a 1991 Hall of Fame inductee AND is mentioned in Adam Sandler’s “Hanukkah Song”? If that person is Rod Carew, there’s a lot to say. Another member of the illustrious 3,000 Hit Club, the star infielder led the American League in hits three times and batting seven times, including a .388 average in 1977. Overall, Carew finished his career with 18 All-Star selections, an MVP, and Rookie of the Year. The missing piece? A World Series championship.
Carew made the playoffs twice with the Twins and twice with the Angels, but unfortunately, never advanced to the World Series. That missing title is the cherry on top of an incredible career; it’d be nice, but it’s not necessary. Rod Carew is simply one of the greats of the game.
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Ken Griffey Jr.
What if injuries hadn’t sapped some of his career? What if the Mariners and Reds built a better roster around him in his prime? The accolades for Ken Griffey Jr. are plentiful: MVP, a 13x All-Star, 10x Gold Glove winner, 7x Silver Slugger Winner, and 630 home runs, ranking 7th all time. In 2016, “Junior” was enshrined in the Hall of Fame, being named on 99.3% of the writer’s ballots, the 3rd highest total ever.
Regrettably, he is another in a long line of great players with minimal postseason appearances, having only made the playoffs in 1995, 1997, and 2008. No World Series title? No problem, Ken Griffey Jr. is one of the best ever.
Tony Gwynn
For 20 years, Tony Gwynn patrolled right field for the San Diego Padres. Although he won 5 Gold Glove awards, he was known primarily for his bat. Gwynn was one of the best pure hitters of his generation, actually, any generation. The man could hit. He led the league in hits in 7 seasons (surpassing 200 hits in 5 of those years) and batting average in 8 seasons. In fact, “Mr. Padre” hit above .309 in 19 seasons, including a .394 average in the strike-shortened 1994 season.
In addition to his 8 batting titles and 7 Silver Slugger Awards, he was a 15x All-Star. Gwynn appeared in two World Series, but his Padres lost both times. He’ll just have to settle for the HoF and be remembered as an all-time great.
Also Read: 10 MLB Players You Won’t Believe Won A World Series
Ty Cobb
The Baseball Hall of Fame was essentially created in 1936 with the induction of the initial class. The first five players voted into the HoF included 4 World Series winners and Ty Cobb. That fact doesn’t detract from the fact that he was one of the best to step on a baseball field. For 57 years before Pete Rose came along, the “Georgia Peach” was the all-time leader in hits with 4,191 and is still the MLB all-time leader with a .366 career batting average.
He is also ranked among the all-time Top 5 leaders in at-bats, runs, doubles, triples, and stolen bases. Cobb had his opportunities for postseason glory. Three, in fact, but his Tigers lost the World Series in 1907, 1908, and 1909. The lack of a championship does not diminish the all-time greatness of Ty Cobb.
Ichiro Suzuki
When Ichiro Suzuko burst onto the MLB scene in 2001 and wowed fans until retiring in 2019, Ichiro started his career in Japan as a 21-year-old and immediately won a batting title. Moving to MLB in 2001 was a different story. Some questioned if Suzuki would be able to hit Major League pitchers. He was. The outfielder had over 200 hits in each of his first 10 seasons and never struck out more than 86 times in a full season.
He accumulated 3,089 hits en route to winning an MVP, Rookie of the Year, 10 Gold Gloves, 2 batting titles, 3 Silver Sluggers, 10 All-Star selections, and a future Hall of Fame induction, but no championship. MLB World Series or not, Ichiro was a great player.
Nap Lajoie
Let’s be honest. Who among you reading this knows who Nap Lajoie was? How many of you know about a man who played from 1896-1916? I’ll be honest, I had to read about him, and man, could he hit! Lajoie wasn’t a power threat, but he led his league in hits, doubles, RBIs, batting average, slugging, and/or total bases in several different seasons.
A member of the Hall of Fame’s second class, he finished his career with 3,243 career hits, ranking 14th all-time, and his .338 career batting average ranks 16th all-time. Unfortunately, he never got the chance to play in or win the World Series. Instead, Nap Lajoie’s legacy, being one of the greatest hitters ever, will remain missing a piece but intact.
Jim Thome
Spend 22 years playing Major League Baseball and hit 612 career home runs, 8th all-time, and you must be doing something right. That’s precisely what Jim Thome did. For 2+ decades, he punished opposing pitchers, and he established himself as one of his era’s best power hitters. While he was never the most feared home run hitter in the game, only leading the league in home runs once, he was a model of home run consistency, reaching 30+ home runs in 12 seasons.
Thome certainly had many postseason opportunities, making the playoffs from 1995-99, 2001, 2008-10, and 2012, but were still unable to win the World Series in 1995 or 1997. Some critics argue the lack of a championship hurts Jim Thome’s legacy as an all-time great, but 612 career home runs say something completely different.
Ted Williams
World Series or not, Ted Williams is one of, if not the best, all-time greatest hitters to ever play professional baseball. Period. End of discussion. Need more? OK. The Hall of Famer was a 2x MVP, 19x All-Star, 6x batting champ, and 2x Triple Crown winner. Throughout his career, “the Splendid Splinter” led the league in runs, doubles, home runs, RBIs, walks, slugging, and batting average on several occasions. The last man to hit over .400 in a full season, Williams also missed 3 of his prime years for military service in World War II.
The Red Sox made the World Series once during “Teddy Ballgame” tenure, losing to St. Louis in 1946. During the 7 game series, Williams hit a subpar .200, but everyone has a few bad days. Once again, World Series or not, Ted Williams is one of, if not the best, all-time greatest hitters to ever play professional baseball. Mic drop.
Ernie Banks
Last but certainly not least, Ernie Banks. He was a star shortstop and first baseman in Chicago from 1953-1971. Unfortunately, Banks spent those years playing for the Chicago Cubs, so the one thing missing from his resume is a World Series title. Banks retired with 2,583 hits, 1,636 RBIs, and 512 home runs. Upon leaving the game, the 2x MVP and 14x All-Star were inducted into the Hall of Fame in 1977. Sadly, “Mr. Cub” also holds the distinction of playing in the most games (2,528) without reaching postseason play, but there is no denying that Ernie Banks is one of the all-time greats despite never winning a World Series.
Also Read: 10 Greatest MLB Teams That Sadly NEVER Won A World Series
