2026 Yankee Autopsy

The great comedian George Carlin was a Yankee Fan, and he would have had a few words for the Yankees' performance in the American League Division Series against the Tampa Bay Rays.

At least seven words.

And I don't think his words would have included this line, from his next-most famous routine: "Baseball begins in the Spring, the season of new life. Football begins in the Fall, when everything is dying!"

But the Yankees' season did die last night. Cause of death: Apathy. The players seemed like they just didn't give a damn. The whole series seemed like that:

* Game 1: Gertit Cole pitched pretty well, but he allowed 1 home run, and the Yankees got one hit. 1-0.

* Game 2: Cam Schlittler was undone by his defense, and Aaron Boone panicked and took him out too early. 5-2. And in both games, Tropicana Field was sold out. I guarantee you: The vast majority of those people were not Tampa Bay Rays fans. They were people living in Florida who root for other teams, people who couldn't give much of a damn about the Rays, but hate the Yankees.

* Game 3: This was one of those "Let's see who wants to be here next season" games. Seemed like very few do. Max Fried was really good for 5 innings, but, still coming back from injury, he hasn't been able to go 6, and gave up a home run. 4-3. Sweep.

It wasn't much of an effort. It was unacceptable.

*

So, who needs to stay, and who needs to go? In descending order of how much they need to stay, here are the position players:

* Aaron Judge: Stay. But he must be kept healthy.

* Giancarlo Stanton: Stay. But he must be kept healthy.

* Ben Rice: Stay. He was the American League's most valuable player, in lower-case letters and possibly upcoming in Capital letters, this season. He carried the team most of the season, when Judge and Stanton were injured.

* Cody Bellinger: Stay. He hits, he fields, he wins.

* Spencer Jones: Stay. He could be the center fielder of the future.

* Paul Goldschmidt: Stay. Yes, he's 39. He can still hit. There was a stretch this season where he practically carried the team. Whether he should still be the starting 1st baseman is another matter, but he can still be a DH or a valuable pinch-hitter.

* George Lombard Jr.: Stay. He'll be 21 until next June. He needs a little seasoning, but he's going to be our shortstop of the future.

* Jasson Domínguez: Stay. He'll be 24 when Spring Training starts, presuming it starts on schedule. It's way too soon to give up on "The Martian."

* Anthony Volpe: Stay. Yes, I know, his fielding is questionable. But moving him to 2nd base is looking like it might solve 2 problems: Where to put him, and who to put there.

* Luis García Jr.: Stay. There was not enough of a sample size to dump him, and what we saw of him looked worth keeping.

* Heliot Ramos: Tough call, but I'm going to say Stay. He didn't hit enough, but he's younger than the next 2 entries, and we only need him to improve his contact hitting a little, to regain the power he showed with the San Francisco Giants. And we only need him as a reserve outfielder.

* Ali Sánchez: Tough call, but I'm gong to say Stay -- mainly because, right now, he's the best-hitting catcher we've got.

* Jazz Chisholm Jr.: Tough call, but I'm going to say Go. Good guy, some power, but we need an upgrade at 2nd base. We may already have won in Volpe.

* Trent Grisham: Tough call, but I'm going to say Go. Good guy, some power, but we need an upgrade in center field. We may already have one in Jones.

* José Caballero: Go. His defensive versatility doesn't make him a great defensive player, and it gets canceled out by is inability to hit.

* Amed Rosario: Go. Same details as Caballero. We don't need one guy like that, let alone two.

* Max Schuemann: Go. The outfield equivalent of the last 2 guys.

* Randal Grichuk: Go. Same as Schuemann.

* Ryan McMahon: Go. He batted .213. Good guy, good fielder, can't hit, and switching him to another position would not help.

* Oswaldo Cabrera: Go. One of Brian Cashman's precious "prospects" that didn't pan out. He's injury-prone. And, as Yogi Berra might have said if he'd lived, "Even when he can play, he can't play."

* Austin Wells: Go. I don't care how good a guy is, how good a teammate a guy is, or how good a fielder a player is: A .186 batting average is a hole in the lineup, and he has to go.

* J.C. Escarra: Go: Same category, and his .188 average is only slightly higher.

The starting rotation should be Cam Schlittler, Gerrit Cole, Max Fried, Carlos Rodón, and either Will Warren or Ryan Weathers. That's in order of current worthiness, not necessarily in the order in which they should pitch. All should stay, but all of them must be kept healthy.

In the cases of Warren and Weathers, one will be in the rotation, while the other is the first man out of the bullpen, unless one of the other 4 starters gets hurt, in which case the one in the bullpen once again becomes a rotation slot-filler. In other words, starter-wise, we're set: For the first time in ages, the Yankees do not need to go out of their way to get a good starting pitcher.

Here are the relief pitchers:

* David Bednar: Stay. Ideally, we would have a better closer, and he'd be the 8th-inning man.

* Paul Blackburn: Stay. Like Bednar, he looks good to be the guy to get to The Guy, if somebody better than Bednar were The Guy.

* Brent Headrick: Stay. His WHIP is a little too high for a reliever, and if he became trade bait for something we need, I wouldn't get upset.

* Clarke Schmidt: Stay. He deserves another shot if for no other reason than that he's been hurt. He turns 31 during Spring Training. He could have several more years left. And I don't want Cashman to turn him into the next Nathan Eovaldi, starting for some other team and beating the Yankees, maybe a few times. But if he is going to stay with us, he'll be a reliever and maybe a spot starter.

* Luis Gil: Stay. He had a bad year, but he was coming back from injury, and -- if you're an Arsenal fan, you'll get the joke -- he's 28 until he's 29. (Next June.) He's still got a chance.

* Yerry de los Santos: Stay. Despite his injury, he pitched well when he could pitch at all.

* Elmer Rodríguez: Stay. He had a rough rookie season, but he's only 23. He can get better.

* Angel Chivilli and...

* Yovanny Cruz: Stay. Both were good when they weresn't hurt.

* Alexander Cornielle: Stay. He's only pitched in 1 major league game, on September 25, and he got hit hard. But he's 25, and pitched well in Class AAA. He deserves another shot.

* John Schreiber: Stay. He only pitched in 11 games, but was decent.

* Kervin Castro: Stay. He'll be 28 at Spring Training, so he's no longer a prospect, but he showed something in his 5 major league games this season.

* Justin Topa: Stay. He'll turn 36 during Spring Training, and only faced 16 batters this season, but might be worth it.

* Ryan Yarbrough: Go. A 3.69 ERA is too high for a reliever.

* Fernando Cruz: Go. No reason to keep him.

* Tim Hill: Go. A WHIP of 1.142 is good, but a 4.60 ERA is unacceptable for a reliever. If we need a lefty reliever, that's Headrick for now.

* Camilo Doval, Jake Bird, Michael Fulmer, Brendan Beck, Bradley Hanner: Go. Absolute dregs, all of them. None of these men even deserves to be on a major league roster, especially that of the Yankees.

So: 2027 Yankee needs -- assuming there is a 2027 MLB season -- in descending order: Catcher, closer, 3rd base, 2nd base.

*

After last night's game, Ben Rice said, "As far as I'm concerned, it's a failure, since we weren't able to get the job done." He was right.

Jazz Chisholm said, "It sucks to not finish it off." This is true. He also said, "This is where I want to be." He didn't play like it this season."

Aaron Judge said, "That's not good enough here in New York. We're the Yankees. You got to go out there and expect championships and go all in every year."

And Aaron Boone said, "The ending is terrible. It's the worst."

They're all saying the right things.

Brian Cashman said nothing. This is on him. 17 years, 1 Pennant, no World Series wins. 26 years, 4 Pennants, 1 World Series win.

Hal Steinbrenner also said nothing. This is on him, too. He needs to say something. He needs to say it to Boone, and he needs to say it to Cashman: "Goodbye."

After all, as I've said before: Firing Boone does nothing. Cashman will just hire another errand boy to do his bidding. Hal has to fire both of them, the way his father George would have, years ago.

One more time: If you fire the doll, but you keep the ventriloquist, then you are the dummy.

UPDATE: This afternoon, on Pardon the Interruption, Tony Kornheiser said Boone shouldn't be fired, because he was hampered by the Judge injury. But he also pointed out that, in postseason series, Boone is 7-0 against teams with a lesser record than the Yankees, and 1-8 against teams with the same or better record.

Answer me this: Why have the Yankees played nine postseason series in Boone's nine seasons as manager where the opposing team has an equal or better record? Follow-up question: Why have they only been able to pull the upset once? Follow-up to the follow-up: Wouldn't a better manager be able to pull the upset more than once?

One last question. It's the classic Vince Lombardi question: What the hell's goin' on out here?

Yankees Sweep Scum! Bring On the Deviled Eggs!

Did I enjoy what the Yankees did to the Boston Red Sox these last two nights? Oh, hell, yes!

Failing to win the American League Eastern Division, largely due to long-term injuries to Aaron Judge, Giancarlo Stanton, and 4 of our 5 intended starting pitchers left the Yankees with the 4th seed in the AL Playoffs. But it also gave them all the home games in the AL Wild Card Series.

Which was good, because the opponent was the Red Sox. The Auld Enemy. As they would say in English soccer, that lot -- or, in another phrase from across the pond, The Scum.

On Tuesday night, Cam Schlittler started, and he was brilliant: 6 1/3rd innings, no runs, 2 hits, 1 walk, 10 strikeouts. He showed that, at least this season, he's the best pitcher in baseball, and I don't want to hear about no Skubal, no Miz, no Ohtani, and certainly no Nolan McLean.

But a performance like that deserves runs. He got them. George Lombard Jr. opened the 2nd with a single. Amed Rosario struck out, but Anthony Volpe singled. Spencer Jones popped up, but Austin Wells singled Lombard home. One-nil to the Pinstripe Boys.

Ben Rice hit a home run in the 5th. It was still only 2-0 when Cam was taken out. But in the bottom of the 7th, Jones singled, Austin Wells singled, Paul Goldschmidt walked to load the bases with nobody out, Rice singled Jones home, and Luis García Jr. grounded into a double play that got Wells home, making it 4-0.

In the bottom of the 8th, Lombard singled, Ryan McMahon walked, Volpe bunted them over, Jones walked, Wells hit a sacrifice fly to score Lombard, Goldschmidt walked to reload the bases, and Rice hit one out. It was a grand salami with Rice, who went 4-for-5 with 2 home runs and 6 RBIs.

Paul Blackburn finished the 7th, and allowed  hit in the 8th. John Schreiber pitched a perfect 9th. Yankees 9, Red Sox 0!

To make it even sweeter, Schlittler is from Walpole, Massachusetts, about 20 miles southwest of downtown Boston, near Foxborough; and Rice grew up in Cohasset, about 20 miles southeast, on the way to Cape Cod.

*

Could the Yankees do it again last night? Hell, yeah, they could, and, for the most part, they did. Max Fried started, and was strong, going 6 innings, allowing 1 run on 3 hits and 1 walk, with 6 strikeouts.

Given the tendency of ex-Yankees to do well against them, especially pitchers in the postseason, there was concern that Sonny Gray, Schlittler's only serious competitor for this season's AL Cy Young Award, might shut them down.

We, the fans, need not have worried. A Luis García Jr. home run, earning his Pinstripes, in the 4th inning, and another run in the 5th, chased him.

Then came the bottom of the 6th. Up 2-1, and getting tense following Fried losing the shutout on a homer, it started benignly enough. Garrett Crochet, who pitched so well against us in Game 1 of last year's Wild Card series, had been injured most of the season, and Sox manager Chad Tracy chose this moment to let him make his 1st pitching appearance since April 25.

Well, he didn't pitch like he was hurt: He struck Jones out. Except... Adley Rutschman, the power-hitting catcher the Sox acquired from the Baltimore Orioles at the August 3tradling deadline, let it get away. Not since Tommy Henrich vs. Hugh Casey and Mickey Owen in the 1941 World Series had the Yankees benefited so much from a catcher being unable to handle a missed 3rd strike. Except, this time, it was ruled a wild pitch, whereas Casey's pitch (speculated to have been a spitball) was ruled a passed ball, and Owen took the blame for the rest of his life.

Like Henrich, Jones reached 1st safely. Unlike Henrich, Jones tried to steal 2nd -- and got all the way to 3rd, because Rutschman made a throwing error. If this was the "Curse of the Bambino" era Red Sox, this would have gone done in history as "The Adley Rutschman Game." After all, it was still only 2-1 Yankees at this point. It was still very winnable for the Sox.

Soon, it wasn't: Lombard singled Jones home. Jazz Chisholm and Trent Grisham, neither of whom played in Game 1, singled, and the bases were loaded with nobody out. Crochet had pitched to 4 batters, and had gotten exactly zero outs. From April 26 onward, his ERA is infinity.

Garrett Whitlock was brought in to pitch. All season long, we've been ragging on Austin Wells for his poor hitting. In these 2 games, he went 3-for-6 with 4 RBIs. He hit a sacrifice fly that scored Lombard. McMahon grounded to 3rd for the 2nd out, but it was enough to score Chisholm. In what appeared to be Tracy's smartest move of the night, he walked Rice intentionally, loading the bases again, but setting up an inning-ending play at any base. Well, Cody Bellinger said, "End this," and hit a no-doubt-abouter to make it 8-1 Yankees.

Aaron Boone brought Will Warren in to pitch the 7th, and he gave up a home run to make it 8-2. But walks to Chisholm and Grisham, and a single by Wells to score Chisholm, made it 9-2, and that was the final score.

The Yankees outscored the Red Sox, 18-2, and held them to a .117 batting average as a team, as they went 7-for-60 with 18 strikeouts over 18 innings. And while there were worries about a lineup without Judge or Stanton being able to touch the Sox starters -- especially Gray, given the history of pitchers that Brian Cashman has let go performing against the Yankees -- 15 of the Yankees' 18 runs were against the Boston bullpen.

Isiah Kiner-Falefa, a former Yankee utility man now with the Sox, called it "Uncompetitive. We got boat-raced," adding, "To lose in the Wild Card is unacceptable." Well, IKF, maybe you should've been good enough to stick with the Yankees.

The Red Sox eliminated the Yankees in postseason play in 2004, 2018 and 2021, following the Yankees having done it to them in 1978 (MLB counts that as a regular-season game), 1999 and 2003. But this is now 2 years in a row that we've knocked that lot out.

*

Elsewhere in the Playoffs, the Red Sox South, the Chicken Fried Cheats, the Houston Astros, got swept by the Chicago White Sox; the San Diego Padres eliminated the Chicago Cubs; and the Philadelphia Phillies pushed the Atlanta Braves to a Game 3.

So: Did I enjoy what the Yankees did to the Boston Red Sox these last two nights? Oh, hell, yes!

Is that enough to make this a successful season? Oh, hell, no!

Bring on the Tampa Bay Deviled Eggs! Or, as comedian and Yankee Fan Vic DiBitetto said, "Bring on Tampon Bay!"

Baseball Pennants, 1871-2025

Just 1 year ago. Seems like a lot longer, doesn't it?

This time, I'm counting each franchise as if its moves, if any, don't matter -- which I usually don't do. Ties broken by never-moved teams ahead of moved teams, then by World Series won, then by most recent.

1. New York Yankees, 41, all in the American League: 1921, 1922, 1923, 1926, 1927, 1928, 1932, 1936, 1937, 1938, 1939, 1941, 1942, 1943, 1947, 1949, 1950, 1951, 1952, 1953, 1955, 1956, 1957, 1958, 1960, 1961, 1962, 1963, 1964, 1976, 1977, 1978, 1981, 1996, 1998, 1999, 2000, 2001, 2003, 2009, 2024.

2. Los Angeles Dodgers, 30: As the Brooklyn Bridegrooms, 1889 in the American Association and 1890 in the National League; the rest in the NL: 1899, 1900 as the Brooklyn Superbas; 1916, 1920 as the Brooklyn Robins; 1941, 1947, 1949, 1952, 1953, 1955, 1956 as the Brooklyn Dodgers; the rest as the Los Angeles Dodgers: 1959, 1963, 1965, 1966, 1974, 1977, 1978, 1981, 1988, 2017, 2018, 2020, 2024, 2025.

3. St. Louis Cardinals, 23: 1885, 1886, 1887, 1888 in the American Association as the St. Louis Browns; the rest in the National League as the Cardinals: 1926, 1928, 1930, 1931, 1934, 1942, 1943, 1944, 1946, 1964, 1967, 1968, 1982, 1985, 1987, 2004, 2006, 2011, 2013.

4. San Francisco Giants, 23, all in the National League: As the New York Giants, 1888, 1889, 1904, 1905, 1911, 1912, 1913, 1917, 1921, 1922, 1923, 1924, 1933, 1936, 1937, 1951, 1954; as the San Francisco Giants, 1962, 1989, 2002, 2010, 2012, 2014.

5. Atlanta Braves, 22: 1872, 1873, 1874, 1875 in the National Association as the Boston Red Stockings; the rest in the National League: 1877, 1878 as the Boston Red Stockings, 1883, 1891, 1892, 1893, 1897, 1898 as the Boston Beaneaters; 1914, 1948 as the Boston Braves; 1957, 1958 as the Milwaukee Braves; 1991, 1992, 1995, 1996, 1999, 2021 as the Atlanta Braves.

6. Chicago Cubs, 17, all in the National League: 1876, 1880, 1881, 1882, 1885, 1886 as the Chicago White Stockings; 1906, 1907, 1908, 1910, 1918, 1929, 1932, 1935, 1938, 1945, 2016 as the Chicago Cubs.

7. Sacramento Athletics, 15, all in the American League: As the Philadelphia Athletics, 1902, 1905, 1910, 1911, 1913, 1914, 1929, 1930, 1931; as the Oakland Athletics, 1972, 1973, 1974, 1988, 1989, 1990.

8. Boston Red Sox, 14, all in the American League: 1903, 1904 as the Boston Americans; the rest as the Boston Red Sox: 1912, 1915, 1916, 1918, 1946, 1967, 1975, 1986, 2004, 2007, 2013, 2018.

9. Detroit Tigers, 11, all in the American League: 1907, 1908, 1909, 1934, 1935, 1940, 1945, 1968, 1984, 2006, 2012.

10. Cincinnati Reds, 10: 1882 in the American Association, the rest in the National League: 1919, 1939, 1940, 1961, 1970, 1972, 1975, 1976, 1990.

11. Pittsburgh Pirates, 9, all in the National League: 1901, 1902, 1903, 1909, 1925, 1927, 1960, 1971, 1979.

12. Philadelphia Phillies, 8, all in the National League: 1915, 1950, 1980, 1983, 1993, 2008, 2009, 2022.

13. Baltimore Orioles, 7, all in the American League: 1944 as the St. Louis Browns; the rest as the Baltimore Orioles: 1966, 1969, 1970, 1971, 1979, 1983.

14. Chicago White Sox, 6, all in the American League: 1901, 1906, 1917, 1919, 1959, 2005.

15. Cleveland Guardians, 6: all in the American League as the Cleveland Indians: 1920, 1948, 1954, 1995, 1997, 2016.

16. Minnesota Twins, 6, all in the American League: 1924, 1925, 1933 as the Washington Senators; the rest as the Minnesota Twins: 1965, 1987, 1991.

17. New York Mets, 5, all in the National League: 1969, 1973, 1986, 2000, 2015.

18. Houston Astros, 5: 2005 in the National League; the rest in the American League; 2017, 2019, 2021, 2022.

19. Kansas City Royals, 4, all in the American League: 1980, 1985, 2014, 2015.

20. Toronto Blue Jays, 3, all in the American League: 1992, 1993, 2025.

21. Texas Rangers, 3, all in the American League: 2010, 2011, 2023.

22. Miami Marlins, 2, both in the National League as the Florida Marlins: 1997, 2003.

23. Arizona Diamondbacks, 2, both in the National League: 2001, 2023.

24. Tampa Bay Rays, 2, both in the American League: 2008, 2020.

25. San Diego Padres, 2, both in the National League: 1984, 1998.

26. Washington Nationals, 1, in the National League: 2019.

27. Los Angeles Angels, 1, in the American League: 2002 as the Anaheim Angels.

28. Colorado Rockies, 1, in the National League: 2007.

29. Milwaukee Brewers, 1, in the American League: 1982; the team is now in the National League.

30. Seattle Mariners, none.

Defunct Teams winning Pennants in what were, even if only briefly, "major leagues":

Previous versions of the Philadelphia Athletics: 1871 National Association, 1883 American Association.

Providence Grays: 1879 and 1884 National League.

Previous version of the New York Metropolitans: 1884 American Association.

St. Louis Maroons: 1884 Union Association.

Detroit Wolverines: 1887 National League.

Louisville Colonels: 1890 American Association.

Boston Red Stockings (not the team that became the Braves or the one that became the Red Sox): 1891 American Association.

Previous version of the Baltimore Orioles: 1894, 1895 and 1896 National League.

Indianapolis Hoosiers: 1914 Federal League.

Chicago Whales: 1915 Federal League.

Last Pennant:

1. Los Angeles Dodgers, 2025

2. Toronto Blue Jays, 2025

3. New York Yankees, 2024

4. Texas Rangers, 2023

5. Arizona Diamondbacks, 2023

6. Houston Astros, 2022

7. Philadelphia Phillies, 2022

8. Atlanta Braves, 2021

9. Tampa Bay Rays, 2020

10. Washington Nationals, 2019.

11. Boston Red Sox, 2018

12. Chicago Cubs, 2016

13. Cleveland Guardians, 2016

14. Kansas City Royals, 2015

15. New York Mets, 2015

16. San Francisco Giants, 2014

17. St. Louis Cardinals, 2013

18. Detroit Tigers, 2012

19. Colorado Rockies, 2007

20. Chicago White Sox, 2005

21. Miami Marlins, 2003

22. Los Angeles Angels, 2002

23. San Diego Padres, 1998

24. Minnesota Twins, 1991

25. Cincinnati Reds, 1990

26. Sacramento Athletics, 1990

27. Baltimore Orioles, 1983

28. Milwaukee Brewers, 1982

29. Pittsburgh Pirates, 1979

30. Seattle Mariners, never

The last Seattle team to win a Pennant was the Seattle Angels, a farm team of the Anaheim club, in the Pacific Coast League, in 1966. By a weird coincidence, that was also the year of the last minor-league Pennant in Toronto, by the Maple Leafs, for whom the NHL team was renamed in 1927. They had been the Arenas from 1917 to 1920, and then the St. Patricks.

Each MLB Team's 1st Pennant

1921 remains the last season in which the Yankees wore white caps.

1. Chicago Cubs, National League, 1876. The team was then known as Chicago White Stockings. They won their 1st under the Cubs name in 1906.

2. Cincinnati Reds, American Association, 1882. They won their 1st in the National League in 1919.

3. St. Louis Cardinals, American Association, 1885. They won their 1st in the National League in 1926.

4. Pittsburgh Pirates, National League, 1901.

5. Chicago White Sox, American League, 1901.

6. Boston Red Sox, American League, 1903. The team was then known as the Boston Americans. They won their 1st under the Red Sox name in 1912.

7. Detroit Tigers, American League, 1907.

8. Philadelphia Phillies, National League, 1915.

9. Cleveland Guardians, American League, 1920. The team was then known as the Cleveland Indians. They haven't yet won one under the Guardians name.

10. New York Yankees, American League, 1921.

11. Los Angeles Dodgers, National League, 1959. They won as the Brooklyn Bridegrooms in the American Association in 1889, and in the National League in 1890. They won as the Brooklyn Superbas in the National League in 1899 and 1900. They won as the Brooklyn Robins in the National League in 1916 and 1920. They won as the Brooklyn Dodgers in the National League in 1941, 1947, 1949, 1952, 1953, 1955 and 1956.

12. San Francisco Giants, National League, 1962. They won as the New York Giants in the National League in 1888, 1889, 1904, 1905, 1911, 1912, 1913, 1917, 1921, 1922, 1923, 1924, 1933, 1936, 1937, 1951 and 1954.

13. Baltimore Orioles, American League, 1966. They won as the St. Louis Browns in 1944. A previous team named the Baltimore Orioles won in the National League in 1894, 1895 and 1896.

14. New York Mets, National League, 1969.

15. Kansas City Royals, American League, 1980.

16. Milwaukee Brewers, American League, 1982. They have not won one since moving to the National League in 1998.

17. San Diego Padres, National League, 1984.

18. Minnesota Twins, American League, 1991. They won as the Washington Senators in 1924, 1925 and 1933.

19. Atlanta Braves, National League, 1991. They won as the Boston Red Stockings in the National Association in 1872, 1873, 1874 and 1875, and in the National League in 1877 and 1878. They won as the Boston Beaneaters in the National League in 1883, 1891, 1892, 1893, 1897 and 1898. They won as the Boston Braves in the National League in 1914 and 1948. They won as the Milwaukee Braves in the National League in 1957 and 1958.

20. Toronto Blue Jays, American League, 1992.

21. Miami Marlins, National League, 1997. The team was then known as the Florida Marlins. They have not yet won one under the Miami name.

22. Arizona Diamondbacks, National League, 2001.

23. Los Angeles Angels, American League, 2002. The team was then known as the Anaheim Angels. They have not yet won one under the Los Angeles name.

24. Houston Astros, National League, 2005. They moved to the American League in 2014, and won their 1st Pennant there in 2017.

25. Colorado Rockies, National League, 2007.

26. Tampa Bay Rays, American League, 2008.

27. Texas Rangers, American League, 2010.

28. Washington Nationals, National League, 2019.

29. Sacramento Athletics, never. Won as Philadelphia Athletics in American League in 1902, 1905, 1910, 1911, 1913, 1914, 1929, 1930 and 1931. Won as Oakland Athletics in American League in 1972, 1973, 1974, 1988, 1989 and 1990.

30. Seattle Mariners: never. This time, they were 9 outs away from getting it, and they blew it.

Yankees' Season-Ending Dates, 1903-2025

Note: Regular season expanded from 154 to 162 games in 1961. Postseason berths per league expanded from 1 to 2 in 1969, to 4 in 1995, to 5 in 2011, and to 6 in 2020.

August 11: 1994, end of regular season (Strike)

September 2: 1918, end of regular season (World War I)

September 26: 1954, end of regular season

September 27: 1903, 1931, end of regular season

September 28: 1930, 1975, 2008, 2014, end of regular season

September 29: 1919, 1935, 1940, 1946, 1968, 1974, 1991, 2013, end of regular season

September 30: 1924, 1934, 1945, 1970, 1971, 1973, 1979, 1984, end of regular season

October 1: 1933, 1944, 1967, 1972, 1989, 2023, end of regular season

October 2: 1917, 1966, 1969, 1983, 1988, 2016, end of regular season; 1932, Won World Series

October 3: 1909, 1920, 1948, 1965, 1982, 1990, 1993, end of regular season

October 4: 1916, 1925, 1987, 1992, end of regular season; 1955, Lost World Series

October 5: 1913, 1986, end of regular season; 1942, Lost World Series; 1953, Won World Series; 2021, Lost Wild Card Game

October 6: 1907, 1912, 1929, 1985, end of regular season; 1936, 1941, 1947, Won World Series; 1963, Lost World Series; 1997, 2002, 2011, Lost ALDS; 2015, Lost Wild Card Game

October 7: 1906, 1914, 1915, end of regular season; 1950, 1952, Won World Series; 2006, Lost ALDS

October 8: 1905, 1908, 1911, end of regular season; 1922, Lost World Series; 1927, 1939, Won World Series; 1995, 2007, 2025, Lost ALDS

October 9: 1910, 1959, end of regular season; 1928, 1938, 1949, 1958, 1961, Won World Series; 2018, 2020, Lost ALDS

October 10: 1904, end of regular season; 1926, 1957, Lost World Series; 1937, 1951, 1956, Won World Series; 1980, Lost ALDS; 2005, Lost ALDS

October 11: 1943, Won World Series

October 13: 1921, 1960, Lost World Series

October 15: 1923, Won World Series; 1964, Lost World Series

October 16: 1962, Won World Series

October 17: 1978, Won World Series

October 18: 1977, Won World Series; 2012, Lost ALCS

October 19: 2019, Lost ALCS 

October 20: 2004, Lost ALCS

October 21: 1976, Lost World Series; 1998, Won World Series; 2017, Lost ALCS

October 22: 2010, Lost ALCS

October 23: 2022, Lost ALCS

October 25: 2003, Lost World Series

October 26: 1996, 2000, Won World Series

October 27: 1999, Won World Series

October 28: 1981, Lost World Series

October 30: 2024, Lost World Series

November 4: 2001, Lost World Series; 2009, Won World Series 

Most MLB Postseason Appearances In the Divisional Play Era, 1969-2025

Note: This is an official count only. Teams that were in one-game Playoffs (like the 1978 Red Sox) or were in position to make the Playoffs when the remainder of the 1994 season was canceled (like the Yankees) are not counted. Tiebreakers are by most World Series wins, then by Pennants.

1. New York Yankees, 31: 1976, 1977, 1978, 1980, 1981, 1995, 1996, 1997, 1998, 1999, 2000, 2001, 2002, 2003, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2015, 2017, 2018, 2019, 2020, 2021, 2022, 2024, 2025.

2. Atlanta Braves, 31, leading the National League: 1969, 1982, 1991, 1992, 1993, 1995, 1996, 1997, 1998, 1999, 2000, 2001, 2002, 2003, 2004, 2005, 2010, 2012, 2013, 2018, 2019, 2020, 2021, 2022, 2023, 2024.

3. Los Angeles Dodgers, 26, leading the National League Western Division: 1974, 1977, 1978, 1981, 1983, 1985, 1988, 1995, 1996, 2004, 2006, 2008, 2009, 2013, 2014, 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019, 2020, 2021, 2022, 2023, 2024, 2025.

4. Oakland/Sacramento Athletics, 21, leading the American League Western Division: 1971, 1972, 1973, 1974, 1975, 1981, 1988, 1989, 1990, 1992, 2000, 2001, 2002, 2003, 2006, 2012, 2013, 2014, 2018, 2019, 2020.

5. St. Louis Cardinals, 20, leading the National League Central Division: 1982, 1985, 1987, 1996, 2000, 2001, 2002, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2009, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014, 2015, 2019, 2020, 2021, 2022.

6. Boston Red Sox, 19: 1975, 1986, 1988, 1990, 1995, 1998, 1999, 2003, 2004, 2005, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2013, 2016, 2017, 2018, 2021, 2025.

7. Houston Astros, 18, leading the American League Western Division: 1980, 1981, 1986, 1997, 1998, 1999, 2001, 2004, 2005, 2015, 2017, 2018, 2019, 2020, 2021, 2022, 2023, 2024.

8. Philadelphia Phillies, 16, leading the American League Eastern Division: 1976, 1977, 1978, 1980, 1981, 1983, 1993, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2022, 2023, 2024, 2025.

9. Cleveland Indians/Guardians, 15: 1995, 1996, 1997, 1998, 1999, 2001, 2007, 2013, 2016, 2017, 2018, 2020, 2022, 2024, 2025.

10. Baltimore Orioles, 14: 1969, 1970, 1971, 1973, 1974, 1979, 1983, 1996, 1997, 2012, 2014, 2016, 2023, 2024.

11. San Francisco Giants, 14: 1971, 1987, 1989, 1997, 2000, 2002, 2003, 2010, 2012, 2014, 2016, 2021.

12. Minnesota Twins, 14: 1969, 1970, 1987, 1991, 2002, 2003, 2004, 2006, 2009, 2010, 2017, 2019, 2020, 2023.

13. Cincinnati Reds, 13: 1970, 1972, 1973, 1975, 1976, 1979, 1990, 1995, 2010, 2012, 2013, 2020, 2015.

14. Pittsburgh Pirates, 12: 1970, 1971, 1972, 1974, 1975, 1979, 1990, 1991, 1992, 2013, 2014, 2015.

15. New York Mets, 11: 1969, 1973, 1986, 1988, 1999, 2000, 2006, 2015, 2016, 2022, 2024.

16. Toronto Blue Jays, 11: 1985, 1989, 1991, 1992, 1993, 2015, 2016, 2020, 2022, 2023, 2025.

17. Chicago Cubs, 11: 1984, 1989, 1998, 2003, 2007, 2008, 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018, 2020.

18. Kansas City Royals, 10: 1976, 1977, 1978, 1980, 1981, 1984, 1985, 2014, 2015, 2024.

19. Detroit Tigers 10: 1972, 1984, 1987, 2006, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014, 2024, 2025.

20. Milwaukee Brewers, 10: 1982, 2008, 2011, 2018, 2019, 2020, 2021, 2023, 2024, 2025.

21. California/Anaheim/Los Angeles Angels, 10: 1979, 1982, 1986, 2002, 2004, 2005, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2014.

22. Texas Rangers, 9: 1996, 1998, 1999, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2015, 2016, 2023.

23. San Diego Padres, 9: 1984, 1996, 1998, 2005, 2006, 2020, 2022, 2024, 2025.

24. Tampa Bay Rays, 9: 2008, 2010, 2011, 2013, 2019, 2020, 2021, 2022, 2023. 

25. Arizona Diamondbacks, 7: 1999, 2001, 2002, 2007, 2011, 2017, 2023.

26. Chicago White Sox, 7: 1983, 1993, 2000, 2005, 2008, 2020, 2021.

27. Montreal Expos/Washington Nationals, 6: 1981, 2012, 2014, 2016, 2017, 2019.

28. Seattle Mariners, 6: 1995, 1997, 2000, 2001, 2022, 2025.

29. Colorado Rockies, 5: 1995, 2007, 2009, 2017, 2018.

30. Florida/Miami Marlins, 4: 1997, 2003, 2020, 2023.

Overall postseason appearances, 1903-2025: 

1. New York Yankees, 60: 1921, 1922, 1923, 1926, 1927, 1928, 1932, 1936, 1937, 1938, 1939, 1941, 1942, 1943, 1947, 1949, 1950, 1951, 1952, 1953, 1955, 1956, 1957, 1958, 1960, 1961, 1962, 1963, 1964, 1976, 1977, 1978, 1980, 1981, 1995, 1996, 1997, 1998, 1999, 2000, 2001, 2002, 2003, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2015, 2017, 2018, 2019, 2020, 2021, 2022, 2024, 2025.

2. Brooklyn/Los Angeles Dodgers, 39: 1916, 1920, 1941, 1947, 1949, 1952, 1953, 1955, 1956, 1959, 1963, 1965, 1966, 1974, 1977, 1978, 1981, 1983, 1985, 1988, 1995, 1996, 2004, 2006, 2008, 2009, 2013, 2014, 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019, 2020, 2021, 2022, 2023, 2024, 2025.

3. Boston/Milwaukee/Atlanta Braves, 35: 1914, 1948, 1957, 1958, 1969, 1982, 1991, 1992, 1993, 1995, 1996, 1997, 1998, 1999, 2000, 2001, 2002, 2003, 2004, 2005, 2010, 2012, 2013, 2018, 2019, 2020, 2021, 2022, 2023, 2024.

4. St. Louis Cardinals, 32: 1926, 1928, 1930, 1931, 1934, 1942, 1943, 1944, 1946, 1964, 1967, 1968, 1982, 1985, 1987, 1996, 2000, 2001, 2002, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2009, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014, 2015, 2019, 2020, 2021, 2022.

5. Philadelphia/Oakland/Sacramento Athletics, 29: 1905, 1910, 1911, 1913, 1914, 1929, 1930, 1931, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1974, 1975, 1981, 1988, 1989, 1990, 1992, 2000, 2001, 2002, 2003, 2006, 2012, 2013, 2014, 2018, 2019, 2020.

6. New York/San Francisco Giants, 29: 1905, 1911, 1912, 1913, 1917, 1921, 1922, 1923, 1924, 1933, 1936, 1937, 1951, 1954, 1962, 1971, 1987, 1989, 1997, 2000, 2002, 2003, 2010, 2012, 2014, 2016, 2021.

7. Boston Red Sox, 26: 1903, 1912, 1915, 1916, 1918, 1946, 1967, 1975, 1986, 1988, 1990, 1995, 1998, 1999, 2003, 2004, 2005, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2013, 2016, 2017, 2018, 2021, 2025.

8. Chicago Cubs, 21: 1906, 1907, 1908, 1910, 1918, 1929, 1932, 1935, 1938, 1945, 1984, 1989, 1998, 2003, 2007, 2008, 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018, 2020.

9. Detroit Tigers 18: 1907, 1908, 1909, 1934, 1935, 1940, 1945, 1968, 1972, 1984, 1987, 2006, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014, 2024, 2025.

10. Philadelphia Phillies, 18: 1915, 1950, 1976, 1977, 1978, 1980, 1981, 1983, 1993, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2022, 2023, 2024, 2025.

11. Washington Senators/Minnesota Twins, 18: 1924, 1925, 1933, 1965, 1969, 1970, 1987, 1991, 2002, 2003, 2004, 2006, 2009, 2010, 2017, 2019, 2020, 2023.

12. Cleveland Indians/Guardians, 18: 1920, 1948, 1954, 1995, 1996, 1997, 1998, 1999, 2001, 2007, 2013, 2016, 2017, 2018, 2020, 2022, 2024, 2025.

13. Houston Astros, 18, leading the American League Western Division: 1980, 1981, 1986, 1997, 1998, 1999, 2001, 2004, 2005, 2015, 2017, 2018, 2019, 2020, 2021, 2022, 2023, 2024.

14. Cincinnati Reds, 17: 1919, 1939, 1940, 1961, 1970, 1972, 1973, 1975, 1976, 1979, 1990, 1995, 2010, 2012, 2013, 2020, 2015.

15. Pittsburgh Pirates, 17: 1903, 1909, 1925, 1927, 1960, 1970, 1971, 1972, 1974, 1975, 1979, 1990, 1991, 1992, 2013, 2014, 2015.

16. St. Lous Browns/Baltimore Orioles, 16: 1944, 1966, 1969, 1970, 1971, 1973, 1974, 1979, 1983, 1996, 1997, 2012, 2014, 2016, 2023, 2024.

17. New York Mets, 11: 1969, 1973, 1986, 1988, 1999, 2000, 2006, 2015, 2016, 2022, 2024.

18. Toronto Blue Jays, 11: 1985, 1989, 1991, 1992, 1993, 2015, 2016, 2020, 2022, 2023, 2025.

19. Chicago White Sox, 11: 1906, 1917, 1919, 1959, 1983, 1993, 2000, 2005, 2008, 2020, 2021.

20. Kansas City Royals, 10: 1976, 1977, 1978, 1980, 1981, 1984, 1985, 2014, 2015, 2024.

21. Milwaukee Brewers, 10: 1982, 2008, 2011, 2018, 2019, 2020, 2021, 2023, 2024, 2025.

22. California/Anaheim/Los Angeles Angels, 10: 1979, 1982, 1986, 2002, 2004, 2005, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2014.

23. Texas Rangers, 9: 1996, 1998, 1999, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2015, 2016, 2023.

24. San Diego Padres, 9: 1984, 1996, 1998, 2005, 2006, 2020, 2022, 2024, 2025.

25. Tampa Bay Rays, 9: 2008, 2010, 2011, 2013, 2019, 2020, 2021, 2022, 2023. 

26. Arizona Diamondbacks, 7: 1999, 2001, 2002, 2007, 2011, 2017, 2023.

27. Montreal Expos/Washington Nationals, 6: 1981, 2012, 2014, 2016, 2017, 2019.

28. Seattle Mariners, 6: 1995, 1997, 2000, 2001, 2022, 2025.

29. Colorado Rockies, 5: 1995, 2007, 2009, 2017, 2018.

30. Florida/Miami Marlins, 4: 1997, 2003, 2020, 2023.

Yankee Season-Ending Dates, 1903-2024

August 11: 1994, end of regular season (Strike)

September 2: 1918, end of regular season (World War I)

September 26: 1954, end of regular season

September 27: 1903, 1931, end of regular season

September 28: 1930, 1975, 2008, 2014, end of regular season

September 29: 1919, 1935, 1940, 1946, 1968, 1974, 1991, 2013, end of regular season

September 30: 1924, 1934, 1945, 1970, 1971, 1973, 1979, 1984, end of regular season

October 1: 1933, 1944, 1967, 1972, 1989, 2023, end of regular season

October 2: 1917, 1966, 1969, 1983, 1988, 2016, end of regular season; 1932, Won World Series

October 3: 1909, 1920, 1948, 1965, 1982, 1990, 1993, end of regular season

October 4: 1916, 1925, 1987, 1992, end of regular season; 1955, Lost World Series

October 5: 1913, 1986, end of regular season; 1942, Lost World Series; 1953, Won World Series; 2021, Lost Wild Card Game

October 6: 1907, 1912, 1929, 1985, end of regular season; 1936, 1941, 1947, Won World Series; 1963, Lost World Series; 1997, 2002, 2011, Lost ALDS; 2015, Lost Wild Card Game

October 7: 1906, 1914, 1915, end of regular season; 1950, 1952, Won World Series; 2006, Lost ALDS

October 8: 1905, 1908, 1911, end of regular season; 1922, Lost World Series; 1927, 1939, Won World Series; 1995, 2007, Lost ALDS

October 9: 1910, 1959, end of regular season; 1928, 1938, 1949, 1958, 1961, Won World Series; 2018, 2020, Lost ALDS

October 10: 1904, end of regular season; 1926, 1957, Lost World Series; 1937, 1951, 1956, Won World Series; 1980, Lost ALDS; 2005, Lost ALDS

October 11: 1943, Won World Series

October 13: 1921, 1960, Lost World Series

October 15: 1923, Won World Series; 1964, Lost World Series

October 16: 1962, Won World Series

October 17: 1978, Won World Series

October 18: 1977, Won World Series; 2012, Lost ALCS

October 19: 2019, Lost ALCS 

October 20: 2004, Lost ALCS

October 21: 1976, Lost World Series; 1998, Won World Series; 2017, Lost ALCS

October 22: 2010, Lost ALCS

October 23: 2022, Lost ALCS

October 25: 2003, Lost World Series

October 26: 1996, 2000, Won World Series

October 27: 1999, Won World Series

October 28: 1981, Lost World Series

October 30: 2024, Lost World Series

November 4: 2001, Lost World Series; 2009, Won World Series

Major League Baseball Pennants, 1871 to 2023

The 2023 World Series will be played between the Texas Rangers, the team from the Dallas metropolitan area, who have won their 3rd American League Pennant, and are still seeking their 1st World Series win, in their 52nd season of play; and the Arizona Diamondbacks, of Phoenix, who have won their 2nd National League Pennant, and are seeking to win the World Series again, as they did in 2001.

Ties broken by most recent. Pennants won by the franchise in another city/metropolitan area are not counted. Former teams in italics, and listed where they would rank if they still existed in that form.

1. New York Yankees, 40: 1921, 1922, 1923, 1926, 1927, 1928, 1932, 1936, 1937, 1938, 1939, 1941, 1942, 1943, 1947, 1949, 1950, 1951, 1952, 1953, 1955, 1956, 1957, 1958, 1960, 1961, 1962, 1963, 1964, 1976, 1977, 1978, 1981, 1996, 1998, 1999, 2000, 2001, 2003, 2009.

2. St. Louis Cardinals, 23: 1885, 1886, 1887, 1888, 1926, 1928, 1930, 1931, 1934, 1942, 1943, 1944, 1946, 1964, 1967, 1968, 1982, 1985, 1987, 2004, 2006, 2011, 2013.

3. Chicago Cubs, 17: 1876, 1880, 1881, 1882, 1885, 1886, 1906, 1907, 1908, 1910, 1918, 1929, 1932, 1935, 1938, 1945, 2016.

--. New York Giants, 17: 1888, 1889, 1904, 1905, 1911, 1912, 1913, 1917, 1921, 1922, 1923, 1924, 1933, 1936, 1937, 1951, 1954.

4. Boston Red Sox, 14: 1903, 1904, 1912, 1915, 1916, 1918, 1946, 1967, 1975, 1986, 2004, 2007, 2013, 2018.

--. Boston Braves, 14: 1872, 1873, 1874, 1875, 1877, 1878, 1883, 1891, 1892, 1893, 1897, 1898, 1914, 1948.

--. Brooklyn Dodgers, 13: 1889, 1890, 1899, 1900, 1916, 1920, 1941, 1947, 1949, 1952, 1953, 1955, 1956.

5. Los Angeles Dodgers, 12: 1959, 1963, 1965, 1966, 1974, 1977, 1978, 1981, 1988, 2017, 2018, 2020. (Dodgers total: 25.)

6. Detroit Tigers, 11: 1907, 1908, 1909, 1934, 1935, 1940, 1945, 1968, 1984, 2006, 2012.

7. Cincinnati Reds, 10: 1882, 1919, 1939, 1940, 1961, 1970, 1972, 1975, 1976, 1990.

8. Pittsburgh Pirates, 9: 1901, 1902, 1903, 1909, 1925, 1927, 1960, 1971, 1979.

--. Philadelphia Athletics (1901 version), 9: 1902, 1905, 1910, 1911, 1913, 1914, 1929, 1930, 1931.

9. Philadelphia Phillies, 8: 1915, 1950, 1980, 1983, 1993, 2008, 2009, 2022.

10. Atlanta Braves, 6: 1991, 1992, 1995, 1996, 1999, 2021. (Braves total: 22.)

11. Cleveland Guardians, 6: 1920, 1948, 1954, 1995, 1997, 2016.

12. San Francisco Giants, 6: 1962, 1989, 2002, 2010, 2012, 2014. (Giants total: 23.)

13. Chicago White Sox, 6: 1901, 1906, 1917, 1919, 1959, 2005. 

14. Oakland Athletics, 6: 1972, 1973, 1974, 1988, 1989, 1990.  (A's total: 15.)

15. Baltimore Orioles (1954 version), 6: 1966, 1969, 1970, 1971, 1979, 1983. (Browns/O's total: 7.)

16. Houston Astros, 5: 2005, 2017, 2019, 2021, 2022.

17. New York Mets, 5: 1969, 1973, 1986, 2000, 2015.

18. Kansas City Royals, 4: 1980, 1985, 2014, 2015.

19. Texas Rangers, 3: 2010, 2011, 2023.

20. Minnesota Twins, 3: 1965, 1987, 1991. (Senators/Twins total: 6.)

--. Washington Senators, 3: 1924, 1925, 1933.

--. Baltimore Orioles (1882 version), 3: 1894, 1895, 1896.

21. Arizona Diamondbacks, 2: 2001, 2023.

22. Tampa Bay Rays, 2: 2008, 2020.

23. Miami Marlins, 2: 1997, 2003.

24. San Diego Padres, 2: 1984, 1998.

25. Toronto Blue Jays, 2: 1992, 1993.

--. Milwaukee Braves, 2: 1957, 1958.

--. Boston Reds, 2: 1890, 1891.

--. Providence Grays, 2: 1879, 1884.

26. Washington Nationals, 1: 2019.

27. Colorado Rockies, 1: 2007.

28. Los Angeles Angels, 1: 2002.

29. Milwaukee Brewers, 1: 1982.

--. St. Louis Browns, 1: 1944.

--. Chicago Whales, 1: 1915.

--. Indianapolis Hoosiers, 1: 1914.

--. Louisville Colonels, 1: 1890.

--. Detroit Wolverines, 1: 1887.

--. New York Metropolitans (1882 version), 1: 1884.

--. St. Louis Maroons, 1: 1884.

--. Philadelphia Athletics (1882 version), 1: 1883.

--. Philadelphia Athletics (1871 version), 1: 1871.

30. Seattle Mariners, none.

*

By City/Metropolitan Area:

1. New York, 76.

2. Boston, 30.

3. St. Louis, 25.

4. Chicago, 24.

5. Philadelphia, 19.

6. Los Angeles, 13.

7. San Francisco Bay Area, 12.

8. Detroit, 12.

9. Cincinnati, 10.

10. Baltimore, 9.

11. Pittsburgh, 9.

12. Atlanta, 6.

13. Cleveland, 6.

14. Houston, 5.

15. Washington, 4.

16. Kansas City, 4.

17. Dallas, 3.

18. Minneapolis, 3.

19. Phoenix, 2.

20. Tampa Bay, 2.

21. Miami, 2.

22. San Diego, 2.

23. Toronto, 2.

24. Milwaukee, 3.

25. Providence, 2.

26. Denver, 1.

27. Indianapolis, 1.

28. Louisville, 1.

29. Seattle, none.

*

By State:

1. New York, 76.

2. Massachusetts, 30.

3. Missouri, 29.

4. Pennsylvania, 28.

5. California, 27.

6. Illinois, 24.

7. Ohio, 16.

8. Michigan, 12.

9. Maryland, 9.

10. Texas, 8.

11. Georgia, 6.

12. Florida, 4.

13. District of Columbia, 4.

14. Minnesota, 3.

15. Wisconsin, 3.

16. Arizona, 2.

--. Ontario, 2.

17. Rhode Island, 2.

18. Colorado, 1.

19. Indiana, 1.

20. Kentucky, 1.

21. Washington, none.

NFL Playoff Berths, 1920-2021

Note: This includes ties to decide Division titles in the pre-merger era (1933-69), and Championships won in the pre-Championship Game era (1920-32).

New York combined, 48: 1927, 1933, 1934, 1935, 1938, 1939, 1941, 1943, 1944, 1946, 1950, 1956, 1958, 1959, 1961, 1962, 1963, 1968, 1969, 1981 (both), 1982 (both), 1984, 1985 (both), 1986 (both), 1989, 1990, 1991, 1993, 1997, 1998, 2000, 2001, 2002 (both), 2004, 2005, 2006 (both), 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2016.

San Francisco Bay Area combined, 43: 1949, 1957, 1967, 1968, 1969, 1970 (both), 1971, 1972 (both), 1973, 1974, 1975, 1976, 1977, 1980, 1981 (both), 1983, 1984, 1985, 1986, 1987, 1988, 1989, 1990, 1992, 1993, 1994, 1995, 1996, 1997, 1998, 2000, 2001 (both), 2002 (both), 2011, 2012, 2013, 2016, 2019. 

1. Green Bay Packers, 37: 1929, 1930, 1931, 1936, 1938, 1939, 1941, 1944, 1960, 1961, 1962, 1965, 1966, 1967, 1972, 1982, 1993, 1994, 1995, 1996, 1997, 1998, 2001, 2002, 2003, 2004, 2007, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014, 2015, 2016, 2019, 2020.

2. New York Giants, 34: 1927, 1933, 1934, 1935, 1938, 1939, 1941, 1943, 1944, 1946, 1950, 1956, 1958, 1959, 1961, 1962, 1963, 1981, 1982, 1984, 1985, 1986, 1989, 1990, 1993, 1997, 2000, 2002, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2011, 2016.

Cleveland area combined, 34: 1920, 1922, 1923, 1924, 1945, 1946, 1947, 1948, 1949, 1950, 1951, 1952, 1953, 1954, 1955, 1957, 1958, 1964, 1965, 1967, 1968, 1969, 1971, 1972, 1980, 1982, 1985, 1986, 1987, 1988, 1989, 1994, 2002, 2020.

Dallas combined, 34: 1962, 1966, 1967, 1968, 1969, 1970, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1975, 1976, 1977, 1978, 1979, 1980, 1981, 1982, 1983, 1985, 1991, 1992, 1993, 1994, 1995, 1996, 1998, 1999, 2003, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2014, 2016, 2018.

3. Dallas Cowboys, 33 (most among post-1933 teams): 1966, 1967, 1968, 1969, 1970, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1975, 1976, 1977, 1978, 1979, 1980, 1981, 1982, 1983, 1985, 1991, 1992, 1993, 1994, 1995, 1996, 1998, 1999, 2003, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2014, 2016, 2018.

Los Angeles combined, 33: 1949, 1950, 1951, 1952, 1955, 1960, 1967, 1969, 1973, 1974, 1975, 1976, 1977, 1978, 1979, 1980, 1982, 1983 (both), 1984 (both), 1985 (both), 1986, 1988, 1989, 1990, 1991, 1993, 2017, 2018 (both), 2020.

4. Pittsburgh Steelers, 32 (most among AFC teams): 1947, 1972, 1973, 1974, 1975, 1976, 1977, 1978, 1979, 1982, 1983, 1984, 1989, 1992, 1993, 1994, 1995, 1996, 1997, 2001, 2002, 2004, 2005, 2007, 2008, 2010, 2011, 2014, 2015, 2016, 2017, 2020.

Chicago combined, 32: 1921, 1925, 1932, 1933, 1934, 1937, 1940, 1941, 1942, 1943, 1946, 1947, 1948, 1950, 1956, 1963, 1977, 1979, 1984, 1985, 1986, 1987, 1988, 1990, 1991, 1994, 2001, 2005, 2006, 2010, 2018, 2020.

5. Minnesota Vikings, 30: 1968, 1969, 1970, 1971, 1973, 1974, 1975, 1976, 1977, 1978, 1980, 1982, 1987, 1988, 1989, 1992, 1993, 1994, 1996, 1997, 1998, 1999, 2000, 2004, 2008, 2009, 2012, 2015, 2017, 2019.

Rams combined, 30: 1945, 1949, 1950, 1951, 1952, 1955, 1967, 1969, 1973, 1974, 1975, 1976, 1977, 1978, 1979, 1980, 1983, 1984, 1985, 1986, 1988, 1989, 1999, 2000, 2001, 2003, 2004, 2017, 2018, 2020.

6. Cleveland Browns, 29: 1946, 1947, 1948, 1949, 1950, 1951, 1952, 1953, 1954, 1955, 1957, 1958, 1964, 1965, 1967, 1968, 1969, 1971, 1972, 1980, 1982, 1985, 1986, 1987, 1988, 1989, 1994, 2002, 2020.

7. Chicago Bears, 29: 1921, 1932, 1933, 1934, 1937, 1940, 1941, 1942, 1943, 1946, 1950, 1956, 1963, 1977, 1979, 1984, 1985, 1986, 1987, 1988, 1990, 1991, 1994, 2001, 2005, 2006, 2010, 2018, 2020.

Colts combined, 29: 1958, 1959, 1964, 1965, 1968, 1970, 1971, 1975, 1976, 1977, 1987, 1995, 1996, 1999, 2000, 2002, 2003, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2012, 2013, 2014, 2018, 2020.

New England combined, 29: 1928, 1936, 1963, 1976, 1978, 1982, 1985, 1986, 1994, 1996, 1997, 1998, 2001, 2003, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014, 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019.

Philadelphia combined, 28: 1926, 1947, 1948, 1949, 1960, 1978, 1979, 1980, 1981, 1988, 1989, 1990, 1992, 1995, 1996, 2000, 2001, 2002, 2003, 2004, 2006, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2013, 2017, 2018, 2019. 

8. New England Patriots, 27 (most among founding AFL teams): 1963, 1976, 1978, 1982, 1985, 1986, 1994, 1996, 1997, 1998, 2001, 2003, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014, 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019.

9. San Francisco 49ers, 27: 1949, 1957, 1970, 1971, 1972, 1981, 1983, 1984, 1985, 1986, 1987, 1988, 1989, 1990, 1992, 1993, 1994, 1995, 1996, 1997, 1998, 2001, 2002, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2019.

10. Philadelphia Eagles, 27: 1947, 1948, 1949, 1960, 1978, 1979, 1980, 1981, 1988, 1989, 1990, 1992, 1995, 1996, 2000, 2001, 2002, 2003, 2004, 2006, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2013, 2017, 2018, 2019.

Redskins/Football Team combined, 25: 1936, 1937, 1940, 1942, 1943, 1945, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1974, 1976, 1982, 1983, 1984, 1986, 1987, 1990, 1991, 1992, 1999, 2005, 2007, 2012, 2015, 2020.

11. Los Angeles Rams, 24: 1949, 1950, 1951, 1952, 1955, 1967, 1969, 1973, 1974, 1975, 1976, 1977, 1978, 1979, 1980, 1983, 1984, 1985, 1986, 1988, 1989, 2017, 2018, 2020.

12. Washington Football Team, 24: 1937, 1940, 1942, 1943, 1945, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1974, 1976, 1982, 1983, 1984, 1986, 1987, 1990, 1991, 1992, 1999, 2005, 2007, 2012, 2015, 2020.

Oilers/Titans combined, 24: 1960, 1961, 1962, 1967, 1969, 1978, 1979, 1980, 1987, 1988, 1989, 1990, 1991, 1992, 1993, 1999, 2000, 2002, 2003, 2007, 2008, 2017, 2019, 2020.

13. Miami Dolphins, 23 (most among post-1961 teams): 1970, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1974, 1978, 1979, 1981, 1982, 1983, 1984, 1985, 1990, 1992, 1994, 1995, 1997, 1998, 1999, 2000, 2001, 2008, 2016.

Baltimore combined, 23: 1958, 1959, 1964, 1965, 1968, 1970, 1971, 1975, 1976, 1977, 2000, 2001, 2003, 2006, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2014, 2018, 2019, 2020.

Texans/Chiefs combined, 23: 1962, 1966, 1968, 1969, 1971, 1986, 1990, 1991, 1992, 1993, 1994, 1995, 1997, 2003, 2006, 2010, 2013, 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019, 2020.

14. Kansas City Chiefs, 22: 1966, 1968, 1969, 1971, 1986, 1990, 1991, 1992, 1993, 1994, 1995, 1997, 2003, 2006, 2010, 2013, 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019, 2020.

15. Denver Broncos, 22: 1977, 1978, 1979, 1983, 1984, 1986, 1987, 1989, 1991, 1993, 1996, 1997, 1998, 2000, 2003, 2004, 2005, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014, 2015.

Houston combined, 21: 1960, 1961, 1962, 1967, 1969, 1978, 1979, 1980, 1987, 1988, 1989, 1990, 1991, 1992, 1993, 2011, 2012, 2015, 2016, 2018, 2019.

16. Buffalo Bills, 20: 1963, 1964, 1965, 1966, 1974, 1980, 1981, 1988, 1989, 1990, 1991, 1992, 1993, 1995, 1996, 1998, 1999, 2017, 2019, 2020.

17. Indianapolis Colts, 19 (most among post-1966 teams): 1987, 1995, 1996, 1999, 2000, 2002, 2003, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2012, 2013, 2014, 2018, 2020.

18. Seattle Seahawks, 19: 1983, 1984, 1987, 1988, 1999, 2003, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2010, 2012, 2013, 2014, 2015, 2016, 2018, 2019, 2020.

Chargers combined, 19: 1960, 1961, 1963, 1964, 1965, 1979, 1980, 1981, 1982, 1992, 1994, 1995, 2004, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2013, 2018.

Spartans/Lions combined, 18: 1932, 1935, 1952, 1953, 1954, 1957, 1970, 1982, 1983, 1991, 1993, 1994, 1995, 1997, 1999, 2011, 2014, 2016.

19. Detroit Lions, 17: 1935, 1952, 1953, 1954, 1957, 1970, 1982, 1983, 1991, 1993, 1994, 1995, 1997, 1999, 2011, 2014, 2016.

San Diego Chargers, 17: 1961, 1963, 1964, 1965, 1979, 1980, 1981, 1982, 1992, 1994, 1995, 2004, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2013.

Oakland Raiders, 16: 1967, 1968, 1969, 1970, 1972, 1973, 1974, 1975, 1976, 1977, 1980, 1981, 2000, 2001, 2002, 2016.

20. Cincinnati Bengals, 14: 1970, 1973, 1975, 1981, 1982, 1988, 1990, 2005, 2009, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014, 2015.

21. New Orleans Saints, 14: 1987, 1990, 1991, 1992, 2000, 2006, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2013, 2017, 2018, 2019, 2020.

22. Atlanta Falcons, 14: 1978, 1980, 1982, 1991, 1995, 1998, 2002, 2004, 2008, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2016, 2017.

23. New York Jets, 14: 1968, 1969, 1981, 1982, 1985, 1986, 1991, 1998, 2001, 2002, 2004, 2006, 2009, 2010.

24. Baltimore Ravens, 13 (most among post-1976 teams): 2000, 2001, 2003, 2006, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2014, 2018, 2019, 2020.

25. Tampa Bay Buccaneers, 11: 1979, 1981, 1982, 1997, 1999, 2000, 2001, 2002, 2005, 2007, 2020.

Cardinals combined, 11: 1925, 1947, 1948, 1974, 1975, 1982, 1998, 2008, 2009, 2014, 2015.

26. Tennessee Titans, 9: 1999, 2000, 2002, 2003, 2007, 2008, 2017, 2019, 2020.

27. Carolina Panthers, 8: 1996, 2003, 2005, 2008, 2013, 2014, 2015, 2017.

St. Louis combined, 8: 1974, 1975, 1982, 1999, 2000, 2001, 2003, 2004.

28. Jacksonville Jaguars, 7: 1996, 1997, 1998, 1999, 2005, 2007, 2017.

Los Angeles Raiders, 7: 1982, 1983, 1984, 1985, 1990, 1991, 1993.

29. Houston Texans, 6: 2011, 2012, 2015, 2016, 2018, 2019.

30. Arizona Cardinals, 5: 1998, 2008, 2009, 2014, 2015.

St. Louis Rams, 5: 1999, 2000, 2001, 2003, 2004.

Canton Bulldogs, 3: 1922, 1923, 1924.

31. Los Angeles Chargers, 2: 1960, 2018.

Akron Pros, 1: 1920.

Frankford Yellow Jackets, 1: 1926.

Providence Steam Roller, 1: 1928.

Portsmouth Spartans, 1: 1932.

Cleveland Rams, 1: 1945.

32. Las Vegas Raiders, 0.

*

Ratio: Seasons per Playoff Berth:

1. Dallas Cowboys, 33 in 61: 1.85.

2. Baltimore Ravens, 13 in 25: 1.92.

3. Indianapolis Colts, 19 in 37: 1.95.

4. Carolina Panthers, 8 in 16: 2.00.

5. Minnesota Vikings, 30 in 60: 2.00.

6. Los Angeles Rams, 24 in 54: 2.25.

7. New England Patriots, 27 in 61: 2.26.

8. Jacksonville Jaguars, 7 in 16: 2.29.

9. Seattle Seahawks, 19 in 45: 2.37.

10. Miami Dolphins, 23 in 55: 2.39.

11. Tennessee Titans, 9 in 22: 2.44.

12. Cleveland Browns, 29 in 72: 2.48.

13. Los Angeles Chargers, 2 in 5: 2.50.

14. Kansas City Chiefs, 22 in 58: 2.64.

15. Green Bay Packers, 37 in 100: 2.70.

16. Pittsburgh Steelers, 32 in 88: 2.75.

17. Denver Broncos, 22 in 61: 2.77.

18. San Francisco 49ers, 27 in 75: 2.78.

19. New York Giants, 34 in 96: 2.82.

20. Houston Texans, 6 in 18: 3.00.

21. Buffalo Bills, 20 in 61: 3.05.

22. Washington Football Team, 24 in 74: 3.08.

23. Philadelphia Eagles, 27 in 88: 3.26.

24. Chicago Bears, 29 in 101: 3.48.

25. Cincinnati Bengals, 14 in 53: 3.79.

26. New Orleans Saints, 14 in 54: 3.86.

27. Atlanta Falcons, 14 in 55: 3.93.

28. Tampa Bay Buccaneers, 11 in 45: 4.09.

29. New York Jets, 14 in 61: 4.36.

30. Detroit Lions, 17 in 87: 5.12.

31. Arizona Cardinals, 5 in 33: 6.6.

32. Las Vegas Raiders, 0 in 1: Infinite.

*

If we count all postseason appearances by the teams, without regard to moves, it looks like this: 

1. Cowboys, 33 in 61: 1.85.

2. Ravens (not counting 1946-95 Browns), 13 in 25: 1.92.

3. Panthers, 8 in 16: 2.00.

4. Vikings, 30 in 60: 2.00.

5. Patriots, 27 in 61: 2.26.

6. Jaguars, 7 in 16: 2.29.

7. Seahawks, 19 in 45: 2.37.

8. Dolphins, 23 in 55: 2.39.

9. Browns, 29 in 72: 2.48.

10. Oilers/Titans, 24 in 61: 2.54.

11. Colts, 29 in 74: 2.55.

12. Chiefs, 23 in 61: 2.65.

13. Raiders, 23 in 62: 2.70.

14. Packers, 37 in 100: 2.70.

15. Steelers, 32 in 88: 2.75.

16. Broncos, 22 in 61: 2.77.

17. 49ers, 27 in 75: 2.78.

18. Giants, 34 in 96: 2.82.

19. Rams, 30 in 85: 2.83.

20. Houston Texans, 6 in 18: 3.00.

21. Buffalo Bills, 20 in 61: 3.05.

22. Redskins/Football Team, 79 in 25: 3.16.

23. Chargers, 19 in 61: 3.21.

24. Eagles, 27 in 88: 3.26.

25. Bears, 29 in 101: 3.48.

26. Bengals, 14 in 53: 3.79.

27. Saints, 14 in 54: 3.86.

28. Falcons, 14 in 55: 3.93.

29. Buccaneers, 11 in 45: 4.09.

30. Jets, 14 in 61: 4.36.

31. Lions, 18 in 91: 5.06.

32. Cardinals, 11 in 101: 9.18.