Baseball history is filled with teams that looked destined for greatness, only to fall apart when it mattered most. Whether it was a brutal postseason collapse, a front-office disaster, or just plain bad luck, these teams let championship dreams slip through their fingers.
From cursed franchises to dynasties that never materialized, here are 15 MLB teams that had it all—then blew it.
15. 2022 New York Mets
The Mets won 101 games and looked like a legitimate World Series contender, but things unraveled quickly. They blew a massive division lead to the Braves, then got bounced in the Wild Card round by the Padres, proving that winning in the regular season means nothing if you can’t finish the job.
14. 2011 Boston Red Sox
With a loaded roster, the Red Sox were expected to cruise into October, but they collapsed in legendary fashion. A September meltdown, chicken-and-beer clubhouse scandals, and a final-day disaster against the Orioles sent them packing before the playoffs even started.
13. 1993 San Francisco Giants
The Giants won 103 games, which should have been enough for a postseason berth—except it wasn’t. This was before the Wild Card existed, so they missed the playoffs entirely after the Braves edged them out by just one game.
12. 2007 New York Mets
The Mets were coasting to a division title when they suddenly forgot how to win baseball games. They blew a seven-game lead with 17 to play, capped by Tom Glavine getting shelled in the final game of the season to complete the biggest collapse in National League history.
11. 1986 California Angels
The Angels were one strike away from their first-ever World Series before Dave Henderson crushed their dreams with a stunning home run. They never recovered, losing three straight to the Red Sox and missing out on what could have been a franchise-defining moment.
10. 2019 Los Angeles Dodgers
The Dodgers won 106 games and were supposed to cruise through October, but the Nationals had other plans. A shocking extra-innings loss in Game 5 of the NLDS ended their season early, proving that regular-season dominance doesn’t always translate to playoff success.
9. 1978 Boston Red Sox
Boston had a huge lead in the AL East before the Yankees stormed back, forcing a one-game playoff at Fenway Park. Bucky Dent’s infamous home run sent the Red Sox into another round of heartbreak, adding to the franchise’s long history of crushing disappointments.
8. 2001 Seattle Mariners
The Mariners set an MLB record with 116 regular-season wins, but none of that mattered when they ran into the Yankees in the ALCS. Their dream season ended without even reaching the World Series, making them one of the greatest teams to never win it all.
7. 2016 Cleveland Guardians
Cleveland was up 3-1 in the World Series and looked ready to end their long championship drought, but the Cubs had other plans. A rain delay before extra innings in Game 7 seemed to suck all the momentum away, and just like that, the Guardians’ best chance in decades was gone.
6. 1994 Montreal Expos
The Expos had the best record in baseball and one of the most talented rosters in franchise history. Then the season was canceled due to the strike, and the team never recovered, eventually relocating to Washington years later.
5. 2003 Chicago Cubs
The Cubs were five outs away from reaching the World Series when the infamous Steve Bartman incident happened. They completely unraveled afterward, blowing the lead to the Marlins and continuing their long championship drought.
4. 1984 San Diego Padres
The Padres made their first-ever World Series appearance, only to completely collapse against the Tigers. Detroit overwhelmed them in five games, sending San Diego back to the drawing board for another two decades.
3. 2017 Los Angeles Dodgers
The Dodgers had one of the best teams in franchise history but ran into a scandal-ridden Astros team that may or may not have been using illegal methods to win. They pushed it to Game 7 but couldn’t close it out, leaving fans wondering what could have been.
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2. 2011 Texas Rangers
Texas was one strike away—twice—from winning their first-ever championship, but they let the Cardinals steal Game 6 in one of the wildest comebacks in World Series history. The heartbreaking loss carried into Game 7, and the Rangers let their best shot at a title slip away.
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1. 2004 New York Yankees
No team in baseball history has blown it quite like the 2004 Yankees, who became the first team to lose a series after leading 3-0. The Red Sox stormed back to win four straight, ending their own curse while giving Yankees fans a collapse they will never forget.
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