Where the Cincinnati Reds Stand Among Teams Trying to End Long Title Droughts

CINCINNATI -- Forget that the Reds haven't won a Postseason game since 2012. Or that they haven't won a Postseason series since 1995. The Reds have not won a World Series since 1990.

For a franchise seeped in tradition and history, it's been far too long since they have won a World Championship.

MLB.com ranked the 14 teams that have gone at least 32 seasons with a World Series title and their chances of ending their respective droughts this season. Five of those teams have never won the World Series. One team, the Seattle Mariners, have never been to the World Series.

Here's what MLB.com's Will Leitch had to say about the Reds, who checked in with the ninth-best chances.

The Reds have not, in fact, won a single postseason game since 2012 -- when they blew a 2-0 NLDS lead in heartbreaking fashion to the eventual World Series champion Giants -- but they did finally get themselves back to the playoffs in 2025. They were, uh, not there very long, but still: Progress! This is a team with a manager (Terry Francona) who has won multiple World Series titles, a potential MVP candidate in Elly De La Cruz and a pitching staff that’s underrated by most fans. In a division like the NL Central, that may be enough. There are worse longshots in which to put your faith.

So, you're saying there's a chance? Having Terry Francona certainly helps. He's been there before, and he's also gotten teams to the World Series sooner rather than later in each of his previous stops at Boston and Cleveland.

The first step towards winning the World Series is winning the NL Central. In the division, the Pittsburgh Pirates (1979) and Milwaukee Brewers (1982) all have longer pennant droughts than the Reds. Milwaukee checked in at No. 5 in MLB.com's rankings, while the Pirates checked in at No. 10.

A lot may have to go right for the Reds to win this season, but it can be done.

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