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America’s pastime. It’s been the phrase used to describe baseball for well over a century now. Given such a rich history, there have been so many all-time greats that have become household names. However, not all of those legends have been able to win a World Series. Before we begin our list of the top five best MLB players who never won a World Series, it’s worth remembering that such a long history of the sport means that there are far more than just five, so there is plenty of room for debate!
Top of our list is one of the greatest players to ever wield a baseball bat, and Ted Williams is hard to argue with as a number one. He is largely remembered for his .400 season, but his accolades extend far beyond that.
Ted Williams was an absolute monster for the Boston Red Sox for over 20 seasons, but his ability to crush pitches over the Green Monster was never enough to win a World Series. He lived through what fans of the Red Sox consider the Curse of the Bambino, but Williams earned all kinds of titles during that time. Those included two MVP and Triple Crowns, six batting titles and 18 All-Star selections.
As incredible as Ted Williams was, there is a strong argument to make that late, great Tony Gwynn is the best hitter baseball has ever seen. Sure, he may not have had the look of a stereotypical athlete or the flashiness of today’s players, but Gwynn was the epitome of consistency.
The ways to illustrate that are endless, but here’s a couple. In the 1990s, Gwynn struck out 188 times in the entire decade. Kyle Schwarber struck out 215 times just last season alone. During Gwynn’s era, the dominant pitchers were Greg Maddux, Tom Glavine and John Smoltz of the Atlanta Braves. That trio accounted for seven Cy Youngs in eight years. Those three also struck out Gwynn just four times in their entire careers.
Undoubtedly, some fans believe having Tony Gwynn above Ty Cobb is criminal, but there is a laundry list of other fascinating stats to support it. Regardless, Cobb was phenomenal in his own right. His career batting average of .366 is still the best mark in MLB history, and given how long that spans, that is remarkable.
Remember, this was at the beginning of the 1900’s, yet even those from the “steroid era” couldn’t outperform Cobb. He spent 21 seasons with the Detroit Tigers and was at least able to make the World Series despite never winning it. Cobb was a part of the World Series for a total of 17 games during his career of over 3,000 total games. Another one of his most notable achievements is his 4,189 career hits – the most all-time by a margin of 675 hits!
Shifting things back to more modern times, by about a century, is Ken Griffey, Jr. Expectations were high for the lefty thanks to his father’s accomplishments, and the duo even got to play together with the Seattle Mariners. However, unlike his dad, Junior couldn’t win a World Series.
Even his batting stance was iconic, and the #1 overall pick in 1987 was one of the best hitters for over 20 years, even while fighting through injuries. Specifically, his hamstring would plague him throughout his transition from the Mariners to the Cincinnati Reds, but he accumulated 630 career home runs (seventh-most in history). Griffey Jr. is also known for his Home Run Derby performances, especially having the only one to hit the warehouse in the air at Camden Yards (465 yards).
Once again, making a list like this means that plenty of all-time greats will be left off, such as Carl Yastrzemski, who almost made our final spot. However, we’re rolling with Barry Bonds, despite how controversial he has made certain aspects of the game.
Aside from those debates, the fact remains that Bonds achieved some of the most incredible seasons and numbers we have and may ever see. Across his storied career with the Pittsburgh Pirates and San Francisco Giants, Bonds’ 762 home runs are the most in MLB history, along with his record-setting 73-home run season. It also wasn’t just those few seasons that fans discuss that define his success. Barry Bonds is the only player in league history to win the MVP award a whopping seven times.
Mark has been a lifelong fan of all sports, and five years ago turned it into a profession, specializing in the NFL, NHL and MLB. He is a diehard Baltimore Ravens fan and has had his work published in sites such as Sports Illustrated, Pickswise and other top outlets.