Yeah, Seattle, we already know the sting. The Mariners, our beloved M’s, are still on that short list of just five teams in baseball who’ve never hoisted a World Series trophy. And while plenty of us, myself included, truly thought 2026 was *finally* our year to not just reach the Fall Classic but maybe even snatch that title, well, it just wasn’t meant to be. Our guys didn’t make the playoffs again. But get this: even though the M’s aren’t dancing, 2026 is still guaranteed to give us a first-time World Series champion, and it’s the second time in just four seasons this has happened. That exclusive club of teams without a ring? It’s about to get even smaller, dropping down to only four.
Brewers: Our OG Seattle Baseball Roots
So, who are these teams battling for their first title? It’s the Milwaukee Brewers and the Tampa Bay Rays. And both of ’em have some real deep ties back to the Emerald City, more than you might think. Let’s start with the Brewers. Before they were the Brewers we know today, that franchise actually kicked off right here in Seattle, as our very own Pilots. That was back in ’69, for just one season before they packed up for Wisconsin. But hold up, that departure, as frustrating as it was, actually sparked the lawsuit that eventually led Major League Baseball to give Seattle another shot at a team. You know, the one we cheer for today: the Mariners. So, yeah, the Brewers’ existence is pretty entwined with ours. It’s wild to think about, right?
Rays: The M’s More Successful, Younger Sibling
Then there are the Tampa Bay Rays. They never called Seattle home, but don’t let that fool ya. Our guy Jerry Dipoto, bless his heart, has made more trades with the Rays during his tenure than with any other team in the league. Honestly, it sometimes feels like they’re just the Mariners’ slightly younger, way more successful sibling, especially with how similarly they run their organizations. And here’s another connection that hits close to home for us at Seattle On Tap: Jeff Sullivan, the legend who founded this very blog, is now a senior analyst in the Rays’ baseball operations department. Pretty cool, huh?
So, while our M’s watch from the sidelines this year, it’s a certainty that one of these teams, both with undeniable Seattle threads, is going to make history and win their very first World Series. It’s not our trophy this time around, but somebody’s gotta win it all. The question for us now, as fans of the game and especially as Seattleites who bleed green and blue, is who do you want to see finally get that title? The Brewers, with their roots in our city’s baseball past? Or the Rays, our organizational doppelganger with a home-grown Seattle On Tap connection? Jump in the comments and let us know your pick!
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by Lookout Landing.
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