The Seattle Mariners They have put end to a streak that no team should want hold.
Following their victory on Friday, the Mariners they go to the playoffs for the first time in 21 years. Ends the longest active streak of most seasons without making the playoffs in the four major North American sports leagues.
The Mariners earned their 2022 playoff berth by earning one of three AL wild-card spots a year after missing the playoffs by two games.
With the Mariners shaking off the mold, here are the 12 longest active postseason droughts across the NFL, NBA, MLB and NHL.
1. Sacramento Kings — 16 seasons (last playoff appearance in 2005–06)
The Kings not only have the longest active playoff drought among all teams in North America’s top four professional leagues, they also have the longest playoff drought in NBA history. They haven’t appeared in the playoffs since Mike Bibby was their starting point guard. Sacramento went 30-52 in 2021-22, missing the final play-in spot by four games.
2. New York Jets — 11 seasons (last appearance in 2010)
A couple of New York fan bases have experienced misery over the last decade. The Jets haven’t made the playoffs since Mark Sanchez played quarterback and Rex Ryan was at the helm in 2010, when they defeated the Patriots in the divisional round and appeared in a second straight AFC title game.
The Jets slowly eroded from there, seemingly bottoming out in 2020 at 2-14.
Unfortunately for Jets fans, they are tied for the longest playoff drought in franchise history.
2. Buffalo Sabers — 11 seasons (last appearance 2010-11)
The Sabers have mostly finished last or near last in their respective divisions since 2011.
Buffalo selected Jack Eichel with the second overall pick four seasons after his drought and traded the young star last season. The Sabers’ playoff drought is the longest in NHL history.
3. Philadelphia Phillies — 10 seasons (last appearance in the 2011 season)
The Phillies were one of the best teams in baseball in the late 2000s, winning the World Series in 2008 and returning there in 2009. They also made it to the NLCS in 2010.
Fortunately for the Phillies and their fans, they could be off this list very soon. They are fighting the Brewers for the final wild card spot in the National League.
4. Detroit Tigers — eight seasons (last appearance in 2014)
The Tigers haven’t made the playoffs since adding Max Scherzer and Justin Verlander to their starting rotation.
4. Los Angeles Angels — eight seasons (last appearance in 2014)
The Angels can boast of having the two best players in baseball, three-time MVP Mike Trout and reigning MVP Shohei Ohtani, but they fell short of the postseason three times when one of them took home individual hardware.
5. Kansas City Royals — seven seasons (last appearance in 2015)
The Royals reached the top of baseball’s mountain in 2015, winning the World Series a year after losing in seven games on baseball’s greatest stage.
Kansas City has one of the worst records in baseball this season.
5. Pittsburgh Pirates: seven seasons (last appearance in 2015)
The Pirates won three straight playoff appearances (2013-15), but haven’t recovered since the Cubs beat them in the NL wild-card round in 2015.
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The 5 longest postseason-less streaks in the US major leagues.