The Seattle Mariners have ended a streak that no team should want to continue.
Following their victory on Friday, the Mariners head to the playoffs for the first time in 21 years. It ends the longest active streak of most seasons without reaching the playoffs in all four major North American sports leagues.
The Mariners clinched their berth to the 2022 playoffs by earning one of the three AL wild-card berths a year after missing the playoffs by two games.
With the Mariners taking the overalls off themselves, here are the 12 longest active postseason droughts between 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 any team 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.
T-2. new york jets — 11 seasons (last appearance in 2010)
A couple of New York fan bases have experienced misery over the past decade. The Jets haven’t made the playoffs since Mark Sanchez was playing quarterback and Rex Ryan was at the helm in 2010, when they beat 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 with a 2-14 mark. Unfortunately for Jets fans, this is only tied for the longest playoff drought in franchise history, having missed the playoffs in every season between 1970 and 1980.
T-2. buffalo sabers — 11 seasons (last appearance in 2010-11)
The Sabers have mostly finished in last or near last place in their respective divisions since 2011. Buffalo selected Jack Eichel with the second overall pick four seasons into their drought and traded the young star last season. The Sabres’ playoff drought is the longest in NHL history.
4. Philadelphia Phillies – 10 seasons (last appearance in 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 a half game ahead of the Brewers for the final wild card spot in the National League.
T-5. 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.
T-5. angels of los angeles – eight seasons (last appearance in 2014)
The Angels can boast the two best players in baseball, three-time MVP Mike Trout and reigning MVP Shohei Ohtani, but they failed to make the postseason three times when one of them took home individual hardware.
T-7. 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.
T-7. pittsburgh pirates – seven seasons (last appearance in 2015)
The Pirates won three straight playoff appearances (2013-15), but haven’t recovered since the Cubs defeated them in the NL wild-card round in 2015.
T-9. Texas Rangers – six seasons (last appearance in 2016)
The Rangers were a mainstay of the postseason last decade, clinching a berth five times in seven seasons from 2010-16. Even after signing big contracts with Corey Seager and Marcus Semien last season, Texas will still finish bottom of the league.
T-9. charlotte hornets — six seasons (last appearance 2015-16)
The Hornets almost made the playoffs last spring. They made the entry tournament, but were eliminated in the opening game. The rise of LaMelo Ball could help them get over the hump in 2022-23.
T-9. Detroit Red Wings — six seasons (last appearance 2015-16)
Longtime Red Wings fans haven’t gotten too used to the team’s recent streak. The franchise had a 25-year playoff streak prior to its current drought. Detroit still seems some way from returning to the postseason, after finishing 26 points out of last playoff spot in the Eastern Conference in 2021-22.
T-9. Denver Broncos – six seasons (last appearance in 2015)
The Broncos haven’t made the playoffs since their triumphant Super Bowl win to cap the 2015 season. That, of course, was Peyton Manning’s last game. Denver recently made a trade for quarterback Russell Wilson to solve their chronic quarterback problem, which could also solve their postseason problem.
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