The last season each MLB team won a divisional title (since 1994)

If you are a baseball fan who is sick and tired of the same MLB teams winning divisional titles each year, this may be the year you have been waiting for.

Of the six divisional title teams from last year, only the Atlanta Braves and Los Angeles Dodgers are sitting atop their respective divisions this season (through games of May 4). Of course, the season is barely a month old, but there might be some new blood sitting in first place in a few divisions at the end of the 2023 season.

Maybe the biggest surprise of this young season are the Pittsburgh Pirates. With a record of 20-11, second-best in the National League behind the Braves, the Bucs are first in the National League Central, 1.5 games ahead of the Milwaukee Brewers.

Since baseball went to the three-division format in the two leagues in 1994, the Pirates are one of three teams that have never won a divisional title. The other two: Colorado and Miami, both of whom have not won a divisional title since they entered the league in 1993. Miami, however, has won two World Series championships in their 30-year history.

For the Pirates, they last won a title in 1992, the last of three straight N.L. East titles.

Following are the teams with the longest droughts for winning a divisional title since MLB went to a six-division format back in ’94.

Last season each MLB team won a divisional title (since 1994)

Never: Colorado, Miami, Pittsburgh
2001: Seattle
2006: San Diego
2011: Arizona, Philadelphia
2012: Cincinnati
2014: Anaheim, Baltimore, Detroit
2015: Kansas City, N.Y. Mets. Toronto
2016: Texas
2017: Washington
2018: Boston
2020: Chicago Cubs, Minnesota, Oakland
2021: Chicago White Sox, Milwaukee, San Francisco, Tampa Bay
2022: Atlanta, Cleveland, Houston, L.A. Dodgers, N.Y. Yankees, St. Louis

Of the three current division leaders in the American League (Tampa Bay, Minnesota and Texas), the Rangers have the longest drought for a divisional title; they last won the A.L. West in 2016.

Most divisional titles since 1995

Since 1995 (the 1994 season was interrupted by the players’ strike; there were no divisional champs that season), the Braves have had the most divisional titles with 17. They are followed by the Yankees (15) and the Dodgers (13). Here are the number of divisional titles won by each franchise since 1995:

17-Atlanta
15-N.Y. Yankees
13-L.A. Dodgers
12-St. Louis
11-Cleveland
9-Houston
8-Minnesota
7-Oakland, Texas
6-Anaheim, Boston, Chicago Cubs, San Francisco
5-Arizona, Philadelphia
4-Chicago White Sox, Detroit, San Diego, Tampa Bay, Washington
3-Cincinnati, Milwaukee, Seattle
2-Baltimore, N.Y. Mets
1-Kansas City, Toronto
0-Colorado, Miami, Pittsburgh