Reds, Nationals Trying To End MiLB Playoff Droughts
Image credit: (Photo by Zach Lucy/Four Seam)
When the Class A playoffs begin tonight, the High-A Dayton Dragons, Low-A Daytona Tortugas and Low-A Fredericksburg Nationals will have a little more riding on their playoff runs than most MiLB teams, whether they are aware of it or not.
The two Reds affiliates and the Nationals affiliate are battling for league title, and if any of those teams win, they will also end the longest active MiLB organizational title droughts.
The Reds’ and the Nationals’ last MiLB league titles came in 2014, when the Billings Mustangs (Reds) won the Pioneer League and Potomac Nationals won the Carolina League. Since then, neither organization has won a MiLB title at any level.
Ending these decade-long droughts will likely rest on the organizations’ Class A teams. The Reds’ Triple-A Louisville and Double-A Chattanooga affiliates are out of playoff contention. The Nationals’ Triple-A team in Rochester is 6.5 games back in the International League’s second half with five teams ahead in the standings while Double-A Harrisburg is out of playoff contention.
Since the Reds and Nationals last won an MiLB league title, the Rays have won 14 different MiLB championships, while the Dodgers have won 10. The Rays have a solid chance to add to that number this year, as Low-A Charleston, High-A Bowling Green and Double-A Montgomery have all advanced to their league’s playoffs.
The Rays also share with the Yankees the crown for most MiLB titles in the 21st century, with both organizations having won 24 times from 2001 to present. It is worth noting that until the reorganization of the minors for the 2021 season, MLB clubs could choose how many short-season and rookie clubs to field, so a team like the Yankees and Rays, which fielded more MiLB teams than some others, had more chances to win more titles. Also, there are different sizes for different leagues, so a crown in the six-team Northwest League counts the same as being the lone champion from the 20-team International League.
Below is a look at how many MiLB titles each organization has won this century. Not every league crowned a champion every year, as weather or other issues (like the Sept. 11, 2001 terrorist attacks) have led to cancellations of playoffs.
The Reds and Rockies are at the bottom, with each organization having won only four MiLB titles in the 21st century. The Reds’ haven’t won a title in a full-season league since Stockton won the High-A California League in 2002. All three of Cincinnati’s other affiliate titles came from Billings in the Rookie-level Pioneer League before the reorganization of the minors eliminated non-complex level rookie leagues.
For our purposes, any league that declared a champion is included, but we did not include co-champions when leagues canceled playoff series.
MiLB League Championships Since 2001
| Organization | Titles |
| Rays | 24 |
| Yankees | 24 |
| Giants | 21 |
| Guardians | 20 |
| Diamondbacks | 17 |
| Cardinals | 16 |
| Cubs | 16 |
| Mariners | 16 |
| Astros | 15 |
| Pirates | 15 |
| A’s | 13 |
| Dodgers | 13 |
| Rangers | 12 |
| Red Sox | 12 |
| Royals | 12 |
| Tigers | 12 |
| Braves | 11 |
| Twins | 11 |
| Blue Jays | 10 |
| Phillies | 10 |
| Angels | 9 |
| Padres | 9 |
| White Sox | 9 |
| Marlins | 8 |
| Mets | 7 |
| Nationals | 7 |
| Brewers | 6 |
| Orioles | 6 |
| Reds | 4 |
| Rockies | 4 |
