The 2026 MLB postseason has already started to reshape a few franchise timelines.
The Atlanta Braves, Chicago White Sox, New York Yankees and San Diego Padres have all picked up a playoff round win in the early going, and that immediately changes the picture when you look at one simple question: when did each franchise last win a postseason series?
The White Sox made the loudest move on that list. By sweeping the Houston Astros in the 2026 Wild Card Series, Chicago snapped a postseason drought that had stretched nearly two decades.
It was also a familiar opponent in a familiar kind of result. The White Sox’s previous postseason series win came against Houston as well, when they swept the Astros in the 2005 World Series.
At the time, Houston was still in the National League, and Chicago went on to claim its first championship since 1917.
For most teams, though, the wait hasn’t been nearly that long. In fact, the bulk of MLB has managed to win at least one postseason series within the last 10 years.
The San Francisco Giants are just inside that group, with their most recent series win coming in 2016. That came in the National League Wild Card Game, when San Francisco beat the New York Mets in a single-elimination round that still counts as a postseason series victory.
A few clubs have gone longer than that. The Baltimore Orioles, Pittsburgh Pirates and Los Angeles Angels all have to look back farther to find their last playoff series win, though each of them has at least reached postseason success this century.
At the very bottom of the list sit the Cincinnati Reds. Their last postseason series victory came in the 1995 NLDS, when they swept the Los Angeles Dodgers. Since then, Cincinnati has reached the MLB postseason only five times, which has made that drought one of the longest in the sport.
The Braves added to their own history on Thursday by beating the Philadelphia Phillies in Game 3 of their best-of-three Wild Card Series. With the Wild Card round now in the books, the latest postseason wins are in place - and for a few franchises, the search for the next one goes on.
In Other News...
Astros Front Office Faces Heat Over Trade That Solved Nothing
The Astros pitching depth came under a harsh spotlight in October, and the frustration stretches back to a midseason deal that was supposed to help stabilize the staff. Outside of Hunter Brown and Josh Hader, Houston never really found enough reliable arms, and the Wild Card Series only amplified how thin the margin was. Right-hander Mike Burrows, acquired in a three-team trade with the Rays and Pirates, was knocked off course quickly after struggling enough to get sent to Triple-A in midseason.
Houston paid a real prospect price for the move, sending Jacob Melton and Anderson Brito into the deal, but the return never materialized on the big-league roster. The Pirates, meanwhile, got meaningful production from Brandon Lowe, Jake Magnum and Mason Montgomery, which only sharpens the sting for an Astros front office trying to explain how a trade designed to solve a problem left the team looking no better equipped when the season mattered most. [Read more 🡒]
White Sox Just Helped Push The Astros Into An Uncomfortable Offseason
The Astros still managed to win the AL West and reach the postseason, but the way this year unfolded left little doubt that the standard in Houston needs to be reset. A below-average season on both offense and defense was never going to sit comfortably with a club that has spent so much time at the top of the division, and the playoff exit only sharpened the sense that the group is staring at an important winter.
Jose Altuve wasted no time sounding like someone who understands what is coming next, saying he is determined to improve and come back stronger. That kind of message fits the moment for a team that may be headed toward real offseason changes, because the Astros can point to the division title, but they cannot ignore how shaky things looked once the games tightened up. [Read more 🡒]
Yordan Alvarez Made An MVP Statement Astros Fans Will Love
Yordan Alvarezs latest season has given Astros fans plenty to feel good about, even in a year when the MVP conversation has been crowded with high-profile names. The discussion has centered on four finalists in the broader sense of the race, with Alvarez going up against Pete Alonso, Junior Caminero and Bobby Witt as the numbers are sorted through from every angle, not just the familiar home run and RBI totals.
What makes Alvarez stand out is the full profile behind the production. The deeper metrics point to him as the most complete offensive force in the group, with his run creation, on-base impact and overall quality of contact separating him from the rest of the field. The only real wrinkle is the same one that often follows a great regular season: some voters may be tempted to look past him if the playoff stage does not fit into the equation. [Read more 🡒]