The greatest MLB managers who never won a World Series 

Between his time guiding the Montreal Expos and San Francisco Giants, Alou totaled 1,033 wins in parts of 14 managerial seasons. He posted a .503 winning percentage during his career as a manager, which is quite impressive. Three of Alou's teams won at least 91 games, highlighted by the 100-61 Giants from 2003. However, that group was upset in the NL Division Series by the Marlins, and proved to be the only time an Alou-managed squad reached the postseason. Still, when it comes to the Hall of Famer's managerial credentials, he deserves a spot on this list. 

Cronin won more than 1,200 games and posted a .540 winning percentage during a managerial career that spanned from 1933-47. Now, Cronin made just two postseason appearances during his time as a manager, but at a time when that meant those teams were in the World Series. During his first season, as a player-manager for the Washington Senators in '33, his club lost in five games to the New York Giants. It would not be until 1946 when the Hall of Famer got back to the World Series, but his Boston Red Sox lost to St. Louis in seven games. 

A versatile sports star, Dressen played in both the NFL and Major League Baseball. As a big-league ball player, Dressen won a World Series with the 1933 New York Giants. He also earned a World Series ring while on the coaching staffs of the New York Yankees (1947) and Los Angeles Dodgers (1959). However, that same good fortune eluded Dressen as a manager. He won more than 1,000 games managing the Cincinnati Reds, Washington Senators, Milwaukee Braves, Detroit Tigers, and, most notably, the Brooklyn Dodgers, who he guided to back-to-back World Series appearances in 1952 and '53 — where they lost to the Yankees both times.

Like others on this list, Dykes, had an overall losing record (1,406-1,541) while managing 20-plus years of major-league ball. That said, Dykes' impressive win total is still good enough to rank among the top 30 all time. As a player, Dykes twice won a World Series with the Philadelphia Athletics, but it was an entirely different story when he was in the dugout as a manager. Dykes managed six different teams, most notably in charge of the Chicago White Sox, but none of those clubs ever made a postseason appearance.

Fregosi lost nearly 1,100 major-league games as a manager. However, he also won more 1,000 contests while skippering parts of 17 seasons in the big leagues. He also managed in parts of four decades (1970s, '80s, '90s and 2000), which is quite the accomplishment in itself. Fregosi took two of his teams, the 1979 California Angels and '93 Philadelphia Phillies, to the postseason. Of course, those Phillies made it to the World Series and lost in dramatic fashion to Toronto on Joe Carter's unforgettable walk-off homer in Game 6. 

Gardenhire was a member of Tom Kelly's staff on the 1991 World Series-champion Minnesota Twins, then eventually replaced his boss as manager of the franchise in 2002. His teams in Minnesota promptly recorded at least 90 wins in his first three seasons in charge, and four of the first five. From 2002-14, six of Gardenhire's 13 Twins teams reached the postseason, but only one of those won a series. Then again, Gardenhire, who won 1,200 games as a skipper and was the 2010 AL Manager of the Year, also suffered through a 114-loss season with Detroit in 2019.

One of the first great modern-day managers of the game during the first 20 years of the 20th century, Griffith was player-manager for both the Chicago White Stockings and the New York Highlanders. He then eventually guided the Cincinnati Reds and Washington Senators from the dugout. Griffith won 1,491 games as a manager, good enough to rank among the top 30 all time, and posted a .522 winning percentage. That said, Griffith's teams made only one postseason appearance, even with four of those clubs (New York and Washington twice apiece) winning at least 90 games.

In terms of managerial success, Grimm enjoyed plenty during that portion of his career from 1932-60 — for two different franchises. His .547 winning percentage (1,287-1,067) is among the best all time, and three of his Chicago Cubs teams won at least 93 games. He was also part of three Cubs' teams that played in the World Series (1932, '35, '45). However, none of those clubs won any of those appearances in the Fall Classic. Still, when it comes to putting teams in position to win, Grimm certainly got the job done in the dugout. 

During the last half of the 1990s, Hargrove's Cleveland teams ruled the AL Central. Those clubs won five consecutive division titles from 1995-99, and twice reached the World Series (1995, '97). Of course, Cleveland fell just short of winning it all — and ending the franchise's lengthy drought in that department — in 1997. Hargrove recorded 721 of his 1,188 career managerial victories during nine seasons in charge in Cleveland. Now, while things were tougher for Hargrove in stops at Baltimore and Seattle that followed, he still posted a .503 winning percentage during 16 seasons as a manager.

While both the "Moneyball"  book and movie hardly painted Howe in a positive light for his tenure managing the Oakland Athletics, he was truly part of some special years while guiding those teams. From 2000-02, Howe's final three seasons with the A's, his teams won 91, 102 and 103 games, respectively, to reach the postseason. Of course, Oakland didn't win a single playoff series during that run, but Howe posted a 600-533 (.530) mark in seven seasons with the club. Howe, who managed in Houston before Oakland, and the New York Mets after, went 1,129-1,137 during his 14-year managerial career.

Hurdle went 1,269-1,346 as a major-league manager in parts of 17 seasons with Colorado and Pittsburgh, but took both clubs to the postseason. In fact, he guided the Rockies to the franchise's first — and to date, only — World Series in 2007. The Pirates, meanwhile, reached the playoffs in three consecutive seasons (2013-15). One of the more respected managers, there were times when Hurdle seemed to wear out his welcome, but managed to persevere even during some of those lean years early and late in his managerial career.

In his official capacity as a major-league manager, Jennings manned the Detroit Tigers' dugout from 1907-20. In his first three seasons, he guided the Tigers to World Series. Unfortunately for Jennings and his club, they lost each trip. Still, the 1,131 victories Jennings recorded were a Tigers record until Sparky Anderson topped that mark in the early 1990s. Beginning in 1920, Jennings served on the coaching staff of the legendary John McGraw with the New York Giants, and won a pair of World Series titles. He also filled in at times when McGraw was sick, going 53-23 in an acting capacity. Sadly, Jennings suffered a nervous breakdown following the 1925 season, and died in 1928 at age 58.

Lopez won 850 games and posted an exceptional .564 winning percentage during his 17 seasons as skipper with the Cleveland Indians and the Chicago White Sox. Known for his laid back, hands-off approach with his players, Lopez took both franchises to the World Series, first with a 111-win Cleveland club in 1954, and then with Chicago in 1959. Unfortunately for Lopez, his clubs prevailed in neither. Actually, those were the only times any team managed by Lopez, who was also a two-time All-Star player, ever qualified for the postseason.

No manager has won more games without a World Series title than Mauch. Taking matters even further, none of Mauch's teams even won a pennant, though he still managed to record a healthy 1,902 victories (15th most in Major League Baseball history), while guiding Philadelphia, Montreal, Minnesota and the California Angels from 1960-87. Now, two of Mauch's Angels' clubs, from 1982 and '86, went the distance in the ALCS before falling short on both occasions. In fact, Mauch managed three Angels' teams that posted 90 or more victories. 

There's the 1,160 career victories while managing six teams during parts of 19 major-league seasons, spanning 1969-91, a huge reason for acclaim. However, McNamara is still likely known for being the manager of that 1986 Boston Red Sox club that blew its World Series advantage to the New York Mets. Sure, the Red Sox eventually exorcised the demons of '86 and other prior World Series setbacks in 2004, but McNamara managed just four more seasons in the majors. That said, McNamara is well worthy of praise, considering he also took the Cincinnati Reds to the postseason in 1979.

As of June 2023, Melvin was another of those managers within the top 30 for all-time managerial victories, but never to reach the World Series in that capacity. Now, Melvin was on the staff of the 2001 Arizona Diamondbacks' team that won it all. As a manager, he's taken the Diamondbacks, Oakland and San Diego to the postseason a combined eight times. Some of Melvin's best work came with those A's, who he helmed from 2011-2021. He led Oakland to back-to-back 97-win seasons in 2018-19, and a third-straight trip to the postseason in ’20 — marking the second such playoff run while in charge of the club.

Essentially a baseball lifer, Rigney spent 26 years playing in the majors and then nearly 20 as a big-league manager. Though he posted a .484 winning percentage while managing the Giants — both in New York and San Francisco — plus the Angels and Minnesota Twins from 1956-72 and for one season in 1976, he won 1.239 games from the dugout. However, only Rigney's 1970 Twins squad reached the postseason, but failed to win a game during that series. Though Rigney might not be a household name, his contribution to the game, especially as a manager, should be lauded.

According to STATSPerform, Robinson posted a career managerial record of 1,399-1,398 (1902, 1914-31), entirely with the Brooklyn Robins except for his debut season with the Orioles. The Hall of Famer guided two of those Robins squads (1916, '20) to the World Series. However, Cleveland took Brooklyn down in he first trip, while Boston did the honors to open the 1920s. A close friend and confidant of the legendary John McGraw, Robinson remains one of the great managers of the early modern era, though tends to be overshadowed by other more well-known contemporaries like Hughie Jennings and Clark Griffith.

As of 2023, Showalter's quest to win the World Series was still going strong. However, in rather stunning fashion, none of the teams that Showalter (in his late 60s) managed, past or present, have reached the World Series. He's among the top 20 managers with more than 1,680 victories in more than 20 years of service. He's the only skipper to win Manager of the Year in four different decades, and the third to claim that honor with four different clubs (New York Yankees, Texas, Baltimore, New York Mets). Showalter has also won division titles while managing four different teams. 

Yes, Valentine, one of the more entertaining skippers and personalities in the game, won a league title while managing in Japan (Japan Series) in 2005, but his solid major-league career in the dugout went with just one trip to the Fall Classic, and resulted in no championship. Making matters worse, Valentine's 2000 Mets lost in five games to the Yankees in that famed Subway Series. Still, Valentine, who also took the Mets to the 1999 NLCS, went 1,186-1,165 during his 16 seasons as a big-league manager, which also included stops in Texas and Boston.