Not that the Colorado Rockies were anywhere close to the playoffs this year, as one of the worst teams ever, but their playoff drought is starting to really creep up there.
Colorado has the third-longest playoff drought in baseball, behind the Los Angeles Angels and the Pittsburgh Pirates. Those two come in at 11 and 10 years respectively, while Colorado’s sits at seven years, last playing in the postseason in the 2018 NLDS.
These teams have the longest active streaks of missing the postseason. pic.twitter.com/7L4qcj2KTu
— FOX Sports: MLB (@MLBONFOX) September 29, 2025
The Rockies’ seven-year drought is actually the second one of that length in franchise history. Their last drought between 2009 and 2017’s playoff appearances actually equaled seven years as well. But neither is the longest wait between fall trips for the boys of summer. Colorado once waited 11 years between 1995 and 2007’s trips into the postseason.
Here’s where the Rockies’ playoff drought ranks among all four major sports leagues:
Buffalo Sabres – 14 seasons
New York Jets – 14 seasons
Los Angeles Angels – 11 seasons
Pittsburgh Pirates – 10 seasons
Detroit Red Wings – 9 seasons
Charlotte Hornets – 9 seasons
Colorado Rockies – 7 seasons
Carolina Panthers – 7 seasons
Atlanta Falcons – 7 seasons
Anaheim Ducks – seasons
The Denver Broncos were on a similar list until last year’s playoff appearance. And technically speaking, the Rockies have won a playoff game more recently than the Broncos, though nobody is taking the baseball team’s future over the football team’s.
It’s hard to see the Rockies ending the drought next year, or really anytime soon. Even if they improved by 20 games going into next year they’d still lose 99. So if they improve by 20 wins two years in a row, which seems unlikely, they would get to 83-79, the same as what the Cincinnati Reds had this year to get the final NL Wild Card spot. But the Rockies do not have the young talent on their team or in their system that the Reds boast.
