The World Series is played between the National League and American League champions each year. Often referred to as the ‘Fall Classic’, the World Series was first played in 1903.
While other elements of the MLB playoffs have altered, the World Series has been much the same throughout the sport’s history.
Until the late 1960s, there were no preliminary playoff rounds. The team with the best record in each league made it to the World Series and a best of seven series to get their hands on the Commissioner’s Trophy.
The Boston Americans won the first World Series in 1903. There was no Fall Classic the following year, prior to the New York Giants overcoming the Philadelphia Athletics in 1905.
Most successful World Series team
The New York Yankees are the most successful team in World Series history. Multiple dynasties built on all-time great players has led the Yankees to 27 titles. That’s 16 more than any other franchise.
With 11 total, the St Louis Cardinals are the second-most successful World Series team. They are also tied with the Yankees and Red Sox on four World Series wins in the 21st century.
Most common World Series matchups
The Dodgers versus the Yankees is the most common World Series matchup. This goes back to when the Dodgers were located in New York – they met seven times in the World Series between 1941 and 1956. Their most recent matchup was 1981.
Unsurprisingly, the Yankees feature in the second and third-most common matchups, too. They faced the Giants seven times, beating them on five occasions, and matched up with the Cardinals in five World Series, but lost thrice.
Unique World Series matchups have been common in recent years, however 2018’s clash between the Red Sox and Dodgers was the second time the two franchises have met in the Fall Classic.
Teams without a World Series
Six active MLB teams have not won the World Series. The Seattle Mariners have never appeared in the Fall Classic. The Brewers and Rockies appeared in one World Series each and both lost.
Three teams – San Diego Padres, Texas Rangers, Tampa Bay Rays – have made it to the World Series twice and lost on both occasions. Texas famously lost consecutive World Series in 2010 and 2011, falling to the San Francisco Giants and St Louis Cardinals.
Both the Washington Nationals and Houston Astros lifted the Commissioner’s Trophy for the first time in the second half of the 2010s.
World Series winners
1903 – Boston Americans
1904 – No World Series
1905 – New York Giants
1906 – Chicago White Sox
1907 – Chicago Cubs
1908 – Chicago Cubs
1909 – Pittsburgh Pirates
1910 – Philadelphia Athletics
1911 – Philadelphia Athletics
1912 – Boston Red Sox
1913 – Philadelphia Athletics
1914 – Boston Braves
1915 – Boston Red Sox
1916 – Boston Red Sox
1917 – Chicago White Sox
1918 – Boston Red Sox
1919 – Cincinnati Reds
1920 – Cleveland Indians
1921 – New York Giants
1922 – New York Giants
1923 – New York Yankees
1924 – Washington Senators
1925 – Pittsburgh Pirates
1926 – St Louis Cardinals
1927 – New York Yankees
1928 – New York Yankees
1929 – Philadelphia Athletics
1930 – Philadelphia Athletics
1931 – St Louis Cardinals
1932 – New York Yankees
1933 – New York Giants
1934 – St Louis Cardinals
1935 – Detroit Tigers
1936 – New York Yankees
1937 – New York Yankees
1938 – New York Yankees
1939 – New York Yankees
1940 – Cincinnati Reds
1941 – New York Yankees
1942 – St Louis Cardinals
1943 – New York Yankees
1944 – St Louis Cardinals
1945 – Detroit Tigers
1946 – St Louis Cardinals
1947 – New York Yankees
1948 – Cleveland Indians
1949 – New York Yankees
1950 – New York Yankees
1951 – New York Yankees
1952 – New York Yankees
1953 – New York Yankees
1954 – New York Giants
1955 – Brooklyn Dodgers
1956 – New York Yankees
1957 – Milwaukee Braves
1958 – New York Yankees
1959 – Los Angeles Dodgers
1960 – Pittsburgh Pirates
1961 – New York Yankees
1962 – New York Yankees
1963 – Los Angeles Dodgers
1964 – St Louis Cardinals
1965 – Los Angeles Dodgers
1966 – Baltimore Orioles
1967 – St Louis Cardinals
1968 – Detroit Tigers
1969 – New York Mets
1970 – Baltimore Orioles
1971 – Pittsburgh Pirates
1972 – Oakland Athletics
1973 – Oakland Athletics
1974 – Oakland Athletics
1975 – Cincinnati Reds
1976 – Cincinnati Reds
1977 – New York Yankees
1978 – New York Yankees
1979 – Pittsburgh Pirates
1980 – Philadelphia Phillies
1981 – Los Angeles Dodgers
1982 – St Louis Cardinals
1983 – Baltimore Orioles
1984 – Detroit Tigers
1985 – Kansas City Royals
1986 – New York Mets
1987 – Minnesota Twins
1988 – Los Angeles Dodgers
1989 – Oakland Athletics
1990 – Cincinnati Reds
1991 – Minnesota Twins
1992 – Toronto Blue Jays
1993 – Toronto Blue Jays
1994 – Player strike – no World Series
1995 – Atlanta Braves
1996 – New York Yankees
1997 – Florida Marlins
1998 – New York Yankees
1999 – New York Yankees
2000 – New York Yankees
2001 – Arizona Diamondbacks
2002 – Anaheim Angels
2003 – Florida Marlins
2004 – Boston Red Sox
2005 – Chicago White Sox
2006 – St Louis Cardinals
2007 – Boston Red Sox
2008 – Philadelphia Phillies
2009 – New York Yankees
2010 – San Francisco Giants
2011 – St Louis Cardinals
2012 – San Francisco Giants
2013 – Boston Red Sox
2014 – San Francisco Giants
2015 – Kansas City Royals
2016 – Chicago Cubs
2017 – Houston Astros
2018 – Boston Red Sox
2019 – Washington Nationals
2020 – Los Angeles Dodgers
2021 – Atlanta Braves
2022 — Houston Astros
2023 — Texas Rangers