Curses broken and dynasties secured. Legendary players and surprise teams.
In the 21st century, we have seen 25 World Series-winning teams. So, we decided to rank them.
We looked at the numbers and the stats. We debated the squads. And we even asked some living legends about some of the teams they witnessed and played for.
A quarter-century of champions. A quarter-century of greatness. Let’s dive in.
JUMP TO: 25-20 | 20-15 | 15-10 | 10-5 | 5-1
#25 — St. Louis Cardinals (2006)
Regular Season: 83–78 (1st in NL Central)
NLDS: Defeated Padres, 3–1
NLCS: Defeated Mets, 4–3
World Series: Defeated Tigers, 4–1
No business winning it all this season? Doesn’t matter. And what better way to christen the latest version of Busch Stadium than with a pennant? After two straight 100-win seasons, it was this 83-win squad that finally got the job done. The Cards featured the previous season’s NL MVP (Albert Pujols) and NL Cy Young winner (Chris Carpenter), but it was rookie reliever Adam Wainwright who stole the postseason spotlight. Wainwright’s base-loaded strikeout of Mets slugger Carlos Beltran in the NLCS is probably the most enduring image of that postseason. At least in Queens.
#24 — San Francisco Giants (2014)
Regular Season: 88–74 (2nd in NL West)
Wild Card Game: Defeated Pirates
NLDS: Defeated Nationals, 3–1
NLCS: Defeated Cardinals, 4–1
World Series: Defeated Royals, 4–3
Remember when Giants fans would get giddy for an even-year season? This was the third and final feather in the cap of an incredible five-year span in the Bay. Arguably an average team in both lineup and pitching (88 wins), the Giants had a hot start in the first three months of the season that then followed a stretch that only their most devoted fans could enjoy. Buster Posey remained incredible, and Madison Bumgarner did all he could to carry a messy rotation. They then needed seven games to beat fellow Wild Card team in the World Series, but don’t misread here – the Giants earned this title even if they made it hard on themselves.
#23 — St. Louis Cardinals (2011)
Regular Season: 90–72 (2nd in NL Central)
NLDS: Defeated Phillies, 3–2
NLCS: Defeated Brewers, 4–2
World Series: Defeated Rangers, 4–3
Here’s the thing about Albert Pujols. You’d take him at the onset of his decline over most other players at their very best. Nonetheless, this Cardinals team had plenty of strengths and weaknesses. They had the second-best offense in MLB, even though their rotation was the opposite of that. Yadier Molina was once again a revolution behind the plate, but Adam Wainwright’s offseason Tommy John surgery was a big blow. But it worked out during a postseason run that had a seven-game World Series, highlighted by being down to their final strike twice in that iconic Game 6 win over the Rangers.
#22 — San Francisco Giants (2012)
Regular Season: 94–68 (1st in NL West)
NLDS: Defeated Reds, 3–2
NLCS: Defeated Cardinals, 4–3
World Series: Defeated Tigers, 4–0
This was the season that solidified the even-year magic in San Francisco. Buster Posey was at his peak as he won NL MVP honors, while sluggers like Pablo Sandoval and Melky Cabrera boosted a formidable lineup. This squad’s rotation may have been a level below their 2010 championship counterparts, but co-aces Matt Cain and Madison Bumgarner still proved worthy on the mound. The magic was tested – Cabrera was suspended in August, Tim Lincecum couldn’t control his pitches, and both the NLCS and NLDS were pushed to their limits – but the Giants proved worthy as they bested the Tigers in a World Series sweep. And two seasons later, the magic returned for yet another pennant.
2005 World Series champ A.J. Pierzynski: “They swept the World Series, they dominated in the postseason, and it just seems like it’s the best of those [three Giants championship] teams.”
#21 — Florida Marlins (2003)
Regular Season: 91–71 (2nd in NL East)
NLDS: Defeated Giants, 3–1
NLCS: Defeated Cubs, 4–3
World Series: Defeated Yankees, 4–2
If you’re asked which team would personify an unlikely World Series winner, here’s a good place to start. And could you argue that this Marlins title wasn’t spurred by one of the best one-year acquisitions ever in Ivan “Pudge” Rodríguez? Yet, the true engine of this Marlins squad was a strong rotation led by rookie Dontrelle Willis and veteran Josh Beckett. It was a postseason to remember, too: knocking out the defending NL champion Giants, having a bit of help from Steve Bartman to oust the Cubs, and then lifting their second World Series over the vaunted 101-win Yankees.
2003 World Series champ Dontrelle Willis: “We shocked the world.”
#20 — New York Yankees (2000)
Regular Season: 87–74 (1st in AL East)
ALDS: Defeated Athletics, 3–2
ALCS: Defeated Mariners, 4–2
World Series: Defeated Mets, 4–1
Yet another three-peat for MLB’s flagship franchise, this one sealed with a Subway Series victory over the Mets. And this was the fourth title of the Core-Four era that featured Derek Jeter, Mariano Rivera, Jorge Posada, and Andy Pettitte. But was this team more talented than the Yankees squads that won in the late ’90s? Better than those Yanks teams that lost in the Fall Classic after this one? Chalk it up to being a victim of their success and setting the bar so high. Sometimes you just gotta count da rings, and this one counts just as much as any others.
Five-time World Series champ Derek Jeter: “We beat the Mets — that’s all you’ve got to say. Subway Series, a whole city’s bragging rights on the line. We came out on top.”
Willis: “They were absolutely a juggernaut.”
#19 — Philadelphia Phillies (2008)
Regular Season: 92–70 (1st in NL East)
NLDS: Defeated Brewers, 3–1
NLCS: Defeated Dodgers, 4–1
World Series: Defeated Rays, 4–1
It wasn’t the most famous sports curse (that belonged to the Bambino). It wasn’t even the most famous “Billy” curses (that resided in the Northside of Chicago). But Philadelphia’s Curse of the Billy Penn was broken when the Phillies knocked off the Rays in a gloriously weather-interrupted Game 5 to win the World Series. Thanks in part to a blockbuster trio of Chase Utley, Ryan Howard, and Cole Hamels, the Phillies helped snap a sports superstition that had infamously stemmed from a City Hall statue of William Penn not being the highest point of the city skyline.
#18 — San Francisco Giants
Regular Season: 92–70 (1st in NL West)
NLDS: Defeated Braves, 3–1
NLCS: Defeated Phillies, 4–2
World Series: Defeated Rangers, 4–1
The start of a unique baseball dynasty – and arguably the strongest of the bunch, too. Even-year magic was often the refrain for this era’s Giants’ teams, and it began with the likes of Rookie of the Year Buster Posey and a deep staff headlined by Matt Cain and Tim Lincecum – the latter looking every bit the part of a “Dazed and Confused” extra. The team leaned into their own identity of being a “Band of MiSFits” which reflected the interesting personalities and quirks of the squad’s players.
#17 — Kansas City Royals (2015)
Regular Season: 95–67 (1st in AL Central)
ALDS: Defeated Astros, 3–2
ALCS: Defeated Blue Jays, 4–2
World Series: Defeated Mets, 4–1
Blink and you may miss these guys hustling down the first-base line. Unfinished business and seeing-eye singles were the dominant themes for the K.C. team that had fallen short in the World Series the year prior. Eight of their 11 postseason wins were come-from-behind victories, which gives this team a legit claim to the often used “never-say-die” mantra. An elite bullpen, putting the ball in play, and a standout defense – you couldn’t have a more fundamentally sound ballclub.
#16 — Atlanta Braves (2021)
Regular Season: 88–73 (1st in NL East)
NLDS: Defeated Brewers, 3–1
NLCS: Defeated Dodgers, 4–2
World Series: Defeated Astros, 4–2
Did baseball feel back during this season? Maybe it was because the crowds returned in full force after the previous COVID-19 impacted campaign. But it was also because we saw an unlikely underdog run by a team that didn’t even have a winning record until August. Ronald Acuña Jr. went down with an ACL injury, yet the Braves overcame that due to midseason acquisition Jorge Soler filling in that void. Freddie Freeman made sure his final season in Atlanta was a success, which included knocking off his future Dodgers teammates in the NCLS before taking out the mighty Astros in the World Series.
#15 — Chicago White Sox (2005)
Regular Season: 99–63 (1st in AL Central)
ALDS: Defeated Red Sox, 3–0
ALCS: Defeated Angels, 4–1
World Series: Defeated Astros, 4–0
The divine intervention of the future Pope Leo XIV nervously watching from the stands? Frustration over an 88-year World Series drought, which was only overshadowed by their Northside neighbors’ own futility? Led by skipper Ozzie Guillén’s “grinder” mentality, this team couldn’t be stopped once they reached the postseason. They went 11-1 in the playoffs (including a World Series sweep over the Astros) to shine a spotlight on the Southside and fully move on from the long-lingering Black Sox scandal.
Pierzynski: “We went write-to-wire. We won 99 games. We never trailed — not one day — the entire season. People out there need to recognize how good that 2005 White Sox team was. Obviously, not only do I have a ring, but we’re the best World Series team champion of the last 25 years.”
#14 — Texas Rangers (2023)
Regular Season: 90–72 (2nd in AL West)
Wild Card Series: Defeated Rays, 2–0
ALDS: Defeated Orioles, 3–0
ALCS: Defeated Astros, 4–3
World Series: Defeated Diamondbacks, 4–1
Three years prior, the Rangers saw two teams playing for the World Series at their brand-new stadium in unique circumstances. Two years prior, the Rangers splashed some serious cash ($500 million total) for two All-Stars, Marcus Siemen and Corey Seager. One year prior, they missed out on the playoffs altogether. But after hiring ex-Giants skipper Bruce Bochy (who had beaten the Rangers in the 2010 World Series), it came together for a team that had the pitchers – including midseason pickup Max Scherzer – to complement the bats.
#13 — Arizona Diamondbacks (2001)
Regular Season: 92–70 (1st in NL West)
NLDS: Defeated Cardinals, 3–2
NLCS: Defeated Braves, 4–1
World Series: Defeated Yankees, 4–3
What if Mariano Rivera, the game’s most dominant closer, hadn’t had a rare slip-up in Game 7? The Yankees are maybe boasting about a four-peat. Instead, the Diamondbacks were champions in a season that saw Barry Bonds hit an MLB single-season record 73 homers – nine against them, mind you. But these D-Backs were legit. Randy Johnson and Curt Schilling were both basically impossible to hit off and finished as the two top NL Cy Young contenders. Amid the backdrop of the Sept. 11 attacks, this series carried additional meaning. It proved to be an emotional one, with Luis Gonzalez, the hero of Game 7 with his game-winning single off Rivera, providing one of the greatest World Series endings ever.
#12 — Los Angeles Dodgers (2024)
Regular Season: 98–64 (1st in NL West)
NLDS: Defeated Padres, 3–2
NLCS: Defeated Mets, 4–2
World Series: Defeated Yankees, 4–1
A lineup that has few peers, perhaps none, on this list. It starts with what could be one of the most consequential free agent signings ever in Shohei Ohtani, who became the first player to hit 50 homers and steal 50 bases on his way to another MVP. Chills down the spine can still be felt when you recall Freddie Freeman’s Game 1 grand slam which echoed Kurt Gibson’s heroics from 36 years prior. All season, this offense was a never-ending highlight reel that helped cover the cracks of some wobbly pitching.
Pierzynski: “They have four potential Hall of Famers on this team. They won the first full-season title in L.A. since 1988. Any time you have Shohei, Mookie, Freddie, Kershaw and the rest of that team, that is a great, great team and one that’s tough to beat.”
Willis: “They were absolutely loaded. You talk about Shohei Ohtani, Mookie Betts, you name it. I think our [2003] Marlins would have given them a run — might have went to seven — but I think in the end the Dodgers win it all.”
#11 — 2019 Washington Nationals
Regular Season: 93–69 (2nd in NL East)
Wild Card Game: Defeated Brewers
NLDS: Defeated Dodgers, 3–2
NLCS: Defeated Cardinals, 4–0
World Series: Defeated Astros, 4–3
“Baby Shark” never sounded so better, nor will it ever. And the oddest walk-up song to ever hit the majors was the soundtrack to one of the best turnaround teams on this list. It helped the Nats had one of the league’s best starting rotations, featuring Stephen Strasburg and Max Scherzer. It almost didn’t go this away after a slow start to the season for the Nats. The big bats woke up though, and Anthony Rendon and Juan Soto etched their names in a city full of monuments by bringing the first ever World Series title to Washington, D.C.
#10 — Boston Red Sox (2004)
Regular Season: 98–64 (2nd in AL East)
ALDS: Defeated Angels, 3–0
ALCS: Defeated Yankees, 4–3
World Series: Defeated Cardinals, 4–0
Organizations have existed as long, if not longer, than MLB itself, and gone without championships for almost the entirety of their existence. But sometimes you just these some self-described “idiots” to come along. The Red Sox came close to winning the World Series after having last lifted it in 1918, first in (1967) and again (1975) and again (1986) – which only added to the heartbreak. But this run almost felt mythological. They vanquished the hated Yankees in improbable fashion, followed by sweeping a star-studded Cardinals team that would easily have been near the top this list. What a way to break a Bambino-sized curse.
Three-time World Series champ David Ortiz: “The city waited for so long — 86 years — to win that championship.”
Pierzynski: “It was just such a fun team to watch. They came back from down 3-0, they did a lot of special things, and they have a lot of names that you remember: David Ortiz, Pedro Martinez and the rest of the ‘bunch of idiots’, as they called themselves.”
#9 — Houston Astros (2017)
Regular Season: 101–61 (1st in AL West)
ALDS: Defeated Red Sox, 3–1
ALCS: Defeated Yankees, 4–3
World Series: Defeated Dodgers, 4–3
You can’t talk about this team without mentioning the sign-stealing scandal that saw them punished with fines and lost draft picks — as well as managers and executives suspended by MLB — but it’s difficult to deny how absurdly good this team and its home-grown stars were. Jose Altuve was a marvel; George Springer’s World Series performance was one for the ages; a healthy Carlos Correa was amazing. Seeing Justin Verlander finally win a ring was its own kind of special, and Houston’s fans certainly suffered enough over the years waiting for a championship.
#8 — Boston Red Sox (2013)
Regular Season: 97–65 (1st in AL East)
ALDS: Defeated Rays, 3–1
ALCS: Defeated Tigers, 4–2
World Series: Defeated Cardinals, 4–2
If the 2004 championship (and the subsequent 2007 title) defined an era of the modern Red Sox franchise, then this one ushered in a new chapter with even more meaning. The Boston Marathon bombing on April 15 and the “Boston Strong” rallying cry served as a source of unity of pride for both the city and its sports teams. On the diamond, this season served as a worst-to-first turnaround after a 2012 campaign marked by bloated payroll and a last-place AL East finish. Under first-year manager John Farrell, the Red Sox clinched a third title in 10 years with David Ortiz winning World Series MVP honors – this time, in front of the Fenway Park faithful.
Ortiz: “What went through the city at the time, all the struggle, the marathon bombing — it was very important for the city, this championship.”
#7 — Anaheim Angels (2002)
Regular Season: 99–63 (2nd in AL West)
ALDS: Defeated Yankees, 3–1
ALCS: Defeated Twins, 4–1
World Series: Defeated Giants, 4–3
What do you remember most about the fourth edition of the World Series that featured two California teams? Barry Bonds finally playing in a World Series? The cute Rally Monkey? It was really about an Angels team that was just built differently. Troy Glaus, Darin Erstad and David Eckstein (all 5-foot-6 of him) would just find ways to get on base. The Angels didn’t stop Bonds — no one could — but their pitching slowed the rest of the Giants enough to win the franchise’s first and only championship.
#6 — 2020 Los Angeles Dodgers
Regular Season: 43–17 (1st in NL West)
Wild Card Series: Defeated Brewers, 2–0
NLDS: Defeated Padres, 3–0
NLCS: Defeated Braves, 4–3
World Series: Defeated Rays, 4–2
The COVID-19 impacted season saw a shortened season (60 games) played at neutral sites, but don’t discount this title run by what was still a deep, talented roster. There was also a sense of redemption for the Dodgers team that hadn’t won the World Series in 32 years, even if it was in front of a limited crowd against the Rays at the newly opened home of the Rangers. Long criticized for his October shortcomings, Clayton Kershaw delivered two strong World Series starts only miles from where he grew up. Mookie Betts also earned his second World Series in three seasons.
#5 — Boston Red Sox (2007)
Regular Season: 96–66 (1st in AL East)
ALDS: Defeated Angels, 3–0
ALCS: Defeated Cleveland, 4–3
World Series: Defeated Rockies, 4–0
There would be no new curse in Beantown, and there would be no talk about 2004 being a fluke. The Red Sox were over the hump and downright dominated a Rockies team that had won 21 of their previous 22 games. The rotation had lost Pedro Martinez but still featured Curt Schilling, and the acquisitions of pitchers Josh Beckett and Mike Lowell had finally paid off. Dustin Pedroia’s road to becoming a Red Sox legend began in a breakout rookie season, while David Ortiz further grew into his Big Papi aura.
#4 — New York Yankees (2009)
Regular Season: 103–59 (1st in AL East)
ALDS: Defeated Twins, 3–0
ALCS: Defeated Angels, 4–2
World Series: Defeated Phillies, 4–2
For most teams, a nine-year wait between titles isn’t significant. But most teams aren’t the Yankees, and most teams aren’t replete with Hall of Famers and some of the game’s top stars. This was a franchise that was constantly in the thick of things in the intervening seasons. From the point of view of the Yankees, 2009 was a long time coming. New York had last won a World Series in 2000, and had lost in both 2001 and 2003 — there was also that whole Red-Sox-winning-two-titles thing. This was the season that put a stop to the waiting, and with authority against a Phillies team who were aiming to repeat. Despite the likes of Derek Jeter and Alex Rodriguez and free agent acquisition Mark Teixeira, it was DH Hideki Matsui who slugged his way to the World Series MVP.
2009 World Series champ Alex Rodriguez: “I think our 2009 championship, when the Yankees beat the Phillies, is No. 1 of the century. Of course, I’m biased — I was on that team, but it was a pretty darn good team.”
Jeter: “People talk about Yankees fans and Red Sox fans, but Philly fans are passionate, so it felt good to be the Phillies in ’09.”
#3 — 2022 Houston Astros
Regular Season: 106–56 (1st in AL West)
ALDS: Defeated Mariners, 3–0
ALCS: Defeated Yankees, 4–0
World Series: Defeated Phillies, 4–2
The reputation of that team was marred somewhat by the sign-stealing scandal that rocked MLB in 2020 — the Astros’ organization was punished, and multiple executives lost their jobs. The 2022 season, then, was something of a redemption story for the club: some familiar faces from 2017 were still on the roster, yes, like Jose Altuve, Alex Bregman and Justin Verlander, but the core of the next Astros club was also in place, and the beloved Dusty Baker was now the manager. Forgetting anyone? Well, there was Jeremy Pena winning ALCS MVP and World Series MVP — the first rookie position player ever to do both. This was a machine of a team, nearly unstoppable for lengthy stretches.
#2 — Chicago Cubs (2016)
Regular Season: 103–58-1 (1st in NL Central)
NLDS: Defeated Giants, 3–1
NLCS: Defeated Dodgers, 4–2
World Series: Defeated Cleveland, 4–3
Well, what do you say about this team? Plenty, and it no longer has to do with the Billy Goat. But it does involve bringing the Northside its first championship in over a century. The 2016 Cubs don’t get more brownie points in these rankings for snapping a 108-year championship drought, but look at that roster and that season: they don’t need any extra credit, anyway. Kris Bryant was a deserving National League MVP. Anthony Rizzo could have been the star player on a number of other clubs, but he was “merely” the second-best player in the Cubs lineup. The rotation featured just as much depth as the lineup, with Jon Lester producing arguably the greatest season of his 16-year career.
Ortiz: “They hadn’t won in so long and I think they very well deserved it. Plus, a couple of my boys were playing there on that team.”
#1 — Boston Red Sox (2018)
Regular Season: 108–54 (1st in AL East)
ALDS: Defeated Yankees, 3–1
ALCS: Defeated Astros, 4–1
World Series: Defeated Dodgers, 4–1
Best World Series winners of the 21st century? Plenty of teams have a case. But the most recent squad of the four Red Sox champions on this list has the strongest case of them all. They were dominant because they were top-to-bottom capable. Their 21-year-old rookie, Rafael Devers, was one of the “weak spots” in the lineup: he hit 21 home runs and 55 extra-base hits overall in 121 games. Xander Bogaerts and Andrew Benintendi were at the peak of their respective powers, Jackie Bradley Jr. managed to both hit and play his usual world-class defense. J.D. Martinez proved a more than adequate replacement for the usual banner David Ortiz year, and 25-year-old Mookie Betts was a relevation. And when you oust the 100-win Yankees in the ALDS in four games, take down the 103-win Astros in the ALCS in five games, then topple the 92-win Dodgers in the World Series? Yeah, that’s definitely a strong case.
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