The 2026 World Series is now officially over! Because of that, let’s see how this World Series rank among all the other ones that have took place throughout the entire 21st century!
For this ranking, I am ranking all of these World Series not just strictly how talented the teams were in the regular season or even from the amount of games that were played in it but strictly based on how much each World Series offered in terms of action, drama, tension, memorability, and how well it contributes to the history of baseball as well as all of sports! I’m also going by how each World Series matches up in not just the minds of baseball fans but even for those that aren’t even a fan of baseball. For example, don’t expect say…..the 2012 World Series to be ranked THAT high!
I’ve been wanting to do a new sports related piece for awhile now and I figured what better way to get back into it than a proper ranking of the last 27 World Series match-ups! You will probably strongly disagree on some of my choices but I don’t care it’s my list!
Also, fyi, I’m promise to do this ranking in the LEAST biased away imaginable. So, just because my team (the Cardinals) have been in FOUR of these last 27 World Series match-ups does NOT mean that they will take the top 4 spots. I will ranked these based on how much I believe it contributes to the great game of baseball regardless of if it includes teams that I hate or not.
Without further a do, let’s get to the rankings!
27.) 2007 World Series- Boston Red Sox vs Colorado Rockies
Champion: Boston Red Sox, 4-0 Series Win
MVP: Mike Lowell
Best Game: Game 4- Red Sox Win 4-3
Three and a half innings! That is how long the Rockies held a lead in this series! And even then, that didn’t feel very convincing!
Just like they did to the St. Louis Cardinals just three years earlier, the Boston Red Sox was able to steamrolled the first time NL champion Colorado Rockies, who came into the series with the hottest stretch of baseball in team history, by winning 21 of their last 22 games, in just four games without much hassle. And unlike the series in St. Louis, Boston and the rest of baseball can’t even remember it as a triumphing moment where the Red Sox finally got over the decades long hump since they already did it three years earlier. There might’ve been two one-run games in the series but there was hardly a moment where you felt like the Rockies had any sort of control whatsoever.
From the moment that Dustin Pedroia hit that leadoff homer in Game 1 which opened the floodgates for the Red Sox offense, you just kinda knew it was over. Unless you are a Red Sox or Rockies fan, this is a World Series you most certainly have forgotten about!
26.) 2012 World Series- San Francisco Giants vs Detroit Tigers
Champion: San Francisco Giants, 4-0 Series Win
MVP: Pablo Sandoval
Best Game: Game 4- Giants Win 4-3 in 10 Innings
If you were to describe a World Series that felt the most like a complete snooze fest, look no further than this one.
The San Francisco Giants was coming in red hot after coming back from a 3-1 series deficit against the Cardinals in the NLCS while the Detroit Tigers was coming in ice cold after being forced to wait nearly a whole week after completing their ALC sweep against the New York Yankees. Even though early odds favored Detroit due to their star studded rotation that included the likes of Justin Verlander and Max Scherzer and slugging bats such as Miguel Cabrera and Prince Fielder, San Francisco was able to take care of business rather easily, having complete and utter dominance through the majority of the series.
They powered their way through Game 1 thanks to three homers from the Kung Fu Panda and World Series MVP himself, Pablo Sandoval, they shut down the Tigers bats completely in Games 2 and 3, and by Game 4, they were able to win in extra innings, with triple crown winner Miguel Cabrera infamously looking at strike three to the Giants closer Sergio Romo, earning the Giants their second World Series title in the last three years.
While Game 4 was a decent game in of itself as it’s the only one in which the Tigers took a lead and made it somewhat competitive, this is easily among the most forgettable World Series in baseball history. There’s a reason why this was the lowest rated World Series for several years.
25.) 2006 World Series- St. Louis Cardinals vs Detroit Tigers
Champion: St. Louis Cardinals, 4-1 Series Win
MVP: David Eckstein
Best Game: Game 4- Cardinals Win 5-4
Infamously known as the best worst World Series champions, the 83-win St. Louis Cardinals (the team with the lowest wins to ever play in a World Series) were able to win against the heavily favorite 95-win Detroit Tigers in ways I don’t think anyone imagined.
Just like the other World Series that Detroit was a part of this century, the bats completely disappeared when it matter most, getting shut down here by Cardinals ace Chris Carpenter and unlikely/unknown journeymen in the likes of Anthony Reyes (You probably don’t even know who he is) and Jeff Weaver (Not his brother Jered!). You also got embarrassing errors from Detroit’s defense (with starting pitches contributing SIX of them all series) and getting owned by little underdog David Eckstein, A.K.A. Mr. Ahsoka Tano (Only Star Wars fans will get that reference!). You can blame the Tigers being forced to wait a week to play all you want but Detroit (just like with 2012) simply did NOT showed up when it mattered most.
As much as many vote for this as the worst World Series this century, I give it a slight edge over the previous two due to a solid back-and-forth Game 4 and also feeling like a bittersweet end to the 2000s core of the St. Louis Cardinals (I promise that is how biased as I will get here!). The rest of the series though, pretty bleh.
Oh, and the less said about Tigers Pitcher Kenny Rogers and his “substance”, the better!
24.) 2023 World Series- Texas Rangers vs Arizona Diamondbacks
Champion: Texas Rangers, 4-1 Series Win
MVP: Corey Seagar
Best Game: Game 1- Rangers Win 6-5 In 11 Innings
Talk about a World Series that started so promising and then just…..stopped become interesting all together.
Game 1 started the series off with a bang, with the Texas Rangers coming back late to force extra innings and steal the first game, thanks to clutch home runs from WS MVP Corey Seager in the bottom of the 9th and ALCS MVP Adolis Garcia in the bottom of the 11th for the game-winner. But, then the rest of the series happened and the whole thing just went straight to auto pilot.
With three of the next four games consisting of near blowouts, no team coming back to take the lead or even tie after the other team scored first, and lacking any sort of thrill or excitement, I can’t help but feel like this World Series was a missed opportunity between two underdog franchises, and that’s not just considering the fact that these were two teams that had to deal with dreadful 100-loss seasons two years prior and fought and clawed their way to make it to the World Series that year.
Congrats to the Texas Rangers for finally getting over the hump and breaking the 12-year long curse of David Freese (which will be discussed much later) but man, so much wasted potential here after such a thrilling Game 1.
23.) 2026 World Series- Milwaukee Brewers vs Tampa Bay Rays
Champion: Milwaukee Brewers, 4-1 Series Win
MVP: William Contreras
Best Game: Game 4- Rays Win 4-3 In 12 Innings
This year’s World Series featured two franchises with relatively small markets, two franchises that put more emphasis on fundamentals and strategy than anything else throughout the season, and two franchises that had NEVER won a World Series in their entire history, guaranteeing that the amount of teams that have never won a World Series being shrunk down from 5 to 4 regardless of the outcome. Becoming the envy of the MLB, baseball fans themselves had an engaging narrative to hook on here. Too bad, the series itself wasn’t really that great!
Sure, three of the five games were one-run games, with an impressive 4-0 comeback from the Brewers in Game 2 and a stunning walk-off extra inning victory in Game 4 with the Rays, but I was expecting more of a competitive series with the two teams that represented the best records in their leagues. Tampa Bay continuously kept shooting themselves on the foot all series, with piss-poor defense and baffling pitching moves from Rays manager Kevin Cash throughout (It wouldn’t be the first time!) while Milwaukee did what they did best throughout the entirety of 2026, playing perfectly clean and crisp baseball and refusing to beat themselves up. Just as the Brew Crew steamrolled their way through the Padres and Dodgers, they made winning their first World Series against the Rays look pretty easy.
Still, this might be the last World Series we get for quite a while with the inevitable 2027 lockout emerging. So, cherish whatever you can from it because we don’t know when we will have another one anytime soon!
22.) 2010 World Series- San Francisco Giants vs Texas Rangers
Champion: San Francisco Giants, 4-1 Series Win
MVP: Edgar Renteria
Best Game: Game 5- Giants Win 3-1
What ended up being the first of three championships won by the MLB dynasty of the early 2010s, the San Francisco Giants were able to end their 56-year long World Series drought while the Texas Rangers fell short in their first ever World Series appearance.
Similar to the 2012 World Series against the Tigers, the Giants were able to win it all rather easily with not much getting in their way. With dominating pitching from the likes of the leader of the staff, Matt Cain, that year’s CY Young Winner, Tim Lincecum, and the birth of the postseason legend himself, Madison Bumgarner, San Francisco was able to silence the bats of Texas, allowing one run or less in three of the five games. Thrown in the clutch hitting performance that series from 33-year old WS MVP veteran Edgar Renteria, the Giants were able to make winning the World Series seem like a cakewalk.
Not a very competitive series overall and not one worth remembering unless you are a Giants fan.
21.) 2021 World Series- Atlanta Braves vs Houston Astros
Champion: Atlanta Braves, 4-2 Series Win
MVP: Jorge Soler
Best Game: Game 4- Braves Win, 3-2
Now, this was just……..a strange World Series!
It consisted of non-stop bullpen games from both sides, sloppy as hell defense, hours of deadtime in between pitches, Houston’s starters repeatedly getting shattered, and even had Atlanta starter Charlie Morton throwing a full inning with a broken leg (Somewhere, Bob Gibson is smiling!). And outside of Game 4, there was hardly any back-and-forth momentum, with the team that scored first being the one that ended up winning the game without much hassle. It might’ve went up to six games (likely because Mr. Morton wasn’t available for Game 5), but there isn’t much to chew on here other than seeing Freddie Freeman’s final series in a Braves uniform and the rest of the league being in delight of seeing the Astros lose in the World Series again for the first since the 2017 sign-stealing scandal broke out.
And for once, the Atlanta Braves were able to get it done in the postseason after consisting nothing but Ls in October for the past 25 years, winning their first title since 1995! I guess that’s something!
20.) 2008 World Series- Philadelphia Phillies vs Tampa Bay Rays
Champion: Philadelphia Phillies, 4-1 Series Win
MVP: Cole Hamels
Best Game: Game 5- Phillies Win 4-3
There were plenty of juicy storylines heading into this World Series. You had the Tampa Bay Rays entering their first ever World Series after coming off a disastrous 96-loss season along with their first ever winning season and the Philadelphia Phillies looking for their first title in nearly 30 years! Sadly, the headlines and narratives heading into the World Series were more eye catching than the actual World Series itself.
There were a lot of close games, with four of the five games being decided by two runs or less, which included a walk-off infield single in Game 3 by Phillies Catcher Carlos Ruiz but it was a pretty uneventful World Series all around, with plenty of silent bats and not much momentum between each inning.
The most memorable moment from this series came from the rain delay that happened in Philly in Game 5, forcing the game to be delayed and even postponed, the first and only time that has ever happened in World Series history! The game was suspended in the 6th inning and would resume two days later. And hey, at least closer Brad Lidge was able to make the comeback of a lifetime, getting all 48 saves in all 48 save opportunities! I guess Albert Pujols didn’t complete destroy him after the 2005 NLCS!
I’m sure Phillies fans can look fondly of that core that consists of the likes of Jimmy Rollins, Chase Utley, Ryan Howard, and Cole Hamels was able to win a title but for the World Series itself,……..meh.
19.) 2004 World Series- Boston Red Sox vs St. Louis Cardinals
Champion: Boston Red Sox, 4-0 Series Win
MVP: Manny Ramirez
Best Game: Game 1- Red Sox Win 11-9
Yes, this was also a World Series sweep! Yes, it was really only Game 1 that was even remotely competitive! Yes, Boston absolutely dominated St. Louis in every way, shape, or form in this series! However, I don’t think there was a bigger moment in the history of the Boston Red Sox and among MLB this century than seeing them hold the commissioner trophy for the first time in 86 years!
It must’ve been such a special moment to see fans of Boston and even the rest of baseball (other than Yankees and Cardinals fans) witness baseball history like no other! Take that special moment out of the picture and it was a pretty pathetic and lame World Series overall!
Outside of a solid back-and-forth Game One (with Boston committing FOUR errors but still managing to win), the juggernaut offense led by Albert Pujols, Scott Rolen, Jim Edmonds, and late season acquisition Larry Walker, that carried the 105-Win Cardinals all year long were completely silenced, outmatched by the elite Red Sox starting pitching of Curt Schilling, Pedro Martinez, and Derek Lowe! And the Red Sox bats with the likes of WS MVP Manny Ramirez and David Ortiz came through at every possible moment! Boston had their foot on the gas since Game 4 of the ALCS against the Yankees and absolutely REFUSED to take their foot off of it until the very final out of Game 4 in the World Series!
If it wasn’t for this one special moment in history, this would be FAR down the list!
18.) 2005 World Series- Chicago White Sox vs Houston Astros
Champion: Chicago White Sox, 4-0 Series Win
MVP: Jermaine Dye
Best Game: Game 3- White Sox Win 7-5 In 14 Innings
It might seem odd to put a World Series sweep this high on the list but I would be damned if this wasn’t the most exciting and competitive World Series sweep that I’ve ever seen.
All four games were up for grabs and could’ve favored anyone of the two teams, it just so happened to favor the Chicago White Sox in all four games! With a decent back-and-forth Game 1, a Game 2 thriller that was decided on a walk-off homer by Scott Podsednik of all people (who didn’t hit a single home run in the regular season), a Game 3 that lasted for 14 innings with Game 2 starter Mark Buehrle getting the final out and save, and a Game 4 that consisted of pitching dominance with a mere 1-0 score! You had some exciting narratives hear as well, with the Houston Astros entering their first World Series in franchise history after having a disastrous start in the regular season and the Chicago White Sox looking to end their championship drought of 88 years, the second longest in MLB history! Still a World Series sweep is a World Series sweep, no matter how you look at it!
Ultimately, it was the White Sox that was able to have their one moment of glory in a franchise that has had very little! But no worries to the Astros, you would get your chance of your own glory soon enough!
Also, let’s not forget the best kept secret in baseball history when it was revealed over a decade later that Mark Buehrle actually pitched in Game 3 and got the save while drunk on like five pitchers! That’s just…….awesome!
17.) 2024 World Series- Los Angeles Dodgers vs New York Yankees
Champion: Los Angeles Dodgers, 4-1 Series Win
MVP: Freddie Freeman
Best Game: Game 5- Dodgers Win 7-6
The 2024 World Series match-up between the Dodgers and Yanks was more about narratives and headlines than it was about the quality of the games itself.
There were two standout moments that will be remembered in baseball history, a bad footed Freddie Freeman having his Kirk Gibson moment in Game 1 by hitting a walk-off grand slam in the 10th inning, securing him of the WS MVP Award, and the Yankees HILARIOUSLY imploding in Game 4 with their godawful defense that has plagued them all season long, choking away a 5-0 lead and eventually losing the game 7-6! The rest of the games might’ve been filled with action and high scoring but there was hardly enough back-and-forth to warrant this being ranked up there as among the best World Series this century.
The Dodgers were able to prove that they were not just Mickey Mouse ring champions by winning it all in a FULL season this time and the Yankees were exposed for the absolute frauds they were all season and still can’t get over their recent World Series hump that has now lasted for 15+ years! Plenty of fun and funny narratives here and a few memorable moments aside, this World Series could’ve been better.
16.) 2018 World Series- Boston Red Sox vs Los Angeles Dodgers
Champion: Boston Red Sox, 4-1 Series Win
MVP: Steve Pearce
Best Game: Game 4- Red Sox Win 9-6
This might be a hot take but I found this World Series to be incredibly overrated! I get that expectations were high entering this series in seeing the baseball juggernauts that were the Los Angeles Dodgers and Boston Red Sox duking it out for the first time ever! However, outside of the tense 18th inning long Game 3 (wouldn’t be the only time that happened in the World Series for LA) and a stellar Game 4, with the Red Sox coming back late to win 9-6, there wasn’t much to write home about here.
Games 1, 2, and 6 were easy victories for Boston, with LA overwhelmed at every turn in those games, being unable to keep up with the momentum of the Red Sox. The Bronx bats that carried them throughout their entire 2018 campaign with the likes of Mookie Betts, Xander Bogaerts, J.D. Martinez, and WS MVP Steve Pearce came through when they needed to, so much so that not even the INCREDIBLY stretchy closer Craig Kimbrel couldn’t prevent them from winning it all.
The 2018 Red Sox felt like a complete and perfect team in every way and they were able to show that throughout this entire series, winning their 4th World Series title of the 21st century. I still put it this high because of those two games mentioned but that is really the only thing keeping it this high on the list
15.) 2020 World Series- Los Angeles Dodgers vs Tampa Bay Rays
Champion: Los Angeles Dodgers, 4-2 Series Win
MVP: Corey Seager
Best Game: Game 4- Rays Win 8-7
This was such a weird World Series to rank! This came during the height of the 2020 Covid-19 pandemic, that forced a shortened 60-game long season and all the teams having to follow a certain set of rules and safety guidelines to make this World Series and overall season even possible. But still, for what we’ve got, this was a pretty good World Series!
It contained the two teams that had the best records in baseball from both leagues for the first time since 2013, you got clutch performances from the likes of superstar Mookie Betts, MVP Corey Seager and ALCS MVP Randy Arozarena, a bonkers ending to what was an incredibly wild Game 4 (I’m sure Brett Phillips is still running around like the wind with no oxygen), and the controversial decision of Game 6 with Rays Manager Kevin Cash removing starter Blake Snell out of a game which he was dominating the Dodger lineup, a move which ended up backfiring PAINFULLY for Tampa Bay, with the Dodgers coming back to winning that game 3-1 and win their World Series since 1988!
It’s hard to know how this World Series would’ve played out in a non-covid world but for what we got, this was probably the best possible World Series we could’ve had during such bizarre circumstances!
14.) 2015 World Series- Kansas City Royals vs New York Mets
Champion: Kansas City Royals, 4-1 Series Win
MVP: Salvador Perez
Best Game: Game 1- Royals Win 5-4 In 14 Innings
This might’ve been just a five-game World Series but this was about as good of a five-game World Series as they come! With this being a series about underdog franchises with decades long World Series droughts, it was ultimately the Kansas City Royals who was able to make the final blow when it mattered the most.
You had Game 1 that started off with a bang with a inside-the-park homer from Alcides Escobar, Kansas City coming back in the bottom of the 9th on a solo shot by franchise legend Alex Gordon to force extra innings, and the Royals winning the game on a sac fly in the 14th inning to start the series off with a bang. Game 2 and 3 saw convincing wins from both sides with Royals dominating the Mets in Game 2 and New York returning the favor in Game 3. Game 4 saw KC coming back late yet again, rallying for three runs in the 8th inning, taking a 3-1 series lead. Game 5 saw an outstanding pitching performance from Mets ace Matt Harvey (A.K.A. The Dark Knight) be completely undone thanks to KC coming back late yet again in the 9th inning to tie it and yet again win in extra innings, winning their first World Series title in 30 years!
As much as the narrative around this series has pended on the Mets shooting themselves in the foot repeatedly with endless blown saves from closer Jeurys Familia and constant terrible blunders from the defense, credit should be given to the Royals for playing their own brand of baseball to win the World Series!
At a time where there was a cultural shift in baseball in focusing more on analytics, velocity, and launch angle, the Royals was able to play by their own set of rules to win it all, by sticking to old school traditions with a major focus on speed, contact, and defense! They might’ve not gotten it done in the previous year but they most certainly were able to get it done here!
13.) 2013 World Series- Boston Red Sox vs St. Louis Cardinals
Champion: Boston Red Sox, 4-2 Series Win
MVP: David Ortiz
Best Game: Game 4- Red Sox Win 4-2
We got a rematch of the 2004 World Series nine years later in 2013. Unlike in 2004, the St. Louis Cardinals actually competed this time around against the Boston Red Sox.
After a wild ending to Game 3 with the infamous obstruction call at home plate, the Cards took a 2-1 series lead with just two victories away from claiming their 12th World Series title in franchise history. Unfortunately for St. Louis, Boston fought back from that devasting loss quite hard for the rest of the series, with clutch hits from the likes of Game 4 hero Johnny Gomes, Game 5 hero David Ross, and Game 6 decider Shave Victorino along with running into the buzzsaws that was ace Jon Lester and WS MVP David Ortiz, who had a RIDICLOULOUS .688 BA with a WHOPPING .790 OBP, 1.188 SLG, and 1.948 OPS that series. The Red Sox bounced back from their Game 3 lost by taking the next three games, winning their third World Series in ten years. For the second time in the 21st century, Boston broke the hearts in St. Louis and took a World Series title away from them.
As much can be said about David Ortiz winning the World Series practically by himself, the other storyline in this was Boston’s way of rebounding after the terrible marathon bombing that took place in April 2013! Although Game 1 and Game 6 kinda sucked, the rest of the series was quite competitive and the storyline involving the Boston marathon bombing is so powerful that it warrants to be in the upper half!
12.) 2022 World Series- Houston Astros vs Philadelphia Phillies
Champion: Houston Astros, 4-2 Series Win
MVP: Jeremy Pena
Best Game: Game 1- Phillies Win 6-5 In 10 Innings
This was a World Series of changing narratives!
You had the underdog Phillies that overcame a 5-0 deficit to win Game 1 in extra innings, stumbled a bit in Game 2, but came back in grand fashion to win Game 3 rather easily with their elite bats of Bryce Harper, Kyle Schwarber, and J.T. Realmuto, to take a convincing 2-1 series lead! You figured this would be yet another World Series lost for the Astros against another unlikely NL East team. However, the Astros proceeded to flip the script entirely for the rest of the series.
By throwing a combined no-hitter right in Philly’s ballpark in Game 4, winning a tight and tense Game 5 that gave future Hall of Famer Justin Verlander his first career win in a World Series game, and came back to win Game 6 on a three-run backbreaker from super slugger Yordan Alvarez, the Houston Astros proved why they were indeed the best team in baseball in 2022! Even if the rest of baseball was still triggered about Houston winning another championship after what happened in 2017, this was a pretty entertaining series all around. Also, good old Dusty Baker was able to earn his first ring as a manager!
Maybe it’s just me but this was the World Series that made me finally get over the cheating scandal, as the Astros proved they didn’t need trash cans to win a championship! Although, Phillies showed good enough fight throughout the series, reality eventually came back to bite them as the Astros were just too good in 2022 to take down!
11.) 2000 World Series- New York Yankees vs New York Mets
Champion: New York Yankees, 4-1 Series Win
MVP: Derek Jeter
Best Game: Game 5- Yankees Win 4-2
Speaking of competitive as hell five-game long World Series (it’s starting to become a pattern here), the first World Series to be qualified for this ranking between the long time Subway rivals was about as tight and nail biting as it gets.
Each and every one of these games were decided by two runs or fever. The biggest standouts being the Yankees coming back to tie Game 1 in the 9th inning on a sac fly and winning that game in 12 innings thanks to a walk-off hit from unlikely hero Jose Vizcaino, the infamous Clemens-Piazza fiasco of Game 2 which the Yanks won despite the Mets making it interesting in the 9th inning, and the Yanks winning the clincher with two runs in the 9th inning off a worned out AL Leiter, who was clocking it at 140 pitches in that game. Also, it ended on a temporary scare where Mets star Mike Piazza JUST got under a pitch in the bottom of the 9th inning with two outs that managed to stay in the ballpark and give the Bronx another World Series victory.
This was when the Yankees were able to continue their narrative as the evil empire of baseball, winning their third straight World Series title and their fourth championship in the last five years, and the Mets started to present their legacy as being the butt of everyone’s jokes in New York City sports lore along with the rest of baseball.
This world series was the textbook example of what you see is what you get! And what we got overall was a pretty damn competitive World Series, despite lasting only five games!
10.) 2003 World Series- Florida Marlins vs New York Yankees
Champion: Florida Marlins, 4-2 Series Lead
MVP: Josh Beckett
Best Game: Game 4- Marlins Win 4-3 In 12 Innings
It was thought not to be humanly possible after their massive fire sale and teardown following their World Series victory in 1997 but six years later somehow and some way, lightning was able to strike the Florida Marlins for a SECOND time!
Coming into the World Series high off their 3-1 series comeback against the Chicago Cubs (partially thanks to their good old friend Steve Bartman but not really), the Marlins were able to stop the New York Yankees from clinching their fifth World Series title since 1996, thanks to contributions from their young superstars fresh from their farm system in Miguel Cabrera, Dontrelle Willis, and Josh Beckett, the latter of who threw a complete game shutout in Game 6 on just three days rest to win the World Series for Florida!
You also can’t forget how the momentum for the Yanks plummeted after taking a 2-1 series lead in Game 4, with the Marlins winning in a 12 inning thriller by a score of 4 to 3 after Yankees manager Joe Torre failed to put in his star closer, Mariano Rivera, to possibly keep the game going for New York.
All these years later, it’s still hilarious to think about how the Marlins was able to win it all TWICE as mere wild cards but have failed to achieve anything else noteworthy since then. If you were to look up the definition of “a broken clock being right twice a day”, I’m more than certain you would find a pic of the Marlins to go along with it. With this being a world series of bizarre storylines and competitive action all the way through, this is certainly worthy of being in the top 10!
9.) 2009 World Series- New York Yankees vs Philadelphia Phillies
Champion: New York Yankees, 4-2 Series Win
MVP: Hideki Matsui
Best Game: Game 4- Yankees Win 7-4
Hard to believe it’s been over 15 years since a World Series title last came to the Bronx but they were able to do so in 2009 against that year’s defending World Series champion, the Philadelphia Phillies! Admittedly, this series wasn’t anywhere near as tight or drama fueled as some of the best World Series on this list, but I couldn’t help but be entertained by seeing the crazy amount of star power on full display in this fall classic!
From the likes of Yanks legends of Derek Jeter, Alex Rodriguez, and WS MVP Hideki Matsui along with their newly offseason additions of CC Sabathia and Mark Teixeira to the Phils stars in Ryan Howard, Chase Utley, and Jimmy Rollins along with their in-season additions of Cliff Lee and Pedro Martinez, this was the World Series equivalent of the World Baseball Classic in the best of ways, just the best of the best stars coming together to play some darn good baseball for our entertainment! The most crucial contest was in Game 4, when the Yankees scored three runs in the 9th inning thanks to a two-out rally started by A-Rod himself, which led New York to win that game by a score of 7-4!
The suspense may not have been there for the majority of this series but in this case, I just got pure enjoyment in seeing some of the best MLB players of the 2000s facing off and providing plenty of action to keep the series fun for me throughout. Mostly, this World Series was the best kind of stress-free World Series for me!
8.) 2019 World Series- Washington Nationals vs Houston Astros
Champion: Washington Nationals, 4-3 Series Win
MVP: Stephen Strasburg
Best Game: Game 7- Nationals Win 6-2
Infamously know as the World Series with home field DISADVANTAGE, this series saw the underdog Washington Nationals (who started the 2019 season just 19-31) in their first ever World Series against the mighty juggernaut that was the Houston Astros, who won a franchise-record 107 games that year!
This was a series that was able to go all seven games- with the road team being victorious in ALL seven of those games (the first time that had ever happened in the history of the four major sports at the time)! While all three games the Astros won in D.C. were pretty forgettable, with Houston taking leads in all three of those games and never looking back, all four games that the Nats won in Houston were standouts.
The biggest game was the final one, where the Nats were able to come back down 2-0 late, thanks to clutch homers from Anthony Rendon and the NLCS MVP Howie Kendrick. In a year that had plenty of amazing narratives written with underdog sports teams winning championships (A.K.A. the St. Louis Blues and Toronto Raptors), the 2019 Nationals were able to write a standout story of their own, overcoming prior choking narratives and providing our state capital with their first ever World Series championship!
This was also the last we saw of prime Stephen Strasburg, who you can tell pitched with every inch of his body to get the Nats their title that year. If the games in D.C. were more memorable, this would’ve likely have ranked even higher on the list!
Also, Juan Soto was able to win a World Series just DAYS after turning 21 years old, the age where you are legally allowed to buy a beer!
What am I doing with my life, man?!?!
7.) 2014 World Series- San Francisco Giants vs Kansas City Royals
Champion: San Francisco Giants, 4-3 Series Win
MVP: Madison Bumgarner
Best Game: Game 7- Giants Win 3-2
Here is the third and final chapter of the San Francisco Giants’ early 2010s run of dominance! Unlike the first two World Series that San Francisco was a part off, this one was actually quite memorable and made for a very enjoyable series all around against the unexpected AL champion Kansas City Royals!
There’s a lot that can be said by the massive amounts of scoring that took place in every game outside of Games 3 and 7 but the main storyline of this World Series and the entire 2014 postseason was no other than Madison Bumgarner, who had just won the NLCS MVP the series prior. Famously known as Madbum, Bumgarner was able to have the World Series performance for the ages, accomplishing a Game One victory by going seven innings and allowing just one run, throwing a complete game shutout in Game 5 and closing the door with a massive FIVE inning save for Game 7! There just hasn’t been anyone like Madbum that has ever been THIS dominant on the World Series stage in baseball history!
And of course, who could forget the way the World Series concluded, with Kansas City having the tying run on third base and an incredibly sore Salvador Perez coming up to the plate and inducing a pop flyout, securing San Francisco’s third World Series title in the last five years!
Even if the Giants haven’t been the same since this World Series, they were at least able to end their early 2010s even year run of dominance on the highest note possible! Oh and the Royals were able to win the World Series the very next year so you don’t have to feel sorry about them!
6.) 2002 World Series- Anaheim Angels vs San Francisco Giants
Champion: Anaheim Angels, 4-3 Series Lead
MVP: Troy Glaus
Best Game: Game 6- Angels Win 6-5
Remember the time the Angels won a World Series? You don’t?! Well, they actually did in 2002 when they were strictly the Anaheim Angels and the series itself was pretty great! What would also be the first and only World Series that Barry Bonds would be a part off, the 2002 World Series was a seven-game match up for the ages between the Angels and the Giants!
There was plenty of action, twists, and excitement to be had in the first five games, with three of them being decided by one run and Barry Bonds finally living up to his name in October, after having multiple failures in prior playoff runs! The most memorable contest game in Game 6, with the Giants leading the series 3 to 2 and commanding a 5-0 lead late, only for the Angels to rally back with six unanswered runs thanks to the likes of Scott Spiezio, Darin Erstad, and WS MVP Troy Glaus. This rally came right after Giants manager Dusty Baker infamously pulled starter Russ Ortiz early in the 7th inning which opened that exact door for the Angels! Then, Anaheim was able to win Game 7 rather easily by a score of 4-1, stealing the title away from San Francisco, securing their first and only championship in franchise history.
This was an absolutely fantastic World Series all around that I believe should be talked about more than it usually does! The fact that this is only #6 on the list just goes to show you how EXCELLENT these next five World Series match-ups are!
5.) 2017 World Series- Houston Astros vs Los Angeles Dodgers
Results: Houston Astros, 4-3 Series Win
MVP: George Springer
Best Game: Game 5- Astros Win 13-12 In 10 Innings
I understand this World Series has been tainted for many baseball fans out there! After the allegations came out that the 2017 Astros were using hidden technology in their home stadium to steal signs and bang on trash cans to alert hitters of upcoming pitches, I can see why many don’t look at this series the same way anymore! However, for me, whenever I rewatch the highlights of this series and remembering watching this series back in 2017, I still can’t help but be excited and thrill every time I watched them.
Back in 2017, this series was simply thrilling to watch because of how each game told a different story. We got a stellar pitching performance from infamous known playoff cursed Clayton Kershaw in Game 1 that gave the Dodgers an early series lead. We got a back-and-forth extra inning extravaganza for Game 2 that consisted of EIGHT home runs hit in that game! We got Games 3 and 4 that had tight competitive match-ups with Houston taking Game 3 and LA bouncing back in the series to take Game 4. Games 6 saw the Dodgers bounce back to tie the series while Game 7 saw Houston put pressure on LA early to win Game 7!
However, the real story of this entire series was with Game 5 that just had everything! From the insane amount of scoring to the unlimited amount of twists and turns to the constant back-and-forth momentum to the multiple flips of the script to the intense drama and knuckles gripping to the mere unpredictability of it all, it is simple one of the best games of baseball that has ever been played, cheating be damned! That game along with Game 2 warrants this World Series of being in the top 5 of this century!
If this series is still tainted for you because of what the Astros did this series and throughout the whole 2017 season, that is more than fair! But for me, this series represents everything I love about baseball!
Also, fyi, the Astros was only able to do sign stealing in at home and NOT on the road! So, those two road wins they had, which includes the thrilling Game 2 and series-clinching Game 7, are indeed LEGIT!
Also, I’m not gonna lie, these next four were VERY hard to rank! I kept going back and forth with each one to the point to where I almost want to put it as a four-way tie for the best of the 21st century. But, I’m not gonna chicken out of that so here I go with my top 4!
4.) 2011 World Series- St. Louis Cardinals vs Texas Rangers
Champion: St. Louis Cardinals, 4-3 Series Win
MVP: David Freese
Best Game: Game 6- Cardinals Win 10-9 In 11 Innings
What’s this?! My favorite World Series of all time is only #4 on this list! Am I going insane?! Absolutely I am!
We have the St. Louis Cardinals coming into the World Series red hot, overcoming a 10+ game deficit against the Atlanta Braves to make the playoffs and took out the WS favorites Phi Delphia Phillies in the NLDS and division rival Milwaukee Brewers in the NLCS to make it here! We also had the Texas Rangers, returning to their second straight WS and looking to get the job done when they couldn’t the prior year. As much has been said about Game 6 of this year (and I have PLENTY to said about that), there were many other standout games here.
You got a tight Game 1 which the Cards won 3-2, you got a Game 2 which saw Texas come back late in the 9th inning to win 2-1, you got an offense explosion in Game 3 where the Cardinals scored 16 (!) runs which was aided by Albert Pujols hitting three home runs that game, you got a Game 4 that was dominated by elite pitching from Rangers ace Derek Holland that held St. Louis to just two hits all game, you got Game 5 which Texas coming back late after a bullpen mishap from St. Louis to take a 3-2 series lead, and of course you can’t forget Game 6!
What started off as one of the most messiest and sloppiest games ever (I still lose count on the amount of errors and play mishaps the Cards and Rangers made early on), the last three innings of the game might just be the most intense final three innings of any baseball game ever! The Rangers were one strike away from winning the World Series not once but TWICE and yet the Cardinals were able to rally back BOTH times! This came from the clutch two-run game tying triple from NLCS and WS MVP David Freese in the bottom of the 9th inning and a clutch RBI game tying single from Lance Berkman in the 10th inning,. Then came David Freese yet again in the 11th inning that was able to close the curtain with a solo walk-off home run, forcing a Game 7!
This was a series that had everything you want in a world series: close match-ups, twists and turns, and plenty of action, drama, and goose bumping moments to get your team pump up or heartbroken. Outside of this World Series not being as narratively satisfying or memorable to those outside of baseball fans as the first three, the ONLY thing that keeps this World Series not being higher on this list is Game 7 being somewhat anticlimactic and not that memorable! But, still an incredible World Series all around and will always be one of my absolute favorites!
3.) 2001 World Series- Arizona Diamondbacks vs New York Yankees
Champion: Arizona Diamondbacks, 4-3 Series Win
MVP: Randy Johnson & Curt Schilling
Best Game: Game 7- Diamondbacks Win 3-2
There are two main reasons this World Series is remembered as fondly as it is: 1.) it was the first major sporting event that came out the devasting heights of 9/11 (which actually caused Major League Baseball to be delayed for a week) and 2.) it represented the beginning of the end of the dynasty of the New York Yankees as we know it. Here, we saw the Arizona Diamondbacks in just their FOURTH year of existence taking on the evil empire that is the New York Yankees, winners of the last three World Series and four of the last five years!
The first six games saw three blowout victories for the D-Backs and three nail biting wins for the Yanks! The three victories from Arizona saw their bats explode from the likes of Luiz Gonzalez and Craig Counsell and dominate pitching from their co-aces Randy Johnson and Curt Schilling. The three victories from New York benefitted from clutch hits from their stars Derek Jeter, Jorge Posada, and Alfonso Soriano and lights out late inning pitching from their dominate closer Mariano Rivera. The series would wrap up in a satisfying bow in Game Seven where things got so intense and nail biting, culminating in Arizona coming back to tie things up in the bottom of the ninth with their backs were against the wall and Luis Gonzalez was able to get a clutch soft hit off of the G.O.A.T. closer Mariano Rivera, preventing the Yankees from their fourth straight championship and securing Diamondbacks’ very first one!
Each game had a different story to tell, there were clutch performances from both the hitting and pitching side on both ends, and it felt like just the breather that America needed to help heal their minds just a month after a horrifying terrorist act that has let a scar on this country for the past 25+ years! It’s also the one time in this century where we actually got not just one MVP but two, those being the one-two starting pitching punch of Randy Johnson and Curt Schilling, the former of which actually threw the last 1 1/3 inning of the series just less than 24 hours after his dominant Game 6 performance.
An extraordinary World Series all around!
2.) 2016 World Series- Chicago Cubs vs Cleveland Indians
Champion: Chicago Cubs, 4-3 Series Win
MVP: Ben Zobrist
Best Game: Game 7- Cubs Win 8-7 In 10 Innings
There might be some that argue that this World Series is more remembered for it’s hype and narratives than of the actual games itself, the two sport franchises with the largest championship droughts in sports history duking it out to see which one can break their decades long curse and make history like no other. There might be some that argue that only Game 7 is the one worth remembering, which led to the best ratings that the game of baseball had seen since this 2016 baseball classic (until recently that is). However, one can’t deny how massive this World Series was not just for baseball history but in recent global history!
Game 1 saw the Indians shut down the Cubs bats in a shutout victory thanks to elite starting pitching from Cleveland’s own Corey Kluber. Game 2 saw the Cubs climbing back to tie the series with their bats waking up for a 5-1 victory. Games 3 and 4 saw Cleveland putting Chicago bats in check once again by allowing just two in two games to take a 3-1 World Series lead, just one victory away from their first championship since 1948. But then, Game 5 saw the Cubs bounce back thanks to Jon Lester holding the Indians offense at bay and a 4th inning rally kicked off by that year’s MVP Kris Bryant, that force the series back to Cleveland. Game 6 saw the Cubs bats exploding once again with homers from Kris Bryant, Addison Russell, and Anthony Rizzo to tie the series. Finally, there was Game 7 that made for one of the greatest baseball games in the history of Major League Baseball!
From the leadoff homer from Dexter Fowler that got things started to the quick hook by Cubs manager Joe Maddon to go from Kyle Hendricks to Jon Lester that gave Cleveland some momentum to David Ross homering in his very final game he would ever play in to Rajai Davis of all people hitting a game tying home run in the 8th inning to the sudden 20-minute long rain delay after the game was forced into extras to the Jason Heyward clubhouse speech that bumped his club up to the Cubs coming back in extra innings and being able to hold on to win their very first World Series in 108 years! As a fan of baseball and viewing which World Series this century is more fondly remembered for not just baseball fans but casual audiences in general, I can’t think of one that is as memorable and impactful as this one!
However, there is still one more World Series I do think is slightly better overall.
1.) 2025 World Series- Toronto Blue Jays vs Los Angeles Dodgers
Champion: Los Angeles Dodgers, 4-3 Series Win
MVP: Yoshinobu Yamamoto
Best Game: Game 7- Dodgers Win 5-4 In 11 Innings
There might be a time where we look back at this World Series as the one that “destroyed” baseball, with the Dodgers buying up more players and additions every year like they are Disney. However, just days after riding the highs of all the thrills that this World Series has to offer, I can’t help but NOT put this in a well deserved #1 spot!
Here, we see the Los Angeles Dodgers looking for their second straight World Series title against the Toronto Blue Jays who are searching for their first World Series title in over 30 years! While many experts picked the Dodgers to win this matchup, I don’t think anyone was prepared for how much this World Series would deliver.
Game 1 saw the Blue Jays making a statement in that they would NOT be push overs in this series like they were predicted. Game 2 saw a complete game gem from WS MVP Yoshinobu Yamamoto. Game 3 gave us an INCREDIBLE 18 inning thriller, which concluded with Freddie Freeman hitting a walk-off homer. Games 4 and 5 had Toronto responding back with their bats very convincingly to take a 3-2 series lead. Game 6 saw yet another masterpiece of a performance from Yamamoto, and there is a TON that can be said about Game 7!
The Blue Jays were just TWO outs away from winning it all until Miguel Rojas (who hadn’t had a hit in a MONTH!) tied it up with a solo home run! Then came the 9th inning where the Blue Jays were literally INCHES away from winning it on TWO separate occasions, one which IKF was a inch or two off from scoring at home plate and a series saving catch from centerfielder Andy Pages! Then came the coolest Will Smith in Hollywood with a solo homer in the 11th inning, smacking all of Canada harder than he did Chris Rock at the Oscars! And then, Yoshinobu Yamamoto, who just threw a seven inning gem the night prior, was able to slam the door shut for the final 2 2/3 innings, ending with a ground ball double play with Toronto having the tying run on base!
This World Series has ZERO business to go THIS hard but it did! I don’t care about what outcomes could come from this World Series as a result of the monopoly Dodgers winning another title with legends like Shohei Ohtani and Yoshinobu Yamamoto getting paid the millions on their contract for the next 20+ years after they retire, but man, this is a World Series that I believe will go down in absolute HISTORY for not just baseball fans but for anyone around the world!
