Ranking Every World Series Champion of the Past 10 Years

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July 4, 2026

The past decade of baseball has made for legendary Fall Classics. Amongst controversy, heartbreak, glory, and everything in between, this is how the past 10 World Series champions compare.

10. 2021 Atlanta Braves

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At the 2021 All-Star Game break, the Atlanta Braves weren’t worried if they were going to make the World Series. With a 44–45 record, missing the postseason altogether seemed entirely possible.

With stars Ronald Acuna Jr. and Marcell Ozuna both missing significant time, the Braves had to rely on trade deadline acquisitions Jorge Soler and Eddie Rosario to carry the lineup. On the pitching side, the group lost Charlie Morton to a broken leg in the first game of the World Series, plunging the team into a deeper hole.

In the end, the Braves took down the Houston Astros in six games to win their first title since 1995. Considering how depleted this team was by the end, it’s hard to place them any higher. However, they most certainly have a case for the grittiest World Series champion of the past 10 seasons.

9. 2023 Texas Rangers

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While they might go down as a one-year wonder, the 2023 Texas Rangers did what great teams do: show up when it matters most.

Despite clinching the second-to-last American League wild card spot, the Rangers ripped off two straight series sweeps to begin the postseason. They proceeded to take down the reigning champion Astros in dramatic fashion, winning all four games on the road to advance to the World Series. The Rangers had an 11–0 record in the postseason that year.

In the fall classic, the Arizona Diamondbacks had no match for the hottest team in baseball and lost in five games. The Rangers certainly had their regular-season struggles, even losing 16 of 20 games between mid-August and early September. However, their postseason run was one for the ages.

8. 2019 Washington Nationals

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Like the 2021 Braves, the 2019 Washington Nationals stumbled out of the gates. On May 23, the team sat 12 games below .500, with the playoffs far out of reach. However, over the next four months, the Nationals went 74–38 to make the playoffs as a wild card team.

The postseason itself was an uphill battle for the Nationals. After a come-from-behind wild card victory over the Milwaukee Brewers, they overcame a 2–1 deficit against the Los Angeles Dodgers in the next round.

Upon sweeping the St. Louis Cardinals to reach the World Series, the Nationals came from behind again, this time overcoming a 3–2 deficit to win it all in seven games against the Astros. They weren’t a dominant bunch, but like the Braves, they were gritty.

7. 2017 Houston Astros

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Had it not been for the sign-stealing scandal, this team would be inside the top five on this list. Alas, due to what happened behind the scenes, it’s unfair to rank them any higher.

Despite that, the Astros had a potent lineup headlined by AL MVP Jose Altuve and a pitching staff led by trade deadline acquisition Justin Verlander. They won 101 games, and while they were taken to consecutive game sevens in the ALCS and World Series, their well-roundedness brought them over the edge.

No matter the controversy surrounding them, this team will always be remembered for igniting a dynasty, one that made seven consecutive ALCS appearances and four World Series trips.

6. 2020 Los Angeles Dodgers

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There’s a case to be made that this was the best Dodgers team of the three on this list. In the 60-game 2020 season, the Dodgers won 43 of them, a mark that equates to 116 over a full 162-game season. Unfortunately, due to such a small sample size, it’s not fair to rank them any higher. After all, the New York Mets started the 2025 season 45–24, only to collapse and miss the playoffs entirely.

The Dodgers’ rotation was elite, with all five starters with at least eight starts posting sub-3.50 ERA’s. The lineup, meanwhile, had tremendous power, as five players hit at least 12 home runs. The group also hit for average, with six players who played in at least 37 games batting above .270.

The postseason started strong for the Dodgers, as they pulled off consecutive series sweeps to begin October. They ran into trouble against the Braves, falling down 3–1 in the NLCS before coming back to win the series in seven games. The World Series was a battle, too, but the Dodgers’ pitching staff dominated in games five and six to secure the team’s first title since 1988.

5. 2024 Los Angeles Dodgers

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The first year of the Shohei Ohtani era in Los Angeles was marked by a dominant regular season, although the Dodgers encountered adversity in the postseason.

After dropping two of their first three contests in the NLDS against the San Diego Padres, the Dodgers rallied to make the NLCS, only to be taken to six games by the Mets.

The World Series was a different story, as it ended in five games. However, the Dodgers needed a managing blunder from New York Yankees manager Aaron Boone in Game One and multiple errors from the Yankees in Game Five to win. Still, that doesn’t take away from how good this team was.

4. 2025 Los Angeles Dodgers

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While the Dodgers’ 2025 lineup was nearly identical to the one in 2024, their pitching staff was improved, giving them the upper hand.

Yoshinobu Yamamoto impressed as a rookie in 2024, but he was a different player the following season en route to winning the 2025 World Series MVP award. Blake Snell did his best Madison Bumgarner impersonation in Game Seven, pitching on three days of rest to help the Dodgers clinch the title. Even Roki Sasaki, despite a rollercoaster rookie season, allowed one earned run in 10 2/3 postseason innings.

3. 2022 Houston Astros

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The 2022 Astros mimic their 2017 counterpart in more ways than one. However, with no scandal and a better regular season and postseason, the 2022 team takes the crown.

Five position players posted a WAR of 4.5 or better. Framber Valdez and Verlander each won at least 17 games while posting an ERA below 3.00. Yordan Alvarez and Altuve both finished in the top five in MVP voting. Top to bottom, this was arguably the most complete team on this list.

In the playoffs, the Astros won all but two games, headlined by a perfect 7–0 record against the American League. The World Series offered a slight scare as the Philadelphia Phillies took a 2–1 series lead, but the Astros won three straight games to claim their second title in six seasons.

2. 2016 Chicago Cubs

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This team had it all, and their +252-run differential that leads all teams on this list proves that.

In their lineup, the Chicago Cubs had two power-hitting corner infielders in Anthony Rizzo and Kris Bryant, the latter of whom won the NL MVP award. They also had two young, exciting middle infielders in Javier Baez and Addison Russell, who combined for 7.7 WAR. Veterans Ben Zobrist, Jason Heyward, Dexter Fowler, and David Ross rounded out the group, which scored an NL-best 808 runs.

The pitching staff was just as good, with Jon Lester, Kyle Hendricks, John Lackey, and reigning NL Cy Young Award winner Jake Arrieta all posting ERA’s below 3.40. Trade deadline acquisition Aroldis Chapman held down the bullpen, as the Cubs won 103 games, the most in baseball.

The playoffs were a battle, as the Cubs had to overcome a 2–1 deficit in the NLCS and a 3–1 deficit in the World Series. However, it ended in the team’s first title in 108 years.

1. 2018 Boston Red Sox

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The 2018 Boston Red Sox are the best team of the past 10 seasons, but they’re also the best team of the 21st century.

Led by AL MVP Mookie Betts’ 10.9 WAR and J.D. Martinez’s 43 home runs, their offense was as good as any. The rotation was a three-headed monster with David Price, Chris Sale, and Rick Porcello, two of whom have strong arguments for Cooperstown in the future. Even Craig Kimbrel, amidst all his career inconsistencies, made the second-most saves in the AL with 42.

The postseason was a breeze, as the Red Sox won all three of their postseason series in five games or fewer. From start to finish, they looked flawless, cementing themselves as one of the best teams in league history.