The Fall Classic is one of the most revered events in the sporting calendar, drawing die-hard and casual fans alike. The sense of timelessness, permanence, and tradition are what keep America’s pastime thriving in the 21st century.
From the outset, when the Boston Americans, later changing their name to “Red Sox”, won the first modern World Series, defeating the Pittsburgh Pirates 5-3 in an eight-game series, the competition has been mainly held in October. Some have exceptionally been played during September and November, although the new expanded format would seem to make November games all but certain in the future.
The best-of-nine format that kicked it all off, was dropped in favor of a best-of-seven series. Although revived for 1919, 1920, and 1921, the seven-game series has been universally accepted as the gold standard for championships ever since.
This year will see the 118th World Series contested, and in the top spot amongst winning teams is the “evil empire” themselves, none other than the New York Yankees. Competing in 40 World Series, they have won 27 of them. The St Louis Cardinals follow them up with 11 titles claimed amongst 19 total appearances. The Yankees have the most appearances in the American League, meanwhile the National League team with the most appearances is the Los Angeles Dodgers, who have lost 14 of their 21 total trips to the Fall Classic.
The Seattle Mariners are the only existing MLB franchise to have never appeared in a World Series. The San Diego Padres, Colorado Rockies, Texas Rangers, Tampa Bay Rays, and Milwaukee Brewers have all played in one but lost.
The Astros, interestingly, are the only team to have appeared in the World Series as the champions of both leagues representing the National League in 2005 before their move to the American League, where they won the pennant in 2017, 2019, 2021, and 2022.
Most World Series wins by franchise*
| Team | Wins | Appearances |
|---|---|---|
| New York Yankees | 27 | 40 |
| St. Louis Cardinals | 11 | 19 |
| Oakland Athletics | 9 | 14 |
| Boston Red Sox | 9 | 13 |
| San Francisco Giants | 8 | 20 |
| Los Angeles Dodgers | 7 | 21 |
| Cincinnati Reds | 5 | 9 |
| Pittsburgh Pirates | 5 | 7 |
| Detroit Tigers | 4 | 11 |
| Atlanta Braves | 4 | 10 |
| Chicago Cubs | 3 | 11 |
| Baltimore Orioles | 3 | 7 |
| Minnesota Twins | 3 | 6 |
| Chicago White Sox | 3 | 5 |
| Philadelphia Phillies | 2 | 8 |
| Cleveland Guardians | 2 | 6 |
| New York Mets | 2 | 5 |
| Kansas City Royals | 2 | 4 |
| Toronto Blue Jays | 2 | 2 |
| Miami Marlins | 2 | 2 |
| Houston Astros | 1 | 5 |
| Arizona Diamondbacks | 1 | 1 |
| Los Angeles Angels | 1 | 1 |
| Washington Nationals | 1 | 1 |
| San Diego Padres | 0 | 2 |
| Texas Rangers | 0 | 2 |
| Tampa Bay Rays | 0 | 2 |
| Milwaukee Brewers | 0 | 1 |
| Colorado Rockies | 0 | 1 |
| Seattle Mariners | 0 | 0 |
*in all cases, we have listed the current name of the franchise as of 2022