The World Series has been baseball’s most prestigious prize since its induction in 1903. Since then, all but six franchises have won the crown. The only teams to have never won a World Series are the Tampa Bay Rays, San Diego Padres, Milwaukee Brewers, Texas Rangers, Seattle Mariners and Colorado Rockies.
At the same time, while those six have never had a title, the New York Yankees hold the record, winning an impressive 27 World Series. Their first title came in 1923 on a team that featured some of baseball’s most iconic players: Babe Ruth and Lou Gehrig.
“Opening Day 1923. #BabeRuth leads #Yankees onto the field, on opening day of the old “original” #YankeeStadium with players wearing some classic #NYY sweaters …” Jimmy from the Bronx tweeted.
While it’s widely known that the New York Yankees have been the most successful franchise in MLB history, the team with the second-most crowns may not be common knowledge. The St. Louis Cardinals are second in MLB history with 11 championships.
The Cardinals’ most recent title coming in 2011. Thanks to their modern icons Albert Pujols, Yadier Molina and David Freese, St. Louis defeated the Texas Rangers in seven games.
“2011 St. Louis Cardinals at 999-1. 15 games left in the season, 4 1/2 games back of the NL Wild Card, 999-1 odds to win the World Series. The Cardinals finished 11-4, and beat the Rangers in the Fall Classic,” MoneyLine Talks tweeted.
The Cardinals won their championships in 1926, ’31, ’34, ’42, ’44, ’46, ’64, ’67, ’82, 2006 and 2011.
A look at the 2023 St. Louis Cardinals World Series-contending roster
After a successful 2022 regular season, the St. Louis Cardinals underwent a disappointing playoff appearance, falling to the sixth-seeded Philadelphia Phillies. Yet, despite an early postseason exit, the Cardinals will enter this season as a legitimate title contender in the National League.
However, the team underwent several roster changes this offseason, most notably the retirements of club legends Albert Pujols and Yadier Molina. While Molina’s role had begun to diminish throughout last season, a late-career resurgence from Pujols helped lead the Cardinals to a National League Central title.
“Flashback to when Albert Pujols launched three homers in GM3 of the 2011 World Series,” @DonkeyHack tweeted.
Although the club lost Pujols, Molina and reliable starter Jose Quintana, it did land one of the most coveted free agents on the market, Willson Contreras. The veteran catcher for the rival Chicago Cubs signed a five-year, $87,500,000 deal to join the Cardinals.
.