Honestly, if you look at a list of world series teams by year, it’s easy to get lost in the sea of pinstripes and "Dodger Blue." But there’s a lot more to it than just the New York Yankees hogging the trophies for a century. Most people think of the World Series as this unchanging, sacred tradition. In reality, it has been messy, weird, and occasionally non-existent.
Take 1904. The New York Giants basically took their ball and went home. They won the National League pennant but flat-out refused to play the Boston Americans (now the Red Sox). Why? Because Giants owner John T. Brush and manager John McGraw thought the American League was a "minor league" circuit. They literally called themselves the world champions without playing a single postseason game. Imagine a team trying that today. Social media would melt.
The Modern Era and the Rise of the Dodgers
Fast forward to the 2020s. Things have shifted. For a long time, the conversation was always about the 27 titles in the Bronx. But lately, the Los Angeles Dodgers have turned the Fall Classic into their own personal residency.
After a massive 2024 win against the Yankees, the Dodgers did something in 2025 that we hadn't seen in over twenty years: they repeated. By taking down the Toronto Blue Jays in a grueling seven-game thriller, L.A. became the first back-to-back champions since the 1998-2000 Yankees. It’s wild because the Blue Jays were making their first appearance since Joe Carter’s walk-off in 1993.
The 2025 series was particularly nuts for global viewership. With Yoshinobu Yamamoto taking home MVP honors and Shohei Ohtani being, well, Ohtani, Game 1 alone pulled in over 32 million viewers across the U.S., Canada, and Japan. That’s the kind of scale the league hasn't seen since the Cubs broke their curse in 2016.
Breaking Down the Decades
When you scan through world series teams by year, you start to see patterns. Every decade has a "bully."
- The 1920s-1950s: This was essentially the Yankee Era. They won five straight from 1949 to 1953. If you weren't a Yankees fan in the Bronx, you were probably miserable.
- The 1970s: This was the "Mustache Gang" era. The Oakland Athletics won three in a row (1972-1974), followed immediately by the "Big Red Machine" in Cincinnati.
- The 1980s: This was the weirdest decade. It was total parity. Ten different teams won the World Series in ten years. We haven't seen anything like that since.
- The 2010s: The San Francisco Giants somehow mastered the "Even Year Magic," winning in 2010, 2012, and 2014, despite never being the heavy favorites going into the season.
Forget the Stats—Remember the Weirdness
Statistics are fine, but the stories behind the matchups are what actually stick. We all know the 1919 "Black Sox" scandal where Chicago threw the series against the Cincinnati Reds. But did you know that in 1921, every single game of the World Series was played in the exact same stadium?
The Giants and Yankees both called the Polo Grounds home that year. No travel. No jet lag. Just two teams from the same city beating the hell out of each other on the same patch of grass for eight games. (Yes, it was a best-of-nine back then).
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Then there's the 1989 "Earthquake Series." Most people remember the footage of the ABC broadcast cutting out as the Loma Prieta earthquake hit Candlestick Park. It’s the only time a World Series has been delayed by a natural disaster of that magnitude. The A's eventually swept the Giants, but nobody in the Bay Area was really thinking about baseball by the time they finished.
What Most People Get Wrong About "The Curse"
We talk about the Red Sox and the Cubs curses like they were the only ones. But look at the world series teams by year and you'll find the Cleveland Guardians (formerly Indians). They haven't won since 1948. That is the longest active drought in the sport. They’ve come heart-wrenchingly close—most notably in 1997 and 2016—but they are the current kings of "almost."
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Then you have the "expansion" teams. The Arizona Diamondbacks won it all in 2001, just four years after they started existing. They took down a Yankees team that was looking for a five-peat. It was a massive upset that proved you don't need a century of history to build a winner.
Actionable Insights for the Modern Fan
If you're trying to keep track of this history or even predict who’s next, keep these factors in mind:
- Check the "Buyer" Status: Teams that spend at the trade deadline (usually late July) are significantly more likely to appear in the list of world series teams by year. The 2024 Dodgers are the blueprint for this.
- Watch the Wild Card: Since the expansion of the playoffs, being the "best" team in the regular season doesn't mean much. The 2023 Texas Rangers and Arizona Diamondbacks were both Wild Card teams. The "hottest" team in October usually beats the "best" team in August.
- The International Shift: Keep an eye on rosters with heavy international talent. The 2025 series proved that the "World" in World Series is becoming literal, as talent from Japan, the Dominican Republic, and Venezuela is now the deciding factor in who gets the ring.
To stay ahead of the curve, focus on the pitching rotations of the top-tier spenders. While the "opener" strategy is popular, history shows that teams with at least two "aces" who can go six innings—like the 2001 Diamondbacks or the 2024-2025 Dodgers—are the ones who actually finish the job. If a team doesn't have a clear Game 1 and Game 2 starter by September, they're likely just a footnote in next year's history books.