ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. -- Another World Series is in the books. Two close, fun games in Milwaukee both went the Brewers' way before they decided to fully stomp on the collective necks of the overwhelmed Rays in Game 3. They dropped Game 4, but it took 12 innings before the Rays could beat them. Then the Brewers closed things down in Game 5. The Senior Circuit claims its third straight World Series championship and, for the first time ever, the Brewers are World Series champions.
As I do annually, I'll now rank the last 10 World Series.
What makes a truly great Fall Classic? Well, the best ones go all seven games and have an epic finish in Game 7. Close games in the rest of the series help, along with some back-and-forth and memorable moments.
To be clear, every World Series is amazing, so anything that doesn't rank highly was still good; it's just on a relative scale here.
Specifically, we're judging this from a "no horse in the race" perspective. That is to say that the 2026 World Series for long-time Brewers fans was the best ever and they wouldn't change anything. Likewise for Rangers fans in 2023. This is all subjective and done by one person who just loves baseball and wants every World Series to go seven games.
Let's get to it! The last 10 World Series, ranked:
10. 2020: COVID-19
I often say that every World Series is amazing. But maybe this one doesn't count the same because nothing was the same in that godforsaken year. The 2020 Fall Classic just doesn't bring back any fond memories for me.
I was truly happy that we had a season at all that year, even if it was only 60 games with no fans in attendance. We needed something fresh to watch and it was a good product. There were good games in this series too, notably the Rays' huge comeback in Game 4 and when the Dodgers stormed back to win Game 6 after Blake Snell was famously pulled.
Major League Baseball did its best here, but it's never going to feel the same. I can't watch these highlights back without getting annoyed. The lack of full ballparks with home fans going crazy really puts a damper on that, even if it was the right decision.
I'll be shocked if I ever rank this one anywhere but last, and it's not due to the quality of play. Even a sweep in a normal series is better.
9. 2023: A Texas-sized championship
Game 1 was one for the ages. The Rangers jumped out to a 2-0 lead in the first inning, the Diamondbacks got three in the third and the Rangers immediately tied it. The D-backs tacked on two more, though, and headed to the ninth with a 5-3 lead. Then Corey Seager hit a game-tying, two-run blast and let out a roar right after connecting. In the 11th, Adolis García hit a walk-off home run. What a game.
There were plenty of fun moments the rest of the series, but a ninth-inning Rangers rally to put Game 5 away meant there were no other hotly contested games in this one. It was only 3-1 in Game 3 when the D-backs got the tying run to the plate, but a double play ended that threat.
Still, the Rangers winning their first-ever World Series championship is notable and gains some bonus points. Between that and Game 1, this series wasn't a complete dud.
8. 2026: A first for the Brew Crew
It might be recency bias to put this one above 2023, but Games 1, 2 and 4 delivered in a huge way. Game 4 ended up being one of the most exciting extra-innings games ever. Plus, this was much more of a heavyweight battle, given that it pitted both No. 1 seeds with 103 and 98 wins, respectively. That 2023 series was 90 wins vs. 84.
The Brewers really had to sweat out Game 1, especially after a review wiped out what looked like the game-ending double play. And how about Game 2? The Rays jumped out to a 4-0 lead in the top of the first, but what has defined this Brewers group all season was bouncing back. They got two runs across in the bottom of the first and chipped away until they won, 5-4, with the Rays stranding the tying run at third base. The games in Milwaukee were hotly contested and all kinds of fun.
Game 3 in St. Pete ceased to be fun for anyone aside from Brewers fans in the fifth inning, but it was historic to watch them score eight runs with two outs. Even just typing it out sounds absurd. There were two outs in the inning and no runs had scored. Then they up an eight spot. Ridiculous.
Game 4 saw the Rays take a lead twice only to see the Brewers come back to tie it. That's just what the '26 Brewers did. A 2-2 score lasted until the 12th inning when Cooper Pratt hit a solo shot to take the lead for the Crew. An error to start the bottom of the 12th opened the door for the Rays, though, and they got singles from Liam Hicks, Jonny DeLuca, Chandler Simpson and pinch-hitter Ben Williamson to win it.
Game 5 gave us Jacob Misiorowski putting the finishing touches on a dream season both individually and for the Brewers as a whole. Pratt continued his hot streak with a two-hit, two-RBI night and William Contreras had an RBI double in the inning that put the thing away.
It was probably as good of a series as a five-gamer can be, but it never felt like the Brewers were losing this thing, making it all feel inevitable.
7. 2018: Red Sox mostly dominate
The Red Sox won 108 games in the regular season and never faced elimination in the playoffs. Game 1 was a great illustration of Boston's offensive dominance as they jumped out to a lead in the first inning and answered right back every time the Dodgers scored, including with five runs on seven hits in four innings against Clayton Kershaw. Game 2 was pretty good with two middle-innings lead changes. Game 3 was the marathon 18-inning affair that ended on a Dodgers' walk-off home run by Max Muncy. Game 4 was 0-0 through 5 ½ innings. The Dodgers then scored four, but the Red Sox scored nine in the final three innings, including a game-tying homer by Steve Pearce -- off Kenley Jansen -- and later a three-RBI double by Pearce. The Red Sox hit four home runs in a 5-1 win in Game 5 to clinch it.
6. 2024: Dodgers topple Yankees
It was a tough call in picking this one over 2018 for the best five-game series of the last decade. I'll go with 2024 because we saw the first-ever walk-off grand slam, which came in extra innings after the Yankees had already taken a lead over the Dodgers. Freddie Freeman hit that slam and homered again in Game 2 ... and in the first inning of Game 3. Oh, and in the first inning of Game 4 too. The Yankees responded in that game, though, to avoid the sweep. After seeing home runs early from Aaron Judge, Jazz Chisholm Jr. and Giancarlo Stanton in Game 5, it looked like the Yankees were sending the series back to L.A., but then they had a total meltdown in the fifth inning. The Yankees took the lead back in the sixth, but the Dodgers wouldn't be denied and scored two in the eighth to finish things off.
5. 2021: Braves win first title in 25 years
Jorge Soler led off the series with a home run and the Braves built a 5-0 lead through three innings. The Astros answered with a comfortable win of their own in Game 2. Game 3 was very low-scoring and finished 2-0, though it wasn't a pitcher's duel for the ages or anything. Game 4 was outstanding. The Astros held a 2-0 lead going into the sixth and the Braves got one run. In the seventh, Dansby Swanson hit a home run to tie it and then Soler followed with the go-ahead shot. With a 3-1 series lead, the Braves got an Adam Duvall grand slam in the first inning of Game 5 and it looked like that game would just be a coronation, but the Astros battled and battled, recording nine runs on 12 hits despite zero home runs. That did not happen in Game 6. It was a dud. Soler's three-run homer in the third essentially ended it and the Braves won, 7-0.
There were some good games and great moments, but it falls a bit shy of a classic.
4. 2022: Astros win again
It was quite a start. There were fireworks early as the Astros grabbed a 5-0 lead through three thanks to two Kyle Tucker home runs. The Phillies got five runs between the fourth and fifth innings to tie it up and then won in 10 innings thanks to a J.T. Realmuto home run. Game 2 wasn't quite as fun, but the Astros evened the series up. Game 3 wasn't close, but it was party central in Citizens Bank Park with the Phillies hitting five home runs, including a few majestic blasts from Bryce Harper and Kyle Schwarber. The next night, the Astros threw the second no-hitter in World Series history. Sure, it was a combined effort, but that's still history. Game 5 was tremendous theater. The Astros scored in the first, but then Schwarber hit a leadoff bomb to tie it. Jeremy Peña later homered for the Astros and it was 3-1 in the eighth when the Phillies cut it to one and put two runners on for Schwarber. The inning ended on a nice play from the little-used Trey Mancini at first base. Then there was an amazing play from Chas McCormick in center in the ninth to prevent the tying run from reaching scoring position.
Game 6 was scoreless through five and this was a duel, with frontline starters Zack Wheeler and Framber Valdez putting up zeroes. Schwarber broke the tie in the sixth with a home run and it looked like this series might stretch to seven games. The Astros got two runners on with one out in the seventh, however, and then lefty José Alvarado came in to face lefty Yordan Alvarez. Alvarez hit a booming home run to dead center that paved the way for the Astros' second World Series title.
For not going seven games, this was a damn good series. It was the best that didn't go seven in the last 10 years. But we need that Game 7 for an all-time great World Series. And we've seen three in the last decade.
3. 2017: Astros win first title in classic
I know we've seen these teams a bunch at this point, but at the time, it was a fresh matchup. The Astros had never won a World Series and the Dodgers hadn't been to the Fall Classic since 1988.
Game 1 was a classic from an all-time great. Clayton Kershaw, in 103-degree weather, allowed just one run on three hits in seven innings while striking out 11. The Dodgers won 3-1 that game and had a 3-1 lead heading to the eighth in Game 2. They got one in the eighth off Jansen before Marwin Gonzalez hit a game-tying homer. The Astros hit back-to-back home runs to start the 10th, but the Dodgers answered and tied the game in the bottom of the 10th. George Springer hit a two-run homer in the 11th and the Dodgers got one back, but it wasn't enough. The Astros rode a big early inning to a Game 3 win, but it was close. Game 4 was tied 1-1 heading into the ninth and then the Dodgers scored five in the ninth to win it and even the series. Game 5 remains the most ridiculous (in a good way) game I've ever seen in person. In 10 innings, the two teams combined for 25 runs on 28 hits, including seven home runs. Four of the home runs either tied the game or took the lead. The Dodgers trailed Game 6, facing elimination, 1-0 heading to the sixth, but got two runs that inning and one in the seventh to force a Game 7. The finale, unfortunately, wasn't very good.
There's an argument for this series to sit above our No. 2 pick here, but it was demoted for two reasons. First off, yes, getting to Game 7 is paramount to having a highly ranked series, but we needed a truly great Game 7 here and didn't get it, while the top two in the rankings did. Further, the sign-stealing scandal definitely casts a pall over this thing in hindsight. I still loved every minute of it at the time.
2. 2019: Nationals' unlikely ride
The Washington Nationals had never won the World Series before and started the season 19-31. They were on the ropes in the Wild Card Game, but just never quit.
Juan Soto starred in a 5-4 Nationals win in Game 1. Game 2 ended up as a blowout Nats win, but it was tied heading into the seventh before they scored 10 in the final three frames. The Astros responded by winning Games 3-5 in D.C., and while none of them were especially memorable, we now had the quirk of every road team winning in the series.
The Nats closed with wins in Games 6 and 7. Game 6 was close until late and Game 7 was awesome. First off, the pitching matchup of Zack Greinke vs. Max Scherzer, who had been dealing with a back issue, was a battle between two likely Hall of Famers. The Astros had a 2-0 lead going into the seventh inning. Anthony Rendon homered and Soto drew a walk. The Astros went to the bullpen and then Will Harris gave up a Howie Kendrick two-run home run off the foul pole in right field. It was one of the most dramatic plays in World Series history. The Nats actually tacked on enough that the game wasn't particularly close in the ninth, but it was still a classic based purely on the Kendrick homer.
1. 2025: Dodgers first repeat champs since 2000
As established, I think the best-ever World Series discussion requires an all-time great Game 7 in addition to a good series leading up to it. We got that and then some with this one. It was so absurd that we ranked the seven most crazy/amazing moments and had a few others to spare.
I think we also have to consider that the Blue Jays hadn't been to a World Series since Joe Carter's historic walk-off homer in Game 6 in 1993 and that the Dodgers were the first MLB repeat champion since 2000. There was good history behind this.
What did we see in this one that set it apart even before that insane Game 7? A lot.
- In Game 1, the Blue Jays had the biggest inning in decades and nearly the biggest of all time, scoring nine in the sixth.
- Yoshinobu Yamamoto in Game 2 threw a complete game. It was the first in the World Series since Johnny Cueto in 2015. He became the first pitcher in more than 20 years to throw back-to-back complete games in the playoffs and had the only two complete games in the 2025 postseason.
- Game 3 was one of the most exciting games in the World Series in a while, at least through the first 10 innings. And then it lasted 18, tied for the longest ever. It ended with a(nother) walk-off home run from Freddie Freeman. Shohei Ohtani set a record by getting on base nine times in this one. He started the game 4 for 4 with two doubles and two home runs, but then he never swung again, drawing four intentional walks and then walking on four pitches.
- Trey Yesavage set a rookie record with 12 strikeouts in Game 5. That same game, the Blue Jays became the first team to ever start a World Series game with back-to-back home runs.
- Game 6 had one of the craziest bottom of the ninth innings we've seen. The Blue Jays had the tying run on second with no outs. Three pitches later, that runner was doubled off second to end the game.
This list doesn't include everything, of course. It was a great series that had so many notable moments. It wasn't a difficult choice to rank this as the best World Series of the last 10 years. It's one of the best of all time. My hunch is this occupies the top spot until it falls off the list based on the passage of time.
