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Another November, another Fall Classic in the books. Only this was no ordinary World Series. The Los Angeles Dodgers are the first repeat champions since 2000. 

We are coming off an epic World Series Game 7 that puts this series on par with some of the greatest of all time. We're talking about a murderer's row that includes series like: 

  • The 1991 Braves-Twins series that included the famous Jack Morris-John Smoltz duel into the 10th inning.
  • The 1960 series where the Yankees outscored the Pirates 55-27 and still lost on a walk-off home run to Bill Mazeroski in Game 7.
  • 1924! It went to extra innings in Games 1 and 7 and had four one-run games. Upper-tier all-time great Walter Johnson went four innings in relief in Game 7 to get the win for the Nationals over the Giants. 
  • That 2001 classic between the Diamondbacks and Yankees that featured so many clutch Yankees hits before the D-backs turned the tables with a Game 7 walk-off. 
  • 1975: The Carlton Fisk foul pole home run in Game 6 and then the Reds won in Game 7 by one after a Joe Morgan RBI single in the top of the ninth.
  • The 2011 series was incredible, even if Game 7 was a bit of a dud, as Game 6 was an all-timer. 
  • In 1986, the Red Sox were still fighting a fake curse and the Mets were one of the more colorful teams of all-time. Two games were decided by one run and there was that whole Game 6 thing before a very memorable Game 7 gave the Mets their second title. 

There's another one that belongs in there, but it's already on the below list because it happened within the last 10 years. I think it would be fair to argue that those seven World Series listed above along with 2025 and a yet-to-be-revealed series could well be the top nine of all-time. 

What was the one yet to be named? And was it better or worse than the 2025 gem we just saw? Let's dive in. 

10. 2020/COVID-19

Then again, maybe this one doesn't count the same because nothing was the same in that godforsaken year. 

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 then the Dodgers storming 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 in joy. The lack of full ballparks with home fans going crazy really puts a damper on that. 

I'll be shocked if I ever rank this one anywhere but last and it's not due to the quality of play.

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 would tack on two more, though, and head 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 and the D-backs had 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. 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 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 homer from Max Muncy. Game 4 was interesting in that it 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 from Steve Pearce -- off Kenley Jansen -- and later a three-RBI double from Pearce. The Red Sox hit four home runs in a 5-1 win in Game 5 to clinch it.

7. 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 this one 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.

6. 2021 - Braves win first title in 25 years

Jorge Solar led off the series with a home run and the Braves built a 5-0 lead through three innings. The Astros would answer is 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 to the sixth and the Braves got one run. In the seventh, Dansby Swanson hit a home run to tie it and then Jorge Soler followed with the go-ahead shot. With a 3-1 series lead, in Game 5 the Braves got an Adam Duvall grand slam in the first inning and it looked like that game would just be a coronation, but the Astros battled and battled, getting 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 with the Braves winning, 7-0. 

There were some good games and great moments, but it falls a bit shy of a classic.

5. 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 had two runners on for Schwarber. The inning ended on a nice play from 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 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.

4. 2017 - Astros win first title in classic

I know we've seen these teams a bunch now, 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 and then 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 to 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. Game 7, unfortunately, wasn't very good. 

There's an argument for this series to sit above our No. 2 pick here, but there needed to be a demotion 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 like the top two in the rankings did. Further, the sign-stealing scandal definitely casts a pall over this thing in terms of how it is viewed now. I still loved every minute of it. 

3. 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 to the seventh before they scored 10 in the final three frames. The Astros would respond 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 to 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 on the Kendrick homer.

2. 2025 - Dodgers first repeat champs since 2000 

We've already gone over how 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 champ 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. He 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 in 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 4-4 for 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 out and then three pitches later that runner was getting doubled off second to end the game.

This wasn't everything, of course. It was a great series that had so many notable moments. It falls oh-so-short for me, but I would be just fine with anyone arguing that this 2025 World Series belonged at the top. 

1. 2016 - Goodbye, Billy Goat 

The two longest World Series droughts squared off before the Cubs finally broke the much ballyhooed 108-year drought and so-called "curse of the Billy goat." That alone sets this one apart, but it was a phenomenal series too. Each team won relatively comfortably to start and then Cleveland won 1-0 in Game 3, despite the wind blowing out. They again took Game 4 for a commanding 3-1 series lead, but the Cubs responded with a 3-2 win in Game 5. A Kris Bryant home run tied the game in the fourth and the Cubs were able to score two more before starter Jon Lester and closer Aroldis Chapman combined to hold on (with one out from Carl Edwards Jr. in between). Chapman got eight outs while holding a one-run lead with the Cubs facing elimination. The Cubs went crazy offensively in Game 6 to force a Game 7. 

Game 7 was an all-timer. Dexter Fowler hit the only leadoff homer in Game 7 history. The Cubs actually built a 5-1 lead until Cleveland was able to score two runs on a wild pitch from reliever Lester (the Cubs probably bailed on starter Kyle Hendricks a bit too early). David Ross, the catcher during the wild pitch whose cleats getting caught allowing the second run to score, homered off stud reliever Andrew Miller to get one back. Then came the eighth inning, with the Rajai Davis game-tying home run off Chapman. It was bedlam in Cleveland, with a famous shot of LeBron James screaming and flexing from his suite.

Then it went to extra innings, but not until after a rain delay. Kyle Schwarber, who had returned for the series after ACL surgery in April, led off with a single. A few hitters later, Ben Zobrist doubled home a run. The Cubs would get another for insurance and they'd need it. Davis singled in the bottom of the 10th before the Cubs finally nailed down that elusive championship, 8-7 in 10 innings. 

The series had three one-run games and went extra innings in Game 7. Even without the special, surrounding circumstances, that's one hell of a series. With them, it's one of the greatest World Series ever.

Was 2025 or 2016 better? Argue amongst yourselves! Come next year when I go to rank the last 10 World Series, it won't matter anymore. This 2016 series falls off the ballot and 2025 takes over the top spot ... unless somehow 2026 is even better? Dare we dream?