New York Yankees (27)

The most successful franchise in North American pro sports history, the Yankees have dominated the Fall Classic for over 100 years. Since making their first World Series appearance in 1921, they’ve won an astounding 41 pennants and 27 championships.

There have been 120 World Series in MLB history, which means the Yankees have won 22.5% of them and appeared in 34.2% of them.

The Yankees enjoyed much of their success during a 40-year span from 1923 to 1962, winning 20 championships during that time, including an MLB-record five straight from 1949 to 1953. They added back-to-back titles in 1977-78, four in five years from 1996 to 2000, and their most recent one in 2009.

In other words, the Yankees are one of the few teams on this list with multiple dynasties. Since 1920, they’ve only had two decades – the 1980s and 2010s – where they failed to win a championship.

St. Louis Cardinals (11)

While the Cardinals haven’t been as dominant as the Yankees, they’ve been consistently excellent for over a century, winning the most championships of any National League team (11).

Their first title came in 1926 when Babe Ruth was famously caught stealing to end Game 7. They won two titles with the Gashouse Gang during the 1930s, then three in five years from 1942 to 1946 with Stan Musial leading the way.

Bob Gibson pitched the Cards to championships in 1964 and 1967, winning the World Series MVP both years. He nearly did so again in 1968, but lost Game 7 to the Tigers after Curt Flood stumbled in the outfield.

The Redbirds won it all in 1982 with Ozzie Smith making magic at shortstop, then won two more titles during the Albert Pujols era (2006 and 2011). They lost their most recent Series appearance in 2013 and haven’t been back since.

Boston Red Sox (9)

The Red Sox won all of their titles during two dynasties spaced 100 years apart.

Before the Yankees, the Red Sox were MLB’s first dynasty. They won the first World Series ever played in 1903, then reeled off four more championships from 1912 to 1918.

They then went 86 years without a title, enduring countless heartbreaking losses along the way, including four Game 7 defeats in the Fall Classic. They also paved the way for the Yankees’ dynasty, selling Babe Ruth and most of their top players to New York after 1918.

The Red Sox finally enjoyed a resurgence in the 2000s, winning four championships from 2004 to 2018 and finally vanquishing the Yankees. They’ve been exceptional in World Series play this century, going 16-3 and winning all four of their appearances.

Oakland Athletics (9)

The A’s have interspersed several dynasties between long stretches of mediocrity.

Their first five titles came when they were in Philadelphia under Hall of Fame manager and owner Connie Mack. The A’s won three championships in four years from 1910 to 1913 before selling off their stars, many to the Red Sox.

The A’s followed a similar trend two decades later, winning back-to-back titles in 1929 and 1930 and reaching the World Series again in 1931. Mack was forced to sell off his stars during the Great Depression, however, again to the Red Sox.

After relocating to Kansas City and then to Oakland, the A’s enjoyed a renaissance on the West Coast. Led by colorful players such as Reggie Jackson, Catfish Hunter and Rollie Fingers, they won three straight championships from 1972 to 1974.

Buoyed by the Bash Brothers of Mark McGwire and Jose Canseco, the A’s won three consecutive pennants from 1988 to 1990, winning it all in 1989. Despite the success of Billy Beane’s famous Moneyball strategies in the 2000s and 2010s, the A’s haven’t been back to the World Series since 1990 and moved away from Oakland following the 2024 season.

San Francisco Giants (8)

Similar to the A’s, the Giants have had their share of success on both coasts.

Under Hall of Fame manager John McGraw, the New York Giants were the class of the National League during the first half of the 20th century. They won the second World Series ever played in 1905 and took back-to-back Fall Classics against Ruth’s Yankees in 1921 and 1922 before finally losing to them in 1923.

Anchored by Mel Ott and Carl Hubbell, the Giants won another championship in 1933. Their last title in New York came in 1954 when Willie Mays made his famous catch against the Cleveland Indians.

The Giants moved to San Francisco in 1958 but didn’t win their first championship on the West Coast until 2010. That kicked off a run of three titles in five years under manager Bruce Bochy, who later helmed the Rangers to their first championship in 2023.

Los Angeles Dodgers (7)

The Dodgers’ history is full of near-misses on both coasts. Despite racking up 22 pennants, they’ve only won seven championships.

The Dodgers were famously snakebitten during their days in Brooklyn, losing their first seven World Series appearances before finally breaking through in 1955. The tides turned for them after they moved out west, as they won their first three Fall Classics in LA from 1959 to 1965 behind the pitching prowess of Sandy Koufax and Don Drysdale.

The Dodgers then lost their next four World Series appearances before reaching the top of the mountain in 1981. They won again in 1988 thanks to Kirk Gibson’s heroics, but didn’t return to the Fall Classic for nearly 30 years.

After losing back-to-back World Series in 2017 and 2018, the Dodgers won it all during the Covid-shortened 2020 season. With a new core led by Shohei Ohtani, Mookie Betts and Freddie Freeman, they’re only four wins away from another title in 2024.

Pittsburgh Pirates (5)

The Pirates have only been to seven World Series throughout their illustrious history, but they’ve made them count.

After losing the first World Series in 1903, Honus Wagner & Co. bounced back to beat Ty Cobb’s Tigers in 1909.

The Pirates won their second championship in 1925, outlasting Walter Johnson and the Washington Senators in seven games.

The Bucs were swept by the Murderer’s Row Yankees in 1927, but got their revenge in 1960, beating them in a dramatic Game 7 on Bill Mazeroski’s walk-off homer.

The Pirates’ last two championships both required seven games as well, with Pittsburgh beating the Orioles in both 1971 and 1979. They haven’t been back to the World Series since and have only made six playoff appearances during that time.

Cincinnati Reds (5)

As the first professional baseball team, you’d think the Reds would have a little more hardware to show for it.

Even so, they still managed to scatter five rings across the 20th century.

Their first was controversial, as they beat the Chicago “Black Sox” in 1919 as part of one of the most infamous gambling scandals in sports history.

Their second title came honestly in 1940 over the Tigers. The Big Red Machine dynasty of the 1970s won back-to-back championships in 1975 and 1976 after coming up short in the 1970 and 1972 Fall Classics.

The Reds’ last title came in 1990 as an upset over the A’s. They haven’t come close to reaching the World Series since then, however, getting swept in their lone NLCS appearance in 1995.

Atlanta Braves (4)

This number feels light for the Braves, who only got one championship out of their remarkable 15-year run from 1991 to 2005. They lost four World Series during that span, with their lone win coming in 1995.

The Braves’ first title came all the way back in 1914 when they played in Boston. Known as the “Miracle Braves,” they were in last place deep into July before getting absurdly hot down the stretch and sweeping the A’s in the Fall Classic.

The Braves’ second championship came in 1957 after the team had moved to Milwaukee. Hall of Famers Henry Aaron, Eddie Mathews and Warren Spahn led them past the Yankees in a hard-fought seven-game series.

After moving again (to Atlanta) and winning their third title in 1995, the Braves won again in 2021, taking down the Houston Astros in six games.

Detroit Tigers (4)

The Tigers have sprinkled their four championships across four different decades.

Their first came in 1935 after they lost the previous year’s Fall Classic in seven games. Their second was in 1945 right after the end of World War II, while many players were still in the service.

After losing the pennant to the Red Sox on the season’s final day in 1967, the Tigers went all the way in 1968, beating Cardinals ace Bob Gibson in Game 7.

Their most recent championship came in 1984 under Hall of Fame manager Sparky Anderson. They’ve lost both of their World Series appearances since then in 2006 and 2012.