With the 2025 World Series beginning this weekend, here’s a look at the best of the last 25 Fall Classics.
Part 1 and Part 2 of these rankings can be found here.
With fans set for the 2025 World Series, here is the third and final installment of my rankings of every Fall Classic of the 21st century so far, ordering from worst-to-best, or least-to-most exciting, if you’d rather.
Below is a look at my personal top 10 since the dawn of the new millennium, featuring the best of the six-game series’ along with every seven-game series since 2000 so far:
10. 2013 World Series: Boston Red Sox over St. Louis Cardinals, 4-2
A rematch of the 2004 meeting that saw Boston break its 86-year championship drought, this series pitted the two best teams in baseball all year long against each other, with both clubs earning an MLB-best 97 wins during the regular season.
Boston was granted home-field advantage by way of the American League winning the 2013 All-Star Game and definitively defended Fenway Park in Game 1 with an 8-1 victory. Boston pounded St. Louis ace Adam Wainwright and tacked on insurance runs against a solid St. Louis bullpen while a five-run outburst in the first two innings put the Red Sox on cruise control for a win.
The Cardinals nabbed home-field advantage right back with a Game 2 victory, as a Cardinals seventh-inning rally off John Lackey and Craig Breslow erased a go-ahead two-run blast from David Ortiz the prior inning to give St. Louis a 4-2 lead they wouldn’t relinquish.
The series took on a noticeable flair for the dramatic as it moved to St. Louis, with an unforgettable play finishing Game 3 with a Cardinals victory. After RBIs from Daniel Nava and Xander Bogaerts tied the game at 4 in the eighth inning, a Yadier Molina single and Allen Craig double with one out in the ninth inning put runners on second and third, endangering Koji Uehara and the Red Sox.
Enter one of the most bizarre plays in World Series history:
What initially looked to be an inning-ending double play was ruled a walk-off win for the Cardinals after home plate umpire Dana DeMuth reflected third base umpire Jim Joyce’s ruling that Boston third baseman Will Middlebrooks interfered on the play.
With St. Louis now ahead 2-1 in the series, the teams were locked in a pitcher’s duel involving Clay Buchholz and the Red Sox bullpen against Lance Lynn, with the score knotted at 1 in the sixth inning. After two quick outs, Boston put two runners on for Jonny Gomes, who destroyed an offering from Seth Maness to give the Red Sox a 4-1 lead in the game in a moment that ultimately served as the sole turning point of the series.
Boston held on to win 4-2, finishing off the win with a Koji Uehara pickoff of rookie Kolten Wong to even up the series at two games apiece.
Game 5 was yet another pitcher’s duel, with Jon Lester and Adam Wainwright matching each other until David Ross and Jacoby Ellsbury broke through for the Red Sox in the seventh inning, giving Boston a 3-1 lead they held on to, securing a 3-2 series lead with both teams headed back to Boston.
Game 6 proved to be a wire-to-wire win for the Red Sox, relying on six runs in the third and fourth innings along with stellar work from John Lackey to defeat the Cardinals 6-1, securing their third championship of the 21st century.
9. 2003 World Series: Florida Marlins over New York Yankees 4-2
Though this series followed true heartbreak as a Cubs fan after the North Siders collapsed in the NLCS, the Marlins delivered on a major upset in a fantastic World Series.
The Marlins made an early statement over the heavily favored Yankees in Game 1, as Florida never trailed behind outstanding pitching from Brad Penny and Dontrelle Willis en route to a 3-2 win in the Bronx to open up the series.
New York answered back with a remarkably complete performance in Game 2, with home runs from Hideki Matsui and Alfonso Soriano powering one of the finest outings of Andy Pettitte’s storied career in a 6-1 victory that evened up the series as it shifted to Miami Gardens for the next three games.
Game 3 saw a pitcher’s duel emerge between Mike Mussina and Josh Beckett, with New York eventually breaking a 1-1 tie in the eighth inning with an RBI single from Hideki Matsui. The Yanks added on four more runs in the ninth thanks to home runs from Aaron Boone and Bernie Williams, securing a 6-1 victory that gave New York a 2-1 lead in the series.
The following game featured the turning point of the series as Roger Clemens and Carl Pavano battled in Game 4. While a two-run shot from rookie Miguel Cabrera and an RBI knock from Derrek Lee seemingly gave Florida all the offense they would need, a two-out, two-strike, two-run RBI triple from Ruben Sierra in the top of the ninth inning knotted the score at 3.
In extra innings, Braden Looper miraculously escaped a bases-loaded, one-out jam in the top of the eleventh inning, effectively swinging momentum back into Florida’s favor. Just an inning later, unlikely hero Álex González took Jeff Weaver deep for a walk-off home run that tied the series for Florida while dealing an absolute heartbreaker to the Yankees.
After a first-inning run off Brad Penny in Game 5, the Florida offense quickly found their rhythm in the ensuing innings and built a comfortable 6-1 lead. The Fish then weathered a pair of late Yankees rallies that included having the tying run at the plate twice in the ninth inning, holding on to take a 3-2 series lead with a 6-4 victory as the series shifted back to the Bronx.
In Game 6, a 23-year-old Josh Beckett put on one of the most incredible pitching performances in postseason history, twirling a complete game shutout against a loaded Yankees offense on three days rest to secure the Marlins’ second World Series championship in franchise history.
What many expected to be a snoozer turned into an incredible series, showcasing an all-time pitching performance and a walk-off homer that served as one of the Fall Classic’s greatest momentum shifters.
8. 2022 World Series: Houston Astros over Philadelphia Phillies 4-2
The best of the six-game Fall Classics, this series featured a plethora of twists and turns, one of the most amazing defensive plays in postseason history and, oh yeah, a fucking no-hitter.
The series began in Houston with an instant classic in Game 1, which saw a five-run outburst from the Astros in the second and third innings immediately matched by the Phillies in the fourth and fifth innings, tying the game at 5 apiece where the score would remain for the rest of regulation. After a diving catch by Nick Castellanos sent the game into extras, a leadoff home run from J.T. Realmuto gave the Phillies a 6-5 lead they held on to, weathering a 10th-inning rally to finish off the series-opening win.
Framber Valdez led the Astros to a wire-to-wire 5-2 victory in Game 2 to tie the series, though the Phillies answered back aggressively in Philadelphia in Game 3 as five different players launched home runs en route to a 7-0 win.
With the Phillies leading the series 2-1, the Astros rallied back with a historic counterpunch – a combined no-hitter from the pitching staff in a 5-0 Game 4 victory. While Cristian Javier handled the first six innings, Bryan Abreu, Rafael Montero and Ryan Pressly finished the job to tie the series in unprecedented fashion.
That momentum carried over to a pivotal Game 5, with Justin Verlander and the Astros’ bullpen offering steady support behind an Astros team that never trailed throughout the game. Leading 3-2 in the ninth inning, what looked to be a possible triple from J.T. Realmuto was robbed by Chas McCormick in center field, fanning the flames of hope among fans at Citizens Bank Park as the Astros closed out the win.
With the series back in Houston and the Astros up 3-2, Houston made good on their first of two possible chances to finish off a championship. After Phillies slugger Kyle Schwarber broke a tie with a solo shot in the sixth inning, a three-run blast to dead center from Yordan Alvarez erased the previous home run and some, giving the Astros a 3-1 lead they would add on to later in the inning for a three-run advantage. It was ultimately Pressly to shut the door on Philadelphia in the ninth inning, closing out a 4-1 Game 6 win and a 4-2 series victory in the Astros’ second title in six years.
7. 2019 World Series: Washington Nationals over Houston Astros 4-3
It’s particularly tough to rank the seven-game series’, as it implies that one of them was the “worst,” which feels just wrong to say about this incredible Fall Classic from 2019.
The first best-of-seven series in MLB postseason history where the road team won all seven games, this series felt truly unpredictable every step of the way. It began with a Game 1 Washington win over Gerrit Cole and the Astros, with Washington battling past an early deficit and eventually getting to Cole in the middle innings in a 5-4 series-opening win in Houston.
While Game 2 saw the teams locked in a 2-2 tie most of the way through, an offensive explosion from Washington against the Houston bullpen saw the contest swell into a 12-3 blowout for the Nationals, giving them a 2-0 series lead with the series going to the nation’s capital.
The next three games in Washington, D.C. saw three decisive wins from the Astros – a 4-1 Game 3 win behind Zack Greinke and the bullpen, an 8-1 Game 4 win punctuated by an Alex Bregman grand slam and a 7-1 Game 5 victory that saw Houston tag starter Joe Ross for four earned runs while Gerrit Cole shut down Washington.
The Nationals responded well while facing elimination in Game 6, weathering an early 2-1 deficit to eventually win 7-2 as the game featured a memorable celebration face-off between Bregman and a freshly 21-years-old Juan Soto as well as a stellar outing from Stephen Strasburg.
Despite not having too many close games up until that point, Game 7 served as an incredible conclusion to the series. The Astros took a 1-0 lead in the second inning of the winner-take-all contest and added on another run in the fifth, remaining firmly in control for the first two-thirds of the game.
With Houston starter Zack Greinke still on the mound to start the seventh inning, a misplaced 1-0 offering to Anthony Rendon with one out saw the Nationals instantly cut the lead in half. After walking Juan Soto and getting replaced by Will Harris on the mound, it was already established postseason hero Howie Kendrick at the plate, who ripped a blistering line drive the other way that nabbed the foul pole, suddenly giving Washington a 3-2 lead. The Nationals would tack on three more runs in the following innings before closer Daniel Hudson shut the door on the Astros to clinch Washington’s first-ever World Series title.
If this list was solely ranking Game 7s, this series would be a little bit higher – but it’s damn near impossible to say a seven-game World Series wasn’t a classic.
6. 2014 World Series: San Francisco Giants over Kansas City Royals 4-3
One of the toughest series’ to rank on this list, I initially had this matchup a bit higher on my rankings before realizing I was perhaps skewing it heavily towards Game 7, which this series gave fans an all-timer with.
With that said, this series was still a back-and-forth bout between baseball’s two grittiest teams of the season, with San Francisco landing the first blow. Postseason legend Madison Bumgarner was in control throughout all of Game 1 in Kansas City while three first-inning runs for the Giants were more than enough in a 7-1 series-opening win.
Despite looking outmatched in Game 1, Kansas City bounced back from an early 1-0 deficit in Game 2 to tag Giants starter Jake Peavy for four earned runs in five innings, with a five-run outburst in the sixth inning leading the way to a 7-2 Royals win, tying the series as it shifted to the Bay Area.
Kansas City kept up the pressure in Game 3, staying in control throughout the entire game while the Royals bullpen offered four no-hit innings in what was ultimately a 3-2 victory, giving Kansas City a 2-1 advantage in the series.
Game 4 saw the Giants’ bats break out, working past an early 4-1 deficit and taking the lead in the middle innings after getting to Royals starter Jason Vargas. From there, the Giants hit the Royals’ lower-leverage relievers hard, ending the game with 16 hits in what was an 11-4 win that evened up the series at two games apiece.
The Royals were doomed from the start in Game 5, which saw Madison Bumgarner toss what looked to be an effortless complete game shutout, yielding just four hits with no walks and eight strikeouts in a 5-0 San Francisco victory, further cementing Bumgarner’s status as a playoff great.
Facing elimination as the series moved back to Kauffman Stadium, the Royals channeled some of their Game 2 energy in Game 6, pounding Jake Peavy and the Giants’ bullpen often and early en route to a 10-0 win, with seven of the 10 runs coming in the second inning.
The blowout win set up one of the greatest Game 7s in recent memory, pitting Tim Hudson against Jeremy Guthrie with both teams’ full pitching staffs at their disposal. The game got off to a loud start, with second-inning RBIs from Mike Morse and Brandon Crawford immediately answered in the bottom half of the frame by an Alex Gordon RBI double and Omar Infante sac fly, tying the game at 2 apiece as the Giants replaced Hudson with Jeremy Affeldt on the mound.
After Giants second baseman Joe Panik helped turn an incredible double play in the third inning, Mike Morse broke through against star reliever Kelvin Herrera with runners at the corners and one out in the fourth, smacking an RBI single that gave the Giants a 3-2 lead, turning out to be all they needed.
The Royals squandered another leadoff runner in the fourth inning before being confronted with one of the postseason’s all-time unstoppable forces – Madison Bumgarner. After allowing a leadoff single to Omar Infante in the fifth inning, Bumgarner retired 14 Royals in a row, leading up to the bottom of the ninth inning with two outs. Facing Alex Gordon with a chance to close out the game and series, the Royals icon knocked a base hit into left field that got past Juan Pérez, with a further misplay from center fielder Grégor Blanco allowing Gordon to advance all the way to third base.
Suddenly, the Royals were simultaneously one swing away from both winning and losing the World Series with catcher Salvador Perez up at the plate. Unfazed by the severity of the moment and the stakes of the situation, Bumgarner induced a foul popout from Perez, finishing out a 3-2 win and penning the final chapter in what was perhaps the most dominant postseason from a pitcher in MLB history.
It took both of these teams winning a do-or-die Wild Card Game to even make it to the first full round of the postseason – and they went to the final moment of Game 7 of the World Series. As a college freshman during the time of this series, the 2014 Fall Classic made me fall in love with baseball even more.
5. 2002 World Series: Anaheim Angels over San Francisco Giants 4-3
An all-California heavyweight battle that featured arguably the game’s greatest hitter of all-time at his peak, it was hard to manufacture a more thrilling Fall Classic than this.
The series began with a hard-nosed battle between starters Jason Schmidt and Jarrod Washburn in Anaheim, with the Giants taking control early and never trailing in a close, low-scoring game. Home runs from Barry Bonds, Reggie Sanders and J.T. Snow offset a two-homer outing from Troy Glaus as the Giants ultimately won 4-3.
Game 2 turned out to be a legendary slugfest that could certainly merit its own 2,000-word writeup – a 5-0 first-inning lead for the Angels was immediately answered back with a four-run second inning for the Giants, kicking off a slugfest that led up to a 9-9 tie in the eighth inning. With two outs and a runner on first base, Mr. Angel Tim Salmon hit a two-run blast off of Félix Rodríguez to give Anaheim an 11-9 lead. The insurance run was deemed necessary, as Barry Bonds launched a ball into orbit in the ninth inning for a solo blast before Troy Percival closed out an 11-10 Game 2 win.
Anaheim’s offense didn’t let up in the slightest as the series moved to NorCal, scoring eight runs between the third and fourth innings off of Liván Hernández, Jay Witasick and Aaron Fultz en route to a 10-4 Game 3 win, giving the Angels a 2-1 series lead. The Giants then answered in a thriller of a Game 4, erasing a 3-0 deficit in the middle innings before pushing ahead the winning tally in the eighth inning on an RBI single from veteran David Bell, setting up Robb Nen to finish off a 4-3 win, evening up the series.
San Francisco then put themselves one win away from the World Series with an unprecedented offensive outburst in Game 5, scoring 16 runs on 16 hits while the Giants bullpen mostly cruised to a 16-4 win as the series moved back to Anaheim.
Though the Giants eventually avenged the heartbreak they would feel in Game 6 during the 2010’s, San Francisco’s Game 6 collapse while on the cusp of a title undoubtedly still hurts to legions of Bay Area fans, who watched a 5-0 lead in the seventh inning vanish in seemingly the blink of an eye. Scott Spiezio injected life into Angel Stadium with a three-run shot in the seventh that brought the Angels back within two, before a Darin Erstad solo shot and two-run double from Troy Glaus the following frame put the Angels ahead 6-5. Troy Percival went on to retire the Giants in order in the ninth, capping off a historic comeback while setting the stage for a do-or-die Game 7.
Both momentum and heartbreak appeared to carry over to the following night, which saw Anaheim quickly erase an early 1-0 lead, scoring four runs between the second and third innings before hitting cruise control the rest of the way. Rookie John Lackey outdueled Liván Hernández before Anaheim’s bullpen held on for a 4-1 win, completing the 3-2 series comeback and clinching the first and only World Series title in Angels franchise history.
4. 2017 World Series: Houston Astros over Los Angeles Dodgers 4-3
Setting aside the Astros’ sign-stealing scandal that has since plagued the legacy of this team, the excitement of this series should not be forgotten about or overlooked because of that.
While no series could replicate the stakes of the previous year’s Fall Classic, 2017 didn’t do too bad for itself. The Dodgers had been ringless since 1988, which was their last World Series appearance at this point, while the Astros were still searching for their first-ever championship.
Clayton Kershaw appeared to exorcise some playoff demons in a 3-1 Dodgers win to give Los Angeles a 1-0 series lead before a Game 2 that’s perhaps one of the sport’s all-time overlooked classic games.
Game 5 of this series is universally regarded as one of the greatest games ever played, an opinion I share – though I think the greatness of Game 5 greatly overshadowed how exciting Game 2 was, a seemingly run-of-the-mill contest that turned frenetic in the late moments. While L.A. appeared on their way to another 3-1 win, an eighth-inning RBI single from Carlos Correa put the Astros within one before Marwin González took Kenley Jansen in the ninth to tie the game at 3 apiece.
Houston looked to be jumping to a 10th-inning win after Jose Altuve and Correa led off the inning with back-to-back home runs, but a Yasiel Puig leadoff home run and ensuing two-out rally from the Dodgers in the bottom half of the frame tied the game back up at 5, forcing an 11th inning. A two-run shot from George Springer once again gave Houston a two-run lead, with righty Chris Devenski weathering a solo shot from Charlie Culberson in the bottom half of the inning to hold on for a 7-6 win.
Houston cruised back at home for Game 3 behind Lance McCullers Jr. and Brad Peacock as a four-run second inning led the way to a 5-3 victory, putting the Astros up 2-1 in the series. The Dodgers promptly answered back in a Game 4 thriller, turning a 1-1 pitcher’s duel upside down with a five-run ninth-inning outburst, ultimately winning 6-2.
I’m not going to take up too much space chronicling Game 5, which had more turning points and momentum changes than several series’ on this list – but there’s no doubting that it was one of the sport’s greatest games ever played. A constant back-and-forth battle that saw both teams blow three-run leads with a combined seven home runs and 28 hits, it was ultimately Alex Bregman that saved the day for Houston with a walk-off RBI single in the 10th inning that gave the Astros a 13-12 win. The highlights will do much more justice than anything I could say:
Houston came up short on their first chance to clinch at Dodger Stadium, with Rich Hill outdueling Justin Verlander as three late runs from Los Angeles gave the Dodgers a series-tying 3-1 win in Game 6.
Game 7 served as a relatively anticlimactic finish to this incredible Fall Classic, with Houston scoring five runs in the first two innings and never looking back en route to a dominant 5-1 victory, with four innings of relief from Charlie Morton providing the bulk of the support on the mound.
The win marked the first World Series title for the Astros in their second-ever appearance, previously getting swept by the Chicago White Sox in 2005 while still members of the National League.
3. 2011 World Series: St. Louis Cardinals over Texas Rangers 4-3
A phenomenal finish to a phenomenal postseason, the Cardinals-Rangers matchup lived up to every bit of drama entering the series.
The Cardinals needed a feverish September rally to even make the postseason, while the Rangers managed to make it all the way back to the Fall Classic after getting stymied by the Giants in the previous year’s World Series.
The series began with a classic pitcher’s duel as Chris Carpenter outpitched C.J. Wilson in a hard-fought 3-2 Game 1 win for the Cardinals in St. Louis, with an Allen Craig RBI single in the sixth inning proving to be the game-winner.
The Rangers answered back with a heartbreaker in Game 2, which was a scoreless tie most of the way thanks to outstanding performances from Colby Lewis and Jaime García. Yet another Allen Craig RBI single gave the Cardinals the lead in the seventh inning, seemingly setting them up for a Game 2 win and 2-0 series lead until Texas rallied against Jason Motte in the ninth inning.
After two singles and a stolen base to start the frame, sacrifice flies from Josh Hamilton and Michael Young put the Rangers on top 2-1, with Neftalí Feliz pitching around a leadoff walk to close out the Game 2 win, sending the series to Texas tied up at 1 apiece.
Game 3 was a slugfest turned St. Louis blowout, as all-time great Albert Pujols finished the contest with three consecutive home runs en route to a decisive 16-7 victory on the road, putting the Cardinals up 2-1 in the series. The Rangers punched back with arguably their best pitching performance in franchise history in Game 4, as lefty Derek Holland twirled 8.1 innings of two-hit shutout ball with just two walks and seven strikeouts to lead Texas to a 4-0 win.
Texas kept up the heat for their final home game of the season in Game 5, overcoming an early 2-0 deficit to tie the game in the sixth inning on a solo shot from Adrian Beltré. With the score still knotted at 2 in the eighth inning, a two-run double from Mike Napoli gave the Rangers a 4-2 lead they wouldn’t relinquish, securing their second win of the series in their final at-bat.
The series then moved back to St. Louis for Game 6 with Texas up 3-2, setting the stage for one of the sport’s greatest games ever played.
Similar to Game 5 of the 2017 World Series, no words I write can do this masterpiece justice. A back-and-forth duel that saw seemingly constant lead changes, the Rangers were a single strike away from winning the World Series – twice. It didn’t happen. Some things you simply need to see to believe – enter David Freese:
A St. Louis-area native, it was Freese who both tied the game with a two-out triple in the ninth inning as the Cardinals were down to their final strike and won the game with a walk-off shot in the 11th inning, forcing a Game 7 and snatching victory from the jaws of defeat.
It’s impossible to see how Texas couldn’t be totally drained after that loss, and St. Louis was able to prove it the following evening. Immediately brushing off a 2-0 first-inning deficit with two runs in the bottom half of the frame to tie it, the Redbirds cruised from that point on. St. Louis tagged Texas starter Matt Harrison for three runs, adding two more on Scott Feldman before riding the rest of the way to a 6-2 victory.
This series gave a baseball fan everything there possibly is to handle – an all-time thriller, a shutout pitching performance, a historic offensive outburst from an all-time great and multiple last at-bat wins. The fact that there are two series’ I deem to be better speaks to how spoiled baseball fans have been with riveting action this century.
2. 2001 World Series: Arizona Diamondbacks over New York Yankees 4-3
I really struggled with what series to rank first, and maybe my bias as a Cubs fan has a lot to do with it – but I will say that if we’re considering the series alone and not the circumstances that could never be replicated in pro sports, this series probably gets the edge.
Don’t get me wrong, this series wasn’t short on unique circumstances either. Played less than two months after the September 11 attacks, New York and the rest of the country was reeling from an unprecedented disruption and change to how just about everything in the world operates. Beyond the stark magnitude of what was going on in the world outside of baseball, there was also plenty to look at on the diamond. The Yankees aiming for their fourth-straight championship and fifth in the last six years against an Arizona team in just its fourth season of existence.
The series opened in Phoenix, with Arizona’s dominant two-headed monster of Curt Schilling and Randy Johnson dominating from the start. Home runs from Craig Counsell and Luis Gonzalez helped cushion Schilling on his way to seven innings of one-run ball as Arizona opened the Fall Classic with a 9-1 win.
It was the Big Unit’s turn in Game 2, and the Yankees had even fewer answers. Managing just three hits and one walk, Randy Johnson struck out 11 New York hitters en route to a 111-pitch complete game shutout as a three-run shot from Matt Williams provided most of the Arizona offense in a 4-0 Diamondbacks win.
Game 3 saw Roger Clemens put on a show against the Arizona offense, outdueling lefty Brian Anderson as a sixth-inning RBI single from Scott Brosius proved to be the game-winner in a 2-1 Yankees victory. Arizona appeared poised to answer back with a victory in Game 4, breaking a late 1-1 tie with two runs in the eighth inning thanks to RBIs from Erubiel Durazo and Matt Williams. After recording two outs and allowing a single to Paul O’Neill, Arizona closer Byung-Hyun Kim surrendered a game-tying home run to Tino Martinez, sending the game into extra innings. Just a frame later, Derek Jeter took Kim deep to win the game, establishing his long-held nickname of “Mr. November” as the home run happened just after midnight during the Oct. 31 game.
Game 5 gave Arizona fans a true case of Deja Vu in all of the worst ways. After home runs from Steve Finley and Rod Barajas gave the D-Backs a 2-0 lead in the fifth inning, stellar pitching from Miguel Batista and Greg Swindell protected the lead into the ninth inning, with Byung-Hyun Kim once again given a chance to close out the third Arizona win of the series. After allowing a leadoff double to Jorge Posada, Kim quickly retired the next two hitters before once again allowing a game-tying two-run shot, this time to former World Series MVP Scott Brosius.
Mariano Rivera and Sterling Hitchcock shut down the Snakes in extra innings, with New York finally breaking through on a game-winning single from Alfonso Soriano in the 12th inning, giving the Yankees a 3-2 series lead with the series heading back to the desert.
Arizona quickly erased any ideas of clinching in Game 6, scoring 15 runs in the first four innings en route to a triumphant 15-2 victory as Randy Johnson offered seven innings of two-run ball to keep the Diamondbacks’ season alive.
The blowout set the stage for one of the greatest baseball games played of all-time, a common theme with games from the top entries on this list. As a five-year-old at the time of this series, it was the insane back-and-forth, star-studded nature of this Fall Classic that solidified my lifelong passion and love for baseball.
The winner-take-all game was a heavyweight battle between Roger Clemens and Curt Schilling, with the two pitchers exchanging scoreless frames until a Danny Bautista RBI double in the sixth inning put Arizona on top first with a 1-0 lead. This was immediately answered with a New York rally the following inning, with Tino Martinez driving home the equalizer on a single. Just an inning later, Alfonso Soriano led off the frame with a majestic solo shot off of Curt Schilling, giving the Yankees a 2-1 lead in what appeared to be a potential series-clinching home run.
In desperation mode, Arizona manager Bob Brenly replaced Schilling with Miguel Batista for one out before bringing in Game 6 starter Randy Johnson, who finished off the eighth before tossing a 1-2-3 ninth inning, giving Arizona a chance down one against the sport’s greatest closer of all-time in Mariano Rivera.
Once again, disregard my words. Nothing I could say could do these moments justice –
After getting the first two men on, it was a Tony Womack RBI double and Luis Gonzalez walk-off single that capped off the improbable, getting to Rivera to close out a 3-2 Game 7 win and their first World Series title in just their fourth season of play.
From some of the best pitching you will ever see in October to two unreal late comebacks and wins from the Yankees to one of the sport’s most recognizable walk-offs of all-time, this series was truly baseball at its best.
1. 2016 World Series: Chicago Cubs over Cleveland Indians 4-3
I mean, come on. Was there really any doubt?
The worst thing about this series is that there’s no way another championship matchup in a North American professional sport could ever be this intense with the stakes as high as they were here. It had been 108 years since the Cubs won it all and 71 years since the North Siders had even been to the Fall Classic. For Cleveland, they had been without a title for 68 years, the second-longest drought in baseball, while blowing a ninth-inning lead in Game 7 of their last trip to the World Series in 1997.
While the 103-win Cubs had been the best team in baseball all year, home-field advantage was granted to the then-Indians on virtue of the AL winning that year’s All-Star Game in the final season that the ASG winner determined home-field advantage for the World Series. This strangely enough seemed to have benefitted the Cubs, who were able to play slugger Kyle Schwarber as a designated hitter while returning from injury. Schwarber, who tore his ACL in a game in early April, was still unable to play the field.
While Schwarber tallied a double and a walk in Game 1, that benefit was not immediately apparent. Corey Kluber used two-first inning runs from Cleveland as ample cushion for an outstanding six-inning outing of shutout ball, outdueling playoff great Jon Lester while Andrew Miller and Cody Allen closed out a 6-0 Indians win in Game 1.
Chicago answered back emphatically in Game 2, getting their first runs on the board in a World Series since the Truman administration while a 2-for-4 effort from Schwarber and excellent performance from Jake Arrieta on the mound gave the Cubs a 5-1 win to tie the series as it moved back to Wrigley Field.
Despite the wind blowing out on a Friday night at Wrigley Field, the significance and magnitude of the game seemed to be felt by both sides as offensive opportunities were squandered until a Coco Crisp RBI single in the seventh inning broke a scoreless tie. Although the Cubs managed to put the winning run in scoring position for infielder Javier Báez with two outs in the ninth inning, Cody Allen blew a 2-2 high fastball by Báez to close out a 1-0 Game 3 victory.
Game 4 saw Kluber once again stymie the Cubs, this time on short rest as the Indians were able to tag John Lackey for three runs before breaking the game open late on a three-run bomb from Chicago-area native Jason Kipnis off of lefty Travis Wood. Cleveland ultimately held on for a 7-2 win, with Kluber and star reliever Andrew Miller handling eight of the nine innings as the Indians took a 3-1 series lead.
The final game at Wrigley Field featured Jon Lester against Trevor Bauer, with Cleveland jumping on top first with a solo shot from José Ramírez. Trailing 1-0 in the fourth inning, the Cubs finally broke out at Wrigley Field, getting a leadoff home run from Kris Bryant before adding on two more runs thanks to RBIs from Addison Russell and David Ross to take a 3-1 lead. While Cleveland got a run back in the sixth inning, Cubs manager Joe Maddon entrusted midseason acquisition and flamethrowing closer Aroldis Chapman with an eight-out save, which he miraculously delivered on. In 2.2 innings, Chapman threw 42 pitches, striking out four Cleveland hitters while allowing just one hit as the Cubs held on to win 3-2, forcing a Game 6 back in Cleveland.
Game 6 was taken out of doubt early on, with a three-run first inning from the Cubs followed up by an Addison Russell grand slam two innings later, giving Chicago a 7-0 lead that was more than enough for the rest of the way. Jake Arrieta picked up the win in 5.2 innings of work, while Chapman was controversially used despite holding a comfortable lead, with the lefty throwing 20 pitches and recording four outs. The Cubs ultimately won 9-3, setting the stage for the highest-stakes game in North American professional sports history.
Nov. 2, 2016 will forever be one of the most emotional days in my life, sending fans of both franchises on a whirlwind of feelings that seemingly nothing else could. Excitement, happiness, fear, anxiety, uncertainty, sadness and frustration all coursing through the veins of fans in Chicago and Cleveland, but probably everywhere else too.
Once again, I’m not going to ruin this with my words – this probably comes out on top of my list of the greatest games ever played, and I acknowledge my bias. But the five-and-a-half hour ride fans were taken on during that November night are impossible to verbalize.
There are so many things that stick out to me about this game, and all of them perhaps perfectly summarize why baseball is the greatest game there is.
- A leadoff home run from Dexter Fowler
- An incredible tag-up from third base to score on a fourth-inning sac fly from Kris Bryant
- Bryant once again showcasing excellent baserunning by scoring from first base on a fifth-inning Anthony Rizzo single
- Joe Maddon inexplicably replacing a cruising Kyle Hendricks after a missed third-strike call led to a walk
- Jon Lester being put into the game in a dirty inning after Maddon explicitly said that he wouldn’t be
- The Indians somehow scoring twice on a wild pitch thanks to the craziest bounce a ball has ever taken off of a catcher’s mask
- David Ross homering off of a prime Andrew Miller in the final game of his career
- Addison Russell bobbling an eighth-inning grounder that could have ended the inning unscathed
- Rajai Davis hitting a home run on a 98 mph fastball from Aroldis Chapman, serving as the conclusive evidence that Chapman’s arm was beyond gassed
- Javier Báez bunting with two strikes and the go-ahead runner on third base in the ninth inning
- Chapman somehow returning the mound in the ninth to retire the Indians in order, which included a Jason Kipnis foul ball that sounded like a home run off the bat but wasn’t anywhere close
- A 17-minute rain delay that included a famous Jason Heyward clubhouse speech
- Ben Zobrist smacking an iconic go-ahead double after Anthony Rizzo was intentionally walked
- Miguel Montero getting the base hit that technically won the World Series, making the only two hits he recorded during the 2016 postseason perhaps the two biggest hits from any Cub during that October (including his game-winning grand slam in Game 1 of the NLCS)
- The Indians rallying in the 10th inning after Carl Edwards Jr. recorded two quick outs, including another Rajai Davis RBI for good measure
- Michael Martínez, a career bench player who figured to be the perfect unlikely hero as the final hitter for the Indians
- Kris Bryant’s foot slipping on slick grass on his throw to first, perhaps one last gasp of air from The Curse of the Billy Goat as the Cubs closed out an 8-7 win, winning it all for the first time since 1908
This game and series was a taxing, emotional journey, unpredictable every step of the way while dangling the greatest possible triumph in all of pro sports in the balance. While we’d have to wait decades for a comparable matchup of two teams with generational droughts battling each other for the championship, fans of all teams and sports were at least gifted this – and it somehow exceeded any possible expectations.
For the countless fans who cheered on the Cubs through decades of lost summers at the Friendly Confines without ever seeing their Lovable Losers make it all the way, it finally happened – and it will forever be an indelible part of baseball and the city of Chicago.
Leave a Reply