Winning isn't everything in sports, but it sure feels great when your team finishes the season with more silverware to brag about, especially in baseball. The pursuit of being MLB champions and the team with the most World Series titles isn't for anybody.
The New York Yankees have dominated the World Series through most of the history of this sport. Still, there are plenty of ballclubs that have entered the record books by challenging them and becoming multiple MLB Champions, especially over the past decade.
Given the nature of their dominance, it's normal for people to wonder what are the other teams with the most World Series titles in the history of baseball, and that's what we're going to talk about in the following paragraphs.
5. San Francisco Giants
World Series titles: 8 (1905, 1921, 1922, 1933, 1954, 2010, 2012, 2014)
World Series played: 20
Last played: 2014
Last won: 2014
The San Francisco Giants were one of the league's top-tier candidates during the '20s but they struggled to win at the ultimate stage for almost 6 decades. That's until Bruce Bochy came along to turn them around and lead them back to the top.
Under Bochy's command, the Giants won 3 World Series over a 5-year span and became the team to beat in the National League. Now, they'll likely go through a rebuild to contend again in the future.
4. Oakland Athletics
World Series titles: 9 (1910, 1911, 1913, 1929, 1930, 1972, 1973, 1974, 1989)
World Series played: 14
Last played: 1990
Last won: 1989
There was always something about the Oakland Athletics. Once they made it to the World Series, everybody knew they were going to get back right away. In fact, they won three titles in 4 years in the '10s and later won 3 straight titles in the early-'70s.
Sadly, the team hasn't been as good over the past couple of decades. Their ownership refuses to spend on the team's payroll or even infrastructure, and it seems like they're years away from being that baseball powerhouse again.
3. Boston Red Sox
World Series titles: 9 (1903, 1912, 1915, 1916, 1918, 2004, 2007, 2013, 2018)
World Series played: 13
Last played: 2018
Last won: 2018
The Boston Red Sox have always been contenders, especially over the past two decades, when they were the team to beat in the American League, even despite the presence of their diehard rivals New York Yankees.
The Red Sox had to endure tough times after their golden years in the '10s. It took them almost 30 years to win another American League pennant but they have now set the standard for a winning baseball team.
2. St. Louis Cardinals
World Series titles: 11 (1926, 1931, 1934, 1942, 1944, 1946, 1964, 1967, 1982, 2006, 2011)
World Series played: 19
Last played: 2013
Last won: 2011
The St. Louis Cardinals have always been a synonym for winning. The team has constantly been among the league's leaders and is a perennial candidate to make it back to the World Series.
They're the team with the highest odds to challenge the New York Yankees as the winningest team ever, although they still have a long way to go. They haven't made it to the big stage since 2013, though.
1. New York Yankees
World Series titles: 27 (1923, 1927, 1928, 1932, 1936, 1937, 1938, 1939, 1941, 1943, 1947, 1949, 1950, 1951, 1952, 1953, 1956, 1958, 1961, 1962, 1977, 1978, 1996, 1998, 1999, 2000, 2009)
World Series played: 40
Last played: 2009
Last won: 2009
The Evil Empire, The Bronx Bombers, The Pinstripers, The Bronx Zoo. Call them what you like, hate them if you want, and stop them if you can. That's the New York Yankees, the most polarizing team in baseball, the guys everybody loves to hate.
The New York Yankees set the standard for greatness in sports. They're the winningest team in baseball history and it's not even close. To put in context how incredibly dominant they've been, the 2010s were the only decade when they didn't win a World Series title. Let that sink in.
