Ranking World Series champs since 2000: 20-16
Not every World Series champion is created equally. While the marathon, 162-game schedule often gives a great idea as to which club is truly the best, the postseason is more of a crapshoot - all it takes is for a lesser team to get hot at the right time. With baseball on hiatus, theScore's editors broke down the last 20 years of champions and ranked them according to regular-season records, playoff dominance, and historical significance.
20. St. Louis Cardinals, 2006
Record: 83-78
World Series: 4-1 vs. DET
The 2006 Cardinals won fewer regular-season games than any other World Series champion this century.
On paper, St. Louis had no business winning it all. The club owned a disappointing rotation behind staff ace Chris Carpenter, who posted a 3.09 ERA on the season. Combined, St. Louis starters finished with a 4.79 ERA (20th in MLB).
On the other side of the ball, Pujols hit a career-high 49 home runs and posted a MLB-leading 1.102 OPS to effectively will the club to the playoffs; Scott Rolen rebounded from an injury-plagued 2005 to hit .296.
Ultimately, the 2006 squad defied the numbers and recorded some iconic moments along the way. After upsetting the Padres in four games, they took on the powerhouse Mets. In Game 7 of the NLCS, rookie right-hander Adam Wainwright was thrust into the closer's role and wound up facing Carlos Beltran with two outs and the bases loaded. He froze him on what later became his trademark curveball, vanquishing the prohibitive favorites from the postseason in what also happened to be the final playoff game at Shea Stadium.
In the World Series, the Cardinals shockingly faced little resistance over five games against a 95-win Tigers team that had looked unbeatable.
It was certainly a thrilling turn of events for a team declared DOA before the postseason even began, and they remain one of the most interesting championship teams based off how improbable their run truly was.
19. San Francisco Giants, 2014
Record: 88-74
World Series: 4-3 vs. KC
The third - and final - championship for the even-year Giants was the weakest of the trio. The club finished the regular season six games back of the NL West-winning Dodgers, but managed to come alive at the right time. San Francisco toppled the Pirates, Nationals, and Cardinals en route to the Fall Classic, where they prevailed in seven games against the Royals.
The Giants finished 17th in home runs, 12th in runs scored, 14th in OPS, 10th in ERA, and 20th in K/9. They were a mediocre offensive team with a decent pitching staff. By this point, Tim Lincecum was a shell of his former self and was relegated to bullpen duties by the end of August. He appeared in only one postseason game.
However, this was truly Madison Bumgarner's postseason. After dominating the Cardinals over two starts in the NLCS, the right-hander won both of his outings in the World Series - including a complete-game shutout in Game 5 - and closed out Game 7 with five scoreless frames to earn MVP honors.
18. New York Yankees, 2000
Record: 87-74
World Series: 4-1 vs. NYM
The Yankees were almost unbeatable in the late 90s and punctuated that dominant stretch with a third straight championship in 2000. The thing is, this was the most underwhelming roster of that dynasty; the only above average qualified hitters were Jorge Posada, Derek Jeter, and Bernie Williams. The club also relied on David Cone and his 6.91 ERA for 29 starts.
Perhaps they were exhausted from beating up on everyone over the past half decade. But, whatever it was, a bunch of events transpired in the Yankees' favor to ensure the three-peat.
First, with 87 wins, they were the only team in the postseason to not reach the 90-win plateau. In fact, 87 wins would have placed the team in third place in the AL Central, AL West, and NL East. Despite that fact, the Seattle Mariners had to face the top seed, finishing as the wild-card team even though they tied the Oakland A's for first in the division.
By the time the World Series rolled around, the NL wild-card New York Mets had vanquished the top seeds in the Senior Circuit, ensuring the Yankees only faced a pair of wild-card teams.
17. St. Louis Cardinals, 2011
Record: 90-72
World Series: 4-3 vs. TEX
A step up from the 2006 club, the 2011 Cardinals were nevertheless an underwhelming team entering October. In fact, if it wasn't for an 18-8 record in September pushing them one game ahead of the Atlanta Braves - who lost their last five games - on the final day of the season, the story would have turned out much differently.
The Cardinals were dealt a crushing blow in spring training when Wainwright underwent Tommy John surgery, which put the team's chances in immediate doubt.
Pujols - in his final Cardinals campaign - and Lance Berkman carried the load offensively in the regular season. A pitching staff cobbled together around Carpenter proved reliable as Jaime Garcia and Kyle Lohse put together surprisingly solid years in Wainwright's absence.
Carpenter outdueled Roy Halladay in the thrilling 1-0 Game 5 finale of the NLDS against Philadelphia to narrowly stave off elimination. The win was a shock to the baseball world, as the 102-win Phillies featured the best record and top pitching staff in the majors (3.02 ERA) and were heavily favored to go all the way.
But to remember 2011 is to remember David Freese. Game 6 of the World Series is one of the most exciting games in recent history, as Freese crushed a game-tying triple in the ninth and later walked it off with an 11th-inning home run. He earned series MVP honors for his heroics. To get to the Fall Classic, Freese was also named NLCS MVP after hitting .545 with three home runs, three doubles, and nine RBIs in six games against the Brewers.
The high points may rank among the best playoff moments in MLB history, but the 2011 Cardinals were hardly a powerhouse.
16. Kansas City Royals, 2015
Record: 95-67
World Series: 4-1 vs. NYM
After losing the 2014 World Series in seven games to the Giants, a determined Royals club stormed back the following season to post the best record in the American League en route to their first championship since 1985.
The Royals' combination of speed, defense, and a strong bullpen was the essence of the team's greatness. It helped them overcome an offense that didn't feature a single hitter with more than 22 homers in the regular season and a starting rotation that ranked near the bottom of the league in ERA, FIP, and WAR.
Kansas City's three strongest traits were on full display in the postseason, as it came from behind to defeat the Astros in the division series, overthrew the heavily favored Blue Jays in the ALCS, and made a mockery of the Mets in the World Series.
The Royals built on its 104 regular-season steals by swiping 14 more bags in the playoffs, six of which were courtesy of Lorenzo Cain.
Cain also anchored the Royals' defense along with Alex Gordon and 2015 Gold Glove winners Salvador Perez, Eric Hosmer, and Alcides Escobar.
The bullpen, which entered the postseason without star closer Greg Holland, was dominant thanks to Wade Davis and Kelvin Herrera. The pair struck out 40 and allowed just one earned run in the playoffs.