As a 120-year-old league, we’ve had plenty of time to see baseball teams rise and fall in their attempts to claim the coveted World Series.
However, even with such a massive sample size and considering MLB success beyond just a triumph in the Fall Classic, one team reigns supreme in almost every regard.
Prepare for a lot of pinstripes as we delve into the most successful teams in MLB history.
Which Team has the Most World Series Wins?
The New York Yankees have won the World Series the most times, and it’s not even close. Clocking in their last in 2009, the Yankees boast 27 wins in the World Series to date.
Dominant spells throughout the 1920s, late 1930s through to the mid-50s, and a resurgence towards the end of the millennium cemented an unassailable haul of baseball’s ultimate prize.
The World Series victories in 1996, 1998, 1999, and 2000 perfectly showcased the dominance of the New York club, especially as the dynastic run extended to the final stage in 2001 and 2003.
Next in line to the throne as the most successful MLB team is St. Louis. The Cardinals have won the World Series 11 times, pipping both the now-named Boston Red Sox and Oakland Athletics by two trophies.
This season doesn’t look to be as fruitful for any of the all-time World Series leaders, however. Out at .508 at the time of writing, the Yankees are at +10000 in the MLB odds to take the crown again.
In the AL East alone, the Yankees are looking up at the playoff-bound Toronto Blue Jays (+1800), Tampa Bay Rays (+850), and Baltimore Orioles (+1100). Both Oakland and St. Louis look to be out of the playoff picture, too.
Which Team has the Most World Series Appearances?
With 40 trips to the Big Show, the New York Yankees boast the most World Series appearances, sitting leagues clear of the Los Angeles Dodgers – including the team’s days in Brooklyn – at 21.
Impressively, the spells of Yankees dominance over the decades have invariably seen the team hit the highest level and then hold there for several seasons.
From 1949 to 1953, the New York Yankees not only made it to every single World Series, but they also won all five.
Just two years later, they were back again, narrowly missing out on the trophy to the Brooklyn Dodgers in Game 7.
Which Team has the Most MLB Postseason Appearances?
In total, the New York Yankees have marked up 58 MLB postseason appearances, making them the most successful baseball team in North America along this stat line.
It may have been quite some time since we last saw the Yankees lift the trophy, but the franchise has regularly been able to compete from one of the toughest divisions in the MLB.
Behind the Yankees are the Dodgers with 36 postseason showings, followed by the St. Louis Cardinals (32), Athletics (29), and Braves (28).
Given their woeful run of 11-12 in June, 10-15 record in July, and losing efforts to open August, it seems unlikely that the Yankees will be adding to their imperious tally of 58 postseason appearances.
Which Team has the Highest World Series Win Percentage?
Five teams have a perfect record when they make it to the World Series, but only two of them have upheld their 100 percent record in the Fall Classic on more than one showing.
This puts the Toronto Blue Jays and the Marlins as the teams with the highest World Series win percentages, toting two appearances and two triumphs. The Blue Jays even went back-to-back in 1992 and 1993.
It just so happens that, at the time of writing, both teams were sneaking into the playoffs again with the final Wild Card spots in their respective leagues.
At .550, the Toronto club is the preferred of the two to make it three from three in the World Series at +1800 via sport betting Canada odds. Miami is out at +7500 to take the crown while sitting at .521.
Which Team has the Highest MLB Postseason Series Win Percentage?
While the Yankees aren’t lurking far behind, and including some qualifiers would put them at the very top of this ranking of the most successful MLB teams, too. Still, here, the nod goes to the Miami Marlins.
The team once named to the state has gone to the playoffs three times, going all the way on two occasions to rock a perfect postseason winning percentage, but then bowed out in the NLDS round of 2020.
This leaves the Marlins franchise with a 7-1 series record in the MLB postseason and a win percentage of .875.
The Yankees have put up a mighty .640 win percentage despite going to the postseason more than any other team in the league. Overall, their postseason record stands at 55 series wins to 31 losses.
Evidently, the New York Yankees are the most successful team in MLB history, and it’d take a tremendous run over several years – or even decades – to unseat them from the top.
*Credit for all images in this article belongs to AP Photo*
