What if Barry Bonds’ sole trip to the World Series ended in victory? What if the 2004 Cardinals were able to extend the curse of the Bambino?
There are so many incredible MLB teams of the last 25 years than just those that ended up crowned as World Series champions.
[25 World Series Champs Since 2000, Ranked: The Full List]
Don’t get us wrong. Ranking the champions of the 21st century is great, but let’s look at the 10 best teams since 2000 that have lost the World Series.
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1. 2019 Houston Astros
Regular Season: 107–55 (1st in AL West)
ALDS: Defeated Rays, 3–2
ALCS: Defeated Yankees, 4–3
World Series: Lost to Nationals, 3–4
The 2019 Astros outscored their regular season opponents by 280 runs, more than any World Series winner between 2000 and 2024 managed — just one of those clubs, the 2016 Cubs, even made it over 250. Their offense alone produced more wins above replacement (45) than 10 of the World Series champions from this century, and that’s without counting the COVID-impacted 2020 season. Plus, their rotation eventually included Justin Verlander, Gerrit Cole and Zack Greinke. This team — arguably the best one from an Astros’ dynasty that included two championships — would lose a seven-game World Series to the wild-card Nationals.
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2. 2004 St. Louis Cardinals
Regular Season: 105–57 (1st in NL Central)
NLDS: Defeated Dodgers, 3–1
NLCS: Defeated Astros, 4–3
World Series: Lost to Red Sox, 0–4
The 2004 Cardinals, winners of 105 games, featured peak Albert Pujols, future Hall of Famers in Scott Rolen and Larry Walker, a 34-year-old Jim Edmonds who was still nearly as good overall as Pujols, a deep rotation and even deeper bullpen, three top-5 MVP candidates and three Gold Glove winners. They were swept out of the World Series by the 2004 Red Sox, who played as though they were never going to lose another game after coming back from down 3-0 against the Yankees in the ALCS.
(Photo by Kevin Sullivan/Digital First Media/Orange County Register via Getty Images)
3. 2017 Los Angeles Dodgers
Regular Season: 104–58 (1st in NL West)
NLDS: Defeated Diamondbacks, 3–1
NLCS: Defeated Cubs, 4–1
World Series: Lost to Astros, 3–4
The Dodgers are in a funny spot in all of these rankings, as their more impressive World Series championship came in the shortened 2020 season, and the 2024 title campaign was great, but not elite in comparison to the century’s best so far. Most of the truly terrifying Dodgers squads of this dynasty lost in or before the World Series, with the 2017 club one of those examples. They won 104 games and outscored opponents by 190 runs, then dominated both the Diamondbacks and Cubs by winning 7 of 8 postseason games against them in the NLDS and NLCS, respectively. In the end, though, the Astros were just too much in a seven-game World Series.
(Photo by Sean M. Haffey/Getty Images)
4. 2018 Los Angeles Dodgers
Regular Season: 92–71 (1st in NL West)
NLDS: Defeated Braves, 3–1
NLCS: Defeated Brewers, 4–3
World Series: Lost to Red Sox, 1–4
As we were saying. The 2018 edition of the Dodgers won just 92 games, but outscored opponents by 194 runs and actually produced more wins above replacement than the ‘17 squad — their expected win-loss record put them at 102 wins, a full 10 more! They can’t get full credit for wins they should have gotten in comparison to the team that actually did win over 100 games, but they still deserve recognition for what likely should have been a championship club… if only they didn’t come up against the buzzsaw that was the 2018 Red Sox in the World Series.
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5. 2021 Houston Astros
Regular Season: 95–67 (1st in AL West)
ALDS: Defeated White Sox, 3–1
ALCS: Defeated Red Sox, 4–2
World Series: Lost to Braves, 2–4
You would be correct if you’re sensing a theme here — the Astros and Dodgers were truly exceptional over the last decade, even in the years that they didn’t end up going all the way. The Braves took out the Astros in six games, which is why they play them in the first place: among World Series losers this century, the ‘21 Astros have the second-highest run differential, and were basically as good as any of the teams here in front of them besides the 2019 edition, which sits on an entirely different level. They should have won, in the sense they were the dominant force that season, but “should have” rarely carries weight in October.
(Photo by Rob Carr/Getty Images)
6. 2013 St. Louis Cardinals
Regular Season: 97–65 (1st in NL Central)
NLDS: Defeated Pirates, 3–2
NLCS: Defeated Dodgers, 4–2
World Series: Lost to Red Sox, 2–4
Don’t worry, other teams lost the World Series this century besides the three franchises above, and you’ll read about them soon. If St. Louis’ 2006 title was cosmic rebalancing for the 2004 squad’s defeat, then a reverse effect happened with respect to the 2011 champs and the 2013 loss. Matt Carpenter and Holliday had monster seasons at the plate, veterans Yadier Molina and Carlos Beltran thrived, and Adam Wainwright finished second in the NL Cy Young race and led the league in innings. The Red Sox were the foes, again, though at least this time it took six games for St. Louis to go down.
(Photo by Ezra Shaw/Getty Images)
7. 2011 Texas Rangers
Regular Season: 96–66 (1st in AL West)
ALDS: Defeated Rays, 3–1
ALCS: Defeated Tigers, 4–2
World Series: Lost to Cardinals, 3–4
The 2011 World Series was already a heartbreaking defeat for the Rangers and their fans after falling short in the 2010 edition to the Giants. Part of what made it so awful wasn’t just that it often felt like snatching defeat from the jaws of victory for them, but also because this particular Rangers squad was great. They won 96 games and posted just under 55 wins above replacement while outscoring opponents by 176 runs. In the end, though, Cardinals hero David Freese was there to put a stop to them with a monster series and incredible — or horrible, depending on your point of view — timing.
(SAN JOSE MERCURY NEWS / Nhat V. Meyer) (Photo by MediaNews Group/The Mercury News via Getty Images)
8. 2002 San Francisco Giants
Regular Season: 95–66 (2nd in NL West)
NLDS: Defeated Braves, 3–2
NLCS: Defeated Cardinals, 4–1
World Series: Lost to Angels, 3–4
What a clash of the titans the 2002 World Series was. The Angels were one of the better World Series champions of the century, and the Giants, with Barry Bonds in his late-career peak, were no slouches, either. They won 95 games in the regular season and outscored opponents by 167 runs even as Bonds was intentionally walked a then-record 68 times — and with plenty of intentional unintentional walks mixed in with his 198 total free passes. Bonds hit .370/.582/.799 — all tops in the league — with 46 homers, won the NL MVP and hit .356/.581/.978 with another 8 homers in the postseason… but it wasn’t enough.
(Photo by Jed Jacobsohn/Getty Images)
9. 2003 New York Yankees
Regular Season: 101–61 (1st in AL East)
ALDS: Defeated Twins, 3–1
ALCS: Defeated Red Sox, 4–3
World Series: Lost to Marlins, 2–4
This was part of a string of horrible luck by the Yankees following the 2000 World Series championship: the 2001 team was genuinely great and 2004’s was another excellent squad. But the best of their teams that lost in the World Series was the 2003 edition. This team won 101 games, and even vanquished the rival Red Sox in a dramatic seven-game ALCS, where Aaron Boone ended Boston’s season with a home run in extra innings off of Tim Wakefield. The 2003 Marlins were not phased by any of that, and their team of rookies and budding stars took down the battle-hardened veterans from New York in six games.
(Photo by Jonathan Daniel/Getty Images)
10. 2006 Detroit Tigers
Regular Season: 95–67 (1st in AL Central)
ALDS: Defeated Yankees, 3–1
ALCS: Defeated Athletics, 4–0
World Series: Lost to Cardinals, 1–4
The Tigers haven’t won it all since 1984, but they have had chances this century. They were swept in 2012 by the Giants, and lost in the ALCS in 2013 and 2011. The best of their 21st-century squads is also the one that came the closest to actually winning it all, the 2006 Tigers. While they finished second in the AL Central, they also won 95 games, just one fewer than the division champion Twins — they were the better team, too, or else you’d see Minnesota on this list. Detroit toppled the Yankees and Athletics before coming up short against the Cardinals in the World Series.
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