World Series Champions: 2026 Winner, Most Titles and Full History
The Milwaukee Brewers are the 2026 World Series champions. They beat the Tampa Bay Rays 4 games to 1 and clinched the title on October 28, 2026 at Tropicana Field. Brewers catcher William Contreras was named World Series MVP.
It was the first championship in Brewers history. The club had waited 57 seasons in Milwaukee and lost its only other Fall Classic back in 1982.
The New York Yankees still hold the record for the most World Series titles with 27. The St. Louis Cardinals sit second with 11.
We at the All About Craze watched this series the way most fans did. Glued to the couch and checking the score on our phones during dinner. Now we want to put it in context. Below we break down how Milwaukee won and who owns the most rings. Then we walk through the full list of World Series winners by year.
Who Won the World Series in 2026?
The Brewers won the 2026 World Series in five games over the Rays. The series ran from October 23 to October 28.
This matchup was special before a single pitch was thrown. Neither team had ever won a title. That had not happened in a World Series since 1980.
Fans quickly called it the “Small Market World Series.” Milwaukee ranked 17th in payroll and Tampa Bay ranked 21st. It was the lowest combined payroll ranking for two World Series teams since 1991.
How the Brewers Got There
Milwaukee went 103-59 in the regular season. That was the best record in baseball and the first 100-win season in team history.
They did it after trading ace Freddy Peralta in the winter. Young starter Jacob Misiorowski stepped up and led MLB in both ERA and strikeouts.
The road through October looked like this:
- NL Division Series: beat the San Diego Padres 3-1
- NL Championship Series: swept the two time defending champion Los Angeles Dodgers 4-0
- World Series: beat the Tampa Bay Rays 4-1
That NLCS sweep felt like payback. The Dodgers had swept Milwaukee in the 2025 NLCS.
Game-by-Game Results
| Game | Date | Result | Ballpark |
| 1 | Oct 23 | Brewers 3 Rays 2 | American Family Field |
| 2 | Oct 24 | Brewers 5 Rays 4 | American Family Field |
| 3 | Oct 26 | Brewers 10 Rays 1 | Tropicana Field |
| 4 | Oct 27 | Rays 4 Brewers 3 (12 innings) | Tropicana Field |
| 5 | Oct 28 | Brewers 4 Rays 1 | Tropicana Field |
Game 1 gave us a moment for the record books. Misiorowski’s first pitch hit 103.5 mph. It was the fastest pitch ever tracked in a World Series game.
Game 2 showed Milwaukee’s grit. The Rays scored four runs in the first inning. The Brewers chipped away and won 5-4.
Game 4 was Tampa Bay’s lone bright spot. Pinch hitter Ben Williamson ended it with a walk-off single in the 12th.
The next night Milwaukee jumped out early again and closed it out 4-1. Christian Yelich later dedicated the title to the late Bob Uecker. If you grew up hearing Uecker on Brewers radio you probably felt that one.
2026 World Series MVP: William Contreras
Contreras was the heartbeat of this team. He hit .381 in the series and drove in four runs.
He also made history behind the plate. 2026 was the first World Series with the Automated Ball-Strike challenge system. Contreras went 10 for 13 on his challenges and threw out four base stealers.
In plain terms he won games with his bat and his brain.
Most World Series Titles by Team
The New York Yankees own the most World Series titles with 27. No other club is even close. The Cardinals are next with 11.
Here is the top of the leaderboard after the 2026 season:
| Rank | Team | Titles | Most Recent Title |
| 1 | New York Yankees | 27 | 2009 |
| 2 | St. Louis Cardinals | 11 | 2011 |
| 3 | Los Angeles Dodgers | 9 | 2025 |
| 3 | Boston Red Sox | 9 | 2018 |
| 3 | Athletics | 9 | 1989 |
| 6 | San Francisco Giants | 8 | 2014 |
| 7 | Cincinnati Reds | 5 | 1990 |
| 7 | Pittsburgh Pirates | 5 | 1979 |
| 9 | Detroit Tigers | 4 | 1984 |
| 9 | Atlanta Braves | 4 | 2021 |
A few things jump out when we look at this list:
- The Yankees dynasty was mostly old school. 26 of their 27 titles came before 2001.
- The Dodgers are the hottest team on the board. They won three titles in six years (2020, 2024 and 2025) before Milwaukee stopped them.
- The Red Sox turned a curse into a habit. After 86 years without a title they won four between 2004 and 2018.
Teams Still Waiting for a First Title
The 2026 result shrank this club by one. Only four franchises have never won a World Series:
- Tampa Bay Rays (0-3 in the Fall Classic)
- San Diego Padres (0-2)
- Colorado Rockies (0-1)
- Seattle Mariners (never reached it)
If you cheer for the Rays this week stings. Three trips and three losses is a heavy load. We have seen this story flip before though. Just ask Brewers fans.
World Series Winners by Year (2000 to 2026)
Most searches for a World Series winners list are about the recent era. So we start with the last 27 Fall Classics. Bookmark this one for your next bar trivia night.
| Year | Champion | Result | Runner-Up |
| 2026 | Milwaukee Brewers | 4-1 | Tampa Bay Rays |
| 2025 | Los Angeles Dodgers | 4-3 | Toronto Blue Jays |
| 2024 | Los Angeles Dodgers | 4-1 | New York Yankees |
| 2023 | Texas Rangers | 4-1 | Arizona Diamondbacks |
| 2022 | Houston Astros | 4-2 | Philadelphia Phillies |
| 2021 | Atlanta Braves | 4-2 | Houston Astros |
| 2020 | Los Angeles Dodgers | 4-2 | Tampa Bay Rays |
| 2019 | Washington Nationals | 4-3 | Houston Astros |
| 2018 | Boston Red Sox | 4-1 | Los Angeles Dodgers |
| 2017 | Houston Astros | 4-3 | Los Angeles Dodgers |
| 2016 | Chicago Cubs | 4-3 | Cleveland Indians |
| 2015 | Kansas City Royals | 4-1 | New York Mets |
| 2014 | San Francisco Giants | 4-3 | Kansas City Royals |
| 2013 | Boston Red Sox | 4-2 | St. Louis Cardinals |
| 2012 | San Francisco Giants | 4-0 | Detroit Tigers |
| 2011 | St. Louis Cardinals | 4-3 | Texas Rangers |
| 2010 | San Francisco Giants | 4-1 | Texas Rangers |
| 2009 | New York Yankees | 4-2 | Philadelphia Phillies |
| 2008 | Philadelphia Phillies | 4-1 | Tampa Bay Rays |
| 2007 | Boston Red Sox | 4-0 | Colorado Rockies |
| 2006 | St. Louis Cardinals | 4-1 | Detroit Tigers |
| 2005 | Chicago White Sox | 4-0 | Houston Astros |
| 2004 | Boston Red Sox | 4-0 | St. Louis Cardinals |
| 2003 | Florida Marlins | 4-2 | New York Yankees |
| 2002 | Anaheim Angels | 4-3 | San Francisco Giants |
| 2001 | Arizona Diamondbacks | 4-3 | New York Yankees |
| 2000 | New York Yankees | 4-1 | New York Mets |
Since 2000 we have seen 17 different champions in 27 years. That parity is a big reason every October feels wide open.
Key Moments From the Full History
The World Series dates back to 1903. Here are the turning points every fan should know:
- 1903: The Boston Americans beat the Pittsburgh Pirates in the first modern World Series.
- 1904 and 1994: The only two years with no World Series. The first was a boycott by the New York Giants. The second was the players’ strike.
- 1920s to 1960s: The Yankees won 20 titles in this stretch with legends like Babe Ruth and Joe DiMaggio and Mickey Mantle.
- 1969: Divisional play arrived and added an extra playoff round before the Fall Classic.
- 2004: Boston ended the “Curse of the Bambino” with a sweep of St. Louis.
- 2016: The Cubs won in extra innings of Game 7 and ended a 108-year drought.
- 2026: The Brewers became the second club to win pennants in both leagues. Only the Astros had done it before.
That 2016 Game 7 is still the gold standard for drama. Many of us remember exactly where we were when the rain delay hit.
Milwaukee Brewers World Series History
The Brewers have now played in two World Series. They lost the first and won the second.
1982: “Harvey’s Wallbangers” Fall Short
Back in 1982 Milwaukee played in the American League. Manager Harvey Kuenn led a lineup packed with power and future Hall of Famers Robin Yount and Paul Molitor.
They met the St. Louis Cardinals in what fans called the “Suds Series.” Milwaukee led 3 games to 2. Then St. Louis won the last two games at home to take the title.
That loss hung over the franchise for 44 years.
The Long Road Back
The Brewers switched to the National League in 1998. Since then they built a reputation as a smart small market club that kept knocking on the door:
- 2011 NLCS loss to the Cardinals
- 2018 NLCS loss to the Dodgers in seven games
- 2025 NLCS sweep by the Dodgers
2026: The Breakthrough
This year they finally kicked the door down. Manager Pat Murphy’s team won 103 games and then went 11-2 in the playoffs.
The moment tied old and new together. Robin Yount threw out the first pitch before Game 1. Bud Selig handed him the ball. Then a new generation led by Contreras and Yelich and Jackson Chourio finished what the 1982 club started.
For a city that has loved this team through a lot of lean years it was worth the wait.
World Series MVP Winners
The World Series MVP goes to the player with the biggest impact on the series. It was first handed out in 1955. Since 2017 it has carried the name of Willie Mays.
Here are the last ten winners:
| Year | Player | Team | Position |
| 2026 | William Contreras | Milwaukee Brewers | Catcher |
| 2025 | Yoshinobu Yamamoto | Los Angeles Dodgers | Pitcher |
| 2024 | Freddie Freeman | Los Angeles Dodgers | First baseman |
| 2023 | Corey Seager | Texas Rangers | Shortstop |
| 2022 | Jeremy Peña | Houston Astros | Shortstop |
| 2021 | Jorge Soler | Atlanta Braves | Outfielder |
| 2020 | Corey Seager | Los Angeles Dodgers | Shortstop |
| 2019 | Stephen Strasburg | Washington Nationals | Pitcher |
| 2018 | Steve Pearce | Boston Red Sox | First baseman |
| 2017 | George Springer | Houston Astros | Outfielder |
Players Who Won It Twice
Only four players have won the World Series MVP more than once:
- Sandy Koufax (1963 and 1965)
- Bob Gibson (1964 and 1967)
- Reggie Jackson (1973 and 1977)
- Corey Seager (2020 and 2023)
Jackson (Athletics and Yankees) and Seager (Dodgers and Rangers) both did it with two different teams. That says a lot about how they show up when the lights are brightest.
We also love a good underdog MVP. Steve Pearce in 2018 was a mid-season trade pickup. A few months later he was driving home in a new car as the face of a Boston title.
Frequently Asked Questions
Who won the World Series in 2026?
The Milwaukee Brewers won the 2026 World Series. They beat the Tampa Bay Rays 4 games to 1 and clinched on October 28, 2026. It was the first title in franchise history.
Which team has the most World Series titles?
The New York Yankees have the most World Series titles with 27. The St. Louis Cardinals are second with 11. The Dodgers and Red Sox and Athletics are tied for third with nine each.
Who was the 2026 World Series MVP?
Brewers catcher William Contreras was the 2026 World Series MVP. He hit .381 and won 10 of his 13 ABS challenges. Not bad for a guy who spends half the game in a crouch.
Have the Milwaukee Brewers ever won the World Series before?
No. 2026 is their first championship. Their only other World Series trip was a seven-game loss to the Cardinals in 1982. For longtime Brewers fans this one has been a lifetime in the making.
Which MLB teams have never won a World Series?
Four teams are still waiting: the Tampa Bay Rays, San Diego Padres, Colorado Rockies and Seattle Mariners. If your team is on this list we feel you. The Brewers just proved the wait can end.
Conclusion
The 2026 World Series champions are the Milwaukee Brewers. They beat the Rays in five games and William Contreras took home MVP honors. After 57 seasons in Milwaukee the city finally has its parade.
The bigger picture has not changed much. The Yankees still lead all teams with 27 titles. The Cardinals follow with 11 and the Dodgers keep climbing with three rings since 2020.
What we love most about this list is how fast it can change. Ten years ago nobody would have picked a payroll in the bottom half to win it all. This year two of them met in the Fall Classic.
So keep this page handy. We will update the World Series winners list every October as a new name joins the club. If you follow more than one sport we have you covered. While baseball takes its winter break you can catch up on our guide to the Top Players to Watch at the NBA All-Star Game 2026.
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