Read CNN’s Fast Facts on the World Series, Major League Baseball’s annual championship.
Other Facts The annual championship series, referred to as the “Fall Classic,” is played between the American League and National League champions. The first team to win four of the seven games wins the championship. The World Series was played in a best-of-nine games format in 1903 and 1919-1921. Through 2019, the American League has won 66 World Series championships, and the National League has won 49. The New York Yankees have won the most World Series championships at 27, and the St. Louis Cardinals come in second with 11. The Yankees have won back to back World Series more than any other team, six times: 1927 and 1928,1936 through 1939,1949 through 1953,1961 and 1962,1977 and 1978, and 1998 through 2000. Only one current franchise has never appeared in the World Series: the Seattle Mariners. Each year, the winning team receives the Commissioner’s Trophy, which is made of sterling silver, and features flags representing all 30 Major League teams. Timeline 1903 – The first World Series is played. The Boston Pilgrims beat the Pittsburgh Pirates, five games to three.1904 – The World Series is not played. The National League champions the New York Giants refuse to play the American League champions the Boston Pilgrims, due to rivalry between the leagues.
