Dodgers Win Back-to-Back World Series, End Repeat Drought.

It poses a challenge, undeniably — succeeding repeatedly as the best in a sport. This holds true across all competitive arenas, and it’s arguably even more pronounced in baseball, characterized by inherent unpredictability and a talent for subverting expectations. The Los Angeles Dodgers, however, seemingly operate outside these constraints.  Following their exhilarating, come-from-behind victory against the Toronto Blue Jays in the decisive Game 7 of the 2025 World Series, the Dodgers officially gain membership into an exclusive club within Major League Baseball — the fraternity of consecutive champions. 

Prior to the emergence of the 2025 Dodgers, a quarter of a century had elapsed since a team secured back-to-back World Series titles. In that same period, the NFL witnessed two teams achieve consecutive Super Bowl wins, while four teams managed at least two consecutive NBA Finals triumphs. But in baseball, any team reaching the postseason has the potential to emerge victorious, and the expanded playoffs now present a greater number of obstacles for teams like the Dodgers. Speaking of which, the Dodgers are now recorded as the first team in MLB history to participate in postseason games spanning three separate months. 

With the Dodgers recently crowned as repeat champions, let’s take a retrospective look at all the teams throughout history that have clinched two or more World Series titles in succession. We’ll begin with the dawn of the modern era in 1903, when the National League and the then still relatively young American League started sending their respective champions to compete in the “World’s Series.” Here is a depiction of the exclusive group that the 2025 Dodgers have now become a part of. 

In total, only 15 teams have achieved the distinction of winning two or more World Series consecutively, and these 15 teams are represented by only eight distinct franchises. The New York Yankees, a hallmark franchise, accounts for six of the 15 instances of consecutive titles, and only the Yankees and the A’s have accomplished the feat of producing more than one instance of consecutive championship teams. Similarly, only the Yankees and the A’s have won three or more titles in a row at any point in history (the 2026 Dodgers will strive to join this exclusive group). It appears improbable that any team will ever surpass the five consecutive titles claimed by Casey Stengel’s 1949-53 Yankees, a team that spanned the eras of Joe DiMaggio and Mickey Mantle in the Bronx. More recently, the 2001 Yankees came extremely close to extending their title reign to four consecutive years, but one of the most remarkable World Series games ever played ultimately favored the Arizona Diamondbacks.

It’s important to recognize that achieving such dynastic dominance was considerably easier prior to the advent of free agency in Major League Baseball during the mid-1970s, an event that actually contributed to promoting parity and competitive balance within the sport. In terms of contemporary times, while it’s indeed easier than ever to secure a spot in the MLB playoffs, the numerous rounds of competition make it more challenging than ever to make a deep postseason run.   

The Dodgers’ successful navigation through four rounds of postseason competition to defend their title makes their accomplishment even more noteworthy. In many ways, what the Dodgers have just achieved is more difficult than ever, and history provides evidence of this. Could they achieve three in a row? It seems nearly insurmountable, but the Dodgers are operating according to a different standard these days.