The 121st annual World Series is upon us during the best time of the year; with a nip of a cool, soft breeze, the rustling of leaves gently falling on the ground against a clear blue sky, and best of all-no humidity.
To whet your appetite for the Fall Classic, I compiled some feats, facts, and historic firsts.• The official name of the trophy awarded to the World Series Champion is “The Commissioner’s Trophy.” It is presented by the Commissioner of Baseball to the championship team’s ownership, general manager and field manager. Each year, one full-sized trophy is constructed and awarded to the winners.
• Last season, the Los Angeles Dodgers won the World Series for the eighth time in franchise history.
• The first World Series trophy was originally created by Major League Baseball in 1967. The Cardinals, who defeated the Red Sox in seven games in the Fall Classic that year, were the first World Series Champions to receive the original trophy. The newly redesigned Commissioner’s Trophy, created by Tiffany & Co. in 2000, was first given to the New York Yankees after their victory in the Subway Series that year.
• The sterling silver trophy stands 24 inches high with a diameter of 11 inches, requiring master artisans at Tiffany & Co. more than three months and 198.12 troy ounces of sterling silver to create it.
• The trophy features 30 flags, one representing each Major League team, with latitude and longitude lines symbolizing the world and 24-karat vermeil stitches representing those on a baseball. Etched on the base are the words “Presented by the Commissioner of Baseball” along with the signature of Commissioner Robert D. Manfred, Jr.
• Home teams have won 378 of the 697 World Series games played to a decision (54.2 percent).
• The home team has won the World Series opener 71 of 120 times (59.2 percent).
• The home team has swept the first two games 40 times.
• The World Series has been won by the team with home field advantage 60 of 120 times (50.0 percent).
• Among the 40 seven-game World Series, the home club has won Game 7 on 21 occasions (52.5 percent).
• Only three teams — the 1985 Royals, 1986 Mets and 1996 Yankees — have lost the first two games at home and then have gone on to win the World Series.
• The winner of Game One has won the World Series 76 times (63.3 percent).
• Only four teams in World Series history have won Game One and been swept in the next four. They are the 1915 Phillies, 1942 Yankees, 1969 Orioles and 1983 Phillies.
• Nine teams have won two consecutive championships in World Series history.
• Thirteen teams have lost consecutive World Series.
• Seventeen World Series Champions have returned to the Series the following year and lost.
• The first-time lights were used for a World Series game came on October 9, 1949 in the top of the ninth inning (4:40 pm) in the fifth and final game. The lights were turned on at Ebbets Field in Brooklyn.
• The first World Series night game came on October 13, 1971: Baltimore at Pittsburgh
• First time all games were at night came in 1985: Kansas City vs. St Louis
• First World Series game played in a dome: October 17, 1987: St Louis at Minnesota (Metrodome)
• The shortest World Series game was played on October 14, 1908: Cubs at Detroit: 1:25
• Longest World Series 9 inning game was played October 13, 1979: Baltimore at Pittsburgh: 3:48
• Longest Night game (9 innings) was played on October 27, 2007 (Boston at Colorado): 4:19
• Woodrow Wilson was the first U.S. president to attend a World Series game: Game 2 of the 1915 World Series in Philadelphia.
• The last U.S. president to attend a World Series game was Donald Trump in Game 5 of the 2019 World Series in Washington.
• Major League Baseball has selected an MVP to a series beginning in 1955 (Johnny Podres, Brooklyn Dodgers, was the first recipient (2-0, 1.00 ERA, 2 complete games).
• The youngest World Series MVP was Bret Saberhagen, who won Games 3 and 7 of the 1985 World Series. He was 21 years, six months and 16 days old.
• The oldest World Series MVP was Willie Stargell, who won the award at the age of 39 years and 225 days in 1979.
• Bobby Richardson of the New York Yankees is the only World Series MVP from a losing team (1960).
• Out of 72 World Series MVPs, 43 have been position players and 29 have been pitchers. Position players have accounted for 18 of the last 21 recipients.
• Only three relief pitchers were named MVP of the series: Rollie Fingers of the Oakland Athletics (1974) New York Yankees closers John Wetteland (1996) and Hall of Famer Mariano Rivera (1999).
• Only three players have won the World Series MVP as rookies: Larry Sherry in 1959; Livan Hernandez in 1997; and Jeremy Peña in 2022.
• Four players have been named World Series MVP more than once. Sandy Koufax of the Los Angeles Dodgers was selected in 1963 and 1965; Bob Gibson of the St. Louis Cardinals was chosen in 1964 and 1967; Reggie Jackson was named MVP in 1973 with Oakland and in 1977 while playing for the New York Yankees; and Corey Seager earned MVP in 2020 with the Los Angeles Dodgers and in 2023 with the Texas Rangers.
• The Yankees have the most MVP players of all time with 12 followed by the Dodgers with 9. Toronto has 2 MVP recipients.
• Jack Quinn of the Philadelphia Athletics was the oldest player to have played in a World Series game. He was 47 in 1930.
• Fred Lindstorm of the New York Giants was 18 years/10 months when he played in 1924.
• In 1903, there was only one international player on a World Series roster; there were none in 1905, 1908, 1911, 1918, along with not one international player from 1921-1928.
• There were 20 international players on World Series rosters in 2019, 2021, 2022. In 2024, there were 14 international players on World Series rosters.
• The designated hitter was used in World Series competition in alternating years from 1976 to 1985.
• From 1986-2021, the designated hitter was used every year in American League parks, excluding 2020, when the designated hitter was used in all games. Since 2022, the designated hitter has been used in every Fall Classic contest.
• The first designated hitter to bat in World Series play was Lou Piniella of the New York Yankees in the second inning of Game One in 1976. He doubled to right field and later scored on a sacrifice by Graig Nettles.
• Houston’s Yordan Alvarez has appeared as a designated hitter in three different World Series (2019, 2021, 2022).
• Yogi Berra played in a record 75 games over 14 World Series championships.
• Yogi Berra collected the most hits (71) over 14 World Series contests.
• Mickey Mantle struck out the most (54) over 12 World Series contests.
• The highest batting average in World Series competition belongs to Pepper Martin in three World Series contests (.418) with 55 at bats and 23 hits. Tied with Martin is Paul Molitor in two World Series contests AB: 55, H: 23, Avg: 418
• Mickey Mantle holds the record with 40 RBIs in 12 series’ over 65 games
• Mickey Mantle also had the most home runs in World Series competition with 18 in 12 series’ over 65 games.
• 11 players hit home runs in both leagues during World Series competition.
• 12 players hit home runs in consecutive innings during a World Series game, including Babe Ruth (who did it twice) Reggie Jackson, and Albert Pujols.
• 26 players have led off a World Series game with a home run.
• 23 players have hit a grand slam in World Series competition.
• 13 players have hit four or more home runs in one World Series.
• 20 players have hit back-to-back home runs in World Series competition.
• There have been 12 inside-the-park home runs in World Series history. The first was hit by Jimmy Sebring of Pittsburgh on October 1, 1903 in the top of the seventh inning vs. Boston (AL). The last was recorded by Alcides Escobar of the Kansas City Royals during the first inning of Game One in the 2015 World Series vs. the New York Mets, October 27, 2015.
• George Pipers of the New York Yankees struck out a record five times on October 1, 1932.
• 19 players have struck out 4 times in a World Series game.
• 28 players have pitched in both leagues in World Series competition.
• 30 players have committed balks in World Series competition.
• There have been 24 pinch-hit home runs in World Series competition.
• There have been 15 home runs by a pitcher in World Series competition.
• 6 pitchers slapped three hits in one World Series game.
• The Arizona Diamondbacks became the fastest expansion team to win the Fall Classic, doing so in just their fourth season, 2001.
• In their 42nd year of existence, the Anaheim Angels won their first-ever World Series title in a dramatic seven-game series against the San Francisco Giants, joining the 1997 Florida Marlins as the only Wild Card teams to win a World Series championship.
• The Boston Red Sox earned their first World Championship since 1918 in resounding fashion, sweeping the St. Louis Cardinals in a rematch of the 1946 and the 1967 Fall Classics.
• In 2016, The Chicago Cubs claimed their third World Series title in franchise history, joining 1907 and 1908.
• Shohei Ohtani of the Los Angeles Dodgers led the Majors with 146 runs scored, 380 total bases and 89 extra-base hits in 2025 while leading the NL with a .622 slugging percentage.
• First radio broadcast of the World Series took place in 1921. Grantland Rice provided telephone play-by-play over a special three station hookup on KDKA (Pittsburgh), WJZ (Newark) and WBZ (East Springfield, MA).
• In 1947, NBC provided the first telecast of a World Series. Commentators Bob Stanton, Bill Slater and Bob Edge called the action. NBC’s telecast was beamed to New York City, Washington, Philadelphia and Schenectady.
• FOX Sports, in its 30th season as the official network broadcaster of Major League Baseball, presents exclusive live coverage of the 121st World Series.
• Calling the action is MLB on FOX’s lead broadcast team of play-by-play announcer Joe Davis, analyst and Hall of Famer John Smoltz, and field reporters Ken Rosenthal and Tom Verducci.
• Davis will call his fourth World Series, while Smoltz will be behind the mic for his 10th World Series on FOX.
• Live pre and postgame coverage on FOX will be led by host Kevin Burkhardt, along with analysts Alex Rodriguez and Hall of Famers Derek Jeter and David Ortiz.
Compiled by Bill Lucey
Source: MLB Press Office
October 24, 2025
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