Has a Wild Card Team Ever Won the World Series? - EssentiallySports (2024)

Major League Baseball has amped up its format with wild card entries in the World Series. October is not an easy war as the best of the best fight tooth and nail. Came into action in 1995, the Wild Card Series entails non-division winners from each league who get a unique chance at the postseason through the Wild Card. Some, defying all expectations, have even reached the Fall Classic. And 2023 is no exception.

The format has barely changed over these years. This postseason Arizona Diamondbacks and Texas Rangers proceeded to the third all-wild card World Series. They clinched their playoff entry leveraging the Wild Card pathway. It is only the third time in franchise history that two wild card teams are meeting at the Fall Classic.

Wild Card Teams that entered and won the World Series

Among the teams that have reached the World Series as Wild Card entries, there are 16 in total. Six of these instances have occurred since 2012. Seven of these Wild Card teams have triumphed in the World Series, indicated by an asterisk.

• The Arizona Diamondbacks and the Texas Rangers in 2023,
• The Philadelphia Phillies (2022)*,
• The Washington Nationals (2019),
• The San Francisco Giants (2014* and 2002)
• The Kansas City Royals (2014),
• The St. Louis Cardinals (2011)*,
• The Colorado Rockies (2007),
• The Detroit Tigers (2006).
• The Houston Astros (2005),
• The Boston Red Sox (2004)*,
• The Miami Marlins (2003)*
• The Los Angeles Angels (2002)*,
• The New York Mets (2000).
• The Florida Marlins (1997)*,

Two of the most unlikely teams in baseball are pitched against each other in this World Series. AL’s fifth-seeded Texas Rangers and NL’s sixth-seeded Arizona Diamondbacks are the two wild-card teams in the Fall Classic. And in the franchise history, it is the lowest-seeded matchup ever.

June 13, 2023 12:46 am EDT

March 12, 2023 08:50 pm EDT

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Which of the Wild-card Teams Has a Better Shot at Winning World Series?

Since both teams faced more than 100 losses just two seasons ago, they did not make it to the divisions. But their trajectory took a sharp turn, and both of them have taken a similar route to the Fall Classic. D-backs have returned to the World Series since 2001, and Rangers are here first time since 2011’s failed attempt. Through wild-card entries, it is the ultimate opportunity for the teams to prove themselves.

As reported by the Associated Press, the odds for a World Series featuring the Rangers and the Diamondbacks stood at 1,750 to 1 when betting began in the autumn of 2022. This implies that a $10 bet would have resulted in a $17,500 payout.

Given that it is the lowest-seeded matchup ever, it makes it difficult to predict the win. What are your predictions on the same? Let us know in the comments below.

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