Last season, the Texas Rangers claimed a pennant en route to winning the World Series for the first time in history. Both they and the Arizona Diamondbacks made it to the showpiece series as rank outsiders, with the eventual champions entering the playoffs as the American League’s fifth seeds and the runners-up as the National League’s sixth seeds. Despite their lowly billing though, both teams managed to knock off heavyweights such as the Houston Astros and the Los Angeles Dodgers before the Rangers ultimately emerged victorious.
As such, the Lone Star State outfit headed into the new campaign as the defending champions, but the defense of their crown couldn’t have gone any worse. That said, defending champions have regularly struggled when it comes to winning two titles on the spin.
The last team to successfully win back-to-back World Series was the 1990s New York Yankees. They claimed three straight titles in 1998, 1999, and 2000, in addition to the crown they claimed in 1996. But how have the most recent defending champions fared?
Washington Nationals
Like Texas last term, the Washington Nationals claimed their maiden World Series title back in 2019, emerging as a wildcard to make it to the very end before finally stunning the heavily favored Houston Astros in a seven-game thriller. However, also just like the Rangers, the defense of their crown didn’t live up to the billing following a season filled with hurdles. Despite their best efforts, the then-reigning champions fell short and missed the playoffs altogether, finishing fourth of five in the NL East after winning just 26 games all season.
When looking at the team’s performance post-title, it’s evident that Max Scherzer continued to deliver solid performances on the mound, maintaining his reputation as a cornerstone of the Nationals’ pitching staff. Young outfield Juan Soto also showcased his prowess at the plate, providing crucial hits and offensive firepower for the team. But unfortunately for that duo, the rest of the squad couldn’t offer enough support, and losses to their division rivals highlighted their struggles to emerge as contenders once again.
Los Angeles Dodgers
In the absence of the Nationals’ challenge in 2020, the Los Angeles Dodgers ultimately went on to emerge victorious. They were without a championship since 1988, but emerged throughout the late 2010s as genuine contenders. They lost back-to-back World Series in 2017 and 2018, firstly to the Astros and then to the Boston Red Sox, but their three-decade-plus barren spell came to an end with a 4-2 victory against the Tampa Bay Rays in a clash of two top-seeded sides.
Following their triumph, the Cali outfit aimed to defend their title, and it looked as though they would do exactly that when they reeled off a mighty 106 wins throughout the regular season, the second-highest in the entire league. Unbelievably, however, that wasn’t enough to win their division, with the San Francisco Giants picking up just one more victory to push the Dodgers down to fourth seed in the National League.
Los Angeles would have their revenge though. They defeated the Giants 3-2 in the Division Series and all roads seemingly pointed toward a successful title defense. The latest MLB betting odds have made the Dodgers the +300 betting favorites for glory this season and the same was the case following that victory against their rivals, but unfortunately for them, the Atlanta Braves had other ideas, eliminating the favorites in the League Championship Series, despite winning 18 fewer games in the regular season.
Atlanta Braves
The Braves would build on that success by beating the Houston Astros to claim their first title in 26 years in the 2021 World Series, marking a historic moment for the franchise. Just like former champions before them, they entered the following season looking to successfully defend their title and being much fancied to do exactly that. They notched up 101 wins throughout the regular season, 13 more than they did in their championship-winning campaign, but they ultimately came unstuck in the playoffs.
Veteran first baseman Freddie Freeman provided leadership and consistent hitting throughout the season, guiding the Braves through their title defense. Hard-hitting outfield Ronald Acuña Jr. also continued his rise to superstardom with a series of impressive displays, but ultimately that wasn’t enough. The Georgia outfit suffered a stunning upset at the hands of the sixth-seed Philadelphia Phillies in the Division Series, who went on to reach the World Series for the first time in 14 years.
Houston Astros
The Phillies would also come unstuck though, allowing the Houston Astros to emerge victorious after being the best team in the league for some time. They won the title in 2017, as well as reaching the World Series in both 2019 and 2021, ultimately coming out on the losing side. In 2022, though, they gained redemption, and the following season, they aimed to rubber-stamp their status as the league’s newest dynasty.
However, their pursuit of a successful title defense in 2023 was met with fierce competition. Jose Altuve continued to excel at the plate while dynamic shortstop Carlos Correa provided defensive stability and offensive production, but that wasn’t enough. The upstart Rangers ultimately eliminated the defending champions in a thrilling seven-game championship series, before going on to finish their story and claim their maiden World Series triumph.
