Below is a table of the preseason favorite(s) to win the World Series and how they have performed. Also listed are the preseason odds of the eventual champion.
Summary: since the 1985 season the preseason favorite to win the World Series has won the title 7 times; lost in the World Series 4 times; lost in the League Championship Series 12 times; lost in the League Division Series 9 times and missed the playoffs 7 times. Note that if there were multiple favorites in a single season then we counted the team that went further in the playoffs.
Round abbreviations: LDS = League Division Series, LCS = League Championship Series, WS = World Series
| Year | World Series Preseason Favorite Team(s) |
World Series Preseason Favorite Odds |
World Series Preseason Favorite Result(s) |
World Series Champion |
World Series Preseason Odds |
World Series Preseason Odds Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | Los Angeles Dodgers | +240 | ? | |||
| 2024 | Los Angeles Dodgers | +350 | Won WS | Los Angeles Dodgers | +350 | 1st |
| 2023 | Atlanta Braves | +550 | Lost LDS | Texas Rangers | +3000 | T-13th |
| 2022 | Los Angeles Dodgers | +500 | Lost LDS | Houston Astros | +1000 | T-3rd |
| 2021 | Los Angeles Dodgers | +350 | Lost LCS | Atlanta Braves | +1000 | T-5th |
| 2020 | New York Yankees | +375 | Lost LDS | Los Angeles Dodgers | +385 | 2nd |
| 2019 | New York Yankees | +485 | Lost LCS | Washington Nationals | +1600 | 9th |
| 2018 | Houston Astros | +525 | Lost LCS | Boston Red Sox | +1150 | 7th |
| 2017 | Chicago Cubs | +400 | Lost LCS | Houston Astros | +1175 | 6th |
| 2016 | Chicago Cubs | +660 | Won WS | Chicago Cubs | +660 | 1st |
| 2015 | Washington Nationals | +500 | Missed playoffs | Kansas City Royals | +3300 | T-18th |
| 2014 | Los Angeles Dodgers | +700 | Lost LDS | San Francisco Giants | +2500 | T-13th |
| 2013 | Los Angeles Dodgers Washington Nationals |
+750 | Lost LCS Missed playoffs |
Boston Red Sox | +2800 | 14th |
| 2012 | Philadelphia Phillies | +550 | Missed playoffs | San Francisco Giants | +2000 | T-7th |
| 2011 | Philadelphia Phillies | +350 | Lost LDS | St Louis Cardinals | +2500 | T-10th |
| 2010 | New York Yankees | +325 | Lost LCS | San Francisco Giants | +2500 | T-11th |
| 2009 | New York Yankees | +500 | Won WS | New York Yankees | +500 | 1st |
| 2008 | Boston Red Sox | +400 | Lost LCS | Philadelphia Phillie | +2000 | T-9th |
| 2007 | New York Yankees | +300 | Lost LDS | Boston Red Sox | +700 | 4th |
| 2006 | New York Yankees | +350 | Lost LDS | St Louis Cardinals | +700 | 3rd |
| 2005 | New York Yankees | +300 | Lost LDS | Chicago White Sox | +2200 | T-15th |
| 2004 | New York Yankees | +350 | Lost LCS | Boston Red Sox | +650 | 2nd |
| 2003 | New York Yankees | +200 | Lost WS | Florida Marlins | +7500 | T-20th |
| 2002 | New York Yankees | +200 | Lost LDS | Anaheim Angels | +4000 | T-18th |
| 2001 | New York Yankees | +200 | Lost WS | Arizona Diamondbacks | +1000 | T-6th |
| 2000 | New York Yankees | +250 | Won WS | New York Yankees | +250 | 1st |
| 1999 | New York Yankees | +200 | Won WS | New York Yankees | +200 | 1st |
| 1998 | Atlanta Braves | +200 | Lost LCS | New York Yankees | +600 | 2nd |
| 1997 | Atlanta Braves | +300 | Lost LCS | Florida Marlins | +1000 | T-5th |
| 1996 | Atlanta Braves | +350 | Lost WS | New York Yankees | +700 | 3rd |
| 1995 | Atlanta Braves | +400 | Won WS | Atlanta Braves | +400 | 1st |
| 1994 | Atlanta Braves Chicago White Sox San Francisco Giants |
+600 | Season cancelled due to players strike that began Aug 12 | |||
| 1993 | Atlanta Braves | +250 | Lost LCS | Toronto Blue Jays | +600 | 2nd |
| 1992 | New York Mets | +500 | Missed playoffs | Toronto Blue Jays | +700 | 2nd |
| 1991 | Oakland Athletics | +300 | Missed playoffs | Minnesota Twins | +8000 | 21st |
| 1990 | Oakland Athletics | +600 | Lost WS | Cincinnati Reds | +1600 | T-11th |
| 1989 | New York Mets | +400 | Missed playoffs | Oakland Athletics | +500 | 2nd |
| 1988 | New York Mets | +300 | Lost LCS | Los Angeles Dodgers | +800 | 5th |
| 1987 | New York Mets | +250 | Missed playoffs | Minnesota Twins | +5000 | 21st |
| 1986 | New York Mets | +700 | Won WS | New York Mets | +700 | 1st |
| 1985 | Detroit Tigers | +600 | Missed playoffs | Kansas City Royals | +1800 | T-14th |
Note: there were 26 teams in MLB from 1985 to 1992; 28 teams from 1993 to 1997; 30 teams from 1998 to present.
MLB playoff formats: The LCS was added in 1969 (4 teams made the playoffs); the LDS was added in 1995 (8 teams made the playoffs); the Wild Card elimination game happened from 2012 to 2021 (10 teams made the playoffs); the Wild Card elimination game was replaced by the Wild Card round in 2022 (12 teams made the playoffs).
