As 2019 and another decade comes to a close, it’s time to reflect on some of the best World Series Champions from the decade. It was an interesting decade: The Chicago Cubs won their first World Series since 1908, and the San Francisco Giants won three of their own in 2010, 2012, and 2014.
2016 Chicago Cubs
The Cubs won 103 games in the 2016 season, winning the National League Central by 17.5 games. Kris Bryant led the team with 39 home runs, while Anthony Rizzo added 32. Pitchers Jake Arrieta, Jon Lester, and Kyle Hendricks each won 15+ games to form an outstanding pitching staff.
In the playoffs, Chicago defeated the San Francisco Giants in the division series and beat the Los Angeles Dodgers in the NLCS in six games. In the World Series, they beat the Cleveland Indians in a seven games to capture the World Series crown. The World Series victory put an end to the curse of the Billy Goat.
2018 Boston Red Sox
During this particular year, the Red Sox were one of the best teams we’ve seen in years. They were led by MVP Mookie Betts, as he ranked first in hits, runs, doubles, average, OBP, slugging, OPS, and total bases. The pitching staff had an ace Chris Sale, and also held former Cy Young winner David Price.
Manager Alex Cora did an excellent job and often used the strategy of implementing starters for relief appearances. Boston ran through the competition in the playoffs, going 11-3.
2017 Houston Astros
When you talk about a team with talent, look no further than the 2017 Astros. The roster was stacked with young talent, as Jose Altuve, George Springer, Carlos Correa, were supported by an upcoming star in Alex Bergman. Dallas Keuchel was the ace of the staff until Justin Verlander was acquired on August 31st.
After Verlander joined the team, he went 5-0 with 1.06 ERA and went 4-1 with a 2.21 ERA in the postseason. Houston beat the Los Angeles Dodgers in seven games, and each game was highly-anticipated by fans.
2010 San Francisco Giants
This team was not an offensive juggernaut, as Aubrey Huff and Juan Uribe led the team in home runs with 26 and 24, respectively. However, the Giants had 2010 NL Rookie of the Year Buster Posey to stabilize the offense. Cody Ross was one of the multiple players to get hot at the right time, as he won NLCS MVP by batting .350 and hitting three home runs.
The pitching staff is what drove this team; Giants pitchers led the majors in ERA with 3.36 and strikeouts with 1,331 in total. Matt Cain and Tim Lincecum led the staff, and rookie Madison Bumgarner pitched well in the playoffs. The bullpen was outstanding as well; anchored by closer Brian Wilson. San Francisco only won 92 games but played well in the second half of the season and the playoffs.
2019 Washington Nationals
Led by manager Dave Martinez, the 2019 Nationals started slow but got better as the season progressed. Pitchers Max Scherzer, Stephen Strasburg, and Patrick Corbin led a fantastic pitching staff. Strasburg led the pitching staff in wins with 18, Corbin finished second with 14 wins
Anthony Rendon and Juan Soto led the offense. Rendon and Juan Soto both had 34 home runs this season for the Nationals. In the playoffs, the Nationals performed well when it mattered the most. With efficient pitching and a young lineup, they were able to overtake the heavy favorites in the Houston Astros during the World Series.
Photo Credit: SB Nation
