31 MLB Players With the Most World Series Wins
Some form or fashion of Major League Baseball has been around since 1871, and the first World Series took place in 1903. But the first World Series rings weren’t handed out until the New York Giants won the 1922 World Series, and it took another decade for all teams to adopt this tradition. But with or without a ring, a champion is a champion, and some players have been a little better than others at winning titles.
We always hear about Bill Russell’s 11 NBA championships or Tom Brady’s seven Super Bowls, but we don’t hear as much chatter about the Lord of the Rings in MLB. Who has won more World Series than any of the other 20,000 players in Major League history? He is someone who is a Hall of Famer and appeared in a staggering 14 World Series in his career, winning it 10 times!
Here are the 31 MLB players with the most World Series championships.
15. Derek Jeter – 5 (Tie)
Career: 20 seasons (1995-2014)
Teams: New York Yankees
Stats: .310 BA, 3,465 H, 260 HR, 358 SB
Championship years: 1996, 1998-2000, 2009
* Players must have appeared in the World Series for the winning team in order to be credited.
Bottom Line: Derek Jeter
The list starts off with a tie between 17 — yes, 17! — players who have won the World Series five times. So, we’ll start with Derek Jeter, the face of the Yankees franchise for most of his 20 seasons in the Bronx.
As a great player on a great team, Jeter had many opportunities to win the World Series, as he was always in the postseason. In fact, he is the all-time leader in postseason games, runs scored, hits, total bases and strikeouts.
He played in six World Series — winning four — before the age of 30 but won only one after turning 30. His best performance came in the 2000 World Series versus the Mets when he hit .409 en route to being named World Series MVP.
Winning Words From Derek Jeter
"We just want to win. That's the bottom line. I think a lot of times people may become content with one championship or a little bit of success, but we don't really reflect on what we've done in the past. We focus on the present."
15. Joe Collins – 5 (Tie)
Career: 10 seasons (1948-57)
Teams: New York Yankees
Stats: .256 BA, 596 H, 86 HR
Championship years: 1950-53, 1956
Bottom Line: Joe Collins
This list contains 16 Hall of Famers and 14 others who made at least one All-Star Game. However, Joe Collins is the only one here who has neither achievement on his resume, and he was often overshadowed by teammates Mickey Mantle and Yogi Berra.
Collins was also known for disappearing when October rolled around, as he heavily struggled in the postseason. He was a career .256 hitter during the regular season but hit just .163 across 36 postseason games.
And he never hit higher than .238 in any of the seven World Series he participated in.
Winning Words From Joe Collins
"We just have to take it one game at a time. We haven't played our best game. We all know that."
15. Lefty Gomez – 5 (Tie)
Career: 14 seasons (1930-43)
Teams: New York Yankees
Stats: 189-102, 3.34 ERA, 1,468 K
Championship years: 1932, 1936-39
Bottom Line: Lefty Gomez
Lefty Gomez’ real name, of course, wasn’t Lefty, as he earned that nickname from being a southpaw. He was one of the best pitchers of the 1930s and won two pitching crowns by leading the AL in wins, ERA and strikeouts in both 1934 and 1937.
He was a big-game, clutch pitcher who performed even better during the playoffs, as he went a perfect 6-0 in the World Series. Those six wins are tied for fifth-most in World Series history, and he’s one of three pitchers ever to have a perfect World Series record with at least 50 innings pitched.
Winning Words From Lefty Gomez
"I'd rather be lucky than good."
15. David Cone – 5 (Tie)
Career: 17 seasons (1986-2001, 2003)
Teams: Kansas City Royals, New York Mets, Toronto Blue Jays, New York Yankees, Boston Red Sox
Stats: 194-126, 3.46 ERA, 2,668 K
Championship years: 1992, 1996, 1998-2000
Bottom Line: David Cone
David Cone is the first player on this list to win a ring outside of pinstripes, as his first World Series came with the 1992 Toronto Blue Jays. He was acquired at the trade deadline from the Mets and won an ALCS game along the way to Toronto’s first of back-to-back championships.
Cone wasn’t on the second of those teams, but he would collect four more rings with the Yankees. In 1999, he threw the 16th perfect game in MLB history and would go on to win Game 2 of that year’s World Series against the Atlanta Braves.
Winning Words From David Cone
"I like to think of the world's greatest athlete coming up to bat against me — Tiger Woods, Wayne Gretzky, I don't care who it is. And I'm looking at him thinking, you have no chance."
15. Tony Lazzeri – 5 (Tie)
Career: 14 seasons (1926-39)
Teams: New York Yankees, Chicago Cubs, Brooklyn Dodgers, New York Giants
Stats: .292 BA, 1,840 H, 178 HR, 148 SB
Championship years: 1927-28, 1932, 1936-37
Bottom Line: Tony Lazzeri
Tony Lazzeri was a steady presence at second base for the Yankees and has a couple of notables on his resume that no one else can claim.
He is the only player in MLB history to complete the natural cycle with a grand slam (hitting a single, double, triple and grand slam in sequence). He also holds the American League record for most RBI in a single game, as he knocked in 11 Yankees in a game in 1936. Also in that game, Lazzeri became the first player in MLB history to hit two grand slams in a single game.
All of those exploits outweighed him making just one All-Star Game, and as a result, Lazzeri was elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame no sooner than 50 years following his last game.
Winning Words From Tony Lazzeri
"Around New York, I used to hear that expression, 'Once a Dodger, always a Dodger.' But how about, 'Once a Yankee, always a Yankee?' There never was anything better than that. You never get over it."
15. Eddie Lopat – 5 (Tie)
Career: 12 seasons (1944-55)
Teams: Chicago White Sox, New York Yankees, Baltimore Orioles
Stats: 166-112, 3.21 ERA, 859 K
Championship years: 1949-53
Bottom Line: Eddie Lopat
Eddie Lopat was born in New York and attended high school just 5 miles away from where he would play his home games at Yankee Stadium. He spent seven full seasons with the Yankees and won World Series championships in the middle five of those years.
Lopat posted a sterling 2.60 ERA across 52 World Series innings, and he was also useful with the stick. He helped his own cause with three RBI at the plate in World Series games and was even used as a pinch hitter in the regular season a couple of times.
Winning Words From Eddie Lopat
"The most important pitch you can have in your repertoire is the noodle."
15. Gil McDougald – 5 (Tie)
Career: 10 seasons (1951-60)
Teams: New York Yankees
Stats: .276 BA, 1,291 H, 112 HR
Championship years: 1951-53, 1956, 1958
Bottom Line: Gil McDougald
Gil McDougald was a slick-fielding super utility man who could play all over the infield. His five World Series championships came with him playing three different positions: shortstop, second base and third base.
McDougald wasn’t known for his power because he never hit more than 14 home runs in a season, but in 1951, he became the first rookie to club a grand slam in a World Series game.
He seemed to find a power surge every October, as he hit seven World Series home runs, which still ranks among the top 10 of all time.
Winning Words From Gil McDougald
"It's easy to have a good day when you feel good, and easy to have a horses*** day when you feel like horses***. The question is, when you feel like horses***, can you still have a good day?"
15. Mariano Rivera – 5 (Tie)
Career: 19 seasons (1995-2013)
Teams: New York Yankees
Stats: 82-60, 652 SV, 2.21 ERA, 1,173 K
Championship years: 1996, 1998-2000, 2009
Bottom Line: Mariano Rivera
The greatest closer in MLB history was also, unsurprisingly, the greatest closer in World Series history.
Over 36.1 innings pitched, Mariano Rivera posted a microscopic 0.99 ERA on the way to 11 saves. Rivera actually began his Yankees career as a setup man instead of a closer and would enter the game in the seventh inning during his first World Series run in 1996.
Over the next four World Series, he would finish games and his best performance came in 1999 versus the Braves. Rivera earned two saves and one win over the four-game sweep and became the fourth relief pitcher to be named World Series MVP.
Winning Words From Mariano Rivera
"I get the ball, I throw the ball, and then I take a shower."
15. Red Rolfe – 5 (Tie)
Career: 10 seasons (1931, 1934-42)
Teams: New York Yankees
Stats: .289 BA, 1,394 H, 69 HR
Championship years: 1936-39, 1941
Bottom Line: Red Rolfe
Red Rolfe spent his career in the shadow of big names like Lou Gehrig and Joe DiMaggio, but he was an integral part of the Yankees at the hot corner.
He was the Yankees No. 2 hitter his entire career, so he set things up for the big bats and did his job by scoring 100-plus runs in seven straight seasons. Rolfe's best year came in 1939 when he led the AL in runs scored, hits and doubles, as the Yankees won their fourth straight World Series.
After his playing career, Rolfe held many roles in sports including as a Yankees coach, the Detroit Tigers manager and was the athletic director at his alma mater, Dartmouth, from 1954-67.
Winning Words About Red Rolfe
"Red was one of the greatest third basemen of all time." —Former New York Yankees manager Joe McCarthy, upon hearing of Red Rolfe's death in 1969
15. Andy Pettitte – 5 (Tie)
Career: 18 seasons (1995-2010, 2012-13)
Teams: New York Yankees, Houston Astros
Stats: 256-153, 3.85 ERA, 2,448 K
Championship years: 1996, 1998-2000, 2009
Bottom Line: Andy Pettitte
Andy Pettitte was a good player on some great Yankees teams and was part of the Core Fore alongside Derek Jeter, Mariano Rivera and Jorge Posada. Pettitte's 13 starts in the World Series are second-most in MLB history and his 56 strikeouts ranks seventh.
The left-hander pitched in a total of eight World Series, but not all of them were with the Yankees. He spent three seasons with the Astros, and they made the World Series in 2005 versus the White Sox. Houston lost, which marked Pettitte’s third straight World Series defeat after winning the first four of his career.
He finished his career with one more World Series victory with the 2009 Yankees.
Winning Words From Andy Pettitte
"Never is a concept the Yankees won't ever come across."
15. Joe Gordon – 5 (Tie)
Career: 11 seasons (1938-43, 1946-50)
Teams: New York Yankees, Cleveland Indians
Stats: .268 BA, 1,530 H, 253 HR, 975 RBI
Championship years: 1938-39, 1941, 1943, 1948
Bottom Line: Joe Gordon
Joe Gordon was the premier defensive second baseman of his era and would have won many Gold Gloves had the award been established when he played. Additionally, he was the rare slugging middle infielder who averaged 26 homers per season.
Gordon’s numbers would have been even better had he not lost two wins of his prime to military service, and his teams didn’t even make the postseason in those years Gordon didn’t play.
His most memorable play came in his final World Series game when he hit a sixth-inning home run in Game 6 of the 1958 World Series. That homer gave the Indians a 2-1 lead, and it proved to be the game-winning home run, as Cleveland won the game 4-3.
Winning Words About Joe Gordon
"He [Joe Gordon] was one of the greats of the game — a truly brilliant defensive player. To me, he was the perfect second baseman with his ability to turn the double play and hit for power in such a difficult hitter's park as Yankee Stadium. He made Phil Rizzuto and Lou Boudreau better. He wasn't just good. He was great." —Baseball Almanac
15. Catfish Hunter – 5 (Tie)
Career: 15 seasons (1965-79)
Teams: Kansas City/Oakland Athletics, New York Yankees
Stats: 224-166, 3.26 ERA, 2,012 K
Championship years: 1972-74, 1977-78
Bottom Line: Catfish Hunter
One of baseball’s best big-game pitchers, Catfish Hunter three-peated with the Athletics and then went to New York and won back-to-back championships with the Yankees. His won-loss record was 5-3 in the World Series with a 3.29 ERA across 63 innings.
In Game 1 of the 1974 World Series, Hunter made a rare appearance in relief. The Athletics were up 3-1 entering the ninth inning, but with one out from victory, Rollie Fingers gave up a homer and then a single. With the game-winning run at the plate, Fingers was replaced by Hunter, who threw five pitches to record the last out and earn his only postseason save.
Winning Words From Catfish Hunter
"The sun don't shine on the same dog's a** all the time."
15. Johnny Mize – 5 (Tie)
Career: 15 seasons (1936-42, 1946-53)
Teams: St. Louis Cardinals, New York Giants, New York Yankees
Stats: .312 BA, 2,011 H, 359 HR, 1,337 RBI
Championship years: 1949-53
Bottom Line: Johnny Mize
Johnny Mize spent just five years with the Yankees and won the World Series in each of those years. After making his name as one of the most feared sluggers in the late 1930s and ’40s, he was merely a part-timer when he joined the Yankees in 1949.
In 1952, he hit just four home runs in the regular season but recaptured glimpses of his previous form in the postseason by smacking three homers, alone, in the World Series. That enabled him to win the 1952 World Series MVP despite starting just four of the seven games.
Winning Words About Johnny Mize
"Mize was one of the really outstanding hitters in baseball history. Every place he played, from the time he started to play baseball till the time he quit, he was a premier hitter. When he ambled up to the plate, people expected big things because he made things happen. I always thought he was one of the very best." —Hall of Famer Ted Williams in "The 50 Greatest Players in St. Louis Cardinals History"
15. George Selkirk – 5 (Tie)
Career: 9 seasons (1934-42)
Teams: New York Yankees
Stats: .290 BA, 810 H, 108 HR
Championship years: 1936-39, 1941
Bottom Line: George Selkirk
Apart from being a five-time World Series champion, George Selkirk has two notable distinctions of his career. One is that the Ontario-born Selkirk was the first Canadian player to make an MLB All-Star Game in 1936. The other is that he is the man who succeeded Babe Ruth in right field for the Yankees.
But as Ruth hit 113 home runs in his first two years in pinstripes, Selkirk hit 108 homers in nearly a decade. Selkirk was still a very good overall hitter, as he was a walks machine who posted a .400 career on-base percentage.
Winning Words From George Selkirk
"As I was going out to my position in the late part of the second game (on Aug. 12, 1934), [Babe] Ruth left the game. The crowd was clapping and cheering for the Babe. I just stood there and then I realized that I had taken off my cap and I was clapping my hands, just like those people in the stands. It was something that came from the heart. I felt a little ashamed of myself, thinking that I was just a busher, and then I looked around, and there were the rest of the Yankee players, and they were doing the same thing." —George Selkirk in Yankees Magazine
15. Bill Skowron – 5 (Tie)
Career: 14 seasons (1954-67)
Teams: New York Yankees, Los Angeles Dodgers, Washington Senators, Chicago White Sox, California Angels
Stats: .282 BA, 1,566 H, 211 HR, 888 RBI
Championship years: 1956, 1958, 1961-63
Bottom Line: Bill Skowron
Bill "Moose" Skowron got his nickname as a 7-year-old when he got a haircut resembling that of Italian dictator, Benito Mussolini, shortened to Moose.
He played in a total of eight World Series, winning four with the Yankees and one with the Dodgers. By winning the 1962 World Series with New York and then the 1963 World Series with the Los Angeles Dodgers, Skowron is one of just six players to win back-to-back World Series with different teams.
His most memorable performance was in Game 7 of the 1956 World Series when he hit a grand slam in the seventh inning to seal the victory for the Bronx Bombers.
Winning Words About Bill Skowron
"Moose could flat-out hit ... for average, and he had real power. People used to look at our lineup and concentrate on the guys in the middle of the order. Moose might have been batting sixth or seventh, but he made our lineup deep and more dangerous. You didn't want to give him too much around the plate. He was like Yogi Berra. He could hit bad pitches out and beat you." —New York Yankees teammate and Hall of Famer Mickey Mantle
15. Gene Woodling – 5 (Tie)
Career: 17 seasons (1943, 1946-47, 1949-62)
Teams: Cleveland Indians, Pittsburgh Pirates, New York Yankees, Baltimore Orioles, Washington Senators, New York Mets
Stats: .284 BA, 1,585 H, 147 HR, 830 RBI
Championship years: 1949-53
Bottom Line: Gene Woodling
A player ahead of his time, Gene Woodling was a high on-base percentage guy who had a 2:1 walk-to-strikeout ratio for his career. He played just six years with the Yankees but won World Series in five of those seasons, all of them coming consecutively.
Woodling’s time in pinstripes came with him being used in one of the early platoons in baseball. He would usually start against right-handed pitchers, while Hank Bauer would get the nod against southpaws. That platoon would later become a coaching partnership, too. When Bauer became the Orioles’ head coach in 1964, he hired Woodling as his first base coach.
Winning Words About Gene Woodling
"Gene [Woodling] played right field. We used to call Gene, Rock. He was as hard as one. Harder, maybe." —Former MLB pitcher Allie Reynolds in "The October Twelve"
15. Paul O’Neill – 5 (Tie)
Career: 17 seasons (1985-2001)
Teams: Cincinnati Reds, New York Yankees
Stats: .288 BA, 2,105 H, 281 HR, 1,269 RBI
Championship years: 1990, 1996, 1998-2000
Bottom Line: Paul O’Neill
Paul O’Neill was known as the emotional leader of those late ’90s Yankees teams for which he won four rings. However, many forget that he nabbed his first World Series victory with the 1990 Cincinnati Reds, and that may be O’Neill’s favorite ring, as he’s a native of Ohio.
O’Neill was a career .288 hitter and hit .284 in the postseason, but he hit just .261 across 27 World Series games. Furthermore, even though he hit 11 postseason home runs, none of those came on the grandest stage of the World Series.
Winning Words From Paul O’Neill
"You play the game to win the game, and not to worry about what's on the back of the baseball card at the end of the year."
8. Red Ruffing – 6 (Tie)
Career: 22 seasons (1924-42, 1945-47)
Teams: Boston Red Sox, New York Yankees, Chicago White Sox
Stats: 273-225, 3.80 ERA, 1,987 K, 335 CG
Championship years: 1932, 1936-39, 1941
Bottom Line: Red Ruffing
While growing up in Illinois, Red Ruffing was a promising young baseball hitter. But when he was a teenager, he suffered a freak injury that cost him four of his toes and left him unable to play in the field. Thus, he was forced to switch to pitcher, and he would only go on to win more World Series games than all but one pitcher in MLB history.
And while the injury made Ruffing impotent as a pitcher, it did nothing to diminish his hitting skills that he retained. Ruffing was frequently used as a pinch hitter throughout his career and hit 36 home runs, the fourth-most by a pitcher.
Winning Words About Red Ruffing
"As a kid I threw the out-curve, and in-curve, and drop — a slider. My hero was the Yanks' Red Ruffing. He had this great windup, would pick his left leg up, and keep it high in the air. I said, 'I'm going to pitch like him.' So I did one day in Coney Island, picked up that leg, and fell right on my a**." —Singer Robert Merrill in "What Baseball Means to Me: A Celebration of Our National Pastime"
8. Lou Gehrig – 6 (Tie)
Career: 17 seasons (1923-39)
Teams: New York Yankees
Stats: .340 BA, 2,721 H, 493 HR, 1,995 RBI
Championship years: 1927-28, 1932, 1936-38
Bottom Line: Lou Gehrig
The Iron Horse was a fixture in the World Series, as his Yankees teams advanced nine times in his 17-year career. Lou Gehrig was one of those rare players whose performance increased in the playoffs. He hit .340 with a 1.080 OPS in the regular season, compared to hitting .361 with a 1.214 OPS in October. Across his 34 World Series games, he reached base safely in all but two of them.
Gehrig infamously retired and gave his “Luckiest Man in the World” speech early in the 1939 season. The Yankees would go on to win the World Series that year, but that doesn’t count as one of Gehrig’s six rings because he didn’t participate.
Winning Words FRom Lou Gehrig
"The ballplayer who loses his head, who can't keep his cool, is worse than no ballplayer at all."
8. Frankie Crosetti – 6 (Tie)
Career: 17 seasons (1932-48)
Teams: New York Yankees
Stats: .245 BA, 1,541 H, 98 HR
Championship years: 1932, 1936-39, 1943
Bottom Line: Frankie Crosetti
Even though Frankie Crosetti tied for eighth on this list with six rings as a player, no individual in the history of baseball has been a part of more World Series championship teams than him.
Crosetti spent his final three seasons as a player/coach before becoming strictly a coach for 20 more seasons. In his 37 years with the Yankees organization, he won 17 World Series championships and participated in a total of 23 World Series.
As a player, Crosetti was known for his glove and only his glove. That’s why he stuck around for as long as he did, posting just a .174 batting average across 29 World Series games.
Winning Words From Frankie Crosetti
"I was very quiet, you know. I never opened my mouth. Lou [Gehrig] made me feel like I belonged." —Frankie Crosetti on Lou Gehrig helping him adjust during his rookie year with the Yankee in 1932
8. Johnny Murphy – 6 (Tie)
Career: 13 seasons (1932, 1934-43, 1947)
Teams: New York Yankees, Boston Red Sox
Stats: 93-53, 107 SV, 3.50 ERA, 378 K
Championship years: 1936-39, 1941, 1943
Bottom Line: Johnny Murphy
Johnny Murphy wasn’t quite the Mariano Rivera of his era, but he was the pre-eminent closer of the 1930s and ’40s. Four times he led the AL in saves, and never did he save more than 19 games in any of those seasons.
But Murphy would pitch two-to-three innings back then to get the save, and he would go on to save four World Series games, which ranks tied for third-most all-time.
Following his playing career, Murphy then spent 22 years working in the front offices for the Red Sox and Mets. He was the general manager of the 1969 Miracle Mets that shocked the baseball world by winning the World Series.
Winning Words From Johnny Murphy
"I once asked (Lefty) Gomez about the special relationship he had with Johnny Murphy, a famous Yankee relief pitcher. In the declining years of Gomez's career, Murphy was frequently called upon to finish Lefty's games for him. 'In those last years,' Lefty said, 'I could go, maybe, six innings, and then my arm would stiffen up, and I just couldn't go anymore. It was always nice to see Murphy coming in to save me. A very special relationship. Murphy listed me as a dependent on his income tax.'" - Columnist Emmett Watson in The Seattle Times
8. Whitey Ford – 6 (Tie)
Career: 16 seasons (1950, 1953-67)
Teams: New York Yankees
Stats: 236-106, 2.75 ERA, 156 CG, 1,956 K
Championship years: 1950, 1953, 1956, 1958, 1961-62
Bottom Line: Whitey Ford
Whitey Ford was the ace of the Yankees rotation during the 1950s and ’60s, and because of that, he piled up World Series stats. He is the all-time leader in World Series game wins (10), innings (146), strikeouts (94) and games started (22). Those stats are also the same as his total postseason stats because, back then, the only playoff series was the World Series.
But ironically, despite Ford starting 22 World Series games, he never started a Game 7 during his career. There were plenty of opportunities, as the Bronx Bombers played in seven Game 7s during his career, but Ford never got the ball in any of them.
Winning Words From Whitey Ford
"You would be amazed how many important outs you can get by working the count down to where the hitter is sure you're going to throw to his weakness, and then throw to his power instead."
8. Allie Reynolds – 6 (Tie)
Career: 13 seasons (1942-54)
Teams: Cleveland Indians, New York Yankees
Stats: 182-107, 3.30 ERA, 1,423 K
Championship years: 1947, 1949-53
Bottom Line: Allie Reynolds
Allie Reynolds had a unique career — he was sometimes used as a starter and sometimes used as a closer, often in the same season. That led to his odd 1945 season when he finished fifth with 18 wins while also finishing third with four saves.
He was used similarly in his 15 World Series games, as he started nine of them and pitched in relief in six of them. For his career, Reynolds racked up seven World Series game wins, which is second-most all-time, and four World Series saves, which is third-most all-time.
Winning Words About Allie Reynolds
"One great Yankee that is frequently forgotten today is star pitcher Allie Reynolds. Reynolds, nicknamed 'Superchief,' was an indispensable member of the Bombers’ pitching staff from 1947 to 1954." —Bronx Pinstripes
8. Vic Raschi – 6 (Tie)
Career: 10 seasons (1946-55)
Teams: New York Yankees, St. Louis Cardinals, Kansas City Athletics
Stats: 132-66, 3.72 ERA, 944 K
Championship years: 1947, 1949-53
Bottom Line: Vic Raschi
Because of his military service during World War II, Vic Raschi didn’t become a Big Leagues regular until he was 28 years old. But he quickly made up for lost time, as he won six World Series rings by the time he was 34. Even though he often played second fiddle to Allie Reynolds, Yankees manager Casey Stengel said that Raschi was his best starter to go a full nine innings.
He did just that in his most memorable game, which came in Game 1 of the 1950 World Series. Raschi threw a complete game shutout, allowing just two hits to the Phillies. Raschi, himself, had a base hit, so he had half the number of total bases as the entire Phillies lineup. The Yankees won that game 1-0 and would go on to sweep Philadelphia.
Winning Words From Vic Raschi
"My best pitch is anything the batter grounds, lines, or pops in the direction of [Phil] Rizzuto."
3. Babe Ruth – 7 (Tie)
Career: 22 seasons (1914-35)
Teams: Boston Red Sox, New York Yankees, Boston Braves
Stats: .342 BA, 2,873 H, 714 HR, 2,214 RBI
Championship years: 1915-16, 1918, 1923, 1927-28, 1932
Bottom Line: Babe Ruth
The most famous baseball player who ever lived won his first three World Series with the Red Sox, and primarily as a pitcher, before winning the last four as a hitter with the Yankees.
Babe Ruth’s World Series ERA of 0.87 (31 innings) is the fifth-lowest in MLB history, and he won all three postseason games he pitched in. He also smacked 15 home runs in October, which is second-most all-time, and that includes two separate three-homer games.
Ruth’s best all-around game came in Game 4 of the 1918 World Series when he hit a two-run double while also pitching eight innings, allowing just two runs. He picked up the win and provided the only RBI of the game for the Red Sox, which defeated the Cubs to go up 3-2. Ruth and the Red Sox would go on to win the World Series in six games.
Winning Words From Babe Ruth
"I only have one superstition: I make sure to touch all the bases when I hit a home run."
3. Bill Dickey – 7 (Tie)
Career: 17 seasons (1927-43, 1946)
Teams: New York Yankees
Stats: .313 BA, 1,969 H, 202 HR, 1,209 RBI
Championship years: 1932, 1936-39, 1941, 1943
Bottom Line: Bill Dickey
Not every player is able to rise to the occasion of postseason baseball and take their game to another level, such as the case with Bill Dickey.
He was one of the greatest hitting catchers of all time, and his career .313 average is the second-highest by a catcher. However, that average dipped to .255 across 38 World Series games.
But despite his futility, the Yankees still won seven of the eight World Series that Dickey played in. After retiring, he then returned to the Yankees as a first base coach and won another six World Series, giving him a total of 13.
Winning Words From Bill Dickey
"A catcher must want to catch. He must make up his mind that it isn't the terrible job it is painted, and that he isn't going to say every day, 'Why, oh why with so many other positions in baseball did I take up this one.'"
3. Hank Bauer – 7 (Tie)
Career: 14 seasons (1948-61)
Teams: New York Yankees, Kansas City Athletics
Stats: .277 BA, 1,424 H, 164 HR
Championship years: 1949-53, 1956, 1958
Bottom Line: Hank Bauer
No relation to Trevor Bauer, Hank Bauer had abominable performances in the first half of his World Series career. Through his first four World Series, the three-time All-Star hit .123 across 20 games with 0 home runs. But something clicked in 1953, and he did a 180.
During the final five World Series he played in, Bauer hit .298 across 33 games with seven home runs. No one could figure out what led to the improvement in Bauer, as his regular season numbers were basically opposite his postseason.
Winning Words About Hank Bauer
"When he [Hank Bauer] was on the field, you were his enemy. Off the field, he was ... one of the nicest guys you'd ever want to meet. But on the field, it was his job." —Former Yankees teammate and Hall of Famer Yogi Berra
3. Mickey Mantle – 7 (Tie)
Career: 18 seasons (1951-68)
Teams: New York Yankees
Stats: .298 BA, 2,415 H, 536 HR, 1,509 RBI
Championship years: 1951-53, 1956, 1958, 1961-62
Bottom Line: Mickey Mantle
Mickey Mantle is, statistically, the greatest World Series hitter of all time. He is the Fall Classic’s career leader in home runs, RBI, total bases and runs scored. This, of course, can partially be attributed to Mantle getting so many more opportunities than all but a handful of other players.
He actually struggled in the postseason compared to the regular season, as he hit only .257 across 65 World Series games. His most memorable postseason hit was in Game 7 of the 1952 World Series when Mantle hit a go-ahead home run in the sixth inning, as the Yanks would defeat the Dodgers.
Winning Words From Mickey Mantle
"Somebody once asked me if I ever went up to the plate trying to hit a home run. I said, 'Sure, every time.'"
3. Phil Rizzuto – 7 (Tie)
Career: 13 seasons (1941-42, 1946-56)
Teams: New York Yankees
Stats: .273 BA, 1,588 H, 38 HR, 149 SB
Championship years: 1941, 1947, 1949-53
Bottom Line: Phil Rizzuto
Billy Madison’s least-favorite player was born in Brooklyn, raised in Queens and spent his entire pro career in the Bronx.
Phil Rizzuto had a knack for either being really good or really bad in the postseason. In four World Series, he hit above .300, while in another four, he hit below .200. Just once in nine World Series did he hit between .200 and .300.
After being released during the 1956 season, Rizzuto went into broadcasting the next year and stayed there for four decades. His 40 years calling Yankees games make him the longest-serving broadcaster in team history.
Winning Words From Phil Rizzuto
"I'll take any way to get into the Hall of Fame. If they want a batboy, I'll go in as a batboy."
2. Joe DiMaggio – 9
Career: 13 seasons (1936-42, 1946-51)
Teams: New York Yankees
Stats: .325 BA, 2,214 H, 361 HR, 1,537 RBI
Championship years: 1936-39, 1941, 1947, 1949-51
Bottom Line: Joe DiMaggio
Joltin’ Joe DiMaggio won nine World Series rings in 10 World Series appearances. He’s best known for his legendary 56-game hitting streak in 1941 and his longest hitting streak during the World Series was seven games from 1938-39. In the 1941 World Series, he had hits in three of the five games played.
But DiMaggio’s brilliance went beyond the hit streak, as he was a fantastic defensive center fielder and earned the nickname “The Yankee Clipper” because a broadcaster likened his range to that of an airliner.
He patrolled Yankee Stadium’s massive center field, which robbed himself of many home runs when at the plate. Of DiMaggio’s 361 career home runs, just 40 percent of them came at home.
Winning Words From Joe DiMaggio
"I'd like to thank the good Lord for making me a Yankee."
1. Yogi Berra – 10
Career: 19 seasons (1946-63, 1965)
Teams: New York Yankees, New York Mets
Stats: .285 BA, 2,150 H, 358 HR, 1,430 RBI
Championship years: 1947, 1949-53, 1956, 1958, 1961-62
Bottom Line: Yogi Berra
With 14 World Series appearances and 10 World Series rings, Yogi Berra owns many of the all-time Fall Classic records. He’s the all-time leader in games, plate appearances, at-bats and hits, despite starting his World Series career 5-for-46 (.109).
The World Series MVP wasn’t awarded until the 1955 season, after Berra had already collected six rings, but the Yankees’ catcher never won the award during his career. His best effort came in the 1956 World Series when the Yankees defeated the Dodgers in seven games. Berra hit .360 during the series with three home runs and 10 RBI, which were both among all players.
But Don Larsen outshined Berra by throwing what remains the only perfect game in World Series history, and Larsen won the MVP.
Winning Words From Yogi Berra
"Baseball is ninety percent mental and the other half is physical."