Below is a table of the World Series favorite entering the playoffs and how they have performed. Also listed are the pre-playoffs odds of the eventual champion.
Summary: since the 1985 season the World Series favorite entering the playoffs has won the title 12 times; lost in the World Series 5 times; lost in the League Championship Series 12 times and lost in the League Division Series 10 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 Favorite Team(s) |
World Series Favorite Odds |
World Series Favorite Result(s) |
World Series Champion |
World Series Odds |
World Series Odds Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | Los Angeles Dodgers | +325 | Won WS | Los Angeles Dodgers | +325 | 1st |
| 2023 | Atlanta Braves | +250 | Lost LDS | Texas Rangers | +1800 | T-8th |
| 2022 | Los Angeles Dodgers | +300 | Lost LDS | Houston Astros | +400 | 2nd |
| 2021 | Los Angeles Dodgers | +400 | Lost LCS | Atlanta Braves | +1200 | T-7th |
| 2020 | Los Angeles Dodgers | +320 | Won WS | Los Angeles Dodgers | +320 | 1st |
| 2019 | Houston Astros | +205 | Lost WS | Washington Nationals | +1200 | T-5th |
| 2018 | Boston Red Sox Houston Astros |
+330 | Won WS Lost LCS |
Boston Red Sox | +330 | T-1st |
| 2017 | Cleveland Indians | +325 | Lost LDS | Houston Astros | +455 | 3rd |
| 2016 | Chicago Cubs | +240 | Won WS | Chicago Cubs | +240 | 1st |
| 2015 | Toronto Blue Jays | +300 | Lost LCS | Kansas City Royals | +550 | 3rd |
| 2014 | Los Angeles Dodgers | +450 | Lost LDS | San Francisco Giants | +1400 | 9th |
| 2013 | Boston Red Sox | +350 | Won WS | Boston Red Sox | +350 | 1st |
| 2012 | New York Yankees | +450 | Lost LCS | San Francisco Giants | +750 | 6th |
| 2011 | Philadelphia Phillies | +180 | Lost LDS | St Louis Cardinals | +1400 | T-7th |
| 2010 | Philadelphia Phillies | +250 | Lost LCS | San Francisco Giants | +1000 | 5th |
| 2009 | New York Yankees | +175 | Won WS | New York Yankees | +175 | 1st |
| 2008 | Chicago Cubs | +300 | Lost LDS | Philadelphia Phillie | +800 | 5th |
| 2007 | New York Yankees | +250 | Lost LDS | Boston Red Sox | +300 | 2nd |
| 2006 | New York Yankees | +140 | Lost LDS | St Louis Cardinals | +700 | T-4th |
| 2005 | St Louis Cardinals New York Yankees |
+250 | Lost LCS Lost LDS |
Chicago White Sox | +700 | T-4th |
| 2004 | Boston Red Sox St Louis Cardinals New York Yankees |
+350 | Won WS Lost WS Lost LCS |
Boston Red Sox | +350 | T-1st |
| 2003 | New York Yankees | +250 | Lost WS | Florida Marlins | +1000 | 7th |
| 2002 | Arizona Diamondbacks | +300 | Lost LDS | Anaheim Angels | +1200 | T-5th |
| 2001 | Seattle Mariners | +250 | Lost LCS | Arizona Diamondbacks | +600 | T-4th |
| 2000 | Atlanta Braves | +300 | Lost LDS | New York Yankees | +350 | 2nd |
| 1999 | New York Yankees | +200 | Won WS | New York Yankees | +200 | 1st |
| 1998 | New York Yankees | +200 | Won WS | New York Yankees | +200 | 1st |
| 1997 | Atlanta Braves | +300 | Lost LCS | Florida Marlins | +2500 | T-6th |
| 1996 | Atlanta Braves | +160 | Lost WS | New York Yankees | +600 | 3rd |
| 1995 | Atlanta Braves | +180 | Won WS | Atlanta Braves | +180 | 1st |
| 1994 | Season cancelled due to players strike that began Aug 12 | |||||
| 1993 | Atlanta Braves | -150 | Lost LCS | Toronto Blue Jays | +300 | T-2nd |
| 1992 | Atlanta Braves | +160 | Lost WS | Toronto Blue Jays | +250 | 2nd |
| 1991 | Pittsburgh Pirates | +160 | Lost LCS | Minnesota Twins | +180 | 2nd |
| 1990 | Oakland Athletics | -200 | Lost WS | Cincinnati Reds | +400 | T-2nd |
| 1989 | Oakland Athletics | -167 | Won WS | Oakland Athletics | -167 | 1st |
| 1988 | New York Mets | +150 | Lost LCS | Los Angeles Dodgers | +300 | 4th |
| 1987 | Detroit Tigers | +150 | Lost LCS | Minnesota Twins | +450 | 4th |
| 1986 | New York Mets | -143 | Won WS | New York Mets | -143 | 1st |
| 1985 | Los Angeles Dodgers Toronto Blue Jays |
+200 | Lost LCS Lost LCS |
Kansas City Royals | +450 | 4th |
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).
