The Greatest World Series Comebacks in MLB History

Many had written the New York Yankees off going into Game 4 of the 2024 World Series. The powerhouse Los Angeles Dodgers struck gold in Game 1 with a dramatic walk-off grand slam from Freddie Freeman and held off a rally in Game 2 to go up 2-0. Game 3 heroics from Freeman once again saw L.A. take a 3-0 lead, and many figured a sweep could be in store.

But the Yankees came alive in Game 4 on the back of an Anthony Volpe grand slam, clapping back with an 11-4 win to keep their season afloat. No team has ever come back from a 3-0 deficit in the World Series, and only once has it happened in postseason history (the 2004 Red Sox against those same Yankees).

Unfortunately, it wasn’t meant to be for the 2024 Yankees, as they lost to the Dodgers in Game 5 of the series. But what teams in history have come back from the supposed end only to take it all?

1. 1925 World Series (Pirates Over Senators)

Most of us weren’t around for the 1925 World Series between the Pittsburgh Pirates and Washington Senators, but by all accounts, it was a wild one.

The start of the series was postponed twice due to bad weather, an omen for what was to come. Washington took a 3-1 series lead out of the gate, meaning Pittsburgh would have to try to become the first team to rally from that deficit to win a title. The Pirates won Games 5 and 6 in nailbiter fashion, forcing Game 7 at Forbes Field. Weather conditions were reportedly disastrous, with historians believing it to have been some of the worst ever for a World Series game. Walter Johnson led the Senators to a 6-4 lead in the seventh, but shortstop Roger Peckinpaugh would make costly errors in the seventh and eighth to allow Pittsburgh to come back and win 9-7.

2. 1958 World Series (Yankees Over Braves)

The pennant races heading into the 1958 World Series were largely uncompetitive. The New York Yankees beat the Chicago White Sox by 10 games, while the Braves bested the Pirates by eight games. The World Series delivered a much tighter race.

New York fell behind 3-1 in the series, with Warren Spahn rolling through the Yankees with two dominant starts. The Yankees would become the second team to rebound from a 3-1 deficit though, with Hank Bauer’s four home runs and 10 hits leading the way for the Bronx Bombers. The Braves struck out 56 times in the series, setting a new record at the time. New York won Game 7 6-2 on the road, avenging the previous season’s loss to Milwaukee.

3. 1968 World Series (Tigers Over Cardinals)

The Detroit Tigers mustered an 8-1 win in Game 2 of the 1968 World Series against the St. Louis Cardinals, but quickly fell into a 3-1 deficit after getting blown out 10-1 in Game 4. That meant they would have to win three in a row, with two having to come on the road.

Detroit would manage two wins to knot things up heading into the series finale. Mickey Lolich would be the lifeblood of the Tigers, winning three games in the series on a 1.67 ERA. He went to battle with 1964 and 1967 World Series MVP Bob Gibson in Game 7, with the two pitching six scoreless innings each. But the Tigers would take the lead on a fielding miscue by Curt Flood in the seventh inning, winning the duel 4-1 and completing an improbable comeback.

4. 1979 World Series (Pirates Over Orioles)

The 1979 “We Are Family” Pittsburgh Pirates are one of the most memorable squads of their era, with superstar Willie Stargell leading the team to a National League pennant. But they ran into a lethal Baltimore Orioles team that took three of the first four games of the World Series, meaning Pittsburgh would have to win its last home game plus two at Memorial Stadium.

Jim Rooker and Bert Blyleven led the Pirates to a win in Game 5, and then they broke through on Hall of Fame pitcher Jim Palmer in Game 6 with a 4-0 win. Baltimore jumped ahead 1-0 in the third inning of Game 7, but Stargell’s two-run homer in the sixth inning was all the Pirates would need. They won 4-1 and completed the comeback with their most recent World Series win to date.

5. 1985 World Series (Royals Over Cardinals)

The 1985 World Series between the Kansas City Royals and St. Louis Cardinals is one of the most controversial matchups of all time, but that shouldn’t take away from the Royals making an impressive comeback.

Kansas City trailed the “Show-Me” Series 3-1 but managed to force Game 6 after a 6-1 win with their season on the line. Don Dekinger then made a series-altering call in the ninth inning of Game 6 with the Cardinals up 1-0, declaring Jorge Orta safe on what should have been a groundout. Dane Iorg would hit a two-run single that won them the game, and they’d go on to dominate the Cardinals 11-0 in Game 7 to take the series.

6. 1986 World Series (Mets Over Red Sox)

Sometimes, an entire series can shift momentum on the heels of one blunder. The 1986 World Series between the Boston Red Sox and New York Mets encompassed that very notion.

The Mets trailed the series 3-2 in Game 6 at Shea Stadium, down 5-3 in the 10th inning. Boston was one out away from its first world title since 1918. The Mets put two on for eventual World Series MVP Ray Knight, who singled in Gary Carter to make it a one-run game. Bob Stanley then threw a pitch in the dirt to Mookie Wilson, and Kevin Mitchell scored to knot it up, with Knight advancing to third. Wilson then dribbled a routine ground ball between the legs of first baseman Bill Buckner, and New York won in dramatic style. They’d come back from behind once more in Game 7, defeating the Red Sox to win the title.

7. 1991 World Series (Twins Over Braves)

The 1991 World Series saw the Minnesota Twins aim for the second world title against a budding powerhouse in the Atlanta Braves. Atlanta had Minnesota down 3-2 in the series, when magic hit Minneapolis in Games 6 and 7.

Game 6 was tied at 3 heading into the 11th inning when star outfielder Kirby Puckett came to the plate for the Twins. He originally planned to bunt but changed his strategy after taking a couple of pitches. He launched a homer into the left field seats, sending Minnesota into a frenzy and forcing Game 7. The next night saw two Hall of Famers in Jack Morris and John Smoltz, go to battle, both throwing scoreless outings. But Morris threw the greatest game of his career, a 10-inning shutout that saw Gene Larkin slip a hit into the gap in extras to give the Twins a World Series win.

8. 1996 World Series (Yankees Over Braves)

The 1958 World Series wouldn’t be the only time the Yankees would turn the tables on the Braves. The 1996 series ended an 18-year title drought for the Yanks, and their win came on the heels of a comeback.

The Braves easily took the first two games of the series, outsourcing the Yankees 16-1 at Yankee Stadium. New York responded with a Game 3 win before dramatics struck in Game 4. The Yankees trailed 6-3 in the eighth inning with runners on the corners when backup catcher Jim Leyritz stepped up to face hard-throwing Mark Wohlers. He left a slider over the plate that Leyritz crushed for a game-tying home run, and New York would win the game 8-6 in extras. The Yankees took the final two games at home and won the series 4-2 to kick off the Yankee dynasty.

9. 2001 World Series (Diamondbacks Over Yankees)

That same Yankee dynasty would come crashing to an end in the 2001 World Series, one of the most dramatic championship rounds ever played.

The Arizona Diamondbacks took a quick 2-1 lead in the series and were one out away from going up 3-1, but Tino Martinez hit a game-tying two-run homer in the ninth inning of Game 4 to send it to extras. Derek Jeter would hit a walk-off home run in the 10th inning after the clock struck midnight into November, earning him the moniker “Mr. November.” They would tie the game the following night in the ninth inning again when Scott Brosius hit a game-tying homer, eventually winning the game via a single from Alfonso Soriano.

New York carried the 3-2 series lead into Arizona, where it got smashed 15-2 in Game 6. The Yankees led 2-1 in Game 7 in the ninth when Mariano Rivera allowed two runs and a championship-winning single to Luis Gonzalez. Arizona’s win is widely viewed as one of the best baseball games in MLB history.

10. 2011 World Series (Cardinals Over Rangers)

The 2011 World Series had its fair share of dramatics as well, with the St. Louis Cardinals down to their final strike against the Texas Rangers in Game 6, down two.

That’s when David Freese stepped to the plate with two on and ripped a line drive to right field. The ball soared over the head of Nelson Cruz, and Freese rumbled around third for a game-tying triple. He would get another opportunity to hit in the 11th inning, sending a towering home run to center field to force Game 7 the next night. The Cardinals fell behind 2-0 in the first inning of Game 7 but scored six unanswered runs to capture a World Series crown. Freese was named MVP.

11. 2016 World Series (Cubs Over Indians)

Something was going to have to give in the 2016 World Series between the Chicago Cubs and Cleveland Indians, with both hoping to break massive championship droughts and capture a ring. Cleveland took a 3-1 series lead, but the Cubs would prove relentless.

Jon Lester’s two-run outing helped Chicago take Game 5 with a score of 3-2, and the Cubs dominated Game 6 thanks to Kris Byrant’s two home runs. That set the stage for Game 7 in Cleveland, a bout that became an instant classic, with the two teams trading the lead multiple times throughout the game. Cleveland trailed by three in the eighth, but a dramatic Rajai Davis home run would force the game to extras. The game was suddenly delayed by rain heading into extra innings, and Chicago used the time to regroup. The team scored twice in the 10th and held off a rally in the bottom of the frame to win their first World Series since 1908.