The Top 15 New York Yankees Teams of All Time

The New York Yankees have earned their status as an iconic franchise with their 27 World Series Championships, and they remain on the hunt for No. 28. It’s possible we look back at a squad consisting of Aaron Judge and Juan Soto as one of the best ever, but that could be dependent on whether or not it wins a ring.

Many previous Yankees teams were headlined by Hall of Famers who carried their legacies with multiple world titles. Yet a few squads, in particular, stand out due to their sheer dominance and individual feats.

1. 1927 Yankees

Often considered to be the greatest baseball team of all time, the 1927 Yankees were borderline unstoppable.

They were appropriately nicknamed “Murderers’ Row” due to the potency of their lineup, and it’s not hard to imagine why. Babe Ruth set the then-record for home runs in a season with 60. Lou Gehrig hit .373 with 173 RBI. Tony Lazzeri had a breakout season at 23 years old. The 1927 Yankees finished 110-44, won the World Series in a sweep over Pittsburgh, and exemplified the excellence associated with the franchise name.

2. 1998 Yankees

The 1998 Yankees meanwhile are considered by many to be the most dominant team of the last 50 years, having won 114 games and sweeping the San Diego Padres in the World Series.

New York won four World Series titles from 1996 to 2000, but the 1998 team was its most dynamic. It saw a lineup anchored by future Hall of Fame shortstop Derek Jeter, who earned his second ring with a .324 average. They were well-rounded across the lineup from leadoff to the nine-hole, receiving clutch hitting in the postseason from the likes of Tino Martinez and World Series MVP Scott Brosius. Throw in Mariano Rivera as its closer, and it’s no secret as to how this squad won 125 games.

3. 1961 Yankees

Similar dominance could be found in the 1961 Yankees, a team loaded and aided by a historic home run chase.

Roger Maris and Mickey Mantle lit up the lights throughout the summer of ‘61, with both of them aiming to break Babe Ruth’s record of 60 homers in a season. An injury to Mantle slowed his pursuit, and Maris would ultimately set the record with 61. Between Maris, Mantle, and Whitey Ford’s Cy Young Award-winning 25-victory season, the Yankees won 109 regular season games and beat the Cardinals in the World Series.

4. 1939 Yankees

If Joe DiMaggio hits .381 for your team, there’s a good chance you’re going to win the World Series.

The 1939 Yankees did just that, with the 24-year-old outfielder notching a 1.119 OPS to go along with 30 home runs. The squad was loaded with Hall of Famers Bill Dickey and Joe Gordon at catcher and second base, respectively, and managed by legendary skipper Joe McCarthy. New York won 106 games in what would also be Lou Gehrig’s final season with the franchise.

5. 1999 Yankees

How do you follow up winning a World Series with one of the greatest teams of all time? You win another one the next season in a fashion that was nearly as dominant.

That’s what the 1999 Yankees did, acquiring Roger Clemens in the offseason to bolster their already stacked starting rotation. As “The Rocket” mowed through opponents, Derek Jeter put up the greatest season of his career with a .349 average and 24 homers en route to the Yankees’ 98 wins. Mariano Rivera was lights out in the postseason, and New York swept the Atlanta Braves to capture World Series trophy No. 25.

6. 1953 Yankees

Yogi Berra. Whitey Ford. Mickey Mantle. Phil Rizzuto. How are you beating that?

Frankly, no one could. The 1953 Yankees won 99 games, and stand as one of New York’s most balanced teams. Mantle hit nearly .300 in his third season in the bigs, while Berra finished second in AL Most Valuable Player Award voting. The Yanks would go on to beat the Brooklyn Dodgers 4-2 in the Fall Classic. It was the fifth straight World Series New York won, which still stands as a Major League Baseball record.

7. 1941 Yankees

The Yankees also beat the Brooklyn Dodgers in the 1941 World Series, but it’s amazing to consider that may not be their most notable feat.

The 1941 season was highlighted by Joe DiMaggio doing the improbable, collecting a 56-game hitting streak that is still the longest in league history. He hit .357 with 30 home runs and 125 runs batted in that season, earning his second MVP honor. Red Ruffing was superb on the mound for the Yankees as well, going 15-6.

8. 1932 Yankees

The “Ruthian” Yankees were full of legend, from the players themselves to the folklore they built.

The 1932 season saw Lou Gehrig hit .349 with 151 RBI, complementing The Babe’s 41 homers perfectly. But the season was defined by their World Series matchup with the Chicago Cubs, where Ruth allegedly stepped to the plate, pointed to the center field stands, and called his shot. Legend suggests he’d hit a home run to that exact area, and New York would defeat the Cubs in a series sweep.

9. 1977 Yankees

The 1977 season was full of controversy for the Yankees, but it still ended up with 100 wins and a triumphant World Series victory over the Los Angeles Dodgers.

Reggie Jackson was brought in to be the glue that would avenge the team’s World Series loss the year prior to the Cincinnati Reds. He may have been more of the straw that stirs the drink, as he hit 32 homers with more than 100 RBI and feuded with owner George Steinbrenner and manager Billy Martin. Still, he came through huge in Game 6 of the World Series, hitting three home runs en route to clinching World Series MVP honors.

10. 1956 Yankees

The 1956 campaign was full of notable achievements for a Yankees team locked in a heated rivalry with the Dodgers.

Mickey Mantle had the best season of his career, earning the Triple Crown to go along with 52 home runs and the AL MVP Award. They would look to avenge the previous season’s World Series loss to the Dodgers by facing them again with a title on the line, and Don Larsen was ready for the moment. He threw a perfect game in Game 5 of the World Series, the only perfect game to date in World Series history. New York won the series, 4-3.

11. 2009 Yankees

When the Yankees miss the playoffs, it’s considered an organizational failure. The 2008 season saw them do so for the first time since 1993. That meant changes were in store.

New York signed CC Sabathia, Mark Teixeira, and A.J. Burnett in the offseason in an effort to retool their roster, and it was a resounding success. Sabathia won 19 games, Teixeira led the American League in home runs and RBI, and Alex Rodriguez had the best postseason performance of his career. New York would defeat the Philadelphia Phillies, 4-2, in the World Series, earning Derek Jeter, Mariano Rivera, Andy Pettitte, and Jorge Posada their final rings.

12. 1947 Yankees

Another team, another year where Joe DiMaggio torched his competition.

DiMaggio was firmly one of the best players in the game at 32 years old in 1947, and won his third AL MVP Award that season. He hit .315 with 20 home runs and 97 RBI (a year many would consider down for his production standards), but was the heartbeat of a team that knocked off the Dodgers in a seven-game World Series. Allie Reynolds was also fantastic that year on the mound, putting up a 19-8 record.

13. 1936 Yankees

Put two of the greatest hitters in baseball history, in their primes, in the same lineup, and what do you get? A World Series ring.

The 1936 Yankees had Lou Gehrig at his absolute best, and a young rookie named Joe DiMaggio. DiMaggio hit .323 and earned an All-Star selection in his first season, laying the path for a Hall of Fame career. Gehrig meanwhile was outstanding, hitting .354 with 49 home runs and 130 RBI en route to winning AL MVP. The Yankees won 102 games, and beat the Giants in the World Series.

14. 1950 Yankees

It’s not easy for a shortstop to win MVP, but Phil Rizzuto’s 1950 season was immensely important to the Yankees winning a championship.

Rizzuto took home the honor after collecting 200 hits to go along with a .324 average, the benchmark for consistency on a stacked Yankees team. Joe DiMaggio still hit over .300 in his second-to-last season, and Whitey Ford lost just one game as a rookie. They would sweep the Phillies in the World Series.

15. 1949 Yankees

The 1949 Yankees had just two hitters in their lineup with batting averages below .270. That included Joe DiMaggio not at full strength.

Yogi Berra, Phil Rizzuto, Tommy Henrich, and others provided a measured and balanced lineup that saw New York use to beat the Dodgers, 4-1, in the World Series. Allie Reynolds was spectacular again with a 17-6 record, and DiMaggio contributed with a .346 average across 76 games played due to injury. The team went 97-57 during the regular season.