How Every World Series Champion Fared on MLB Opening Day

How every World Series champion fared on Opening Day originally appeared on NBC Sports Chicago

An MLB season is a marathon, not a sprint. Still, it never hurts to get off to a fast start.

Opening Day marks the starting line for 30 teams on their 162-game race to the postseason. A win is obviously the goal, but a loss to start the season isn’t the end of the world. Just look at some of the teams that have lifted the Commissioner’s Trophy.

In the 120-year history of the World Series, a majority of champions have started their title runs with an Opening Day win. However, a handful of recent World Series winners have proven that an Opening Day defeat is more than surmountable.

Let’s look back through over a century of MLB history and see how eventual World Series champions fared on Opening Day.

How many World Series winners lost on Opening Day?

Forty-one of the 118 World Series winners lost their first game of the season.

It was not a common trend in MLB’s early days. Between 1903 and 1934, six teams lost on Opening Day and went on to win it all.

The impact of a team’s Opening Day result has noticeably dropped in recent years. Since 2000, eventual World Series winners are just 12-11 on Opening Day, including 2-3 over the last five years.

What is the worst start to the season for a World Series winner?

The Atlanta Braves made history in 2021 by becoming the first MLB team to start a season 0-4 and wind up winning the Fall Classic.

Five other teams in MLB history overcame 0-3 starts to a season on their way to a championship. Six more started 0-2.

The remaining 105 World Series champions either won on Opening Day or picked up a victory in the second game of the year. That includes the 1933 New York Giants, who remain the only World Series winners to tie their season opener.

How every World Series winner fared on Opening Day

Here is the Opening Day result for every World Series winner in MLB history:

• 1903 Boston Americans: Won 9-4 vs. Philadelphia Athletics
• 1905 New York Giants: Won 10-1 vs. Boston Beaneaters
• 1906 Chicago White Sox: Won 5-3 vs. Detroit Tigers
• 1907 Chicago Cubs: Won 6-1 vs. St. Louis Cardinals
• 1908 Chicago Cubs: Won 6-5 vs. Cincinnati Reds
• 1909 Pittsburgh Pirates: Won 3-0 vs. Cincinnati Reds
• 1910 Philadelphia Athletics: Lost 3-0 vs. Washington Senators (won next game)
• 1911 Philadelphia Athletics: Lost 2-1 vs. New York Highlanders (started 0-3)
• 1912 Boston Red Sox: Won 5-3 vs. New York Highlanders
• 1913 Philadelphia Athletics: Won 10-9 vs. Boston Red Sox
• 1914 Boston Braves: Lost 8-2 vs. Brooklyn Robins (started 0-3)
• 1915 Boston Red Sox: Lost 2-0 to Philadelphia Athletics (won next game)
• 1916 Boston Red Sox: Won 2-1 vs. Philadelphia Athletics
• 1917 Chicago White Sox: Won 7-2 vs. St. Louis Browns
• 1918 Boston Red Sox: Won 7-1 vs. Philadelphia Athletics
• 1919 Cincinnati Reds: Won 6-2 vs. St. Louis Cardinals
• 1920 Cleveland: Won 5-0 vs. St. Louis Browns
• 1921 New York Giants: Won 10-8 vs. Philadelphia Phillies
• 1922 New York Giants: Lost 4-3 vs. Brooklyn Robins (won next game)
• 1923 New York Yankees: Won 4-1 vs. Boston Red Sox
• 1924: Washington Senators: Won 4-0 vs. Philadelphia Athletics
• 1925 Pittsburgh Pirates: Lost 8-2 vs. Chicago Cubs (won next game)
• 1926 St. Louis Cardinals: Won 7-6 vs. Pittsburgh Pirates
• 1927 New York Yankees: Won 8-3 vs. Philadelphia Athletics
• 1928 New York Yankees: Won 8-3 vs. Philadelphia Athletics
• 1929 Philadelphia Athletics: Won 13-4 vs. Washington Senators
• 1930 Philadelphia Athletics: Won 6-2 vs. New York Yankees
• 1931 St. Louis Cardinals: Won 7-3 vs. Cincinnati Reds
• 1932 New York Yankees: Won 12-6 vs. Philadelphia Athletics
• 1933 New York Giants: Tied 1-1 vs. Brooklyn Dodgers
• 1934 St. Louis Cardinals: Won 7-1 vs. Pittsburgh Pirates
• 1935 Detroit Tigers: Lost 7-6 vs. Chicago White Sox (won next game)
• 1936 New York Yankees: Lost 1-0 vs. Washington Senators (started 0-2)
• 1937 New York Yankees: Lost 3-2 vs. Washington Senators (won next game)
• 1938 New York Yankees: Lost 8-4 vs. Boston Red Sox (won next game)
• 1939 New York Yankees: Won 2-0 vs. Boston Red Sox
• 1940 Cincinnati Reds: Won 2-1 vs. Chicago Cubs
• 1941 New York Yankees: Won 3-0 vs. Washington Senators
• 1942 St. Louis Cardinals: Lost 5-4 vs. Chicago Cubs (won next game)
• 1943 New York Yankees: Won 5-4 vs. Washington Senators
• 1944 St. Louis Cardinals: Won 2-0 vs. Pittsburgh Pirates
• 1945 Detroit Tigers: Lost 7-1 vs. St. Louis Browns (won next game)
• 1946 St. Louis Cardinals: Lost 6-4 vs. Pittsburgh Pirates (won next game)
• 1947 New York Yankees: Lost 6-1 vs. Philadelphia Athletics (won next game)
• 1948 Cleveland: Won 4-0 vs. St. Louis Browns
• 1949 New York Yankees: Won 3-2 vs. Washington Senators
• 1950 New York Yankees: Won 15-10 vs. Boston Red Sox
• 1951 New York Yankees: Won 5-0 vs. Boston Red Sox
• 1952 New York Yankees: Won 8-1 vs. Philadelphia Athletics
• 1953 New York Yankees: Lost 5-0 vs. Philadelphia Athletics (won next game)
• 1954 New York Giants: Won 4-3 vs. Brooklyn Dodgers
• 1955 Brooklyn Dodgers: Won 6-1 vs. Pittsburgh Pirates
• 1956 New York Yankees: Won 10-4 vs. Washington Senators
• 1957 Milwaukee Braves: Won 4-1 vs. Chicago Cubs
• 1958 New York Yankees: Won 3-0 vs. Boston Red Sox
• 1959 Los Angeles Dodgers: Lost 6-1 vs. Chicago Cubs (won next game)
• 1960 Pittsburgh Pirates: Lost 4-3 vs. Milwaukee Braves (won next game) 
• 1961 New York Yankees: Lost 6-0 vs. Minnesota Twins (won next game)
• 1962 New York Yankees: Won 7-6 vs. Baltimore Orioles
• 1963 Los Angeles Dodgers: Won 5-1 vs. Chicago Cubs
• 1964 St. Louis Cardinals: Lost 4-0 vs. Los Angeles Dodgers (won next game)
• 1965 Los Angeles Dodgers: Won 6-1 vs. New York Mets
• 1966 Baltimore Orioles: Won 5-4 vs. Boston Red Sox
• 1967 St. Louis Cardinals: Won 6-0 vs. San Francisco Giants
• 1968 Detroit Tigers: Lost 7-3 vs. Boston Red Sox (won next game)
• 1969 New York Mets: Lost 11-10 vs. Montreal Expos (won next game)
• 1970 Baltimore Orioles: Won 8-2 vs. Cleveland
• 1971 Pittsburgh Pirates: Won 4-2 vs. Philadelphia Phillies
• 1972 Oakland Athletics: Won 4-3 vs. Minnesota Twins
• 1973 Oakland Athletics: Lost 8-3 vs. Minnesota Twins (started 0-3)
• 1974 Oakland Athletics: Won 7-2 vs. Texas Rangers
• 1975 Cincinnati Reds: Won 2-1 vs. Los Angeles Dodgers
• 1976 Cincinnati Reds: Won 11-5 vs. Houston Astros
• 1977 New York Yankees: Won 3-0 vs. Milwaukee Brewers
• 1978 New York Yankees: Lost 2-1 vs. Texas Rangers (won next game)
• 1979 Pittsburgh Pirates: Lost 3-2 vs. Montreal Expos (won next game)
• 1980 Philadelphia Phillies: Won 6-3 vs. Montreal Expos
• 1981 Los Angeles Dodgers: Won 2-0 vs. Houston Astros
• 1982 St. Louis Cardinals: Won 14-3 vs. Houston Astros
• 1983 Baltimore Orioles: Lost 7-2 vs. Kansas City Royals (won next game)
• 1984 Detroit Tigers: Won 8-1 vs. Minnesota Twins
• 1985 Kansas City Royals: Won 2-1 vs. Toronto Blue Jays
• 1986 New York Mets: Won 4-2 vs. Pittsburgh Pirates
• 1987 Minnesota Twins: Won 5-4 vs. Oakland Athletics
• 1988 Los Angeles Dodgers: Lost 5-1 vs. San Francisco Giants (won next game)
• 1989 Oakland Athletics: Won 3-2 vs. Seattle Mariners
• 1990 Cincinnati Reds: Won 8-4 vs. Houston Astros
• 1991 Minnesota Twins: Lost 7-2 vs. Oakland Athletics (won next game)
• 1992 Toronto Blue Jays: Won 4-2 vs. Detroit Tigers
• 1993 Toronto Blue Jays: Lost 8-1 vs. Seattle Mariners (won next game)
• 1995 Atlanta Braves: Won 12-5 vs. San Francisco Giants
• 1996 New York Yankees: Won 7-1 vs. Cleveland
• 1997 Florida Marlins: Won 4-2 vs. Chicago Cubs
• 1998 New York Yankees: Lost 4-1 vs. Anaheim Angels (started 0-3)
• 1999 New York Yankees: Lost 5-3 vs. Oakland Athletics (won next game)
• 2000 New York Yankees: Won 3-2 vs. Anaheim Angels
• 2001 Arizona Diamondbacks: Won 3-2 vs. Los Angeles Dodgers
• 2002 Anaheim Angels: Lost 6-0 vs. Cleveland (won next game)
• 2003 Florida Marlins: Lost 8-5 vs. Philadelphia Phillies (started 0-2)
• 2004 Boston Red Sox: Lost 7-2 vs. Baltimore Orioles (won next game)
• 2005 Chicago White Sox: Won 1-0 vs. Cleveland
• 2006 St. Louis Cardinals: Won 13-5 vs. Philadelphia Phillies
• 2007 Boston Red Sox: Lost 7-1 vs. Kansas City Royals (won next game)
• 2008 Philadelphia Phillies: Lost 11-6 vs. Washington Nationals (started 0-2)
• 2009 New York Yankees: Lost 10-5 vs. Baltimore Orioles (started 0-2)
• 2010 San Francisco Giants: Won 5-2 vs. Houston Astros 
• 2011 St. Louis Cardinals: Lost 5-3 vs. San Diego Padres (started 0-2)
• 2012 San Francisco Giants: Lost 5-4 vs. Arizona Diamondbacks (started 0-3)
• 2013 Boston Red Sox: Won 8-2 vs. New York Yankees
• 2014 San Francisco Giants: Won 9-8 vs. Arizona Diamondbacks
• 2015 Kansas City Royals: Won 10-1 vs. Chicago White Sox
• 2016 Chicago Cubs: Won 9-0 vs. Los Angeles Angels
• 2017 Houston Astros: Won 3-0 vs. Seattle Mariners
• 2018 Boston Red Sox: Lost 6-4 vs. Tampa Bay Rays (won next game)
• 2019 Washington Nationals: Lost 2-0 vs. New York Mets (started 0-2)
• 2020 Los Angeles Dodgers: Won 8-1 vs. San Francisco Giants
• 2021 Atlanta Braves: Lost 3-2 vs. Philadelphia Phillies (started 0-4)
• 2022 Houston Astros: Won 3-1 vs. Los Angeles Angels