Alright, let's settle this straight away because I know exactly why you're here. You typed something like "last time Dodgers won World Series" or "when did Dodgers last win WS" into Google. Maybe you got into a debate with your buddy, maybe you're a new fan trying to catch up on history, or maybe you're just bleeding Dodger blue and want to relive the glory. I get it. As a guy who sat through way too many heartbreaking Octobers myself, that 2020 championship hit differently. So, the plain answer: The Los Angeles Dodgers won the World Series most recently in 2020. They beat the Tampa Bay Rays in six games. The clinching Game 6 happened on October 27, 2020.
But honestly, if we just stopped there, it wouldn't do justice to that whole wild ride, would it? That season was nuts – played in empty stadiums during the pandemic, the neutral site in Texas – nothing like the usual roar of Chavez Ravine. Some folks even try to downplay it because of the shortened season. Pfft. Try telling that to Corey Seager after he absolutely demolished Rays pitching or to Clayton Kershaw finally getting that elusive ring. Winning it all is hard, period. This post dives deep into everything you actually want to know about the last time the Dodgers won the World Series: the key players, the crucial moments, how it felt as a fan, how it stacks up historically, and why that 2020 team earned every bit of that trophy.
The 2020 Season: A Championship Forged Under Weird Circumstances
Man, remember March 2020? Everything shut down. Baseball disappeared. We didn't even know if there *would* be a season. When they finally came back in July, it was just 60 games. Sixty! And no fans in the stands. All those games in empty stadiums felt surreal, like watching high-level scrimmages. Playoff bubbles? Neutral sites? It was baseball, but not as we knew it. Through it all, those Dodgers were machines. They ripped through the regular season, finishing with the best record in MLB at 43-17. That .717 win percentage? Ridiculous. They were stacked and hungry after falling short in 2017 and 2018. This was their window, pandemic or not.
Why the 2020 Title Counts (And Counts Big): Look, I've heard the "asterisk" talk. A 60-game season is different, no doubt. But consider this: Winning the World Series requires navigating the gauntlet of the playoffs – best-of-three Wild Card, best-of-five Division Series, best-seven Championship Series and World Series. The Dodgers played 18 playoff games against the absolute best teams baseball had to offer that year (Brewers, Padres, Braves, Rays). That's more playoff wins needed than in a typical non-COVID year just to reach the WS! They dominated that pressure cooker. Calling it illegitimate ignores the sheer difficulty of what they accomplished under uniquely stressful conditions. Every team faced the same rules. The Dodgers conquered them.
The Playoff March to Glory: How They Got It Done
Okay, let's get into the nitty-gritty of how the Dodgers actually won it all in 2020. This wasn't a cakewalk. They faced serious challenges, especially from Atlanta.
National League Wild Card Series: Sweeping the Brewers (2-0)
Pretty straightforward start. Clayton Kershaw set the tone in Game 1, and the offense just overpowered Milwaukee. Good warm-up.
National League Division Series: Taking Down the Padres (3-0)
This was supposed to be tougher. The young, exciting Padres were rising. But the Dodgers' experience and pitching depth shone through. Mookie Betts was everywhere.
National League Championship Series: The Epic Comeback vs. Atlanta (4-3)
This is where it got real. And stressful. Down 3-1 in the series? My blood pressure still spikes thinking about it. This is where legends were made.
- Corey Seager went supernova: .310 AVG, 5 HR, 11 RBI in the series. NLCS MVP. Unreal.
- Max Muncy's clutch walk-off hit in Game 3 kept them alive when they were staring down the barrel of 0-3.
- Game 7 Masterclass: Kershaw on short rest? Buehler dealing? Hernandez's huge homer? Ultimate team win to complete the comeback.
Coming back from 3-1 down against a Braves team that hit like crazy? That showed the heart of that Dodgers squad. No quit.
| Series | Opponent | Result | Key Performers | Critical Moment |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| NL Wild Card | Milwaukee Brewers | W 2-0 | Kershaw (G1 W), Betts (3B, RBI) | Game 1 pitching dominance |
| NLDS | San Diego Padres | W 3-0 | Bellinger (GW HR G2), Treinen (Saves) | Bellinger's go-ahead HR off Clevinger |
| NLCS | Atlanta Braves | W 4-3 | Seager (MVP, 5 HR), Muncy (Walk-off G3) | Down 3-1, winning Games 5,6,7 |
| World Series | Tampa Bay Rays | W 4-2 | Seager (MVP), Urias (2 Wins, S) | Barnes' HR G3, Urias closing G6 |
World Series Showdown: Dodgers vs. Rays
After the emotional NLCS win, facing the scrappy, pitching-rich Rays felt like a different kind of test. Globe Life Field in Arlington, Texas was neutral, but it definitely lacked that true World Series atmosphere. Still, the baseball was intense.
Series Breakdown
- Game 1: Dodgers win 8-3. Kershaw looked like vintage Kershaw, and Betts homered and stole two bags. Solid start.
- Game 2: Rays win 6-4. Brandon Lowe's two homers off Tony Gonsolin stung. Evened up.
- Game 3: Rays win 6-2. Walker Buehler struggled, and the Rays' bullpen game worked. Uh oh. Rays lead 2-1.
- Game 4: Dodgers WIN 7-6 (8 innings). This one was wild. Down 6-7 late? Brett Phillips... oof. That crazy Rays rally in the 9th tied it? Brutal. But then... bottom 9th, Brett Phillips misplays a single, and Chris Taylor AND Cody Bellinger score on the error! Walk-off chaos. Dodger win. Massive momentum swing. Heart attack stuff.
- Game 5: Dodgers win 4-2. Clayton Kershaw bounced back HUGE. Got the win. Seager homered (again). Dodgers lead 3-2.
- Game 6: Dodgers WIN 3-1!!! Rays took an early lead. Nerves were frayed. But Mookie Betts homered to tie it, then scored the go-ahead run on a fielder's choice after a steal. Julio Urías, the young lefty, was nails closing it out. Final out? A grounder to Seager. Pandemonium (well, as much as possible in a half-empty stadium).
How sweet it was!
World Series MVP: No surprise here – Corey Seager was unstoppable. He hit .400 (8-for-20) with 2 homers, 5 RBI, and more walks than strikeouts. He was the engine of that offense throughout the entire postseason. Deserved every bit of that hardware after the last time Dodgers won the World Series.
The Core That Got It Done: Meet the 2020 Dodgers Heroes
This wasn't a one-man show. It was a deep, talented roster built by Andrew Friedman. Let's give credit where it's due:
| Player | Role | Key 2020 Stats (Reg Season) | Signature WS Moment |
|---|---|---|---|
| Clayton Kershaw (SP) | Ace (Finally got his ring!) | 6-2, 2.16 ERA, 62 Ks | Dominant WS Game 1 win (6 IP, 1 ER) |
| Corey Seager (SS) | Cleanup Hitter, WS & NLCS MVP | .307 AVG, 15 HR, .943 OPS | Consistent hitting, clutch HRs throughout playoffs |
| Mookie Betts (RF) | Lead-off Sparkplug, Gold Glove | .292 AVG, 16 HR, 10 SB, .927 OPS | Go-ahead run & HR in clinching Game 6 |
| Justin Turner (3B) | Heart & Soul, Veteran Leader | .307 AVG, 4 HR, .860 OPS | Leadership, key hits (even pulling himself after COVID+ in G6) |
| Julio Urías (P) | Swiss Army Knife (Starter/Closer) | 3-0, 3.27 ERA, 45 Ks | Closed out NLCS Game 7 AND WS Game 6! |
| Max Muncy (1B) | Power Bat, On-Base Machine | .192 AVG, 12 HR, .720 OPS (down year, clutch in playoffs) | NLCS Game 3 walk-off hit |
| Walker Buehler (SP) | Fireballing Co-Ace | 1-0, 3.44 ERA, 42 Ks (Injured list time) | NLCS Game 6 gem to force Game 7 |
| Will Smith (C) | Young Rising Star Catcher | .289 AVG, 8 HR, .980 OPS | Solid defense, timely hitting |
| Dave Roberts (Manager) | Captain of the Ship | Won 43 Games (.717%) | Managing pitching staff through intense playoffs |
That trade for Mookie Betts before the season? Absolute game-changer. He brought that championship pedigree and an edge they needed. Seeing Kershaw finally lift that trophy? Man, that was special. Years of frustration lifted. Julio Urías emerging as this insanely clutch pitcher at age 24? The future was bright too. And Justin Turner... the dude bled blue. Even testing positive mid-World Series couldn't fully dim his presence (though obviously being pulled was the right call).
Putting 2020 in Context: Dodgers World Series History
Look, the Dodgers have a rich history. Brooklyn. LA. Legends like Robinson, Koufax, Lasorda. But for a long time after moving west, the big one was elusive. That 1988 Kirk Gibson homer felt like ancient history.
| World Series Wins (Los Angeles Era) | Year | Opponent | Result | MVP | Key Figure(s) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| First LA Title | 1959 | Chicago White Sox | W 4-2 | Larry Sherry (P) | Wills, Podres |
| Sandy Koufax Era | 1963 | New York Yankees | W 4-0 | Sandy Koufax | Koufax, Drysdale |
| Sandy Koufax Era | 1965 | Minnesota Twins | W 4-3 | Sandy Koufax | Koufax (G7 shutout on 2 days rest) |
| Garvey/Cey/Lopes/Russell | 1981 | New York Yankees | W 4-2 | Ron Cey, Pedro Guerrero, Steve Yeager | Valenzuela, Guerrero |
| The Gibson Miracle | 1988 | Oakland A's | W 4-1 | Orel Hershiser | Gibson (HR), Hershiser |
| The Long Wait Ends | 2020 | Tampa Bay Rays | W 4-2 | Corey Seager | Seager, Kershaw, Betts, Urías |
See that gap? 1988 to 2020. Thirty-two years. Countless playoff heartbreaks (2017 still hurts, let's be real). That's why the last time Dodgers won the World Series in 2020 resonated so deeply, especially for long-suffering fans. It ended the longest championship drought in the franchise's history since moving to Los Angeles. It put the ghosts of past Octobers to rest, at least for a while. It wasn't just *a* championship; it was the one that broke the spell.
Frequently Asked Questions About the Dodgers' Last World Series Win
Let's knock out those specific questions people type into Google. I see these searches all the time:
When was the last time the Dodgers won the World Series?
They won the 2020 World Series. They clinched it on October 27, 2020, defeating the Tampa Bay Rays in Game 6 at Globe Life Field in Arlington, Texas.
How many World Series have the Dodgers won?
In total, the Dodgers franchise has won 7 World Series championships.
- Brooklyn Dodgers: 1955
- Los Angeles Dodgers: 1959, 1963, 1965, 1981, 1988, 2020
Who won the 2020 World Series MVP?
Shortstop Corey Seager was named the World Series MVP. He was absolutely on fire throughout the entire 2020 postseason, also winning the NLCS MVP award. He hit .400 with 2 homers and a 1.256 OPS against the Rays.
Did Clayton Kershaw pitch in the 2020 World Series?
Absolutely, and it was crucial. Kershaw started and won Game 1 against the Rays, pitching 6 strong innings, allowing only 1 run while striking out 8. He also started and won the pivotal Game 5, going 5.2 innings and allowing 2 runs. Kershaw finally got his World Series ring after years of postseason struggles, silencing a lot of critics (myself included, I'll admit I worried).
Where was the 2020 World Series played?
Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the entire 2020 MLB postseason was played in neutral-site "bubble" locations. The World Series was held at Globe Life Field in Arlington, Texas, the brand-new home of the Texas Rangers. No team had home-field advantage.
Why do some people say the 2020 World Series doesn't count?
This usually boils down to the shortened 60-game regular season. Critics argue it wasn't a "real" test of endurance. As a fan who watched every stressful pitch, I strongly disagree. The playoffs were longer and harder than ever. Every team faced the same pandemic constraints. The Dodgers navigated the toughest path against the best competition under immense pressure. That championship was earned.
Who was the Dodgers manager in 2020?
Dave Roberts was the manager when the Dodgers last won the World Series. He managed the team through those challenging pandemic protocols and intense playoff series, finally capturing the title that had narrowly escaped them in previous years.
The Aftermath and the Quest for More
Winning in 2020 felt like a massive weight lifted. The "can't win the big one" narrative was gone. But guess what? Dodger fans are greedy (in a good way!). We immediately started thinking about the next one. The core was still strong. Friedman kept adding pieces (Trea Turner, Freddie Freeman!). They won 106 games in 2021 but fell short in the NLCS. Won 111 in 2022 but lost in the NLDS. Got swept in the 2023 NLDS. Ouch. Point is, getting back to the top and winning *again* is incredibly hard, even for a juggernaut. The hunger for that next parade is real. We know how good it felt the last time Dodgers won the World Series, and we want that feeling again. The front office knows it. The players know it. Every year that passes since 2020 makes fans wonder... when's the next one coming? The talent is there. October is just a beast.
So, there you have it. The complete lowdown on the last time Dodgers won the World Series. From the weirdness of the pandemic season to the nail-biting comeback against Atlanta and finally sealing the deal against Tampa Bay. It was a championship built on talent, depth, resilience, and finally conquering the ghosts of playoffs past. Remember the date: October 27, 2020. Remember the heroes: Seager, Kershaw, Betts, Urías, Turner, and the whole crew. Now, let's hope we're not talking *only* about 2020 for too much longer. Go Blue!
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