Dodgers among strongest starts by reigning WS champs

On the heels of their 2024 World Series title, the Dodgers are off to a historic start this season.

The Dodgers became the first defending World Series champion to begin their season 8-0, besting the previous record held by the 1933 Yankees, who started their season 7-0. After winning the first two games against the Cubs in the Tokyo Series, the Dodgers returned home to take the entire six-game homestand against the Tigers and Braves before losing their first game against the Phillies in Philadelphia.

With the Dodgers’ excellent start in mind, it got us thinking: Which defending champions got off to the hottest starts? Here’s a look at the longest season-opening winning streak for a defending champion and the best records through 10, 25 and 50 games for teams looking to defend their World Series title.

Longest win streaks to open season
1. 2025 Dodgers: 8-0 (TBD)
2. 1933 Yankees: 7-0 (Missed postseason)
3. 1985 Tigers: 6-0 (Missed postseason)
4. 1934 Giants: 5-0 (Missed postseason)
5-T. 1976 Reds: 4-0 (Won World Series)
5-T. 1942 Yankees: 4-0 (Lost in World Series)
5-T. 1928 Yankees: 4-0 (Lost in World Series)
5-T. 1923 Giants: 4-0 (Lost in World Series)
5-T. 1916 Braves: 4-0 (Missed postseason)

When the Dodgers started the 2025 season with eight straight wins, they became just the ninth defending champion to even begin their season with four victories in a row. The last defending champions to reel off four straight wins were the 1985 Tigers, who won their first six games of the season but missed the postseason after going 78-77 the rest of the way. You’ll also notice that the Yankees are featured heavily on this list and the following segments, which is no surprise for a team with an MLB-record 27 World Series titles.

Best record in first 10 games
1-T. 1923 Giants: 9-1 (Lost in World Series)
1-T. 2025 Dodgers: 9-1 (TBD)
3-T. 2021 Dodgers: 8-2 (Lost in NLCS)
3-T. 2018 Astros: 8-2 (Lost in ALCS)
3-T. 2016 Royals: 8-2 (Missed postseason)
3-T. 2004 Marlins: 8-2 (Missed postseason)
3-T. 1990 A’s: 8-2 (Lost in World Series)
3-T. 1971 Orioles: 8-2 (Lost in World Series)
3-T. 1953 Yankees: 8-2 (Won World Series)
3-T. 1942 Yankees: 8-2 (Lost in World Series)
3-T. 1933 Yankees: 8-2 (Missed postseason)
3-T. 1922 Giants: 8-2 (Won World Series)
3-T. 1904 Boston Americans: 8-2 (No postseason played)

Fittingly, the last defending champion to win at least eight of its first 10 games was the 2021 Dodgers. Here’s where things get interesting, though: Only two of the 12 previous defending champions that started 9-1 have gone on to win the World Series (1953 Yankees and 1922 Giants). Maybe that’s not surprising given that four of those teams have played during an active 24-year stretch where no team has repeated as World Series champions.

Best record in first 25 games
1-T. 1939 Yankees: 20-5 (Won World Series)
1-T. 1928 Yankees: 20-5 (Won World Series)
3. 1990 Athletics: 19-6 (Lost in World Series)
4-T. 2006 White Sox: 18-7 (Missed postseason)
4-T. 1931 Athletics: 18-7 (Lost in World Series)
4-T. 1923 Giants: 18-7 (Lost in World Series)
4-T. 1922 Giants: 18-7 (Won World Series)
4-T. 1904 Americans: 18-7 (No postseason played)
9. 1907 White Sox: 17-7-1 (Missed postseason)
10-T. 12 teams tied, 17-8

It’s hard to overstate the Yankees’ dominance during the 20th century, and both of the top teams here were big parts of it. The 1928 squad repeated as World Series champions, following up on the success of the previous season’s “Murderers’ Row” lineup and sweeping the Cardinals in the Fall Classic. The 1939 Yanks, meanwhile, won 12 straight games after a 10-5 start and went on to finish the regular season with a 106-45-1 record, sweeping the Reds in the World Series. The teams on this list tended to finish strong, with only two of the top nine failing to make the World Series. (That doesn’t include the 1904 Americans, who won the American League but were refused the chance to face the New York Giants in the Fall Classic by Giants owner John T. Brush).

Best record in first 50 games
1-T. 1939 Yankees: 40-10 (Won World Series)
1-T. 1928 Yankees: 40-10 (Won World Series)
3. 1953 Yankees: 39-11 (Won World Series)
4-T. 1942 Yankees: 38-12 (Lost in World Series)
4-T. 1931 Athletics: 38-12 (Lost in World Series)
6-T. 1990 A’s: 34-16 (Lost in World Series)
6-T. 1950 Yankees: 34-16 (Won World Series)
6-T. 1923 Giants: 34-16 (Lost in World Series)

If the 2025 Dodgers intend to crack this list, there’s not much margin for error. Both the 1928 and 1939 Yankees teams who started strong through 25 games continued their .800 pace through their next 25, resulting in identical 40-10 records 50 games in. The two squads are tied for the second-best 50-game start in AL/NL history, trailing only the 1946 Red Sox (40-9-1). Behind them are six other teams that went on to play in the Fall Classic, most recently the 1990 A’s after their victory in the 1989 “Bay Bridge Series” against the Giants.