Players to win back-to-back World Series with two teams

When the Astros announced their World Series roster ahead of Game 1, veteran left-handed reliever Will Smith was a notable addition after being left out in the ALDS and ALCS.

That's because Smith won a ring in 2021, when he was a part of a Braves team that took down the Astros in the Fall Classic. But while Smith will get another ring in 2022, thanks to the Astros' six-game triumph over the Phillies, he ultimately did not make an appearance on the mound.

That kept him from joining the exclusive club of nine players who have won a World Series in back-to-back seasons with two different teams, according to the Elias Sports Bureau. (Here, winning the World Series is defined as playing at least one postseason game for the champs.)

Here is a look at those nine players:

Joc Pederson: 2020 Dodgers, 2021 Braves
Welcome to "Joctober." Pederson played 48 career postseason games with the Dodgers from 2015-19, but had never won it all. That finally changed in 2020, when Pederson's .991 OPS and eight RBIs were a significant force behind Los Angeles capturing its first World Series title since 1988. Pederson then signed with the Cubs as a free agent for 2021 but was flipped to Atlanta in mid-July as part of the Braves' outfield overhaul. After helping the club lock up an NL East title, Pederson launched pinch-hit homers in Games 1 and 3 of the NL Division Series against the Brewers to jumpstart another deep postseason run.

And don't forget the pearls. Pederson’s pearl necklace, which he began wearing toward the end of the season, became one of the hallmark images of the Braves’ championship run, which culminated in a World Series triumph over the Astros.

Ben Zobrist: 2015 Royals, 2016 Cubs
Zobrist was a midseason acquisition for the Royals in '15, arriving in a trade with the A’s that sent Sean Manaea to Oakland. In 16 postseason games for Kansas City, he hit .303 and slugged .515 as the club won in five games over the Mets. When he hit free agency that offseason, Zobrist signed with the Cubs. The Cubs made it to the playoffs, and Zobrist got off to a slow start, but heated up in the Fall Classic. He hit .357 in the series, including delivering the go-ahead RBI in the top of the 10th inning in Game 7, and won World Series MVP honors.

Jake Peavy: 2013 Red Sox, 2014 Giants
Peavy was traded midseason to the team that went on to win the World Series twice. Talk about a successful stretch. In July 2013, he was sent to the Red Sox from the White Sox in a three-team trade. Peavy started a game per round for the Red Sox in the playoffs, and the team won the World Series over the Cardinals. The next July, the Red Sox sent him to the Giants, where he posted a 2.17 ERA in 12 starts down the stretch after starting the season at 4.72 in 20 starts for Boston. Peavy made four postseason starts across the NL Division Series, NLCS and World Series, and yet again, his team won it all -- this time with the Giants beating the Royals.

Ryan Theriot: 2011 Cardinals, 2012 Giants
Following the 2010 season, the Dodgers traded Theriot to the Cardinals. He appeared in 12 games that postseason across the three rounds, as the Cards beat the Rangers in the World Series. In free agency that offseason, he signed with the Giants. Yet again, he found himself on a team making a deep October run. He hit .300 in 11 postseason plate appearances for the Giants across the three rounds, and ended up a champion yet again as the team beat the Tigers. Pretty good results for what ended up being the final two years of his career.

Jack Morris: 1991 Twins, 1992 Blue Jays
Entering the 1991 season, Morris signed as a free agent with the Twins. He made five starts in the postseason for the club, culminating in his 10-inning shutout of the Braves in Game 7 of the World Series to seal the Twins’ title. Morris earned World Series MVP honors for his efforts, which also included starts of seven and six innings in the Fall Classic. That offseason, he signed as a free agent with the Blue Jays. Though his October magic didn’t quite carry over into '92, he made four starts during the run and won a second consecutive title as the Jays beat the Braves.

Don Gullett: 1976 Reds, 1977 Yankees
Gullett actually won three straight World Series, as the Reds won in '75 and '76, but the years of note to us here are '76 and '77, as those were consecutive years with different teams. In '76, Gullett made one start per round, allowing one run in eight innings in the NLCS and one run in 7 1/3 innings in the World Series, as the Reds beat the Yankees. As a free agent in the offseason, he went and joined the Yankees. That October, he yet again found himself in the playoffs, this time making three postseason starts as the Yankees beat the Dodgers in the World Series.

Bill Skowron: 1962 Yankees, 1963 Dodgers
Skowron also won three straight World Series, but since '61 and '62 were both with the Yankees, we’ll focus on just the latter two. In '62 he played for the Yankees as they beat the Giants in the Fall Classic. After the season, the Yankees traded him to the Dodgers. And when the playoffs came around again, he was yet again in the World Series -- this time facing his former team in the Yankees. And Skowron was a champ yet again, as the Dodgers swept.

Clem Labine: 1959 Dodgers, 1960 Pirates
In 1959 for the Dodgers, Labine pitched in one game as Los Angeles beat the White Sox in the World Series. The following June, the Dodgers traded him to the Tigers, who released him in August. After being released, he signed with the Pirates, who won the pennant. Labine pitched in three games in the World Series as the Pirates defeated the Yankees.

Allie Clark: 1947 Yankees, 1948 Indians
In Clark’s first year in the Majors, his Yankees made the World Series and won it all, with Clark appearing in three games as they beat the Dodgers. Following the season, the Yankees traded him to the Indians. That worked out well for Clark, as the Indians won the pennant and beat the Braves in the World Series. Pretty good for the first two years of Clark’s MLB career.