How the last 20 World Series winners did the following season

The Yankees won their second World Series in three years in 1998 and were able to repeat in 1999 with a sweep of the Braves. The 1999 squad featured huge years from Derek Jeter and Bernie Williams, while Orlando "El Duque" Hernandez won 17 games and threw 214.1 innings.

The Yankees won their third consecutive World Series in 2000, taking down in the Mets in the Subway Series in five games. The 2000 Yankees won only 87 games during the regular season but came together during the playoffs, capitalizing on their postseason experience and brilliant pitching from Roger Clemens in the ALCS and World Series.

The heavy favorites to win the World Series in 2001, which would have been their fourth in a row, the Yankees fell to Arizona in an epic and emotional seven-game World Series following the tragic events of 9/11. The Yankees won 95 games during the regular season and featured three 15-plus game winners in Mike Mussina, Roger Clemens and Andy Pettitte.

Arizona had another successful season in 2002, winning the NL West after going 98-64 during the regular season. Unfortunately, the Diamondbacks were swept in three games during the NLDS by a hot St. Louis Cardinals team. Randy Johnson won his fourth straight Cy Young Award in 2002 with arguably the best season of his career, going 24-5 with a 2.32 ERA and 334 strikeouts in 260 innings.

After a surprise 99-win season and World Series win in 2002, the Angels regressed considerably in 2003. They won only 77 games, finishing in third place in the AL West, as they struggled to find starting pitching and lost Darin Erstad and Troy Glaus to injuries.

The Marlins finished the 2003 season 75-49 under managerial replacement Jack McKeon and made their second playoff run in franchise history, but their luck ran out the following year. Florida finished in third place in the NL East at 83-79, though 21-year-old Miguel Cabrera hit 33 home runs, and a young pitching staff that included Carl Pavano, Dontrelle Willis and Josh Beckett showed promise.

Boston won its first World Series since 1918, and there wasn't much of a hangover in 2005. The team earned an AL wild-card spot after going 95-67, but the Red Sox were swept in the ALDS by the eventual World Series champion White Sox. The 2005 Boston squad had incredible seasons from Manny Ramirez (.292-45-144) and David Ortiz (.300-47-148).

Long World Series droughts were ended in consecutive seasons, as the White Sox won their first since 1917 after Boston won in 2004. Chicago's 2006 squad was also good, winning 90 games, but the Sox finished in only third place in a top-heavy AL Central Division led by the Twins and Tigers. The White Sox still hit plenty of home runs with Jermaine Dye, Jim Thome, Paul Konerko and Joe Crede all hitting at least 30.

The 2006 Cardinals team barely made the playoffs with 83 wins before a miraculous playoff run. The team struggled even more the following year, going 78-84 and finishing third in the NL Central. The Cardinals failed to hit beyond Albert Pujols and moved on from GM Walt Jocketty following the season.

The Red Sox spoiled fans with their second World Series victory in four seasons in 2007, and they returned to the playoffs in 2008 after going 95-67 and winning the wild card. After getting through the Angels in the ALDS, Boston lost to the division-rival Rays in a seven-game ALCS. The 2008 Red Sox had good pitching, led by Jon Lester and Daisuke Matsuzaka.

The loaded Phillies won five straight NL East titles from 2007-11, but their only World Series victory came in 2008. The 2009 squad went 93-69, winning one more regular-season game than in their championship year, but they lost to the Yankees in a six-game World Series. The lineup raked in the regular season, led by Ryan Howard, Chase Utley and Raul Ibanez.

The Yankees' 2009 squad is arguably the best of the 21st century, winning 103 games, but the 2010 team wasn't too shabby either. The Yanks won 95 regular-season games and the AL wild card but fell to the Rangers in the ALCS in six games.

The Giants started an impressive five-year run in 2010, but they regressed in 2011, winning only 86 games and failing to make the playoffs after finishing second in the NL West. The team was severely challenged offensively, scoring only 570 runs after Buster Posey suffered a major leg injury in a collision at home plate early in the year.

The 2011 Cardinals won one of the greatest World Series ever behind the heroics of hometown kid David Freese. They were able to win a NL wild-card spot in their encore performance after going 88-74 during the regular season. After defeating Atlanta in the wild-card game and pulling off another miracle act in a five-game series win over Washington in the NLDS, the Cardinals lost to the Giants in seven games in the NLCS. The 2012 team had a deep rotation, as six starters had sub-4.00 ERAs.

The Giants won their second World Series in three years in 2012 but suffered a major regression in 2013 with only 76 wins and a third-place finish in the NL West. Madison Bumgarner was the only regular starting pitcher with an ERA below 4.00, and the team had only one player with more than 20 home runs (Hunter Pence).

After winning the World Series in 2013, the Red Sox had an absolute nightmare of a season in 2014. Boston lost 91 games and had only one 20-homer hitter (David Ortiz) on the team. Ace Jon Lester was traded at the deadline, and Clay Buchholz finished with an ERA above 5.00.

The Giants' every-other-year trend continued, as they missed the playoffs for the third straight time after winning the World Series. San Francisco finished in second place in the NL West at 84-78 in 2015, struggling to generate much power offensively or find production in left and center fields.

The Royals won their first World Series in 30 years in 2015, but the organization hasn't been the same since. K.C. finished just 81-81 in 2016, as playoff heroes like Alex Gordon and Edinson Volquez struggled.

Former Red Sox GM Theo Epstein helped break his second curse, leading the Cubs to their first World Series win since 1908 as president of baseball operations. The young team returned to win its second consecutive NL Central title at 92-70 in 2017. The Cubs defeated the Nationals in a five-game NLDS before getting run over by the Dodgers in the NLCS in five games.

The Astros were one of the favorites to win the 2018 World Series and looked up to the task after winning 103 games during the regular season with a historic starting rotation. However, they ran into a Red Sox team in the ALCS destined to win it all after their own 108-win season. Houston fell to Boston in five games.

After winning their fourth World Series since 2004, the Red Sox got off to a putrid start in 2019 and could never dig out of it due to injuries. Among their major injuries were starting pitchers Chris Sale, Nathan Eovaldi, and David Price as the team finished third in the AL East at 84-78. Following the season, Boston fired GM Dave Dombrowski and traded franchise player Mookie Betts.