Will Smith World Series Streak Ends With Dodgers' Elimination
A unique run of players named Will Smith winning baseball's championship concluded as the Milwaukee Brewers swept the Los Angeles Dodgers.
The World Series will crown a champion without a player named Will Smith for the first time since 2019, following the Los Angeles Dodgers' elimination from the postseason. This marks the end of a remarkable streak that saw players sharing the same name win baseball's ultimate prize from 2020 through 2025.
The streak began in 2020 with Dodgers catcher Will Smith. It continued in 2021 when reliever Will Smith was part of the World Series-winning Atlanta Braves team. In 2022, reliever Will Smith, then with the Houston Astros, helped secure another championship for the franchise.
After the 2022 season, reliever Will Smith signed with the Texas Rangers. In 2023, he achieved a unique feat by winning the World Series with a third different team. The streak then seemingly reset as Dodgers catcher Will Smith was a member of the championship-winning teams in 2024 and 2025.
However, the Milwaukee Brewers' sweep of the Dodgers in the most recent postseason concluded this consecutive run. Reliever Will Smith has not pitched in the major leagues since 2024, making Dodgers catcher Will Smith the sole holder of the streak in its final years.
This unusual baseball narrative highlights a period where players with the same name achieved distinct successes in the World Series over a six-year span. The possibility of actor Will Smith joining a championship team was humorously noted as a far-fetched scenario to continue any such trend.