2021 World Series
The 2021 World Series was the championship series of Major League Baseball's (MLB) 2021 season. The 117th World Series was a best-of-seven playoff between the National League (NL) champion Atlanta Braves and the American League (AL) champion Houston Astros. The series began on October 26 and concluded on November 2.
2021 World Series
October 26 – November 2
Truist Park (Atlanta)
Minute Maid Park (Houston)
Jorge Soler (Atlanta)
Ted Barrett, Dan Bellino, Chris Conroy, Tom Hallion (crew chief), Ron Kulpa, Alfonso Márquez, Mike Muchlinski[1]
Fox (United States – English)
Fox Deportes (United States – Spanish)
MLB International (International)
Joe Buck, John Smoltz, Ken Rosenthal and Tom Verducci (Fox)
Adrian Garcia Marquez, Edgar Gonzalez and Carlos Álvarez (Fox Deportes)
Scott Braun and Dan Plesac (MLB International)
Dan Shulman, Jessica Mendoza, Eduardo Pérez and Buster Olney (ESPN)
Jesús Acostas, Alberto Ferreiro, José Luis Napoles and Luis Eduardo Quiñones (TUDN)
Ben Ingram and Joe Simpson (WCNN)
Daniel Cantú and Emanuel Zamarrón (WAOS)
Robert Ford and Steve Sparks (KBME)
Francisco Romero and Alex Treviño (KLAT)
Houston Astros beat Boston Red Sox (4–2)
Atlanta Braves beat Los Angeles Dodgers (4–2)
The Braves won the series four games to two. It was their fourth World Series title in franchise history, their first since 1995, and their second since the franchise's relocation to Atlanta in 1966, making this the first time they've won a second title in the same city.
The Braves advanced to the World Series after winning the NL East division title. Atlanta then defeated the Milwaukee Brewers in the NL Division Series and the Los Angeles Dodgers in the NL Championship Series. The Astros advanced to the World Series after winning the AL West. Houston then defeated the Chicago White Sox in the AL Division Series and the Boston Red Sox in the AL Championship Series.
The Astros had home-field advantage due to their superior regular-season record over that of the Braves. The series was played in a 2–3–2 format, with the Astros hosting Games 1, 2, and 6 (and 7 if it was necessary); and the Braves hosting Games 3, 4, and 5. The teams split the first two games, which were played at Minute Maid Park in Houston, and the Braves won Games 3 and 4 at Truist Park in Atlanta to take a 3–1 lead. The Astros won Game 5, returning the series to Houston. The Braves won Game 6 to win the World Series. Jorge Soler was awarded the World Series Most Valuable Player Award after batting .300 in the series with home runs in three of the Braves victories, each time giving them a lead they would never surrender.
Aftermath[edit]
Astros[edit]
Following the conclusion of the season, the Astros lost five players to free agency: Carlos Correa to the Minnesota Twins, Zack Greinke to the Kansas City Royals, Marwin González to the New York Yankees, Kendall Graveman to the Chicago White Sox, and Brooks Raley to the Tampa Bay Rays.[80] Justin Verlander was the lone free agent to re-sign with the Astros, returning on a two-year deal with a player option in the second year after missing all of the 2021 season.[81]
On August 2, 2022, the Astros traded starter Jake Odorizzi for Braves reliever Will Smith. Smith was the pitcher who recorded the last out of the World Series, making him the first pitcher ever to be traded the following season to the opposing team that he recorded the last out against.[82][83]
The Astros repeated as American League West champions in 2022, their sixth consecutive postseason appearance and fifth division title in six seasons. They swept the Seattle Mariners in the Division Series and the New York Yankees in the Championship Series to return to and win the World Series by beating the Philadelphia Phillies in six games.[84]
Braves[edit]
The much maligned Braves bullpen turned out to be the team's biggest strength during their World Series run. The bullpen was dominant throughout the postseason with the late-inning combination of Will Smith, Tyler Matzek, Luke Jackson, and A.J. Minter leading the way. Closer Will Smith struggled at times during the regular season having posted a 3.44 ERA, particularly with a 5.40 ERA during the dog days of a close NL East division race in August. Those struggles however disappeared for Smith in the postseason as the veteran reliever worked 11 consecutive scoreless innings in October allowing only five hits, three walks, and eight strikeouts with six saves.[85] As it turned out, 2021 would be the last full season the bullpen was together as Smith was traded to Houston at the 2022 trade deadline, Jackson suffered an elbow injury in April 2022, and Matzek had a similar injury before the start of the 2022 postseason in October. The media came up with the nickname 'The Night Shift' for the bullpen, but Luke Jackson later stated he was the one that came up with the name.[86]
The Braves celebrated their championship with a parade on November 5, with fitting nods to Henry "Hank" Aaron, the franchise legend who died in January at the age of 86. On their parade route, the Braves stopped through Georgia State University's Center Parc Stadium complex including the landing spot of Aaron's 715th home run where Atlanta-Fulton County Stadium used to stand. Once the parade reached Cumberland and Truist Park, the crowd was addressed by Henry's widow, Billye Aaron, in a fitting tribute to the slugger.[87] The Braves honored Hank Aaron during the 2021 season by including his jersey number 44 on the back of the team caps, along with Phil Niekro's jersey number, 35, who died one month earlier in December 2020. They also painted 44 in the midfield at Truist Park. Aaron was also honored in the design of the team's World Series championship ring, which includes 755 total diamonds to commemorate Aaron's career home runs, and 44 emerald-cut diamonds to represent Aaron's jersey number with the Braves.[88]
Media[edit]
This was Joe Buck's last World Series, which ended a 23-year run (1996–2021), the longest run of any play-by-play announcer on network television calling the World Series. Buck and his NFL broadcast partner Troy Aikman signed a lucrative multi-year deal with ESPN, which saw them become the new lead broadcast team of Monday Night Football beginning in the 2022 NFL season.[89] FOX would promote number two play-by-play baseball announcer Joe Davis to replace Buck's spot for the regular season, All-Star, and postseason games.