Ranking Jays-Dodgers among the greatest World Series Game 7s

Game 7 of the 2025 World Series was an instant classic that captivated the entire sports world. There's no doubt that it will live on for decades to come.

So, where exactly does it rank all time? Of the 41 winner-take-all World Series games, 16 have been decided by one run, and six needed extras to determine a champion. There's no doubt that the Dodgers and Blue Jays are now in the top 10, so let's open the vault to find its proper place in Game 7 lore.

10. 1912: Boston Red Sox 3, New York Giants 2 (10 innings)

The first winner-take-all World Series contest to require extras was actually Game 8, as Game 2 ended in a tie due to darkness. The Giants led 1-0 early, but Boston tied it in the seventh. New York took the lead back in the top of the 10th when Fred Merkle ripped an RBI single off Red Sox ace Smoky Joe Wood. But in the bottom half, Giants center fielder Fred Snodgrass dropped Clyde Engle's routine fly ball - an error dubbed the "$30,000 muff" by the papers - and Boston made New York pay. Tris Speaker's single scored Engle to tie it, and after an intentional walk to load the bases, Larry Gardner plated the series-winning run with a walk-off sacrifice fly. There's no video of this game, but it's easy to imagine how tense it must have felt at Fenway Park.

9. 1962: New York Yankees 1, San Francisco Giants 0

(Video source: MLB.com)

In a dazzling pitcher's duel, the Yankees' Ralph Terry threw a four-hit shutout to narrowly outpitch Jack Sanford at Candlestick Park. New York's seven hits were all singles, and its only run came on a 6-4-3 double play. In the bottom of the ninth, the Giants' Matty Alou hit a leadoff single, and Willie Mays ripped a two-out double, but Alou had to stop at third after a great relay from right field. Willie McCovey then scorched a line drive directly into second baseman Bobby Richardson's glove to end the series. It's one of only two World Series games to end 1-0 with the tying and winning runs on second and third and two out. The win gave the Yankees back-to-back titles, while San Francisco's loss was so crushing that even Charlie Brown was reduced to tears.

8. 1926: St. Louis Cardinals 3, New York Yankees 2

The underdog Cardinals jumped ahead of Babe Ruth's Yankees with a three-run fourth at Yankee Stadium. But in the bottom of the seventh, they clung to a 3-2 lead as New York loaded the bases with two out for future Hall of Famer Tony Lazzeri. That's when Cardinals player-manager Rogers Hornsby summoned another future Hall of Famer in veteran righty Grover Cleveland Alexander - who won Game 6 with a 108-pitch complete game and then supposedly showed up to Game 7 hungover - to put out the fire. Lazzeri nearly crushed a grand slam, pulling a deep fly ball two feet foul. Alexander's next pitch was a curveball that got Lazzeri to whiff, ending the threat. New York mounted one last rally against Alexander in the ninth when Ruth worked a two-out walk. Moments later, Ruth inexplicably tried to steal second and was thrown out easily to give St. Louis a stunning championship.

7. 1997: Florida Marlins 3, Cleveland Indians 2 (11 innings)

Cleveland held a 2-0 lead after six innings and took a 2-1 advantage into the ninth. But the Marlins pounced on Indians closer Jose Mesa, who blew the save by allowing two singles and a game-tying sacrifice fly to force extras. In the bottom of the 11th, Charles Nagy induced what should've been an inning-ending double play, but second baseman Tony Fernandez booted the ground ball to keep the inning going. Three batters later, Edgar Renteria ripped the series-winning single off Nagy's glove to secure the five-year-old Marlins' first title and add another entry to Cleveland's list of sports heartbreaks.

6. 1924: Washington Senators 4, New York Giants 3 (12 innings)

The longest winner-take-all game in World Series history was an absolute nail-biter. John McGraw's Giants scored three off Washington relief ace Firpo Marberry in the sixth to grab a 3-1 lead. The Senators roared back to tie it in the eighth on shortstop-manager Bucky Harris' two-run single, which purportedly hit a pebble and bounced over the glove of Giants third baseman Freddie Lindstrom. Moments later, Harris turned to the legendary Walter Johnson, who pitched four shutout innings of relief on one day's rest to maintain the tie. In the bottom of the 12th, Giants catcher Hank Gowdy tripped over his mask and dropped Muddy Ruel's foul pop-up. Given new life, Ruel doubled and then scored the series-winning run on Earl McNeely's walk-off double. Amazingly, footage of this classic game was rediscovered in 2014.

5. 2001: Arizona Diamondbacks 3, New York Yankees 2

This Game 7 ended a gripping World Series played against the backdrop of the 9/11 tragedy. The decisive contest, which featured a titanic pitching matchup between Roger Clemens and Curt Schilling, was tied 1-1 in the eighth when the Yankees' Alfonso Soriano tagged Schilling for a go-ahead homer. New York could've scored more runs if not for Randy Johnson - who started and won Game 6 - coming out of the bullpen to end the rally. Johnson got four outs on zero days' rest to give Arizona a chance in the bottom of the ninth against Mariano Rivera, and for once, the greatest closer ever crumbled. After a leadoff single, Rivera threw a sacrifice bunt into center field, allowed Tony Womack's game-tying double, and hit Craig Counsell to load the bases. Luis Gonzalez then plated the series-winning run to deny the Yankees a four-peat.

4. 2016: Chicago Cubs 8, Cleveland Indians 7 (10 innings)

The Cubs were trying to end a 108-year title drought. The Indians wanted their first championship in 68 years. This game was meant to be unforgettable. Chicago led by three in the eighth and seemed to be cruising until Aroldis Chapman allowed a Brandon Guyer RBI double and a shocking game-tying homer to light-hitting Rajai Davis, sending Progressive Field into a frenzy. Extras were needed, but not before a 17-minute rain delay halted the game and re-energized the Cubs, who scored two in the top of the 10th. Cleveland scored one more run in the bottom half but wouldn't get any closer. Kris Bryant slipped as he threw Michael Martinez's ground ball to first base, but the ball settled into Anthony Rizzo's glove, ending the Cubs' curse.

3. 1991: Minnesota Twins 1, Atlanta Braves 0 (10 innings)

This remains the ultimate pitchers' duel: two Hall of Famers putting zeroes on the board until someone broke to end a dramatic Fall Classic. Jack Morris refused to give up the baseball, throwing 10 shutout innings to shut down a powerful Atlanta offense. John Smoltz countered with 7 1/3 shutout innings before yielding to Mike Stanton and Alejandro Pena. In the bottom of the 10th, Minnesota finally broke through as pinch hitter Gene Larkin delivered a bases-loaded walk-off single to secure a 1-0 win for the Twins. Rarely is a 1-0 game this compelling.

2. 2025: Los Angeles Dodgers 5, Toronto Blue Jays 4 (11 innings)

This isn't recency bias. This was simply the greatest baseball game many of us will ever see. Shohei Ohtani versus Max Scherzer. Bo Bichette making Rogers Centre shake. The benches clearing. Toronto being two outs away from glory only for Miguel Rojas - Miguel Rojas! - to save the Dodgers with a homer. The Blue Jays nearly walking off in the bottom of the ninth twice, with Isiah Kiner-Falefa being called out by a toenail on a force play at home and then Andy Pages somehow catching Ernie Clement's deep fly ball while colliding with a teammate. Yoshinobu Yamamoto's 2 2/3 scoreless innings of relief one day after his 96-pitch Game 6 win. Will Smith's go-ahead homer in the 11th. And Toronto putting the winning run on first in the bottom half only to fall just short again. One of the greatest World Series ever contested deserved this finale. Thank you, Dodgers and Blue Jays.

1. 1960: Pittsburgh Pirates 10, New York Yankees 9

On Oct. 13, 1960, at Forbes Field, the dynastic Yankees and underdog Pirates played a heart-stopping baseball game that saw both teams mount multiple late-inning comebacks. Hal Smith's pinch-hit grand slam gave Pittsburgh a 9-7 lead in the eighth, but New York tied it in the top of the ninth on Mickey Mantle's single and Yogi Berra's groundout. Then, Bill Mazeroski hit the World Series-winning walk-off homer to lead off the bottom of the ninth. If Saturday night's insanity couldn't top this game (and it came damn close), then no two teams ever will.