The Chicago Cubs’ history dates back to the 1870s, back when the franchise was known as the Chicago White Stockings. Since the team was founded, incredible talents like Ernie Banks, Ron Santo, Greg Maddux, and Ryne Sandberg have suited up for the team from the north side of Chicago. But how many World Series titles have the Cubs won throughout the team’s history? Here’s an answer to that question.
Chicago Cubs World Series history
The Chicago Cubs franchise has won three World Series titles. The three championships that belong to the Cubs were won in 1907, 1908, and 2016.
Between 1906-1908, the Cubs won the NL pennant in each of those three seasons. In 1906, the Cubs fell to the team’s cross-town rival: the White Sox. The next season, the Cubs would capture the crown for the first time. Led by Orval Overall and Mordecai Brown, the Cubs would go 4-0-1 against the AL champion Tigers in the 1907 World Series.
The following season, Chicago would repeat as World Series champions. Once again, the Cubs would defeat the Detroit Tigers, as Brown and Overall would each win two games for the North Siders in that series. After that 1908 victory, though, the Cubs would endure an unprecedented title drought.
The Chicago Cubs made the World Series seven times between 1909 and 1945. Stars like Hack Wilson, Rogers Hornsby, and Pete Alexander would star for the Cubs but would fail to help the Cubs clinch the franchise’s third title. The Cubs would lose in 1910 & 1929 to the Athletics, 1918 to the Red Sox, 1932 & 1938 to the Yankees, and 1935 & 1945 to the Tigers.
Chicago would return to the playoffs twice in the 1980s (1984 & 1989 thanks to franchise cornerstone Ryne Sandberg, but lost both seasons in the NLCS. The 1990s would see yet another resurgence on the North Side, thanks to budding ace Kerry Wood and slugger Sammy Sosa. The Cubs would make it to the Postseason in 1998 and 2003, falling short of reaching the World Series in both years.
After a lengthy rebuild in the early 2010s, Chicago would make it to the NLCS in 2015. Unfortunately for the Cubs, Chicago would be swept by the Mets. The next season, however, would mark the breakthrough the Cubs needed.
Led by Kris Bryant, Javier Baez, Anthony Rizzo, and Jon Lester, the Cubs would knock off the Giants (NLDS) and Dodgers (NLCS) to return to the World Series for the first time since 1945. Chicago met the Indians in the Fall Classic, a team that had the second-longest World Series title drought.
Cleveland went up 3-1 in that series after four games, but the Cubs reeled off three in a row to win the franchise’s first title since 1908.