When the Kansas City Royals were eliminated from the playoffs by the New York Yankees on Thursday night, an oddity of a streak was extinguished.
While Major League Baseball hasn’t seen a repeat champion since 2000, when the Yankees won their third straight, relief pitcher Will Smith had a three-year run of rings with different teams and made the playoffs again this season, though he was not on the ALDS roster.
- In 2021, Smith was the Braves’ closer and saved six games while not allowing a single run on their way to the World Series championship, their first since 1995.
- In 2022, Smith was traded by the Braves to the Astros. He didn’t end up an integral part of the playoff bullpen. In fact, he didn’t even appear in the playoffs. He did, however, get a ring when the Astros won the World Series.
- Smith then signed with the Rangers in the spring of 2023. He appeared in five playoff games, though he pitched to a 10.80 ERA. Still, when the Rangers clinched that first-ever World Series title, Smith was on the squad and got himself another ring.
This past offseason, Smith signed a free-agent deal with the Royals, who had lost 106 games in 2023. The Royals ended up becoming one of the best stories in baseball and making the playoffs for the first time since 2015. Was Smith the magic touch? Were the Royals bound to go on an unlikely World Series run and get Smith his fourth straight ring with four different teams?
Alas, it was not meant to be.
