Rangers relief pitcher Will Smith became a World Series champion for the third time in his MLB career on Wednesday night when Texas beat the Diamondbacks 5–0 in Game 5 of the 2023 World Classic.
Smith placed himself in MLB history books with the Rangers’ title on Thursday, but not just because he added another championship to his résumé. He also became the only player in history to win three consecutive World Series titles with three different teams.
This also makes Smith the only player out of the four major North American sports leagues—MLB, NFL, NHL and NBA—to appear in at least one game of a title run with three different teams in three consecutive seasons, per MLB’s Sarah Langs.
The 34-year-old was on the 2021 Braves, followed by the 2022 Astros and now, the 2023 Rangers. That’s quite the streak.
All Will Smith does is WIN 🏆🏆🏆 pic.twitter.com/pxr54iURtK
— Sports Illustrated (@SInow) November 2, 2023
Smith appeared in five postseason games this year, pitching a total of 3.1 innings. In that span, he threw four strikeouts, while allowing three hits and four runs. He finished the 2023 season with a 4.40 ERA.
