Despite being constantly minimized to just "small-market" teams, you shouldn't be surprised to see a Tampa Bay Rays vs. Milwaukee Brewers World Series. Even with their low payrolls, neither team is void of star power and, in fact, both are titans. These are the teams with the best records in their respective leagues this season, with the Brewers at 103 wins and the Rays at 98. 

It is a heavyweight bout that we don't always get these days. Remember, the World Series was simply between the teams with the best record in each league until 1969, when the leagues implemented the League Championship Series. Still, when only four teams made the playoffs, matchups between the teams with the best record in each league were common. Once the wild card was introduced in 1995, the extra playoff teams invited more upsets. This season now marks just the sixth World Series in the Wild Card Era with two No. 1 seeds facing off.

Here's how the previous five transpired:

1995: Atlanta Braves 4, Cleveland 2

The year after MLB canceled its season due to a labor fight, the best team in baseball resided in Cleveland at 100-44, a full 10 games ahead of the second-best team. That would be the Braves, who went on to win the World Series in six games. Five of the six games were one-run affairs, with the lone outlier being a 5-2 Braves win in Game 4. Tom Glavine had a 1.29 ERA in his two starts to win MVP, while Greg Maddux had a 2.25 ERA. The Braves homered eight times, including three from Ryan Klesko.

1999: New York Yankees 4, Atlanta Braves 0

The dynasty Yankees won 98 games that regular season, but the Braves, with 103 wins, had the best MLB record. No matter, the Yankees dispatched Atlanta with a four-game sweep, outscoring the Braves 21-9. Mariano Rivera had a win and two saves to win MVP, Derek Jeter hit .353, and Roger Clemens, David Cone and Orlando Hernandez were dominant on the mound. 

2013: Boston Red Sox 4, St. Louis Cardinals 2

More than a decade passed before two top seeds squared off again. The Red Sox took Game 1, but then lost the next two and were down heading to the fifth inning of Game 4 when a fired-up David Ortiz gathered his teammates for a pep talk. A three-run Jonny Gomes home run in the sixth inning put the Red Sox on top for good, and they never trailed again, winning the title in six. Big Papi himself was the MVP after going an absurd 11 for 16 (.688) with two doubles, two homers and six RBI. He walked eight times against only one strikeout. Add it all up and he had a 1.948 OPS. Jon Lester went 2-0 with a 0.59 ERA, too.

2020: Los Angeles Dodgers 4, Tampa Bay Rays 2

The 60-game season with no fans was forgettable. MLB decided to flood the playoffs with 16 teams and yet the two best teams still emerged, as the 43-17 Dodgers faced the 40-20 Rays. The Dodgers hit 12 home runs in the series, getting two apiece from Mookie Betts, Corey Seager and Justin Turner. The Rays took a wild Game 4 with a walk-off thanks to an error at home plate to even the series at two games apiece. The Dodgers won Game 5 and then trailed 1-0 in Game 6 with Blake Snell absolutely dealing for the Rays through five. With one out in the sixth, he gave up a single and was removed. The Dodgers scored two runs after the pitching change, bringing the series home. Seager won MVP.

2024: Los Angeles Dodgers 4, New York Yankees 1

The Yankees only needed 94 wins to achieve the best AL record, while the Dodgers paced the NL with 98. Heading into the series, Dodgers first baseman Freddie Freeman could barely walk on an injured ankle. It was a big storyline heading into Game 1. Then he hit a walk-off grand slam. He homered again in Game 2. And Game 3. He won MVP after compiling four home runs and 12 RBI in the five games. 

The Dodgers had a 3-0 lead before the Yankees took Game 4 and took a 5-0 lead in Game 5, only to blow that in the fifth inning, which included multiple defensive gaffes. The series was a lot closer than the 4-1 series tally suggests, but the Dodgers were the team that kept coming through when it mattered.