Hottest World Series Games Ever Played
The World Series kicks off Friday in Milwaukee, pitting the Tampa Bay Rays against the Milwaukee Brewers. It’s only the second Fall Classic between two teams with roofed home ballparks, after the Texas Rangers and Arizona Diamondbacks met in 2023, so fans won’t have to worry about rain delays, chilly nights or scorching afternoons this year.
That wasn’t always the case. Weather has played a role in plenty of World Series games over the years, including some memorably hot ones. Here’s a look at some of the hottest World Series games in history.
Los Angeles Dodgers vs Tampa Bay Rays - Arlington, Texas, 2020
Life resumed a bit of normalcy amid the COVID-19 pandemic in late 2020 when the World Series kicked off. The Dodgers took on the Tampa Bay Rays in the neutral field match-up, with all of the games contested in Arlington, Texas. While the games were played in the new indoor Globe Life Field, it was anything but climate-controlled outside. The mercury hit a high of 90 degrees in Arlington just before Game 1.
This reading was about 10 degrees over the historical average for late October in the Dallas-Fort Worth Metroplex. The Dodgers beat the Rays in six games to take the series.
Houston Astros at Los Angeles Dodgers - Los Angeles, 2017
It was a scorcher of a Game 1 in the 2017 World Series match-up when the Houston Astros took on the Dodgers in Los Angeles. The temperature came in at a sizzling 103 degrees when the first pitch was thrown at Dodger Stadium. The game went on to be the hottest World Series game in history.
An expansive dome of high pressure anchored over the Great Basin region at the end of October 2017 whipped up the hot and dry Santa Ana winds across Southern California. These winds coming down the mountains to the east of the city resulted in a zone of compressed heat, creating a record-breaking fall heat wave for the Los Angeles metro area. The Dodgers took the win in Game 1 before losing the series in seven games to the Astros.
New York Yankees at Arizona Diamondbacks - Phoenix, 2001
It is not surprising to learn that a World Series game in Phoenix was one of the hottest on record. Game 1 of this series was held on October 27 at Ball One Ballpark. A temperature of 94 degrees this day in the Valley of the Sun forced the closure of the roof.
It was typical Arizona weather for the end of October, with endless sunshine and temperatures that refused to ease. The Diamondbacks ended up winning the series with a walk-off in Game 7.
Chicago White Sox at Dodgers - Los Angeles, 1959
The hometown Dodgers hosted the Chicago White Sox in Game 3 of the 1959 World Series. This was back when the Fall Classic was played earlier in the month. Temperatures hovered in the mid 80s for the first World Series game ever contested in Los Angeles. Compounding the hot temperatures was the location at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum, a facility known for its large concrete bowl structure that traps heat. The Dodgers went on to win the series, marking their first championship on the West Coast.
Boston Red Sox at Cincinnati Reds - Cincinnati, 1975
Baseball fans typically do not need to worry about the heat during the World Series for games played in the Midwest. However, this was not the case in 1975 when the Boston Red Sox took on the Cincinnati Reds in Game 3 on October 14 at Riverfront Stadium. The high in Cincinnati hit 84 degrees that day, well over the norm for the middle of October. The hometown Reds won that toasty game, going on to take home the championship in seven games.
This year, the Rays and Brewers will have the luxury of a roof overhead, no matter what the forecast brings.
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