ML B ) ▁in ▁North ▁America , ▁cont ested ▁since ▁ 1 9 0 3 ▁between ▁the ▁American ▁League ▁( AL ) ▁champion ▁team ▁and ▁the ▁National ▁League ▁( NL ) ▁champion ▁team . ▁The ▁winner ▁of ▁the ▁World ▁Series ▁championship ▁is ▁determined ▁through ▁a ▁best - of - se ven ▁play off , ▁and ▁the ▁winning ▁team ▁is ▁awarded ▁the ▁Commission er ' s ▁Tro phy . ▁As ▁the ▁series ▁is ▁played ▁during ▁the ▁fall ▁season ▁in ▁North ▁America , ▁it ▁is ▁sometimes ▁referred ▁to ▁as ▁the ▁Fall ▁Classic . ▁Since ▁ 2 0 1 7 , ▁it ▁has ▁been ▁officially ▁known ▁as ▁the ▁World ▁Series ▁presented ▁by ▁YouTube ▁TV ▁for ▁spons or ship ▁reasons . ▁ ▁Prior ▁to ▁ 1 9 6 9 , ▁the ▁team ▁with ▁the ▁best ▁regular - season ▁win - loss ▁record ▁in ▁each ▁league ▁automatically ▁advanced ▁to ▁the ▁World ▁Series ▁( bar ring ▁a ▁tie ); ▁since ▁then ▁each ▁league ▁has ▁conducted ▁a ▁championship ▁series ▁( AL CS ▁and ▁N L CS ) ▁preceding ▁the ▁World ▁Series ▁to ▁determine ▁which ▁teams ▁will ▁advance , ▁while ▁those ▁series ▁have ▁in ▁turn ▁been ▁preced ed ▁by ▁division ▁series ▁( AL DS ▁and ▁N L DS ) ▁since ▁ 1 9 9 5 ▁and ▁by ▁wild ▁card ▁games ▁in ▁each ▁league ▁since ▁ 2 0 1 2 . ▁The ▁World ▁Series ▁has ▁been ▁cont ested ▁ 1 1 5 ▁times ▁as ▁of ▁ 2 0 1 9 , ▁with ▁the ▁AL ▁winning ▁ 6 6 ▁and ▁the ▁N L