1995: the first Atlanta championship
The 1995 Braves finished the job after a string of October near-misses. Atlanta defeated Cleveland in six games, with Tom Glavine delivering eight scoreless innings in the clincher and David Justice providing the game's only run with a home run.
The title gave the Atlanta era its first World Series championship and validated a team that had already reached the World Series in 1991 and 1992.
2021: a very different path
The 2021 championship was less orderly. Atlanta spent much of the season around .500, lost Ronald Acuña Jr. to a season-ending knee injury, and reconstructed its outfield with a series of deadline trades. The Braves eventually won the division, then beat Milwaukee and Los Angeles before defeating Houston in six games.
Jorge Soler was named World Series MVP after hitting three home runs in the series, including a towering three-run shot in the deciding Game 6.
The pennants around the titles
Atlanta also reached the World Series in 1991, 1992, 1996 and 1999. Those losses are central to understanding the era: the Braves were good enough to return repeatedly, but postseason baseball made championships far rarer than division titles.
| Season | World Series opponent | Result |
|---|---|---|
| 1991 | Minnesota Twins | Lost, 4–3 |
| 1992 | Toronto Blue Jays | Lost, 4–2 |
| 1995 | Cleveland | Won, 4–2 |
| 1996 | New York Yankees | Lost, 4–2 |
| 1999 | New York Yankees | Lost, 4–0 |
| 2021 | Houston Astros | Won, 4–2 |
To place each pennant winner in the longer arc, return to the Atlanta-era history overview or explore the 1991–2005 run.