The Giants claimed their first World Series since 1954 on Monday night, ending 56 years of discontent and disappointment that spans back to the franchise's period at the Polo Grounds in New York. San Francisco added a dramatic element to its title run: after securing a victory over rival San Diego on the last day of the season to earn October entry, the Giants ended the Bobby Cox Era in Atlanta and overthrew Philadelphia's reign on the National League pennant on their march to the Fall Classic. The Giants' starting trio of Tim Lincecum, Matt Cain, and Madison Bumgarner proved too potent for Texas, as the San Francisco rotation put on a pitching practicum against the Rangers en route to a 4-1 series triumph. This excellence on the mound extended to the bullpen, as reliever Javier Lopez posted a 1.59 ERA in nine postseason appearances and closer Brian Wilson held opponents scoreless with a 0.77 WHIP in 11.2 innings of work.

The postseason spotlight shined on the arsenal of arms (and facial hair) tended to minimize the contributions of the San Francisco offense. And a quick glance at the roster illustrates why this came to pass. Save for highly touted prospect Buster Posey, the Giants lineup consisted of has-beens, castoffs and journeymen. Pat Burrell? The former Phillie had a .218 average in 146 games with Tampa before being designated for assignment earlier this season. Aubrey Huff? The first baseman's stop in San Francisco equates to his fifth team in six years. Edgar Renteria? Injuries had reduced the former All-Star to a diminished role. Cody Ross? A lifetime .265 hitter who belted just 14 homers in 2010. It's Abbott and Costello's "Who's on First?" routine come to life.

So where does this rag-tag group rank among baseball's elite? The WhatIfSports baseball simulation power ranking engine matched this year's Giants with every World Series champion starting in 1903 to the present to determine which squad ranks supreme. Each team used in the simulation was pitted against every World Series champion in a seven-game series, with three games home, three games away, and the seventh game's home/away location randomly decided between the two teams.

World Series Power Rankings
Rank	Team	Wins	Losses	WinPct	RS	RA	Run Diff
1.	1927 Yankees	482	253	0.656	6.85	4.68	2.16

1927 Yankees

No surprise here. The team widely regarded as baseball's best ranks first in our power rankings. Nicknamed "Murderer's Row" for their vaunted lineup, the '27 Yanks went 110-44 (.714 winning percentage) on their way to sweeping the Pittsburgh Pirates for the World Series crown. Fun Fact: This season was also the scene of Babe Ruth's record-setting 60 home runs. Yet, despite the Bambino's bomb total (as well as batting .356 with 164 RBI, 158 runs, and a .486 OBP), Ruth was not awarded the MVP, due to a stipulation that stated past winners were ineligible for the honor. The prize was bestowed upon Ruth's teammate Lou Gehrig, who hit .373 with 47 dingers, 175 RBI, 149 runs and rocked a .474 OBP. Other notable players from the Bronx Bombers included OF Earle Combs (.356 average), 2B Tony Lazzeri (.309 average, 102 RBI) and P Waite Hoyt (2.63 ERA).

World Series Power Rankings
Rank	Team	Wins	Losses	WinPct	RS	RA	Run Diff
2.	1939 Yankees	453	282	0.616	5.70	4.17	1.53
3.	1976 Reds	449	286	0.611	6.40	5.05	1.34
4.	1948 Indians	448	287	0.610	5.31	4.17	1.14
5.	1937 Yankees	441	294	0.600	6.24	4.90	1.33
6.	1998 Yankees	441	294	0.600	5.60	4.64	0.96

1998 Yankees

The '98 Yankees are the only team from the past 30 years to crack the top 20 on our list. Setting a then-record of 114 wins (later surpassed by the 2001 Mariners), New York finished 22 games ahead of second-place Boston in the AL East. While no single player put up extravagant slugging numbers (1st baseman Tino Martinez led the club with 28 jacks, a relatively pedestrian figure during baseball's Steroid Era), the '98 Yankee lineup was extremely balanced in terms of power, as eight players hit 17 or more homers. The pitching rotation's strength was depth, as the Yanks employed the services of David Wells (five shutouts), David Cone (209 strikeouts), Orlando Hernandez (3.13 ERA) and Andy Pettitte (16 wins). And it didn't hurt to have Mariano Rivera (36 saves, 1.91 ERA) and Graeme Lloyd (1.67 ERA, 0.85 WHIP in 50 appearances) appearing in relief. The Yanks rolled the Padres 4-0 for a World Series sweep.

World Series Power Rankings
Rank	Team	Wins	Losses	WinPct	RS	RA	Run Diff
7.	1913 Philadelphia Athletics	436	299	0.593	5.22	4.07	1.15
8.	1909 Pirates	429	306	0.584	4.40	3.50	0.90
9.	1910 Philadelphia Athletics	423	312	0.576	4.29	3.53	0.75
10.	1944 Cardinals	420	315	0.571	5.02	3.99	1.03
11.	1938 Yankees	417	318	0.567	5.78	5.11	0.67
12.	1907 Cubs	414	321	0.563	3.95	3.22	0.73
13.	1940 Reds	412	323	0.561	4.34	3.87	0.47
14.	1970 Orioles	412	323	0.561	5.01	4.84	0.17
15.	1922 New York Giants	409	326	0.556	5.88	5.04	0.84
16.	1943 Yankees	409	326	0.556	4.76	4.17	0.59
17.	1975 Reds	407	328	0.554	5.36	4.98	0.38

1975 Reds

The Big Red Machine, cited as the "most famous lineup in baseball history" by writer Joe Posnanski, rolled to 108 wins in 1975, good enough to best the Dodgers by 20 games in the division. This team wasn't particularly remarkable; all it had was the greatest catcher of all time (Johnny Bench), the greatest second baseman of all time (Joe Morgan), the most underrated shortstop of all time (Dave Concepcion), and the greatest hitter of all time (Pete Rose). And we'd be remiss not to mention Hall of Famer Tony Perez, 1977 MVP George Foster, three-time All-Star Ken Griffey, and four-time Gold Glover Cesar Geronimo. After taking care of the Pirates in three games for the NL pennant, the Reds engaged the Red Sox in what many baseball historians classify as the greatest Fall Classic ever. The image of Carlton Fisk frantically waving his 12th-inning homer towards fair territory has cemented its place in baseball's lore, acting as a catalyst of revisionist history of the series' outcome. Most forget that, aside from Games 1 and 5, every contest was decided by one run, or that Morgan's ninth-inning RBI single in Game 7 brought Cincinnati the title. Rose earned series MVP honors with a .370 average.

World Series Power Rankings
Rank	Team	Wins	Losses	WinPct	RS	RA	Run Diff
18.	1920 Indians	402	333	0.547	5.63	5.00	0.63
19.	1961 Yankees	402	333	0.547	4.88	4.42	0.46
20.	1936 Yankees	400	335	0.544	6.16	5.45	0.71
21.	1925 Pirates	398	337	0.541	6.05	5.20	0.84
22.	1919 Reds	394	341	0.536	3.94	3.36	0.58
23.	1995 Braves	393	342	0.535	4.65	4.40	0.26
24.	1932 Yankees	392	343	0.533	6.42	5.46	0.96
25.	1962 Yankees	391	344	0.532	5.26	5.00	0.26
26.	1921 New York Giants	390	345	0.531	5.74	5.19	0.56
27.	1942 Cardinals	390	345	0.531	4.93	4.40	0.53
28.	1958 Yankees	390	345	0.531	4.94	4.69	0.25
29.	1905 New York Giants	388	347	0.528	4.75	4.15	0.60
30.	1912 Red Sox	387	348	0.527	4.68	4.24	0.44
31.	1955 Brooklyn Dodgers	387	348	0.527	5.78	5.50	0.28
32.	1941 Yankees	386	349	0.525	5.15	4.76	0.39
33.	1926 Cardinals	386	349	0.525	5.17	5.00	0.17
34.	1960 Pirates	386	349	0.525	4.90	4.83	0.07

1960 Pirates

Despite winning 95 games and owning a roster of eight All-Stars (including NL MVP Dick Groat), the Pittsburgh Pirates entered the 1960 World Series as underdogs to Mickey Mantle, AL MVP Roger Maris and the rest of the New York Yankees. And if one were to look at the composite box score from the Series, this sentiment would be validated, as the Yanks outscored the Pirates 55-27 in the seven-game series. However, as Mark Twain once wrote, "There are lies, damned lies and statistics." Blowout wins by New York in Games 2 (16-3), 3 (10-0) and 6 (12-0) contributed to this discrepancy. This series will forever be remembered for 2nd baseman Bill Mazeroski's game-winning home run in the bottom of the 9th, the only time a World Series has ended in a walk-off shot in Game 7. Bobby Richardson earned the infamous distinction of being the only World Series MVP from a losing team.

World Series Power Rankings
Rank	Team	Wins	Losses	WinPct	RS	RA	Run Diff
35.	1924 Washington Senators	385	350	0.524	4.84	4.50	0.34
36.	1981 Dodgers	385	350	0.524	4.71	4.53	0.19
37.	1950 Yankees	384	351	0.522	5.40	5.10	0.31
38.	1903 Boston Americans	384	351	0.522	4.21	3.99	0.22
39.	1965 Dodgers	383	352	0.521	4.10	3.82	0.27
40.	2009 Yankees	383	352	0.521	5.74	5.52	0.22
41.	1966 Orioles	381	354	0.518	4.99	5.01	-0.03
42.	1918 Red Sox	380	355	0.517	3.93	3.67	0.26
43.	1986 Mets	378	357	0.514	4.95	4.90	0.04

1986 Mets

Although often renowned in hindsight for their actions off the field rather than on it, the '86 Mets were arguably the best ballclub of the decade. The backbone of the Mets was the pitching staff, featuring a starting rotation with three pitchers sporting a sub-3.00 ERA in Dwight Gooden (2.84), Ron Darling (2.81), and Bob Ojeda (2.57). But New York was anything but a one-trick pony. The Mets lineup featured power in Darryl Strawberry and speed with Lenny Dykstra, and their defensive prowess thanks to Gary Carter and Keith Hernandez was second to none. Unfortunately, history tends to remember the Mets in two regards: 1) As notorious party animals and 2) The beneficiaries of Bill Buckner's infamous error in the 10th inning of Game Six, allowing the Mets take the Red Sox to Game Seven and ultimately win the series.

World Series Power Rankings
Rank	Team	Wins	Losses	WinPct	RS	RA	Run Diff
44.	1956 Yankees	377	358	0.513	5.31	5.19	0.12
45.	1923 Yankees	376	359	0.512	5.34	5.03	0.31
46.	1984 Tigers	374	361	0.509	4.86	5.13	-0.26
47.	1930 Philadelphia Athletics	373	362	0.507	5.75	5.48	0.27
48.	1915 Red Sox	371	364	0.505	4.21	3.98	0.23
49.	1953 Yankees	371	364	0.505	5.32	5.14	0.18
50.	1945 Tigers	371	364	0.505	4.95	4.89	0.06
51.	2004 Red Sox	371	364	0.505	5.88	6.01	-0.13

2004 Red Sox

Seems low for a team whose lineup featured eight hitters batting over .270, no? Furthermore, the Boston offense showcased the one-two combo of David Ortiz and Manny Ramirez, which accounted for 84 home runs and 269 RBI (albeit, quite possibly chemically enhanced). But at second glance, Boston's starting rotation appears to be an Achilles' heel. Curt Schilling finished the year with 21 wins and a 3.26 ERA, but Pedro Martinez had begun to lose his touch (3.90 ERA, up from 2.22 in 2003) and the rest of the staff was average at best during the season. The heroics and historical context surrounding the remarkable ALCS comeback against the New York Yankees (Boston is the only team to recover from a 0-3 deficit) have probably glorified the perception we have of the '04 Sox compared to other championship teams. Yet it's hard to fathom another championship team having the same emotional impact on a fan base as the 2004 Boston ballclub.

World Series Power Rankings
Rank	Team	Wins	Losses	WinPct	RS	RA	Run Diff
52.	2003 Marlins	370	365	0.503	4.79	4.89	-0.10
53.	1929 Philadelphia Athletics	368	367	0.501	5.50	5.35	0.15
54.	1947 Yankees	366	369	0.498	4.53	4.76	-0.23
55.	1954 New York Giants	364	371	0.495	4.74	4.61	0.13
56.	1972 Athletics	364	371	0.495	4.08	3.96	0.12
57.	1908 Cubs	363	372	0.494	3.84	4.06	-0.22
58.	1963 Dodgers	361	374	0.491	4.62	5.02	-0.39
59.	1978 Yankees	360	375	0.490	4.41	4.48	-0.07
60.	1968 Tigers	360	375	0.490	4.44	4.53	-0.09
61.	2010 Giants	360	375	0.490	4.70	5.10	-0.40

2010 Giants

Personally, this placement is perceivably too high for a lineup that featured Burrell, Ross and Huff as its main offensive weapons. Then again, it's hard to quantify the effect of Lincecum, Cain and Wilson's beard.

World Series Power Rankings
Rank	Team	Wins	Losses	WinPct	RS	RA	Run Diff
62.	1988 Dodgers	359	376	0.488	4.34	4.61	-0.28
63.	1928 Yankees	357	378	0.486	6.02	5.80	0.22
64.	1996 Yankees	357	378	0.486	5.21	5.39	-0.17
65.	1911 Philadelphia Athletics	355	380	0.483	5.02	5.23	-0.21
66.	2005 White Sox	355	380	0.483	4.46	4.93	-0.48
67.	1979 Pirates	354	381	0.482	4.93	5.20	-0.28
68.	1977 Yankees	353	382	0.480	4.77	4.94	-0.17
69.	1989 Athletics	353	382	0.480	4.61	5.05	-0.44
70.	1974 Athletics	352	383	0.479	4.10	4.47	-0.37
71.	1914 Boston Braves	351	384	0.478	4.55	4.61	-0.06
72.	1980 Phillies	351	384	0.478	4.58	5.26	-0.68

1980 Phillies

The Phils had former All-Stars Greg Luzinski, Rose, Bake McBride, Larry Bowa, and Bob Boone scattered throughout their lineup, but the 1980 Philadelphia offense centered on one man: Mike Schmidt. The third baseman hit 48 homers and knocked in 121 RBI on his way to earning MVP honors. Schmidt carried this success into the postseason, where he lit up the Royals with two home runs, seven RBI, and a .381 average in the process of giving the franchise it's first World Series championship. In regards to the Philly pitching, Steve Carlton submitted one of his finest campaigns in his Hall of Fame career, winning 24 games, striking out 286 helpless hitters and posting a 2.34 ERA. And Tug McGraw, in the twilight of his career, was lights-out in the bullpen, appearing in 57 games with a 1.46 ERA.

World Series Power Rankings
Rank	Team	Wins	Losses	WinPct	RS	RA	Run Diff
73.	1949 Yankees	350	385	0.476	5.22	5.67	-0.44
74.	1957 Milwaukee Braves	349	386	0.475	4.72	4.93	-0.21
75.	1982 Cardinals	349	386	0.475	4.77	5.03	-0.26
76.	1917 White Sox	348	387	0.473	3.67	3.84	-0.17
77.	1934 Cardinals	347	388	0.472	5.23	5.42	-0.20
78.	1935 Tigers	346	389	0.471	5.18	5.23	-0.05
79.	1990 Reds	346	389	0.471	5.06	5.44	-0.39
80.	1931 Cardinals	345	390	0.469	5.11	5.33	-0.22
81.	1971 Pirates	344	391	0.468	4.98	5.24	-0.26
82.	1967 Cardinals	342	393	0.465	4.58	4.97	-0.39
83.	2007 Red Sox	341	394	0.464	4.95	5.55	-0.60
84.	1999 Yankees	340	395	0.463	5.08	5.94	-0.86
85.	1969 Mets	339	396	0.461	4.17	4.32	-0.14
86.	1991 Twins	337	398	0.459	4.74	5.46	-0.72

1991 Twins

The Minnesota Twins had a simple formula in 1991: give the ball to their starting trio of Jack Morris, Kevin Tapani, and Scott Erickson and stay out of their way. The three combined for 54 wins, 19 complete games and six shutouts for the Twins. In the few instances where they needed some relief, right-hander Carl Willis (2.63 ERA) and closer Rick Aguilera (42 saves) were brought in from the bullpen to extinguish the proverbial fire. However, the Twins were not all arms and no bats. While no individual reached the 100 RBI plateau, seven of the Minnesota regulars had batting averages of .275 or higher, including All-Star Kirby Puckett (.319 average, 92 runs) and DH Chili Davis (.277, 29 homers and 93 RBI). The Twins took on the Atlanta Braves in the World Series in '91, which came to be regarded as one of the more thrilling and suspenseful Fall Classics. Five of the games were decided by a run, three went into extra innings and four came down to the final batter. Game Seven was resolved by a Gene Larkin deep single in the bottom of the 10th, giving the Twins a 1-0 victory. But the real hero was Morris, who pitched 10 innings of shutout ball in Game Seven, which garnered the starter the series MVP.

World Series Power Rankings
Rank	Team	Wins	Losses	WinPct	RS	RA	Run Diff
87.	1933 New York Giants	336	399	0.457	3.78	4.14	-0.36
88.	1964 Cardinals	336	399	0.457	4.78	5.32	-0.55
89.	1952 Yankees	335	400	0.456	4.84	4.95	-0.11
90.	1906 White Sox	330	405	0.449	3.07	3.42	-0.35
91.	1992 Blue Jays	330	405	0.449	4.58	5.32	-0.74
92.	2002 Angels	327	408	0.445	4.52	5.24	-0.72
93.	2000 Yankees	326	409	0.444	5.24	6.43	-1.19
94.	1993 Blue Jays	324	411	0.441	5.28	6.15	-0.87
95.	2001 Diamondbacks	321	414	0.437	4.49	5.29	-0.80
96.	1997 Marlins	320	415	0.435	4.44	5.23	-0.79
97.	2008 Phillies	319	416	0.434	4.75	5.67	-0.92
98.	1983 Orioles	314	421	0.427	4.39	5.47	-1.09

1983 Orioles

This would mark the only time that Cal Ripken Jr. would win a World Series ring in his storied career. The Iron Man earned his first MVP award in '83, hitting .318 with 27 homers and 102 RBI. Helping Ripken was 1st baseman Eddie Murray, who slugged 33 home runs to go along with 111 RBI and a .306 average. Yet despite the presence of two future Hall of Famers, the World Series MVP went to catcher Rick Dempsey. Dempsey, remembered more for his defense rather than his bat, went 5-for-13 with a homer as Baltimore defeated Philadelphia in five games. Ripken batted just .167, while Murrary hit .250, albeit with two home runs.

World Series Power Rankings
Rank	Team	Wins	Losses	WinPct	RS	RA	Run Diff
99.	1973 Athletics	312	423	0.424	3.99	4.79	-0.80
100.	1951 Yankees	312	423	0.424	4.52	5.56	-1.03
101.	1959 Dodgers	298	437	0.405	5.09	6.28	-1.19
102.	1916 Red Sox	295	440	0.401	3.57	4.38	-0.81
103.	2006 Cardinals	285	450	0.388	4.53	5.90	-1.37
104.	1946 Cardinals	284	451	0.386	4.27	5.04	-0.78
105.	1985 Royals	274	461	0.373	3.93	5.16	-1.23
106.	1987 Twins	230	505	0.313	4.20	6.30	-2.10

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Ryan Fowler is the Content Manager for Whatifsports.com. He can be reached at rfowler@whatifsports.com.