1998 World Series Sweep: Yankees vs Padres

Lore & Background

The team was founded in 1903 when Frank Farrell and Bill Devery purchased the franchise rights to the defunct Baltimore Orioles and used them to establish the New York Highlanders. The Highlanders were renamed the Yankees in 1913. The team is owned by Yankee Global Enterprises, a limited liability company that is controlled by the family of the late George Steinbrenner. Steinbrenner purchased the team from CBS in 1973. As of 2025, Brian Cashman is the team's general manager, Aaron Boone is the team's field manager, and Aaron Judge is the team captain. The team's home games were played at the original Yankee Stadium in the Bronx from 1923 to 1973 and from 1976 to 2008. In 1974 and 1975, the Yankees shared Shea Stadium with the Mets, the New York Jets, and the New York Giants. In 2009, they moved into a new Yankee Stadium, built next to the old one, which was demolished.

In Their Own Story

The air in San Diego was thick with humidity and disbelief as the final out of Game 4 fell. David Cone struck out the side, the crowd's roar fading into a stunned silence that only grew louder for the visiting team celebrating on the field. Derek Jeter, the face of this new dynasty, stood near the dugout, his helmet off, watching his teammates embrace in a chaotic sea of white pinstripes and navy blue. There was no drama, no extra innings, just the cold, hard reality of a sweep that felt inevitable from the start. The trophy was lifted high above the dugout, reflecting the stadium lights, as the 1927 ghosts watched on with approval.

Reader's Guide

The Yankees have won 21 American League East Division titles, 41 American League pennants, and 27 World Series championships, all of which are Major League Baseball records. The team has won more titles than any other franchise in the major North American sports leagues, although they trailed the NHL's Montreal Canadiens from 1993 to 1999. The Yankees have had 52 players and 11 managers inducted into the National Baseball Hall of Fame, including iconic figures of the sport such as Babe Ruth, Lou Gehrig, Joe DiMaggio, Mickey Mantle, Yogi Berra, Whitey Ford, and Reggie Jackson; more recent inductees include Mariano Rivera and Derek Jeter, who received the highest vote percentages of any Hall of Fame member. According to Forbes, the Yankees are the tenth-most valuable sports franchise in the world and the most valuable MLB franchise, with an estimated value of $8.2 billion in 2025. From 1903 to the 2025 season, the Yankees' win–loss record is 10,872–8,216–88 (a .569 winning percentage).

Did You Know?

• The Yankees swept the 1998 World Series, but the last Yankees sweep before 1998 was in 1950.
• The team was originally called the New York Highlanders before being renamed the Yankees in 1913.
• The Yankees have won 27 World Series championships, more than any other MLB team.