Cleveland Indians: Which World Series run had the better team?

Which Cleveland Indians World Series run had the better team?

Over the last 30 years, the Cleveland Indians have made three of the club’s six World Series appearances all-time. In 1995 the team broke the appearance drought after over 40 years, advancing to face the Atlanta Braves in a series that would go six games. The Tribe returned to game’s biggest stage only a couple years later in 1997, going seven games against the Florida Marlins. Then, most recently in 2016, the battle of the droughts saw the Chicago Cubs and Cleveland Indians go seven games as well.

Now, the Tribe were unable to capture a title in any of the three seasons along with heartbreaking ends in both 1997 and 2016. However, these three seasons are still regarded as some of the best in club history, but which one was the best of the bunch? Which of these three seasons was the best assembled squad, had the best season or should have been the ones hoisting the trophy at the end of the series?

Apart from these three seasons, Cleveland has three other World Series appearances, but they came in a different era of the game. The 1920 and 1948 Championship teams, along with the 1954 group that made it to the World Series, played nearly an entirely different version of the game that makes it far more difficult to compare. The rules and regulations are rather similar, but the approach from each dugout has drastically changed over time.

As for the last three appearances for Cleveland, they are all within a close enough time span that they can be pitted against one another for the best World Series run by the club over the last 30 years. Going category-by-category, which season was the best for the Cleveland Indians that advanced to the World Series, but fell short of winning a title?