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The 1926 World Series was the championship series of the 1926 Major League Baseball (MLB) season, featuring the St. Louis Cardinals against the New York Yankees. The Cardinals defeated the Yankees four games to three in the best-of-seven series, which took place from October 2 to October 10, 1926 at Yankee Stadium and Sportsman's Park. The Cardinals and Yankees earned their places in the series by having the best win–loss records in the National and American Leagues, respectively. This was the first World Series appearance for the Cardinals—the first of eleven World Series championships in Cardinals history. The Yankees were making their fourth World Series appearance in six seasons; after this series, they would play in another 35 World Series. In Game 1, pitcher Herb Pennock led the Yankees to a 2–1 win over the Cardinals. In Game 2, pitcher Grover Cleveland Alexander evened the Series for the Cardinals with a 6–2 victory. Cardinals pitcher Jesse Haines threw a complete game shutout in Game 3, which gave St. Louis a 2–1 series lead. In the Yankees 10–5 victory in Game 4, Babe Ruth hit three home runs, a World Series record equaled only twice since. According to newspaper reports, Ruth had promised a sickly boy named Johnny Sylvester to hit a home run for him in Game 4. After Ruth's three-home run performance, the boy's condition had miraculously improved. The newspapers' account of the story is disputed by contemporary baseball historians, but it remains one of the most famous anecdotes in baseball history. Pennock was again the winning pitcher for the Yankees in the team's 3–2 victory in Game 5.

The Yankees led the series 3–2, and Cardinals player-manager Rogers Hornsby chose Alexander as the starting pitcher in Game Six and used him as a relief pitcher in Game 7. Behind Alexander, the Cardinals won the final two games of the series, thus giving them the championship. In Game 7, the Yankees were losing 3–2 in the bottom of the ninth inning, their last opportunity to score in a regular game. Ruth walked with two outs. Bob Meusel came to bat next, but Ruth, who had a 50% career success rate at stealing bases, decided to try stealing second base. Meusel swung and missed Alexander's pitch, and catcher Bob O'Farrell threw the ball to second baseman Hornsby, who tagged Ruth out, ending the game and giving the Cardinals the World Series championship.