There are 24 professional major league sports teams in California. For a state that is the third-largest in the country and has the largest population of any of the 50, it is unsurprising that it is also home to so many of the top teams in the nation. Its biggest cities have always attracted elite athletes, and have brought countless titles to the Golden State over the years.
Not all of California’s teams are very successful at the current time, however. Major league parity, across a range of different sports, means that teams will go through periods of boom and bust. But some have consistently been placed near the top of the power rankings and are always favorites with the best California betting sites.
In this article, we will attempt to rank the very best California sports teams. This will undoubtedly just be an excuse for fans to debate our findings, but surely that it what sports fandom is all about? Here are the seven best sports teams in California, ranked from seven to one.
Los Angeles Chargers
The Chargers may not have won a playoff game since moving into SoFi Stadium, but they are a team that most football fans consider to be good for a postseason berth most years. Sharing a division with the Chiefs and now the Broncos means that a divisional title has not been won since the franchise’s San Diego days, however.
Jim Harbaugh arriving as head coach a couple of years ago has renewed hope at the Chargers, with his record of success forging belief that this team can become the best in the city, and then the best in the entire NFL.
Golden State Warriors
When rumors that LeBron James might be about to team up with Steph Curry at Golden State went around earlier this year, Warriors stock went up. There was a belief that the San Francisco-based team could be about to recapture its success of the late 2010s and early 2020s, when it played in six finals series and won four of them.
LeBron ultimately chose Philadelphia, but the Warriors still deserve a place this high up thanks to that run of championship titles. With only one trip to the playoffs in the last three years, however, this is one team that needs to improve quickly to stay so close to the top of the rankings.
San Diego Padres
Not many Californian teams can break up the dominance of those hailing from Los Angeles and San Francisco, but the Padres have earned this position thanks to its dramatic rise in fortunes in recent years. The Padres have emerged from years of disappointment and are now one of the most promising in the state.
That potential is doing a lot of heavy lifting here, admittedly. Postseason appearances have been brief, if regular, recently, and there has only been one NLCS series since the Padres won the World Series in 1998. Another step up will be needed, but this is a team on the up and repping San Diego well.
Los Angeles Lakers
With LeBron now gone, it will be interesting to see whether the Lakers can push on without arguably the greatest of all time. This season should see a team centered around Luka Dončić, with the idea that even more heaped on his shoulders will boost the team overall. There has also already been a lot of work done recruiting more depth to the defense.
The Lakers may not dominate the league as it did as the Showtime team of the 1980s and 90s, but it has made it to the playoffs in five of the last six seasons, after winning the title in 2020. Their recent success merits such a high ranking.
San Francisco 49ers
Only two teams have won more Super Bowls than the San Francisco 49ers, but it is not just a celebrated history that puts this team so high up in the rankings. That would be enough to make them worth a notable mention, but recent years have seen the Niners become one of the best teams in the league once again.
The 49ers have lost their last three Super Bowls, but have repeatedly rebuilt, coming back stronger each time. It has been common for them to make it to at least the NFC Championship game in the 2020s, but to climb any higher in the rankings, this team needs to go all the way and win a first championship in over 30 years.
Figure The 49ers have been consistent, if not all-conquering, in recent years – Source: Unsplash
Los Angeles Rams
Being able to call yourself the best pro football team in California is tough for anyone else these days thanks to the spending power of the Los Angeles Rams. This franchise has tended to go all in on making the Super Bowl in recent years and has many people predicting another title coming soon.
The Rams have not won a Super Bowl since 2021, but only missed out on the championship game last year because of a very good Seattle Seahawks team. If they do go all the way in 2026, it will consolidate the Rams as the best football team in the state, but they would still have a way to go to usurp our current number one.
Los Angeles Dodgers
Major League Baseball has a history of teams dominating baseball for periods of time and winning multiple World Series. But when the Dodgers took the title in 2025, it was the first time a team had gone back-to-back since the Yankees at the end of the previous century.
This year, the Dodgers will undoubtedly tie the record for consecutive seasons making the playoffs, and are most fans’ favorites to win a third World Series in a row. The Dodgers continue to recruit the best players, so a continued stint as the best sports team in California seems to be almost guaranteed.
