2018 WS: #1 Payroll vs #3 Payroll
2017 WS: #1 Payroll vs #17 Payroll
2016 WS: #5 Payroll vs #18 Payroll
2015 WS: #13 Payroll vs #15 Payroll
2014 WS: #5 Payroll vs #18 Payroll
2013 WS: #3 Payroll vs #10 Payroll
2012 WS: #5 Payroll vs #8 Payroll
Hopefully this year is an outlier in this trend. Its clear you can't win being in the bottom 3rd in payroll, but its been nice in recent years seeing teams like Houston, Cleveland, KC being in the middle of the pack in payroll and playing in the World Series.