The 2023 MLB season saw the Texas Rangers come out of nowhere and capture the World Series Championship as a wildcard team that got hot at the right moment. The Rangers’ World Series run showed anything is possible in the world of sports, as well as showing why even average to above-average teams can find a way to win it all. Here at TPS, we’re going to look at one reason why each team in the MLB has a shot at winning it all and hoisting the Commissioner’s Trophy as the 2024 season is in full swing. Here is one reason why your favorite MLB team will win the World Series:
Here is one reason why your favorite MLB team won’t win the World Series.
What are the best reasons why your MLB team will win the World Series?
Arizona Diamondbacks: Defying the odds
The 2023 Diamondbacks shocked the sports world by battling heavily favored opponents and reached the 2023 World Series before losing to the Texas Rangers in five games. The Diamondbacks roster may have lost veterans like Evan Longoria, Tommy Pham, and Mark Melancon but they added Eugenio Suárez, Eduardo Rodríguez, Lourdes Gurriel Jr., and World Series-winning pitcher Jordan Montgomery. The D-Backs may not have much confidence in returning to the Fall Classic, as they have +3,500 to possibly win the World Series. However, like in all sports, anything is possible, and the Diamondbacks could use the motivation from last year to make a serious postseason run back to the World Series.
Atlanta Braves: Offensive Firepower
The 2023 Braves fielded a team with eight All-Stars, the most of any MLB team in the 2023 season. Flash forward to 2024 and the Braves look to conquer the NL East with strong hitters like Ronald Acuña Jr. (who led the team with 217 hits and 41 of those hits were home runs) and Matt Olson (who led the team with 54 home runs). Let’s not forget about how talented Ozzie Albies, Austin Riley, and Orlando Arcia are, as well as having veteran leadership from outfielder/ designated hitter Marcell Ozuna. This Braves team has an incredible offense with a ton of talent, ready to cause havoc in 2024.
Baltimore Orioles: Well-rounded Roster
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Even though the Orioles lost Felíx Bautista for the 2024 season, as he recovers from Tommy John surgery, the O’s still have a very talented roster with young and productive talent. The Orioles have Adley Rutschman, Gunnar Henderson, Austin Hays, and Yennier Canó growing into superstars before our eyes. The Orioles also acquired three-time All-Star pitcher Corbin Burnes from the Milwaukee Brewers via trade, which adds more depth to the roster, for a chance to possibly repeat as AL East champions or for a chance to make a serious postseason run.
Boston Red Sox: They’re up and coming
Despite finishing the 2023 season in last place, in the AL East, the Red Sox still have a lot of fight in them, even with the heavy competition from the New York Yankees, Toronto Blue Jays, Baltimore Orioles, and Tampa Bay Rays. Kenley Jansen is a very good veteran pitcher who can help the pitching rotation be a top-10 unit in the MLB if he stays healthy. The Red Sox also have a great farm system with talents such as Marcelo Mayer (shortstop), Kyle Teel (catcher), and Roman Anthony (outfielder), who are names to look out for, if they make their way to the Red Sox roster- during the 2024 season.
Also read: Ranking All 30 MLB Owners Of 2024 From WORST To FIRST
Chicago Cubs: Strong Defense
Despite a tough and painful 2023 season, the Cubs enter the 2024 season with a strong defense. That should be strong enough to compete with competitors like the Milwaukee Brewers and Cincinnati Reds. The Cubs have three Gold Glove winners in outfielder Ian Halp, shortstop Dansby Swanson, and infielder Nico Hoerner, along with second-year outfielder Peter Crow-Armstrong, who has the great potential to become a star in the “Windy City!” and perhaps an MLB World Series in the cards too?
Chicago White Sox: The American League Central
The AL Central is arguably one of baseball’s weakest divisions. Everyone in the division looks as though they can improve in the 2024 season, and the White Sox are no exception. The White Sox still have Luis Robert Jr. who made the MLB All-Star game in 2023 and he could go back to the All-Star game if he has a successful season. Baseball is a long season and the White Sox can find a way to push the gas pedal and potentially go on a serious win streak.
Cincinnati Reds: Free Agent acquisitions
Normally, the Reds have a very quiet offseason. However, the Reds made some serious moves in free agency. Yes, the Reds parted ways with longtime veteran Joey Votto, but they signed Jeimer Candelario, Emilio Pagán, Nick Martinez, and Frankie Montas as notable free agents. These names should help the Reds improve on their 2023 record, which saw them finish with an 82-80 record for an even stronger 2024 season, along with their young talent, already on the roster and ready for a potential postseason run.
Cleveland Guardians: Young Rotation
Everyone knows the Cleveland Guardians haven’t won the MLB World Series since 1948. However, this Guardians’ team has a young and talented roster. The Guardians have very talented second-year players such as pitchers Logan Allen and Tanner Bibee and utility player David Fry, as well as rookie pitcher Cade Smith, who has shown a lot of potential to compete with the best, as he struck out five Oakland A’s batters in two innings to start the 2024 season off. On top of that, José Ramírez is still an incredibly talented third baseman who’s also a five-time All-Star and the face of the team. It should be an exhilarating time in Cleveland. The team also has a new manager, Stephen Vogt, taking charge, after Terry Francona stepped down.
Colorado Rockies: Win games at home?
The Rockies had a disastrous 2023 season, finishing the year with a 59-103 record. Even with catcher Elías Díaz making the 2023 All-Star game, the Rockies still need to focus on building around him if they want to win an MLB World Series in the future. Luckily for the Rockies, Coors Field is a very hitter-friendly park, but along with that, the team needs to get more power hitters. The Rockies have Ezequiel Tovar (who led the team with 147 hits and 15 home runs in 2023) and Ryan McMahon (who had 133 hits and led the team with 23 home runs in 2023). Will the Rockies batters step up? We’ll just wait and see.
Detroit Tigers: Stay Healthy
The 2024 Detroit Tigers potentially have a shot to capture the AL Central if their young lineup can stay healthy for the majority of the season. In 2023, the Tigers had six guys out for the season, which significantly impacted the team’s performance in key games. For 2024, the Tigers have Casey Mize and Ryan Greene coming back from Tommy John surgery, and hopefully, they will stay healthy for the season. The Tigers also need Tarik Skubal to stay healthy for the entire season, as well, if they want to have a very successful 2024 season. We’ll wait and see how the Tigers finish out the season.
Houston Astros: Star Power
Even though the Houston Astros are arguably one of the most controversial teams in the MLB, they still have a very dominant core consisting of superstars. José Abreu, José Altuve, Yordan Álvarez, and Alex Bregman are very dominant at their respective positions and can lay a serious hurting of hits and home runs against opposing pitchers, no matter what the outcome.
Kansas City Royals: Going all in on star power
The Royals look to move on from their disastrous 2023 season, as they added a lot of talent to the roster. The Royals brought in Seth Lugo, Hunter Renfroe, and three-time World Series champion Will Smith. Smith, as it happens, was on the three teams that won the MLB World Series in the last three seasons. The Royals also signed shortstop Bobby Witt Jr. to an 11-year $288.7 million deal. If Witt Jr. stays healthy, and the rest of the Royals shine in the AL Central, there may be a shot this team makes it to the postseason.
Los Angeles Angels: A healthy Mike Trout
Even though Shohei Ohtani is long gone and is representing the crosstown Los Angeles Dodgers, the Angels still have a secret weapon with superstar Mike Trout. If Trout stays healthy and can play at an MVP- level, they have the potential to make a postseason run. The Angels also need to have a healthy supporting cast around Trout if they want to make that potential postseason run a success.
Los Angeles Dodgers: Recent Free Agent Acquisitions
The Dodgers won the Shohei Ohtani sweepstakes by signing him to a 10-year $700 million deal, as well as signing Yoshinobu Yamamoto to a 12-year $325 million deal. The Dodgers also have Mookie Betts on the roster, along with veterans Jason Heyward, Teoscar Hernández, and Freddie Freeman, and still have much of their talent, on the roster, from their 2020 MLB World Series run. Once Clayton Kershaw returns to the starting lineup and stays healthy, the Dodgers will become a serious title-contending juggernaut.
Miami Marlins: Trade Deadline
The Marlins didn’t add much star power in the offseason and released Jorge Soler, who led the team in home runs in 2023 with 36, who opted out of his contract, and signed a three-year $42 million deal with the San Francisco Giants. The Marlins added Christian Bethancourt, Tim Anderson, and Vidal Bruján in the offseason. However, it isn’t enough to win outright. Once the trade deadline hits, the Marlins should try and trade for more offensive star power, for a serious chance at an MLB World Series.
Milwaukee Brewers: Pitching
The 2023 Brewers made a miraculous run towards the postseason, during the second half of the 2023 season, as they secured the NL Central and played in the Wildcard series before being swept by the Arizona Diamondbacks. Former manager, Craig Counsell, may be gone and managing their NL Central rivals, the Chicago Cubs, but the Brewers still have very talented pitchers in their rotation, from the likes of Freddy Peralta, Devin Williams (who was named a 2023 MLB All-Star), and Brandon Woodruff. If they stay healthy and dominate their opponents on the mound, they can make it to the top.
Minnesota Twins: Keeping Byron Buxton and Carlos Correa healthy
The 2023 Minnesota Twins cruised to first place, in the AL Central, with a strong roster. However, if the Twins want to compete in the MLB World Series in 2024, Carlos Correa and Byron Buxton need to stay healthy and not get injured at any critical time in the regular season. Buxton and Correa were both named All-Stars and Gold Glove Winners. If both Buxton and Correa are healthy for a full season, don’t be surprised if the Twins cause some serious mayhem against opposing AL teams in the postseason.
New York Mets: A very good bullpen
The Mets enter 2024 with a very good bullpen consisting of Omar Narváez, Pete Alonso, Jeff McNeil, and Starling Marte, to name a few. The Mets acquired Luis Severino, Jake Diekman, and Sean Manaea, to bolster their pitching unit. The Mets also have one of the best closers in baseball, Edwin Díaz, back from injury for the 2024 season. If the Mets’ bullpen plays well and stays healthy, they may have a shot at a postseason run.
New York Yankees: The Outfield
The Yankees have Aaron Judge and Jose Trevino back in the lineup for the 2024 season. However, a possible key to their success is their talent at the outfield, where they acquired Juan Soto, Trent Grisham, and Alex Verdugo in the offseason. With Judge back, and the three newly acquired outfielders taking the field, it potentially looks like a recipe for success in the Bronx. The Yankees also need Giancarlo Stanton to have a good season, as well, even though he’s been slowing down in recent years.
Also read: 5 MLB Teams That Will Win A World Series In The Next 10 Years…And 5 That Unfortunately Won’t
Oakland Athletics: Luck?
Look, the Oakland A’s may not be the flashiest team in MLB, but they have spirit and will win some games. This is also the last year the A’s will play in Oakland as they look to finish their time in the Oakland Coliseum on a high note. Will those wins help the A’s reach the postseason and a possible MLB World Series title? Eh, only time will tell.
Philadelphia Phillies: Improved defense
The Phillies entered the 2024 season as they acquired Whit Merrifield, Spencer Turnbull, and Kolby Allard in free agency, as well as re-signed Aaron Nola. The Phillies also have defensive talent, like outfielder Nick Castellanos and shortstop Trea Turner, ready to roll. Bryce Harper should be healthy for the long haul of the 2024 season, as the team looks to be on a revenge tour after falling to the Arizona Diamondbacks in the NLCS in 2023. We’ll just wait and see what the Phillies do as the 2024 season progresses.
Pittsburgh Pirates: Young talent
The 2024 Pirates are off to a good start, with a 9-4 record, as of April 11, 2024. A large part of that is the young talent the Pirates have in their lineup. The lineup includes guys like Jared Triolo, Alika Williams, Ke’Bryan Hayes, Henry Davis, and David Bednar (who is a two-time All-Star). The Pirates’ young talent, also has veteran leadership from Andrew McCutchen, and Aroldis Chapman to learn from for a solid 2024 campaign. It’s only a matter of time until the Pirates become a postseason contender in the foreseeable future.
San Diego Padres: Fernando Tatís Jr.
The Los Angeles Dodgers and Arizona Diamondbacks may be the cream of the crop in the NL West. However, the Padres still have their fair share of stars in their lineup, as well. One of those stars is Fernando Tatís Jr. Tatís Jr. had 91 runs, 148 hits, 78 runs batted in, and 25 home runs in the 2023 season as he recovered from a scaphoid bone surgery. He was also contending with an 80-game suspension for testing positive for Clostebol, which derailed his 2022 season. As good as Manny Machado and Xander Bogaerts are, if Tatís Jr. has a very strong 2024 season and returns to All-Star levels, the Padres can potentially become an MLB World Series dark horse and play spoiler against the Diamondbacks and Dodgers.
San Francisco Giants: Sneaky good lineup
Despite the Los Angeles Dodgers winning the offseason with Shohei Ohtani, the Giants have a talented roster, ready to roll for the 2024 season. The Giants did sign Blake Snell, Jorge Soler, Nick Ahmed, and Jung-hoo Lee in free agency. The Giants also have All-Star pitcher Alex Cobb, as well as young talent like LaMonte Wade Jr., Blake Sabol, and Casey Schmitt who can develop into superstars, and help the Giants return to the postseason for the first time since 2021, and be the potential dark horse, MLB World Series contender.
Seattle Mariners: Starting pitching
The Mariners may have made some questionable trades during the offseason, but they still are a great pitching team. The starting pitchers for the Mariners include Luis Castillo, Logan Gilbert, Emerson Hancock, George Kirby, and Bryce Miller. Castillo and Kirby were both All-Stars in 2023 and look to continue, potentially making All-Star games beyond 2024. If this starting rotation stays healthy for the 2024 season, it will be a very tough time for opposing hitters visiting T-Mobile Park. The Mariners also have closer Andrés Muñoz and Matt Brash in the bullpen, as well, making for a strong pitching unit for the 2024 season.
St. Louis Cardinals: Bounce back
The Cardinals lineup may have a lot of seasoned veterans, but they can still bring in some decent play- enough to help them win some games this season. The Cardinals have a young core in place with Nolan Gorman, Masyn Winn, Alec Burleson, Brendan Donovan, Lars Nootbaar, and Jordan Walker, to name a few guys on the roster. The Cardinals did add veterans Brandon Crawford and Matt Carpenter to help motivate the young guys and add leadership to the offense for the 2024 season. We’ll see how the Cardinals finish the 2024 season as they look to put their last-place finish from 2023 in the rearview mirror.
Tampa Bay Rays: Doing more with less
The Rays didn’t make much noise during the offseason, as they still have their 2023 roster intact, for the most part. The Rays usually find hidden gems and talent within their farm system and roster and develop them into superstars, which is their bread-and-butter recipe for success. Randy Arozarena and Yandy Díaz both made the All-Game in 2023 and look to continue improving. If the Rays continue finding unknown talent in their roster and farm system, they will be a dangerous team for the 2024 season and possibly the postseason.
Texas Rangers: Pitching rotation
One of the reasons why the Texas Rangers won the 2023 World Series was excellent pitching. Yes, they did lose Jordan Montgomery to the Arizona Diamondbacks but they still have Jacob deGrom and Max Scherzer (even though they are recovering from injuries). The Rangers also have Nathan Eovaldi, Jon Gray, José Leclerc, and a majority of their pitching rotation from their 2023 World Series-winning team. Montgomery did fire his agent in April 2024 after he had a tough offseason. If the Rangers can work on a trade deal to bring Montgomery back, there’s a strong possibility the Rangers could repeat as MLB World Series champions, again.
Toronto Blue Jays: Offensive talent
The Blue Jays enter the 2024 season, with a strong offensive unit, in a very competitive AL East. Vladimir Guerrero Jr. and Bo Bichette are MVP-like stars for the Blue Jays, who hit a combined 46 home runs in 2023, as well as 334 hits in 2023. Once the Blue Jays’ bats get hot, it’ll be a recipe for success, against very strong opposing pitchers and defenses, for the remainder of the 2024 season.
Washington Nationals: Young Talent?
The Nationals are way past the 2019 World Series-winning team they once were and are currently in rebuilding mode. However, they have potential young talent in James Wood and Dylan Crews, who look to be the future of the Nationals, moving forward. They may still be in the Minor Leagues, for now, but the Nationals will need to continue their development, before calling them up. They eventually will add needed competition in the Majors, for a potential chance at a World Series run.
Also read: 5 MLB Teams Whose World Series Windows Are Wide Open and 5 Whose Windows Have Been Slammed Shut
