It's the Los Angeles Dodgers' world, and the rest of baseball is just trying to make an impact on their own. Right now, they are the only team in baseball predicted by oddsmakers to win more than 100 games this season. They are by far the favorites to win another World Series. It's not a big surprise as to why. The Dodgers already have Shohei Ohtani, Mookie Betts, Freddie Freeman, and Teoscar Hernandez on offense. This offseason, they added Blake Snell and Roki Sasaki to a rotation that already had Yoshinobu Yamamoto and Tyler Glasnow on the roster.
With an estimated payroll closing in on $400 million this season, nobody is arguing who the favorites should be, but that hardly makes the season worthless. There are dozens of examples of MLB seasons where money didn't buy championships. In fact, the Dodgers have been doing this for the better part of a decade, and this was the first non-pandemic World Series to their name.
The Dodgers aren't the only team to load up this offseason. Multiple teams put their chips on the table, and it only takes one to take down the big bad team from LA. We've come up with 10 we think have a real shot to win the World Series and go through the Dodgers while doing it.
10. Texas Rangers
The Texas Rangers won the World Series a little over a year ago. They were literally just there, but a disaster in 2024 had them missing the playoffs entirely. Jacob deGrom missed most of the season as he recovered from Tommy John Surgery. Max Scherzer was out until June. Nathan Eovaldi missed time. Dane Dunning missed time. Jon Gray missed time. Honestly, it was hard to find a starter pitcher who didn't have a stint on the injured list.
This season, Texas is ready to turn the page. deGrom and Tyler Mahle are hoping to be regulars in the rotation, with Gray and Eovaldi hoping to avoid the injury bug (even though Gray is already dealing with a wrist injury after he was hit by a line drive). If the start rotation can be better than league average, this lineup should drive them to the postseason. If they can find a gem in either Cody Bradford or Kumar Rocker, then it's even better.
The Rangers lineup is still amazing. Corey Seager is still the straw that stirs the drink, but the Rangers wanted to add power around him and Wyatt Langford. They traded for Jake Burger and signed Joc Pedersen. Those two help round out a lineup that should score a ton. The Rangers offense tanked with their season last year, ranking 23rd in total bases, but relative health should really help them out.
The wild card here is top prospect Sebastian Walcott. It seems likely the Rangers keep him in the minors this season, but the 19-year-old has the ability and maturity to make it into the major leagues sooner. If he can become a star this season, the Rangers lineup quickly becomes one that can score with anyone.
9. Baltimore Orioles
The Baltimore Orioles have graduated from young upstart to contender with expectations, and many agree they did not meet those expectations last year. While they did make the playoffs, the New York Yankees tried on multiple occasions to hand them the AL East, and they failed to step up and take it. That led to a less-than-desirable schedule in the playoffs, and they got swept in the Wild Card round by the Royals.
In the offseason, the Orioles lost Corbin Burnes and Anthony Santander, but they have reinforcements ready to strike. They are also in on a few interesting names, but more on that in a moment. This is still a rotation with Grayson Rodriguez, Zach Eflin, Charlie Morton, and international signing Tomoyuki Sugano. That’s good enough to get them in the playoffs, and the depth can help when other teams start dealing with injuries at the top of the rotation (although, Rodriguez is injured himself).
The lineup replaced Santander with Tyler O’Neill, who signed a three-year deal this offseason. He is much better defensively than Santander, and when healthy, he can provide some pop himself. This team is going to go as far as superstar Gunnar Henderson takes them. Catcher Adley Rutschman is an obvious bounce-back candidate, and most expect Jackson Holliday to live up to his first-overall pick status after a strange start to his career.
A trade also seems likely from this franchise. There are a few interesting pitching options available. Luis Castillo of the Mariners or Dylan Cease of the Padres would be perfect fits here and really round out what they are trying to do. This could be a much better contender in just a few weeks, but for now, we have them ninth.
8. Seattle Mariners
We are way higher than most on the Seattle Mariners, but we have our reasons. Their rotation is still sick, coming off a year where they gave up 3.49 runs per game. They recorded 15 shutouts last season, second in baseball, and they led the league with 92 quality starts. The Philadelphia Phillies are second, and they had 12 fewer such starts. The Mariners rotation of Logan Gilbert, Luis Castillo, Bryce Miller, Bryan Woo, and Emerson Hancock might be the best 1-5 in the league. The recent injury to Gilbert might stop the Mariners’ quest to trade Castillo, which might be a short-term blessing in disguise.
The issue here is the offense. They have not been able to hit their way out of a paper bag. The Mariners’ .224 batting average of last season was only better than the Chicago White Sox. This is a team with Julio Rodriguez, a player who was supposed to turn into a superstar and is still just 24 years old, and Randy Arozarena in the outfield.
The big change for the Mariners this offseason didn’t come in the form of a player, which angered many fans, but it was the hiring of hitting coach Kevin Seitzer. He brings decades of experience helping hitters. For the past 10 years, he has been helping the likes of Ronald Acuna, Freddie Freeman, Julio Teheran, and Dansby Swanson with the Atlanta Braves. Now, he gets to help this team.
This feels like the move that can turn an offense around completely. They have plenty of talent on the offensive side, but something isn’t clicking. With this rotation, the Mariners just need an average lineup. If Rodriguez can hit his prime, and the rest of the lineup adds pop, the Mariners could theoretically win the World Series.
7. Kansas City Royals
Nobody knows what to do with the American League Central this season. The Twins, Guardians, Tigers, and Royals are all pretty close in terms of division-winning odds. It’s anyone’s division, but that also comes because they all have flaws. When looking at the four teams, only one has a real shot at a World Series. While the Guardians are the team that made it to the ALCS last season, we have the Kansas City Royals as the team making a step toward greatness this season.
The Royals have the pieces to take a step forward. Let’s start with Bobby Witt Jr. He is legitimately a top-five player in baseball right now. To win it all, a team has to have a superduper star in the dugout. Witt was second in MVP voting last season, and Aaron Judge’s historic season was the only thing that could hold off his incredible numbers. We don’t see Witt slowing down anytime soon. If the Royals were to win the World Series, Witt needs to be legendary.
But there’s more than one guy here. Salvador Perez is still chugging along, and if he can hold off Father Time for one more season, that would surely help the offense. They added Jonathan India to help with the lineup, whether he plays second base or holds down the DH spot. Vinnie Pasquantino is being relied upon to have a bounce-back season, and if he does, this becomes a true contender.
While Witt got all the headlines, the rotation led by Seth Lugo and Cole Ragans put up wins on a nightly basis. Their rotation led MLB with a 10.3 WAR last season. It would be hard to repeat the performance, but we also don’t expect much of a fall-off. They also added major pieces to improve the bullpen, including Lucas Erceg, who came at last year’s deadline.
6. Houston Astros
It’s hard to figure out what the Houston Astros will want out of this season, but it’s harder to write them off. They are the Golden State Warriors of baseball. They changed the game and brought championships with them, and even as the stars get older and some even leave, we can’t count them out. It happened again this offseason, with Alex Bregman choosing the Boston Red Sox over the Astros. Kyle Tucker was also traded, signifying a complete overhaul of the lineup.
The Astros are now anchored by a great rotation. Framber Valdez is a legitimate Cy Young candidate at the top of the rotation. He’s one of the best in the league, and the Astros expect to win every time he’s on the mound. That type of starter is essential to winning in the postseason. Hunter Brown is a really good option behind Valdez. Ronel Blanco was awesome last season, and if he can replicate his under 3.00 ERA will make this one of the best rotations in the AL.
The lineup is reeling, and trying Jose Altuve in left field is a risk, but there’s still a lot to like here. Christian Walker signed a big contract to take over first base. If he can live up to that contract, which pays him about $20 million per season, it helps with some of the losses.
This is a team that’s been here before and knows how to win. Even if all of these players weren’t on those championship squads, the culture here is what is important. There are enough stars to win a championship, and the rest of the pieces will come together. Plus, they have a stellar bullpen led by closer Josh Hader. That is incredibly important against a team like the Dodgers.
5. San Diego Padres
Ah, this rivalry again. The San Diego Padres and Los Angeles Dodgers should be required to play in the postseason every year. The Padres have been the proponent of a Dodgers upset before, taking them out in 2022 despite a 111-win season from LA. The Dodgers did beat the Padres on their way to both World Series championships, but last year was not without a fight. They brought their NLDS to a deciding Game 5. Unfortunately, they couldn’t score a run and lost 2-0.
This season, the Padres and Dodgers could be headed for another rendezvous in the playoffs. It’s destiny at this point. This is also a team that’s spent a ton of money on stars. Manny Machado, Fernando Tatis, Xander Bogarts, and Jason Heyward are joined by Jackson Merrill, who could move into superstar status with another big year. This lineup can easily score with the Dodgers if everyone is clicking.
The rotation looks great on paper, but a move could change everything. If they trade Dylan Cease, it’s no longer dominant. They do still have Yu Darvish, Michael King, and Nick Pavetta, but that top three would look so much better with Cease. Trading him would be a mistake.
The Padres’ season can go one of two ways. Nobody would be floored if they miss the playoffs, but if they get good seasons out of their stars, they would also be one of the biggest threats to the Dodgers. San Diego is once again a thorn in the Dodgers’ side.
4. Philadelphia Phillies
The Philadelphia Phillies should have been a legitimate contender last season, but something always felt like it was missing. It was hard to pinpoint, but it was clear something was off. When they lost to the Mets in the playoffs without much fanfare, the Phillies were at a crossroads. Their team, as currently constructed, was not good enough to win a World Series. It got close, but it didn’t complete the mission.
So then why didn’t they make major changes this offseason? Well, the Phillies can look at the Dodgers themselves as a team that failed in the postseason but needed the right piece to get over the top. The right piece isn’t always available in the offseason, and we have the Phillies this high because they have a great core and the right pieces to make the biggest midseason move, whatever that ends up being.
The rotation is still really good. They’ve accepted the fact that Taijuan Walker is just a really expensive bullpen arm, so they are going with a five of Jesús Luzardo, Aaron Nola, Cristopher Sánchez, Ranger Suárez, and Zack Wheeler. If healthy, they can compete at the top of the NL East, which has quickly become the best division in baseball.
Bryce Harper is still a top star in baseball. Alec Bohm wasn’t traded, and he’s looked like he’s primed for a breakout in spring training. Trea Turner found his groove in Philadelphia, and Kyle Schwarber is still hitting balls that land on Broad Street. They can probably add an outfielder, but that’s to come later. For now, this is a lineup and rotation that keeps them at the top of the National League.
3. New York Yankees
This has been a “worst-case scenario” month for the New York Yankees. Gerrit Cole is going to miss the season with Tommy John Surgery. Giancarlo Stanton is going to miss time with his own elbow issues. Luis Gil is going to miss at least a month, but probably more, with an injury of his own. DJ Lemathieu is out again. We’re starting to think more Yankees are out of the lineup than in it.
So why would the Yankees be so high on this list, the top team in the American League no less? For one, this is still an insane lineup. They lost Juan Soto this offseason, but they replaced him with multiple players. They added Paul Goldschmidt and Cody Bellinger. They are also giving prospects a chance in the lineup, with Jasson Dominguez taking over in left field. Expected progression from Anthony Volpe will make this a dangerous lineup, and we do expect Stanton to return at some point. We just need Stanton to perform in the playoffs, which he always has done in the past.
The rotation isn’t the same without Cole, but it’s still pretty darn good. They signed Max Fried to a massive deal this offseason, and he’ll be expected to hold the fort at the top of the rotation. Carlos Rodon was named the Opening Day starter. Clarke Schmidt had really good metrics last season, and Marcus Stroman is still there and can eat up innings. We forget how good Stroman was in the first half of the season. We haven’t even mentioned the bullpen, which added superstar closer Devin Williams this offseason.
The real reason the Yankees are here is this isn’t the final Yankees team. They are making a trade, and a superstar is likely being added to replace Cole or possibly add offense. Plus, this is still Aaron Judge’s team. If the Yankees can get Judge to perform in the postseason, anything is possible.
2. New York Mets
The New York Mets got really close to having the Dodgers’ number in the NLCS, but they came just short. The series was insanely high-scoring, and the Mets are bringing a lot of their offensive pieces back. On top of that, they added someone in free agency. Not sure if you heard, but Juan Soto signed a 15-year, $765 million deal. Adding one of the best players in baseball through free agency is usually the Dodgers’ thing, but the Mets beat them to the punch on this one.
Adding Soto to this lineup is scary. They also re-signed Pete Alonso to really bolster their power. Having those two anchored around Francisco Lindor means that the Mets can make their opponents pay during every round-robin of the lineup.
The rotation is … interesting. The Opening Day starter is Clay Holmes. He was the Yankees closer last season. That’s certainly a choice! Sean Manaea and Kodai Senga are both decent players who are recovering from relatively minor injuries. David Peterson rounds out the top four.
The Mets have the highest ceiling, which is why they are here. They could beat anyone if the rotation does well. If it doesn’t, then the Soto contract is going to hurt swiftly. For now, we have a lot of hope that this can work.
1. Atlanta Braves
A lot went wrong for the Atlanta Braves last season. For other teams, losing a player the caliber of Ronald Acuna Jr. and Spencer Strider in the rotation would equal death to the season. Luckily for Atlanta, Marcel Ozuna and Chris Sale stepped up huge. Sale even won the Cy Young, solidifying one of the greatest career resurgences we’ve ever seen.
The Braves now have these great options and stars like Acuna and Strider back in the fold. The lineup has other stars like Matt Olsen, Austin Riley, and Jurickson Profar provide nightly run support to a stellar rotation. The Braves are built to win, and the Dodgers were lucky they avoided them in the postseason last year, even with all the injuries.
They likely won’t be as lucky this season. This rotation is sick, with Reynaldo Lopez and Spencer Schwellenbach coming behind Sale and Strider. There are only a few days off when playing the Atlanta Braves over the season. Their depth after Max Fried left for the Yankees is slightly concerning, but no injuries would give them a better rotation than the Dodgers. They could even survive one major starter injury.
The depth is slightly concerning, but the Braves are the team to beat the Dodgers. They can match bats, it would probably spook Freddie Freeman so he doesn’t turn into a hero like he did against the Yankees, and they have the top-line rotation arms that could shut down any lineup, even one as insane as the Dodgers.