In a way, you have to feel for fans of the four teams that lost in the Wild Card Series. Not only did their offseason begin far earlier than they’d hoped, but the impending work stoppage means it might be a while before we see the Astros, Cubs, Phillies and Red Sox back on the field.
All four teams have their problems, and that’s generous of us. But should we give up hope on their 2027 title chances? Not necessarily. After all, they’re not quite in Angels or Rockies territory. Here's our powerless rankings (in reverse order, so the team we believe has the best future is in the No. 4 spot, and so on.)
4. Boston Red Sox
We initially planned to put the Red Sox closer to rebuild, but they’ve gotten enough production from their young core to warrant the “top” spot. Our biggest concern is manager Chad Tracy, who seemingly lost the locker room down the stretch; Sonny Gray and Willson Contreras took not-so-subtle jabs at both Tracy and the overall organization after the Wild Card Series.
The one thing working against the Red Sox is them playing in the American League East, but that’s never stopped them before. We’ll see how aggressive Craig Breslow is this offseason, especially if Gray opts not to return.
3. Chicago Cubs
The good news: Pete Crow-Armstrong will play all of next season at 26 years old, and he’s fresh off a 9.8 bWAR and 40-40 campaign. This is when we remind you that the Mets traded him for two months of Javier Báez, who promptly signed with the Tigers and has since become one of the worst signings in franchise history.
Things could nonetheless become very uncomfortable in Chicago. Veteran starting pitcher Shota Imanaga and outfielders Seiya Suzuki and Ian Happ, the latter of whom is the team’s longest-tenured player, are all pending free agents. We might also see pitchers Kevin Gauman and David Peterson hit the open market, and Clay Holmes can join them if he declines his $12 million player option.
MLB Pipeline considers the Cubs’ farm system to be third-worst leaguewide, but the Phillies and Astros are in far worse situations because…
2. Philadelphia Phillies
You could make a case for the Phillies to earn the top spot, but talent isn’t the problem. This organization desperately needs a reset, but as The Athletic’s Ken Rosenthal noted on Friday, it faces an unhealthy mix of financial commitments and a reluctance to alienate the fanbase.
Rosenthal suggested the Phillies could move Trea Turner to center field and trade one of Bryce Harper or Kyle Schwarber, though both have full no-trade clauses. Philadelphia’s player development system clearly isn’t working, either, as it’s had major problems getting non-first-round picks to the majors.
But we can look at the Phillies’ roster and say they can contend for a Wild Card spot next year. As for 2028 and beyond? Well, at least they’re not the Astros.
1. Houston Astros
The last month has essentially been us tearing the Astros to shreds for every move imaginable, ranging from the Jose Altuve extension to their inability to build a reliable starting rotation. We even took aim at Daikin Park’s name last week!
Houston’s embarrassing Wild Card Series showcase shined a light on how bleak the organization’s future has truly become. Yordan Alvarez and Isaac Paredes only have two years of team control left, and shortstop Jeremy Peña can hit free agency following the 2027 season. They’re stuck with Jose Altuve’s contract, and we’d be shocked if Christian Walker and Tatsuya Imai found new homes this offseason.
But if you’re an Astros fan, we don’t want to hear it. Plenty of fans are still waiting to see their team capture its first championship, and you guys won two within six years.
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