In the landscape of Major League Baseball, teams constantly find themselves navigating the delicate balance between contention and rebuilding. The concept of a “World Series window” encapsulates the time frame during which a team possesses the necessary talent and resources to make a legitimate championship run.
Some franchises find themselves in enviable positions with wide-open windows of opportunity, while others see their hopes dashed as their World Series windows close shut. Here, we explore five teams whose World Series windows are wide open, primed for success and five whose windows have been slammed shut, facing significant challenges in their pursuit of baseball’s ultimate glory.
Which MLB teams have a chance at a World Series soon?
Texas Rangers – WIDE OPEN!
It would be impossible to not start off this list without including the reigning World Champions. The roster has brought back all the majority of their key pieces from their World Series roster. Add a full season of postseason sensation Evan Carter, a rotation that will eventually be getting back two-time Cy Young winner Jacob deGrom, and it’s easy to see this team’s World Series window being WIDE OPEN!
Kansas City Royals – SLAMMED SHUT!
No team has a worse record over the last 5 years than the Kansas City Royals. Their 2023 season record of 56-106 was their worst in franchise history. Lack of upcoming talent is also an issue with the Royals with a seemingly depleted farm system and lack of interest in free agents to come to Kansas City, this team’s immediate World Series window appears to be SLAMMED SHUT!
Los Angeles Dodgers – WIDE OPEN!
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The Dodgers made the massive offseason splash of free agency by signing superstar Shohei Ohtani. Ohtani joins a roster with the likes of MVP candidates Mookie Betts and Freddie Freeman. Another huge free agent signing included 25-year-old pitcher Yoshinobu Yamamoto who boasted a 70-29 record with a 1.82 ERA while pitching in the Nippon Professional Baseball League in Japan. The spending did not stop there as the Dodgers also signed 2021 All-Star outfielder Teoscar Hernandez to a 1 year $23.5 million dollar contract.
But wait, there is more. The Dodgers also traded for pitcher Tyler Glasnow from the Tampa Bay Rays and promptly signed him to a 5 year $136.5 million contract extension. Outside of the free agent signings, Los Angeles has also accumulated some homegrown talent in pitchers Bobby Miller and Gavin Stone. The Dodgers clearly are not afraid to spend the cash if it means adding another World Series ring to their collection. Their window is WIDE OPEN for multiple World Series titles.
Oakland Athletics – SLAMMED SHUT!
No team was more excited for the 2023 MLB season to end than the Oakland A’s. After finishing the season with the worst record in baseball, the A’s focus will be more geared toward their relocation to Las Vegas than fielding a competitive baseball team. Opening Day attendance for the As vs Guardians matchup was 13,522. Fans lined the outside of the stadium waving “sell” flags for their support of the owner John Fisher to sell the team. Oakland currently lacks the major league talent to compete and an owner not wanting to pay for talent as they are consistently in the bottom third of the league in payroll.
The years of Billy Beane’s Moneyball concept are long gone and the few fans left in Oakland are left with very little optimism. While there is speculation on where the A’s will play until their stadium is finished, the A’s window for a World Series has been SLAMMED SHUT!
Also Read: 5 MLB Teams That Will Win A World Series In The Next 10 Years…And 5 That Unfortunately Won’t
Atlanta Braves – WIDE OPEN!
No team has done a better job of securing a long-term roster like the Atlanta Braves. Superstars such as Ozzie Albies, Ronald Acuna Jr, Spencer Strider, Matt Olson, and Austin Riley are all under contract until at least the 2028 MLB season. The Braves are looking at a 7th straight NL East division title. Atlanta will be getting back from injury Max Fried, Sean Murphy, Charlie Morton, and Travis D’Arnuad.
Fresh off back-to-back 100-win seasons, the Braves have arguably the best pitching rotation adding 7-time All-Star Chris Sale, and depth to build on their 2021 World Series title and add more hardware to their already prestigious collection. The window for this team’s future is WIDE OPEN!
Colorado Rockies – SLAMMED SHUT!
There is no easy way to put this, the future of the Colorado Rockies looks bleak. Rockies fans are unphased and unsurprised as their team missed the postseason for the fifth year in a row. In fairness to the fans, their emotions are valid as the Rockies have never finished higher than second in their division and finished 2023 with a franchise-worst 103 losses. The window for this team in the near future has been SLAMMED SHUT!
New York Yankees- WIDE OPEN!
The Yankees are coming off a disappointing 2023 season missing the postseason for the first time since 2016. Disappointment is something that isn’t tolerated with the Yankees franchise. New York spent the offseason trading for 3 time all-star Juan Soto and landing pitcher Marcus Strowman to bolster their pitching rotation. It is hard to imagine a franchise that has 27 World Series titles to its name not being in contention to win another. There are no excuses for New York. They have the superstars and two potential MVP candidates (Aaron Judge and Juan Soto) to win a World Series and now it’s on the players to finish the job. The World Series window is WIDE OPEN for the Bronx Bombers.
Also read: All The Best MLB Players From Each Country Right Now
Chicago White Sox – SLAMMED SHUT!
The White Sox are a terrible baseball team currently finishing their 2023 MLB season with a 61-101 record which is their lowest win total in a full season since 1970. The White Sox did not really add much talent in the offseason to improve that roster with their signings of Erick Fedde, Paul DeJong, and Martin Maldonado.
Like many other ball clubs on this list, management is another problem. White Sox fans have been begging for owner Jerry Reinsdorf to sell the team as he has not shown a commitment to winning. Manager Pedro Grifol seems in over his head. The window for this team is SLAMMED SHUT!
Baltimore Orioles – WIDE OPEN!
It’s been a long time for someone to say they are an Orioles fan and be able to say that with pride. Arguably, no MLB team has done a better job of assembling talent than Baltimore. Baltimore has a collection of young talent that makes teams envious with players such as Adley Rutschman, Colton Cowser, Gunner Henderson, Anthony Santander, Grayson Rodriguez, and Heston Kjerstad looking to be solid prospects. That is not even mentioning the 2022 first-overall selection, Jackson Holliday.
But the wealth of talent does not stop there with Baltimore trading for 2021 Cy Young winner Corbin Burnes to a team that is coming off a 101-win season that eventually ended at the hands of the future World Series champion Texas Rangers. Fear not though Orioles fans, this is just the beginning of success for Baltimore as their World Series window is WIDE OPEN!
Washington Nationals – SLAMMED SHUT!
Being optimistic is all that Nationals fans have to be excited about, especially when Washington has finished in last place each of the past four seasons. Since their 2019 World Series championship, the Nationals have lost most of that World Series roster via trade or free agency including Trea Turner, Anthony Rendon, Juan Soto, and Max Scherzer.
It also doesn’t help to be in the same division as the Atlanta Braves who also have a strong farm system and a World Series-ready roster currently locked up for many years to come makes the window for the Nationals’ future SLAMMED SHUT!
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