In Major League Baseball there is no bigger prize than the World Series and if a team is lucky enough to hold that Commissioner’s Trophy, their names will be in the record books forever. So, I wanted to give my predictions on the next five teams I think will achieve this honour.
2020 - Los Angeles Dodgers
The Los Angeles Dodgers are clearly the best team in baseball and should be everyone’s favourite for the 2020 World Series. They have some of the best hitters in baseball, two aces at the top of their rotation and a dominant bullpen.
The top hitters in their lineup will include: the reigning NL MVP Cody Bellinger, a consistent MVP candidate in Mookie Betts, two ball mashers in Joc Pederson, and Max Muncy and the ever so reliable Justin Turner.
Their rotation has possibly the best one-two punch in all of baseball, with Clayton Kershaw and Walker Buehler. Both these men had ERAs below three and a half and a WHIP of 1.04. Those are Cy Young numbers, and these guys know how to dominate hitters.
The bullpen is set with Joe Kelly, Pedro Baez and one of the best closers in baseball, Kenley Jansen. Their team is slightly aging, but at the same time they have a lot of young guys taking the jump to the MLB this year.
The young players on this team include second basemen Gavin Lux, and three quality starters with Julio Urias, Dustin May and Tony Gonsolin. These men will be stars in the MLB very soon.
With the skill on this Dodgers team, I don't even think it will be a competition and the Dodgers will easily win the 2020 World Series.
2021 - New York Yankees
The New York Yankees are another team that is absolutely stacked top to bottom, and in 2021 they will finally be injury-free and at the top of their game. Their rotation will be the best in baseball and their lineup is as powerful as it gets.
Having a healthy rotation consisting of Gerrit Cole, Luis Severino, Masahiro Tanaka, James Paxton and J.A. Happ will be unstoppable. Every game they will be putting a quality pitcher on the mound.
The Yankees bullpen is also unfairly good, with some of the best relievers in the MLB. They have Chad Green, Zack Britton, Tommy Kahnle, Adam Ottavino and the flame-throwing closer with Aroldis Chapman. All these men rarely allow runs and know how to hold a lead for their team.
The lineup on this team is also extremely balanced and dangerous for pitchers across the league. They have the consistent .300 hitter DJ LeMahieu, the young stars with Miguel Andujar and Gleyber Torres and then they have two outfielders that hit bombs for their living in Aaron Judge and Giancarlo Stanton.
If everyone comes into the 2021 season healthy as expected and they all perform to the best of their abilities, the Yankees will definitely be the champions.
2022 - Oakland Athletics
The Oakland Athletics are one of my favourite young teams in baseball to watch, they are so well rounded and have such a bright future. With some development, I believe by 2022 the A’s will be ready to win the World Series.
Their infield is extremely good with Marcus Semien at shortstop, who had a breakout season in 2019 batting .285 with 33 home runs. He has improved every year he has been in the majors, so I can only imagine how good he will be by 2022.
Their corner infield spots are some of the best in baseball, with Matt Chapman at third-base and Matt Olson at first base. I believe Matt Chapman is the best third baseman in all of baseball, being an elite hitter and a platinum glove fielder.
Olson is a good fielding first-baseman, who can hit the cover off a baseball. He is coming off a season that saw him hit 36 home runs while having 91 RBIs. Their infield is set for years to come.
Their starting rotation is going to be great for years to come as long as they have Sean Manaea as their ace, who is a consistent star. They also have the young prospect starter in A.J. Puk, who I believe will be dominating in 2022. Then to round that off they have an elite closer with Liam Hendriks shutting down games.
As these young A’s hit their prime, the Athletics will be lifting the Commissioner’s Trophy by 2022.
2023 - Atlanta Braves
The Atlanta Braves are possibly the best up and coming team in the MLB, with a ton of young stars already in the majors and so many more prospects on their way up. Once everyone makes it to the big leagues in 2023, they will be a force to be reckoned with.
Firstly, we must look at the superstars already in the MLB who have proven they will be superstars for years to come. Starting with the hitters there is Ozzie Albies, Dansby Swanson, Freddie Freeman, Austin Riley and the best of them all being Ronald Acuña Jr. All of these men know how to hit and can become MVP’s in their careers.
The pitchers already at the major league level include Max Fried, Sean Newcomb, Mike Soroka, Jeremy Walker and Kyle Wright. These men have been dominating in the majors for a couple of years now and they have yet to hit their prime, so there is still room for growth.
Now to look at the young prospects who will all be making their names known in the league by 2023. The Braves have two outfielders in AAA with Drew Waters and Christian Pache. There are also two pitchers in AAA who have bright futures, Ian Anderson and Tucker Davidson.
Their minor leagues also include two catchers in the team’s top 10 prospect list. They have the 22-year-old William Contreras in AA and the 22-year-old Shea Langeliers in A ball currently.
These two men could create a dominant platoon duo in the MLB.
Once all these young stars suit up together in that Braves uniform, everyone should expect a World Series for the 2023 Atlanta Braves.
2024 Toronto Blue Jays
Now we are in 2024, and this is the season where I believe my hometown Toronto Blue Jays will finally win a World Series again. This is a team that has a lot of their best prospects up in the majors. Now all they need is some development.
The Jays have an infield with some of the brightest prospects in baseball, and there will be no changes to their starters at second base, shortstop, or third base any time soon. At the second base position they have the 25-year-old Cavan Biggio, at shortstop the 22-year-old Bo Bichette and at third-base the former number one prospect in baseball, Vladimir Guerrero Jr.
At the catcher position, they have two young studs with Danny Jansen and Reese McGuire. Then the outfield has Teoscar Hernandez and Lourdes Gurriel Jr. While Gurriel may not be the best fielder, the kid can hit the baseball at an elite level.
Their starting rotation is currently slightly weak, but by 2024 when all their pitching prospects are in the majors, they will be insanely good. The Jays have Nate Pearson, Simeon Woods Richardson, Alek Manoah and Anthony Kay all currently progressing in the minors and then they have Ryan Borucki who has already performed well in the MLB.
All those pitchers are under the age of 26 and have a great career ahead of them. Another key player for the Jays is their current elite closer, Ken Giles. If they are able to retain Giles for the foreseeable future; the backend of their bullpen will be set.
With such a bright future and one of the best farm systems in baseball, the Toronto Blue Jays will be World Series Champions by 2024.
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