1 Fatal Flaw That Could Keep Every MLB Team Out of World Series Contention
The start of MLB spring training is right around the corner, and the beginning of a new season always brings a renewed sense of hope for fanbases across the country.
Time to crush some dreams.
Ahead we've highlighted the one fatal flaw on each team's roster that could keep them from contending for a World Series title.
For some clubs, it's a simple lack of talent during the early stages of rebuilding. For others, it's a lack of depth in a key area or an overreliance on young, unproven talent.
In a few cases, it took some serious nit-picking to find a major flaw, but every team has at least one hypothetical that could derail its title hopes.
American League East
1 of 6
Baltimore Orioles: Inexperience
The Orioles took a huge step forward last season, improving from a 52-110 record in 2021 to an 83-79 finish. This is an exciting young club headed in the right direction, but it's set to lean heavily on young players still finding their footing in the big leagues such as Adley Rutschman, Gunnar Henderson, Grayson Rodriguez, Kyle Bradish, Dean Kremer, DL Hall, Kyle Stowers and Joey Ortiz.
The future is bright, but their youth could also mean growing pains.
Boston Red Sox: Pitching
Lefties Chris Sale and James Paxton have pitched a combined 70 innings over the past three seasons, including a grand total of 5.2 frames in 2022. The Red Sox will be counting on both of them to hold down a spot in the starting rotation. In the bullpen, 35-year-old Kenley Jansen and 36-year-old Chris Martin were the biggest additions to one of the worst relief corps in baseball a year ago.
All of that seems like a recipe for disaster, especially on a team poised to score fewer runs following the loss of Xander Bogaerts.
New York Yankees: Pitching depth
Upgrading from Jameson Taillon to Carlos Rodón should give the Yankees one of the better starting rotations in the American League, but there is little depth behind their top five arms. Frankie Montas is a wild card given his shoulder issues, Clarke Schmidt has looked better in relief, and Randy Vasquez, Deivi García and Jhony Brito remain largely unproven.
In the bullpen, Miguel Castro, Zack Britton, Aroldis Chapman and Chad Green are all gone, leaving Clay Holmes, Jonathan Loaisiga and free-agent signing Tommy Kahnle to do a lot of the heavy lifting in the late innings. A few key injuries on the staff could derail the Yankees' season.
Tampa Bay Rays: Middle-of-the-order production
As usual, a strong pitching staff was the key to success for the Rays last season, as they finished 21st in runs scored (666) and 24th in team OPS (.686). Can they survive any sort of regression from 2022 breakout starters Shane McClanahan, Drew Rasmussen and Jeffrey Springs?
The return of Brandon Lowe, who played just 65 games last year after a 39-homer, 99-RBI season in 2021, will help, but this is largely the same group as last year, minus Ji-Man Choi, who was traded to Pittsburgh.
Toronto Blue Jays: Starting pitching
The Blue Jays did well in replacing free agent Ross Stripling with veteran right-hander Chris Bassitt, who signed a three-year, $63 million deal in December.
However, they are still left relying on José Berríos (5.23 ERA, 172.0 IP) and Yusei Kikuchi (5.19 ERA, 100.2 IP) to fill two spots in the rotation until Hyun-Jin Ryu returns from Tommy John surgery, and outside swingman Mitch White, they have next to nothing in the way of proven rotation depth.
American League Central
2 of 6
Chicago White Sox: Offensive production
The White Sox could be a high-powered offense, but their starting lineup is littered with question marks.
Will Yasmani Grandal and Yoán Moncada rebound from terrible seasons? Can Tim Anderson, Eloy Jiménez and Luis Robert stay healthy after all three fell short of 100 games played in 2022? Is Andrew Vaughn capable of another step forward to help replace José Abreu in the middle of the lineup? Who is going to play second base?
Cleveland Guardians: Potential regression
Glass half full: The Guardians are a young team on the rise with a dynamic young core that includes several players who enjoyed breakout seasons in 2022.
Glass half empty: The Guardians are primed for regression after Andrés Giménez, Steven Kwan, Triston McKenzie, Cal Quantrill, Josh Naylor and Oscar Gonzalez all outperformed their peripheral numbers.
Detroit Tigers: A general lack of talent
A year ago, the Tigers looked like a potential dark-horse contender following a 77-win season and a busy winter that included high-profile free-agent signings Javier Báez and Eduardo Rodriguez.
Instead, they finished 66-96 and look to once again be in the early stages of rebuilding. Báez (2.4) and Eric Haase (2.1) were the only players on the roster to post at least a 2-WAR season last year, and little has been done to move the needle this offseason.
Kansas City Royals: Starting pitching
Bringing back Zack Greinke and adding veterans Jordan Lyles and Ryan Yarbrough should help take some pressure off the Royals' young arms, but that doesn't exactly look like a starting rotation capable of postseason contention.
Brady Singer is a legitimate future ace and lefties Daniel Lynch and Kris Bubic have both flashed potential, but there is still a lot of work to be done as far as building a legitimate starting staff alongside their exciting young lineup.
Minnesota Twins: Health
Max Kepler (115 games played), Jorge Polanco (104), Byron Buxton (92), Ryan Jeffers (67), Trevor Larnach (51) and Alex Kirilloff (45) all missed time because of injuries last season, while right-hander Kenta Maeda missed the entire year recovering from Tommy John surgery.
With Luis Arraez and Gio Urshela both sent packing in offseason trades, there is less versatility on the roster, and in order to return to contention in the AL Central, the Twins can't afford to juggle injuries to key players all season again.
American League West
3 of 6
Houston Astros: Middle infield depth
Even after Houston let Justin Verlander walk in free agency, it's hard to find flaws on the Astros roster. They have a stacked offense, six legitimate candidates for the starting rotation, and all the key pieces are back from a bullpen that led the majors with a 2.80 ERA.
If there's one potential flaw, it's a lack of depth behind the middle infield tandem of Jose Altuve and Jeremy Peña. Light-hitting Mauricio Dubón is expected to back up both positions, while David Hensley can play up the middle in a pinch but fits better at a corner spot. An injury to either of those players might require some scrambling.
Los Angeles Angels: Bullpen
The Angels bullpen finished 18th in the majors with a 3.95 ERA last season, converting just 38 of 66 save chances on the year.
Hard-throwing Carlos Estévez was signed to a two-year, $13.5 million deal in free agency, but he is the only notable addition to a middling incumbent group led by Jimmy Herget, Ryan Tepera, Aaron Loup and Andrew Wantz.
Oakland Athletics: A general lack of talent
After trading Matt Olson, Matt Chapman, Chris Bassitt and Sean Manaea last offseason, Frankie Montas at the trade deadline, and catcher Sean Murphy and left-hander Cole Irvin this winter, the Athletics look more like a Triple-A team than a legitimate MLB franchise.
Who is their best player? Seth Brown? Paul Blackburn? Ramón Laureano? They might legitimately lose 120 games.
Seattle Mariners: Position player depth
With Teoscar Hernández, Kolten Wong and AJ Pollock added to the mix, the Mariners have a well-rounded starting lineup, but they are lacking in depth capable of stepping into a large role.
The only position players on the 40-man roster outside their projected starting lineup are catchers Tom Murphy and Cooper Hummel, first baseman Evan White, utility players Tommy La Stella and Dylan Moore, and outfielder Sam Haggerty, Taylor Trammell, Cade Marlowe and Jonatan Clase. Are they properly equipped to weather the injury issues that arise during a 162-game season?
Texas Rangers: A top-heavy lineup
Marcus Semien, Corey Seager, Nathaniel Lowe and Adolis García could be as good as any foursome in baseball, but the lineup behind them might be an issue.
Catcher Jonah Heim had a strong first half last year before he hit .181/.279/.311 after the All-Star break, third baseman Josh Jung is an unproven rookie, and the designated hitter spot, left field and center field could all be a revolving door of light-hitting options. The rotation is vastly improved, but do they have enough offensive balance?
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National League East
4 of 6
Atlanta Braves: Starting pitching
This is nit-picking. The Braves have one of the most complete rosters in baseball with quality depth at multiple positions, including shortstop, where Orlando Arcia can step into a larger role if Vaughn Grissom needs more development time.
There are some questions in the starting rotation behind the one-two punch of Max Fried and Kyle Wright. Can a 39-year-old Charlie Morton avoid further decline after a down season in 2022? Will flame-throwing Spencer Strider avoid further injury issues? Is Mike Soroka finally healthy? Will Ian Anderson, Bryce Elder or Kolby Allard be able to handle a rotation spot if an injury arises?
Miami Marlins: Middle-of-the-order production
The additions of Luis Arraez and Jean Segura will give the Marlins a solid table-setting duo at the top of the lineup, but nothing was done to address the glaring lack of middle-of-the-order production.
A healthy Jazz Chisholm Jr. could be a 30/30 player, but it's hard to get excited about a 4-5-6 of Garrett Cooper, Avisail Garcia and Jorge Soler. Even if someone like Bryan De La Cruz or JJ Bleday turns in a breakout season, this looks like a bottom-of-the-league offense.
New York Mets: An aging rotation
Justin Verlander and Max Scherzer are both future Hall of Famers coming off terrific 2022 seasons.
They are also 39 and 38 years old, respectively, with more than 6,000 combined innings between them in the regular season and postseason. The Mets have pinned a lot on that duo's ability to anchor the starting rotation, and while more of what they showed in 2022 could mean a World Series run, age regression often comes swiftly for starting pitchers, even ones who are headed for Cooperstown.
Philadelphia Phillies: Overall depth
The Phillies will be without Bryce Harper to begin the 2023 season as he recovers from Tommy John surgery, and with a light-hitting bench of Garrett Stubbs, Edmundo Sosa, Josh Harrison and Dalton Guthrie they can't afford another injury to a key member of the starting lineup.
Likewise, an injury to the starting rotation could mean rushing Andrew Painter or Griff McGarry to the majors, though it's not out of the question to think Painter could win the No. 5 starter job outright this spring. Regardless, the Phillies have a talented roster with little in the way of playable depth beneath the surface.
Washington Nationals: A general lack of talent
If the Nationals avoid 100 losses, it will be one of the biggest surprises of the season.
Left-hander Patrick Corbin went 6-19 with a 6.31 ERA in 152.2 innings last year, and he might be the Opening Day starter. Joey Meneses went from career minor leaguer to the best hitter on the roster after the trade deadline. Reclamation projects Jeimer Candelario and Dominic Smith could wind up hitting 4-5 in the order. This is what the ground floor of a rebuild looks like.
National League Central
5 of 6
Chicago Cubs: Bullpen
The Cubs bullpen finished 21st in the majors with a 4.12 ERA last season, and the relief corps was gutted at the deadline when David Robertson, Scott Effross and Mychal Givens were all traded.
Brad Boxberger was signed in free agency and Julian Merryweather was claimed off waivers, and they will join Brandon Hughes, Adbert Alzolay, Rowan Wick and Michael Rucker in a cobbled-together and largely unproven relief corps.
Cincinnati Reds: A general lack of talent
The Reds finally took a decisive step toward rebuilding last year after occupying the gray area between contention and irrelevance for several seasons. The future is bright with a group of prospects who checked in No. 6 in our latest farm system rankings, but it's going to take some patience.
There are some solid young pieces on the roster, including Nick Lodolo and Hunter Greene atop the starting rotation and Jonathan India and Tyler Stephenson in the middle of the lineup, but this organization clearly has both eyes fixed on the future.
Milwaukee Brewers: The outfield
By trading Hunter Renfroe and letting Andrew McCutchen walk in free agency, the Brewers are relying heavily on some combination of Garrett Mitchell, Tyrone Taylor and non-roster invitees Sal Frelick and Joey Wiemer to handle two starting spots in the outfield alongside left fielder Christian Yelich.
All four of those players have a top-prospect pedigree, but they are also largely unproven, and that could create a black hole at the bottom of the lineup if no one steps forward as an immediate contributor.
Pittsburgh Pirates: A general lack of talent
The Pirates have some exciting young talent, led by Oneil Cruz, Ke'Bryan Hayes and All-Star center fielder Bryan Reynolds, and there is more on the way from one of the top farm systems in baseball.
However, it's difficult to view a team with a projected starting rotation of Rich Hill, Roansy Contreras, Mitch Keller, JT Brubaker and Vince Velasquez as anything but an also-ran when it comes to postseason contention.
St. Louis Cardinals: Starting pitching
If everything breaks right, the Cardinals are talented enough to run away with the NL Central title, but starting pitching will be the deciding factor.
Jack Flaherty and Steven Matz combined for 18 starts and 84 innings pitched last season, and both guys will be counted on to hold down a spot in the rotation this year. Meanwhile, the continued success of a 41-year-old Adam Wainwright will also be a major X-factor.
National League West
6 of 6
Arizona Diamondbacks: Bullpen
A shaky season from veteran Mark Melancon (62 G, 3-10, 18/21 SV, 4.66 ERA, 1.50 WHIP) left the D-backs without a reliable ninth-inning option last year.
In-house options Kevin Ginkel and Joe Mantiply also saw a handful of save chances, and the team signed Miguel Castro to a one-year deal in free agency, but there is no shutdown option on the roster and Melancon could again wind up being the go-to guy in the second season of a two-year, $14 million deal.
Colorado Rockies: A general lack of talent
The Rockies lost 94 games last season and their big free-agent addition has been middle reliever Pierce Johnson on a one-year, $5 million deal after he posted a 5.02 ERA in 15 appearances out of the San Diego Padres bullpen last year.
Even with a healthy season from Kris Bryant, a breakout performance from rookie shortstop Ezequiel Tovar and a passable showing by a weak starting rotation, it's hard to see this team finishing anywhere but the NL West cellar.
Los Angeles Dodgers: Bullpen
The Dodgers spent most of the 2022 season riding the roller coaster that was Craig Kimbrel in the ninth inning and then turned to a closer-by-committee when he was left off the postseason roster.
A healthy Daniel Hudson should provide a boost in the late innings after he made just 25 appearances last season, but no notable additions have been made to the relief corps outside reclamation project Shelby Miller. They have some talented arms in Evan Phillips, Brusdar Graterol, Alex Vesia and Yency Almonte, but not adding an established closer could be a decision they regret.
San Diego Padres: Starting pitching
The Padres will pile up runs with an offense led by Manny Machado, Juan Soto, Fernando Tatis Jr. and Xander Bogaerts. Do they have the starting pitching to contend for a title?
Yu Darvish and Joe Musgrove are an excellent one-two punch at the top, and Blake Snell can be overpowering when everything is clicking, but they are relying on Nick Martinez and Seth Lugo to fill the final two spots in the rotation. If one of those back-end arms falters or there is an injury, Adrian Morejon could become a huge X-factor.
San Francisco Giants: Pitching
The Giants replaced NL Cy Young contender Carlos Rodón with middle-of-the-rotation arms Sean Manaea and Ross Stripling, which pushes the oft-injured Alex Cobb into the role of No. 2 starter behind Logan Webb.
Meanwhile, the only notable addition to a middle-of-the-pack bullpen was left-hander Taylor Rogers, who pitched to a 4.76 ERA and led the majors with 10 blown saves in 2022. Even with the additions of Mitch Haniger and Michael Conforto offensively, did they really move the needle any closer to title contention?
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