Ranking MLB's 10 'Real' Contenders for the 2024 World Series
There isn't currently an MLB team on pace to win 100 or more games, which may make 2024 the most wide-open postseason in some time.
Someone will have to be the odds-on favorite to win it all, but there isn't going to be an overwhelming front-runner like there is entering the playoffs most years.
So we decided to rank the "real" World Series contenders, a list that was longer than it would be in most years given that every team in the sport has had some trials in 2024.
It's also important to remember the randomness of October baseball, as the Philadelphia Phillies (2022), Arizona Diamondbacks (2023) and Texas Rangers (2023) have all made runs to the World Series as wild-card representatives in the last two postseasons.
With all that acknowledged, here are the 10 real World Series contenders ranked.
10. Milwaukee Brewers
1 of 10
Pros
- If Trevor Megill returns from his injured-list stint healthy, manager Pat Murphy is going to have one of the best bullpens in the postseason when you also factor in Devin Williams and Bryan Hudson.
- Willy Adames and Rhys Hoskins are both veterans who have previously reached the World Series with other teams, and they could make themselves quite a bit of money in free agency this winter with a big postseason
Cons
- Former NL MVP Christian Yelich is out for the season after undergoing back surgery last week.
- While Colin Rea and Tobias Myers have had impressive campaigns, it's fair to wonder whether the Brewers have enough starting pitching depth behind Freddy Peralta to make a deep playoff run. Frankie Montas and/or Aaron Civale getting hot wouldn't hurt.
X-Factor: Health
Obviously, you can say this with every team, but it feels particularly relevant to the Brewers considering Yelich's season is over, while Megill and Hoby Milner are both veteran free agents on the shelf currently.
9. San Diego Padres
2 of 10
Pros
- With Jurickson Profar amid a career year and rookie Jackson Merrill on a tear, this has a chance to be one of the scariest lineups in the postseason, particularly if Manny Machado, Ha-Seong Kim and Xander Bogaerts perform like the back of their baseball card suggests they should.
- With president of baseball operations A.J. Preller acquiring both Tanner Scott and Jason Adam in July, this is a scary bullpen. Robert Suárez was an All-Star this season, while Adrián Morejón and Yuki Matsui figure to be key postseason contributors as well.
Cons
- Yu Darvish is on the restricted list as he deals with an unspecified family matter and Joe Musgrove just returned from the 60-day IL. You can see the best-case scenario with this rotation, but it's fair to wonder if manager Mike Schildt will have enough starting pitching behind Dylan Cease, particularly if the Padres get in a seven-game series.
- David Peralta has played well in limited action, but it's hard to imagine the 37-year-old being the starting right fielder during a deep playoff run, particularly if (when?) the Padres see lefties like Chris Sale, Clayton Kershaw, Cristopher Sánchez and Ranger Suárez.
X-Factor: Fernando Tatis Jr.
Peralta will largely be inconsequential once Tatis comes back, assuming he does. We're also assuming he will be himself once he returns from a stress fracture in his right femur that has sidelined him since late June.
8. Houston Astros
3 of 10
Pros
- Houston is by far the most experienced postseason team, with Jose Altuve, Alex Bregman, Yordan Alvarez, Jeremy Peña, Framber Valdez and Ryan Pressly among those who have won at least one World Series with the team.
- Bregman is in a contract year and has been red-hot since the All-Star Break, having homered five times in August. Bregman is sixth in MLB history with 19 career postseason home runs, eight less than Altuve, who has 27 and is second of all time.
- Given how well Bryan Abreu and Tayler Scott have pitched this season, the Astros are going to have a scary bullpen if Pressly and Josh Hader each perform better down the stretch.
Cons
- There are a lot of "ifs" when you talk about the Astros. They are counting on major contributions from Justin Verlander (neck) and Kyle Tucker (right shin). Luis García—working his way back from the Tommy John surgery he underwent in May 2023—is another "maybe" who could help the Astros.
- With all due respect, Jon Singleton doesn't feel like the starting first baseman for a World Series team.
X-Factor: Can everything come together for one last run?
With Bregman and Verlander potentially becoming free agents this offseason and an aging core, this feels like it might be the last chance for this era of Astros to cement itself as a dynasty with a third title.
Boy, there's a lot that has to break their way in the coming weeks, including health.
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7. Atlanta Braves
4 of 10
Pros
- Marcell Ozuna is having a tremendous season, and if the trio of Matt Olson, Austin Riley and Michael Harris II get going, this could still be a dangerous lineup.
- It's a big if, but should Reynaldo López return from his current injured-list stint healthy, the Braves could have a pretty imposing starting rotation in a short series with him, Chris Sale and Max Fried.
Cons
- It just doesn't feel like the Braves' year. They've lost Ronald Acuña Jr. (torn left ACL) and Spencer Strider (internal brace procedure) for the season, while both López (right forearm inflammation) and Ozzie Albies (left wrist fracture) are currently out. Of course, many times when it's felt like the Braves' year, they've disappointed in the playoffs. So maybe having less pressure will work in their favor.
- Right now they aren't getting much from either corner outfield spot. They badly need the recently reacquired Jorge Soler to provide the type of spark he did when he was the World Series MVP in 2021.
X-Factor: Spencer Schwellenbach
The 24-year-old righty has pitched serviceably for manager Brian Snitker's squad, with a 4.04 ERA and 3.40 FIP across 13 starts. He could prove to be a better No. 4 starter than 40-year-old Charlie Morton if the Braves get to a seven-game series in the postseason. He would become even more important if any of Sale, Fried or López isn't available to pitch in the postseason.
6. Cleveland Guardians
5 of 10
Pros
- Led by Emmanuel Clase, Hunter Gaddis, Cade Smith and Tim Herrin, the Guardians have by far the best bullpen in baseball. If they have the lead after six innings, there's a pretty good chance they're going to win the game.
- José Ramírez, Steven Kwan, Josh Naylor and David Fry have been key cogs for an offense that is 12th in the league in runs scored, a huge improvement after being 27th a season ago. They have enough offense to be competitive in the playoffs.
Cons
- Cleveland has the worst starting pitching of any of the 10 teams on this list. It's Tanner Bibee, Ben Lively and who else pitching in a postseason series? The Guardians would likely have the inferior starting pitcher in every playoff game.
X-Factor: Alex Cobb
Who would start a Game 3 in a playoff series for first-year manager Stephen Vogt? Perhaps the veteran Cobb, who was acquired in a July trade with the San Francisco Giants. He hadn't pitched at all for the Giants this season as he recovered from left hip surgery. He's since made two starts for the Guards, posting a 4.35 ERA.
5. New York Yankees
6 of 10
Pros
- The Yankees have the best one-two punch in baseball with Aaron Judge and Juan Soto. It has a very Barry Bonds-Jeff Kent on the 2002 San Francisco Giants vibe to it, and it might be able to power them to a deep playoff run.
- Luis Gil (12-6, 3.25 ERA) has had a breakout season and looks like a legitimate option to be a weapon in the postseason.
Cons
- Gerrit Cole has a 4.15 ERA in 10 starts since returning from right elbow inflammation. The Yankees aren't going anywhere if he doesn't get back to pitching at a Cy Young level.
- This is a very top-heavy lineup. The Yankees have legitimate questions at first base, second base, third base and left field.
X-Factor: Jazz Chisholm Jr.
Chisholm provided a spark after joining the Yankees with seven home runs in 14 games. Getting him back from a left elbow sprain and able to fill one of the holes in manager Aaron Boone's lineup will be crucial.
4. Baltimore Orioles
7 of 10
Pros
- Particularly if Jackson Holliday comes of age, the Orioles are going to be able to hit with anyone. Gunnar Henderson, Adley Rutschman and Anthony Santander are all among the best players at their respective positions, with Colton Cowser in the driver's seat for the AL Rookie of the Year Award.
- Corbin Burnes is as good as any No. 1 starter in baseball. Having him to start the first game of a playoff series shouldn't be taken for granted, particularly since he'll be a free agent after the season.
Cons
- Zach Eflin has pitched well since joining the O's, but he has a fairly lengthy injury history. Between him, an injured Grayson Rodriguez, Albert Suárez and Trevor Rogers, it's unclear how good the starting pitching depth behind Burnes is.
- Seranthony Domínguez has pitched well since being acquired from the Philadelphia Phillies, although he, Craig Kimbrel and Gregory Soto were all part of a bullpen that melted down in the NLCS last year. Even with Yennier Cano and Cionel Pérez also in the mix, it's fair to be skeptical about manager Brandon Hyde's bullpen.
X-Factor: Grayson Rodriguez
While general manager Mike Elias has expressed optimism that Rodriguez will return in 2024, it's never great for a pitcher to go on the IL with a shoulder strain, even if it's deemed to be "mild." Having already lost Kyle Bradish and John Means for the season, the O's need Rodriguez to be part of their rotation if they are to make a World Series run.
3. Los Angeles Dodgers
8 of 10
Pros
- There probably isn't a team in baseball with a better group of five hitters in their lineup than the Dodgers, who have Shohei Ohtani, Mookie Betts, Freddie Freeman, Teoscar Hernández and Will Smith.
- Michael Kopech looks like one of the best trade-deadline pickups, as he hasn't allowed a run in eight appearances with the Dodgers.
Cons
- The Dodgers have a lot of talented starting pitchers, but between Tyler Glasnow, Clayton Kershaw, Jack Flaherty, Walker, Buehler, Gavin Stone, Yoshinobu Yamamoto and Bobby Miller, there's almost no certainty in terms of who will be healthy and/or effective when the playoffs roll around.
- With Kopech, Evan Phillips, Blake Treinen and Daniel Hudson, the Dodgers have a bunch of arms who have been asked to record saves before. But they don't necessarily have a guy who you feel certain the game is over with if he enters in the ninth.
X-Factor: Dave Roberts
While Roberts has helped guide the Dodgers to three NL pennants and a World Series title in 2020, there have been a few postseason disappointments during his nine seasons at the helm. If the Dodgers have an early October exit again, you wonder whether Roberts will be around for a 10th season as skipper in L.A.
2. Philadelphia Phillies
9 of 10
Pros
- If their starting rotation is healthy, Zack Wheeler, Aaron Nola, Ranger Suárez and Cristopher Sánchez would give the Phillies four solid options in the postseason.
- With Bryce Harper, Trea Turner, Kyle Schwarber, Alec Bohm and Nick Castellanos, the Phillies can outslug any team when they are hot.
- Jeff Hoffman, Matt Strahm and Carlos Estévez are all having career years in relief, with the first two among the eight Phillies who appeared in the All-Star Game.
Cons
- There's plenty swing and miss in the lineup, and it can get ugly when multiple key players go cold at the same time, like they did after the All-Star Break or in last year's NLCS.
- Do the Phillies have enough right-handed pop when Turner isn't on a hot streak?
- José Alvarado hasn't been the same electric weapon he was the last two years for the Phillies out of the bullpen. The hard-throwing lefty has seen his K/9 drop from 13.9 in 2023 to 9.1 this year.
X-Factor: Austin Hays
By hitting for the cycle last week, Weston Wilson may be forcing his way into this conversation. The Phillies need a right-handed hitting outfielder to emerge to pair with Brandon Marsh, who has just a .523 OPS against lefties. The Phillies hoped Hays could provide some right-handed thump when they landed him in a trade with the Orioles prior to the trade deadline. He's close to returning from a left hamstring strain.
1. Arizona Diamondbacks
10 of 10
Pros
- The Diamondbacks got hot at the right time last year, and look like they could do so again in 2024. Ketel Marte has played at an MVP level this season, while Corbin Carroll and Jake McCarthy have been red-hot in August.
- All five pitchers in Arizona's starting rotation—Zac Gallen, Merrill Kelly, Brandon Pfaadt, Eduardo Rodríguez and Jordan Montgomery—have postseason experience.
- Chase Field is such a bizarre stadium that it can be a difficult place to go into in October, as the Phillies found out the hard way last year.
Cons
- While Montgomery was a postseason hero for the Texas Rangers last year, he's struggled with the Diamondbacks, posting a 6.25 ERA and looking out of shape. Right now, it's hard to imagine him taking the ball in a must-win game.
- Paul Sewald lost the closer's job with a 10.80 ERA in July. He's pitched very well again in August, but such a disastrous month from an important bullpen piece is certainly concerning.
X-Factor: Christian Walker
Josh Bell was a nice under-the-radar addition by general manager Mike Hazen, but the Diamondbacks still need Walker—who has an .815 OPS and eight defensive runs saved—back from an oblique strain to be at their top form in October.
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