MLB's Next Dynasty? The 10 Teams Best Positioned to Own the Next 5 Years
The Los Angeles Dodgers have become a dynasty in recent years, but which other Major League Baseball franchises plausibly could become a dynasty in future seasons?
Obviously, not all 10 of these teams can win a World Series within the next five years. But if you could tell us right now that one team will win at least two of the next five, this is the order in which we would guess to identify said team.
Ranking is based on a combination of 2026 World Series odds, willingness to spend money over the past half-decade, how the farm system looks and how much long-term control they have over the stars currently on the roster.
It's hard to become a dynasty without checking at least three of those four boxes, and these are the teams that do.
10. Milwaukee Brewers
1 of 10
2026 World Series Odds: +2000
2021-25 Average Spending: $148.6M (21st)
Farm System: 6th per Reuter; MLB's No. 4 (SS Jesús Made), No. 18 (SS Luis Peña), No. 56 (SS Cooper Pratt) and No. 84 (C Jeferson Quero)
Key Players Under Team Control through at least 2029: Christian Yelich, Jackson Chourio, Brice Turang, Jacob Misiorowski, Sal Frelick, Quinn Priester, Abner Uribe, Aaron Ashby
Both Freddy Peralta and Brandon Woodruff will be free agents next winter, while William Contreras will hit the open market the following offseason.
Somehow, though, it just never seems to matter for Milwaukee.
The Brewers lost Corbin Burnes from what was a 92-win team in 2023 and won 93 games in 2024. After losing both Willy Adames and Devin Williams from that squad, Milwaukee proceeded to win an MLB-best 97 games this past season. And let's just say it's not because they've been spending big time elsewhere in free agency to replace those lost assets.
Rather, they've prioritized defense and baserunning and seem to always be in possession of at least three really good relief pitchers. So when a Tobias Myers or a Quinn Priester comes out of nowhere for a dynamite year in the rotation, it feels like the final piece of an already mostly assembled puzzle.
For once, though, they don't need to replace much of anything this winter and might finally make the run to the World Series that has eluded their grasp while making the playoffs in seven of the past eight seasons.
9. Atlanta Braves
2 of 10
2026 World Series Odds: +1600
2021-25 Average Spending: $232.7M (6th)
Farm System: 28th per Reuter; MLB's No. 72 (LHP Cam Caminiti) and No. 86 (RHP JR Ritchie)
Key Players Under Team Control through at least 2029: Matt Olson, Austin Riley, Michael Harris II, Spencer Strider, Sean Murphy, Drake Baldwin, Spencer Schwellenbach
The farm system portion of the equation here is less than promising. Not only is Atlanta lacking for top-tier future talent, but the majority of its most noteworthy prospects are likely 2-3 years away from making their MLB debuts.
Add to that the fact that Chris Sale, Ha-Seong Kim, Raisel Iglesias and plenty of others will be free agents next winter and this team plausibly could be in a bit of a bind for 2027-28.
Then again, they still have quite a core in place for years to come—and may well win one with Sale and Co. this coming season.
In addition to the players listed above who they can keep for at least four more years, the Braves also have three more seasons of Ronald Acuña Jr. and just signed Robert Suarez to a three-year deal. And if AJ Smith-Shawver can ever get healthy for them, he's locked up through at least 2030.
They have also consistently had a top-10 payroll in recent years and talked earlier this offseason about wanting to have a top-5 payroll. That willingness to spend is a major factor in identifying dynasty potential, as evidenced by the fact that the Dodgers spent more than $1B on their roster between 2024 and 2025 to become the first back-to-back champs in a quarter century.
8. Chicago Cubs
3 of 10
2026 World Series Odds: +2200
2021-25 Average Spending: $209.6M (10th)
Farm System: 13th per Reuter; MLB's No. 47 (OF Owen Caissie), No. 53 (C Moises Ballesteros) and No. 67 (RHP Jaxon Wiggins)
Key Players Under Team Control through at least 2029: Dansby Swanson, Pete Crow-Armstrong, Michael Busch, Cade Horton, Matt Shaw
As far as potential dynasties go, the Cubs have a bit of a "jack of all trades, master of none" thing going on.
They'll spend money. But not like the Dodgers, Mets or Yankees.
They have a better-than-average farm system, top-heavy with MLB-ready guys like outfielders Owen Caissie and Kevin Alcántara and catcher Moises Ballesteros who could play major roles in 2026. But they don't have anything close to a Tier 1 prospect who seems destined for All-Star Games.
They're a legitimate contender for the 2026 World Series, but a far cry from the favorites.
And while they do have a few big names in place for at least the next four years, Dansby Swanson is just about the only Cub projected for at least a $1.5M salary in 2026 who is under team control for more than two more years.
They'll have their work cut out for them in the next few offseasons to keep this thing humming along. But maybe they'll sign Framber Valdez in the coming weeks to add an ace to that long-term core.
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7. Seattle Mariners
4 of 10
2026 World Series Odds: +1300
2021-25 Average Spending: $158.7M (19th)
Farm System: 1st per Reuter; MLB's No. 9 (SS/3B Colt Emerson), No. 23 (LHP Kade Anderson), No. 29 (OF Lazaro Montes), No. 44 (RHP Ryan Sloan), No. 63 (2B Michael Arroyo), No. 75 (OF Jonny Farmelo) and No. 90 (RHP/LHP Jurrangelo Cijntje)
Key Players Under Team Control through at least 2029: Julio Rodríguez, Cal Raleigh, Josh Naylor, Bryan Woo, Bryce Miller, Cole Young
Take budget restraints out of the equation and Seattle would almost certainly land at No. 2 on this list.
At any rate, the Mariners are already one of the favorites to win it all in 2026, the trio of Rodríguez, Raleigh and Naylor in the heart of the order isn't going anywhere until at least 2030 and they have a ridiculous stockpile of reinforcements coming through the pipeline in the next few years.
Can they afford to do anything else this winter, though?
And is there any hope of bringing back Randy Arozarena and/or J.P. Crawford in 2027, or are the M's pretty well committed to letting current top prospects Colt Emerson and Lazaro Montes fill those voids, for better or worse?
Seattle's willingness to spend has certainly increased over the past five years. Even at that, though, they ranked 15th in tax payroll in 2025, more than $20M behind 14th place and checked in at slightly less than one-third of the nearly $600M that the Dodgers spent.
Money doesn't buy World Series rings, but it does make it a whole lot easier to keep churning out championship-caliber rosters. Seattle should be in business in 2026 and probably through 2028, but there will be a lot of tough decisions made that winter, including whether or not to exercise what is shaping up to be an eight-year, $260M club option for J-Rod for 2030-37.
6. Philadelphia Phillies
5 of 10
2026 World Series Odds: +1100
2021-25 Average Spending: $273.6M (4th)
Farm System: 10th per Reuter; MLB's No. 16 (RHP Andrew Painter), No. 32 (SS Aidan Miller) and No. 54 (OF Justin Crawford)
Key Players Under Team Control through at least 2029: Bryce Harper, Trea Turner, Aaron Nola, Kyle Schwarber, Cristopher Sánchez
The many, many million dollar question here is how well those core veterans hold up in the unwinnable battle against Father Time.
Each portion of the Harper, Turner, Nola and Schwarber quartet is signed through at least 2030 and also each entering his age-33 season. And, well, it was right around the age-33 season when the Phils' former core of Jimmy Rollins, Chase Utley and Ryan Howard started to really show its age.
If the same thing happens with this group, this next half-decade could be a whole lot more disastrous than dynastic.
What if they hold up reasonably well for another 3-4 years, though?
While Zack Wheeler comes back for two more strong years and Cristopher Sánchez continues to shove?
And that trio of top prospects collectively makes its MLB debut in 2026 and starts to look the part of the future core?
People keep insisting the Phillies' championship window is closing fast, but if you had to pick one team other than the Dodgers to win a World Series within the next three years, this might be the safest choice.
5. Toronto Blue Jays
6 of 10
2026 World Series Odds: +1500
2021-25 Average Spending: $232.3M (8th)
Farm System: 22nd per Reuter; MLB's No. 26 (RHP Trey Yesavage), No. 43 (SS JoJo Parker) and No. 68 (SS Arjun Nimmala)
Key Players Under Team Control through at least 2029: Vladimir Guerrero Jr., Dylan Cease, Anthony Santander, Alejandro Kirk, Tyler Rogers, Andrés Giménez, Addison Barger
We know the reigning ALCS champion Toronto Blue Jays are one of the top candidates to win the 2026 World Series, but what will the subsequent few years look like?
From 2000-22, the Blue Jays only once ranked higher than 10th in year-end payroll, landing in ninth in 2013. But they've been top nine in each of the past three years and appear to be a lock for no worse than fifth in 2026.
Can they continue to spend like there's no tomorrow, though, or are they headed for a San Diego Padres situation where they realize after four years that it's necessary to reel things back in a bit?
George Springer, Kevin Gausman, Daulton Varsho and Shane Bieber will all be free agents next winter, and the answer to the previous question will determine whether they spend to replace those pricey assets or try to dip below the luxury tax threshold for a year to reset the repeat offender clock.
Either way, they've got Dylan Cease and Vladimir Guerrero Jr. signed for a long time, plus at least five more years of Addison Barger, Alejandro Kirk and Trey Yesavage. That's quite a nucleus, regardless of how they choose to tackle next offseason.
4. Boston Red Sox
7 of 10
2026 World Series Odds: +1400
2021-25 Average Spending: $229.4M (9th)
Farm System: 12th per Reuter; MLB's No. 24 (SS Franklin Arias), No. 28 (LHP Payton Tolle) and No. 89 (RHP Kyson Witherspoon)
Key Players Under Team Control through at least 2029: Garrett Crochet, Roman Anthony, Ceddanne Rafaela, Wilyer Abreu, Brayan Bello, Kristian Campbell, Carlos Narvaez, Marcelo Mayer
What's perhaps most enticing about the Red Sox's long-term potential is they've already locked up a lot of their top talent at team-friendly costs.
Ceddanne Rafaela is in three year of an eight-year, $50M contract that already appears to be worth its weight in gold. Roman Anthony's eight-year, $130M deal has the potential to become the next Ronald Acuña Jr. type of contract. If Garrett Crochet stays healthy, it's laughable that his average salary on that six-year, $170M contract is two-thirds of Zack Wheeler's and a fraction of what Tarik Skubal is going to fetch next winter. And fingers crossed on Kristian Campbell's eight-year, $60M contract starting to pay off in 2026.
With that nucleus in place, they should have no problem repeatedly constructing contenders by doing things like trading for Sonny Gray and Willson Contreras on an annual basis—while also having the occasional Marcelo Mayer or Payton Tolle make a big impact upon arriving in the majors.
There is, however, the issue of the AL East looking absolutely loaded for the foreseeable future. But this team is every bit as set up for long-term success as the Blue Jays and Yankees are, and with a revenue-to-payroll ratio that should allow for more spending.
3. New York Mets
8 of 10
2026 World Series Odds: +1600
2021-25 Average Spending: $379.4M (2nd)
Farm System: 4th per Reuter; MLB's No. 11 (RHP Nolan McLean), No. 21 (OF Carson Benge), No. 30 (IF/OF Jett Williams) and No. 46 (RHP Jonah Tong)
Key Players Under Team Control through at least 2029: Juan Soto, Francisco Lindor, Francisco Alvarez, Mark Vientos, Brett Baty
Whether you laughed or you cried when the Mets were eliminated from the playoffs on the final day of the regular season, the fact of the matter is things were never supposed to play out that way.
Including the tax payment, the Mets spent more than $438M for the third consecutive year—yet missed the postseason for the second time in three seasons.
They're supposed to be a wrecking ball, and maybe that worm will turn in 2026.
What's almost unfair is that they're spending all of this money and they have one of the most loaded farm systems. We've already seen what Nolan McLean can do and expect him to play a big role in the upcoming season. It's possible that Carson Benge, Jett Williams and Jonah Tong will all play a big role in 2026, too.
And if all four do pan out in a hurry, look out. Tough to find any weakness with this team if they spruce up the starting rotation and the outfield.
All the same, we'll believe it when we see it with this franchise that has never made the postseason more than twice in any given seven-year span, coming up on the 40-year anniversary of its last World Series title.
2. New York Yankees
9 of 10
2026 World Series Odds: +750
2021-25 Average Spending: $314.9M (3rd)
Farm System: 25th per Reuter; MLB's No. 25 (2B/SS George Lombard Jr.), No. 74 (RHP Carlos Lagrange), No. 97 (RHP Elmer Rodriguez-Cruz) and No. 99 (OF Spencer Jones)
Key Players Under Team Control through at least 2029: Aaron Judge, Max Fried, Cam Schlittler, Austin Wells, Ben Rice, Jasson Domínguez
The Yankees haven't won a World Series since 2009 and have only won one of the past 25. The fact that they used to be MLB's dynasty no longer seems to matter.
They also haven't posted a losing record since 1992. They're the AL favorite in 2026, without having yet done anything noteworthy this offseason. They have a ridiculous nucleus of Aaron Judge, Gerrit Cole, Max Fried, Carlos Rodón and Cam Schlittler for at least the next three years. And though both the Dodgers and Mets have been out-spending the Yankees in recent years, there's always money in the banana stand.
There's not much in the farm system, though, and we'll see if Jasson Domínguez ever becomes anything close to the star outfielder he was promised to be. But at least for however many MVP-caliber years that Judge has left in the tank, the Yankees are going to be one of the top World Series contenders.
1. Los Angeles Dodgers
10 of 10
2026 World Series Odds: +370
2021-25 Average Spending: $394.9M (1st)
Farm System: 2nd per Reuter; MLB's No. 13 (OF Jose De Paula), No. 20 (OF Zyhir Hope), No. 34 (OF Eduardo Quintero), No. 45 (SS/3B Alex Freeland), No. 64 (OF Mike Sirota), No. 98 (LHP Jackson Ferris) and No. 100 (SS Emil Morales)
Key Players Under Team Control through at least 2029: Shohei Ohtani, Mookie Betts, Will Smith, Blake Snell, Yoshinobu Yamamoto, Edwin Diaz, Tommy Edman, Hyeseong Kim, Emmet Sheehan, Roki Sasaki, Andy Pages, Dalton Rushing, Landon Knack, Alex Call
You would think that after back-to-back World Series and after winning the AL West in 12 of the past 13 seasons, there would be some end in sight for this Dodgers juggernaut.
But there simply is not.
Even if none of the prospects atop their loaded farm system pan out and even if they sign no one new in free agency, they'll still be able to roll out a starting rotation of Ohtani, Yamamoto, Snell, Sasaki and Sheehan/Knack and a lineup nucleus of Ohtani, Betts, Smith, Edman, Pages, Kim, Rushing and Call...four years from now.
Sure, by that point Betts, Snell and probably Ohtani will be in the latter stages of their prime, if not past it altogether. But they'll very likely have a few new stars in the mix, too, whether home grown or signed from elsewhere.
This, of course, has been the plan all along with their more than $1B worth of deferrals: Win as many World Series as possible during Ohtani's decade on the roster and maybe endure a few down years in the 2030s when the bill comes due.
So far so good, and no signs of slowing down soon.
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