Every team dreams about winning the World Series, but for the Atlanta Braves, Los Angeles Angels, and New York Yankees, it has been a challenge recently.
Those three teams have the resources to compete, especially the Braves and Yankees.
The Angels have Mike Trout, yet continue to underachieve.
Let’s examine each case individually, as we try to understand why these three franchises are in need of some October success.
3 Teams With The Most Pressure To Win MLB’s Fall Classic
Atlanta Braves
The Atlanta Braves have been one of the most successful teams in MLB since 1990 when it comes to advancing to the postseason.
They have won their division, the National League East, a record 14 consecutive times from 1991 to 2005, but they have only lifted the World Series trophy one time over that span.
All these years later, it is still incredible to think that the Atlanta Braves won 14 straight division titles from 1991-2005. The Braves won the World Series in 1995, played in the Fall Classic five times in the 1990s and had a roster that featured… https://t.co/EK95kKuJUZ
— CBS Chicago (@cbschicago) February 14, 2018
The Braves have won three consecutive division titles (2018, 2019, and 2020) but they haven’t been able to convert the regular-season success into playoff victories.
The Braves are under a lot of pressure to win a World Series because they have been so good for so long, with little to show for it, and the fan base is getting impatient.
In addition, they have locked up their young talent to team-friendly contracts, such as Ronald Acuña and Ozzie Albies, and they surely won’t want to waste more years of Freddie Freeman’s prime or risk homegrown stars such as Mike Soroka, Dansby Swanson, Ian Anderson, and others getting closer to free agency.
It’s baffling that such a successful franchise hasn’t won a World Series since 1995.
Los Angeles Angels
While the Los Angeles Angels are certainly under a lot of pressure to win a World Series, that doesn’t necessarily mean they are close to doing it.
They need to start showing signs of life soon, only because they have the best player of this generation and perhaps one of the best in the history of the game in Mike Trout.
The fact that the Angels employ Trout and have had him in the bigs since 2011 and have only advanced to the postseason once (2014) has to be considered a sports tragedy.
Angels waste another season of Mike Trout's prime as superstar misses MLB playoffs for ninth time in 10 yearshttps://t.co/fQt97P429x
— CBS Sports MLB (@CBSSportsMLB) September 26, 2020
Trout has been, by far, the most dominant player of our era, yet the Angels have been incapable of putting together a talented roster around him to at least compete for a spot in the playoffs.
The team brought Anthony Rendon before last season and made some pitching additions this season, but they still don’t look particularly close to competing in the AL West division.
If everything goes smoothly, including a Shohei Ohtani rebound, a full, healthy season by Trout and Rendon, and lots of step forwards by pitchers in the organization, they could make some noise, but the pressure is mounting.
New York Yankees
The New York Yankees haven’t won a World Series since 2009, which isn’t a whole lot for most teams, but for them, it feels like an eternity.
Ranking MLB teams by pressure to win 2021 World Series: Yankees take top spot from Dodgers; Mets in top fivehttps://t.co/i5oTRbPMpM
— CBS Sports MLB (@CBSSportsMLB) March 1, 2021
After a bit of a lull period in the mid-2010s, the Bronx Bombers have been a top contender ever since 2017, yet they have fallen short when it matters the most.
Perhaps the Los Angeles Dodgers are the only team that can rival the Yankees when it comes to roster quality and overall resources, but that doesn’t mean the Bombers aren’t expected to compete and win it all.
Gerrit Cole is leading a talented rotation, and the lineup is loaded with starts.
For the Yankees, the time is now.
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