Watch out if you can name the teams that have won the World Series every year for the past decade, in order. Are you ready? Do not cheat. The answers are of course: 2011: Cardinals over Rangers 2012: Giants over Tigers 2013: Red Sox over Cardinals 2014: Giants
Watch out if you can name the teams that have won the World Series every year for the past decade, in order. Are you ready? Do not cheat. The answers are of course:
2011: Cardinals over Rangers
2012: Giants over tigers
2013: Red Sox above Cardinals
2014: Giants above Royals
2015: Royals above Mets
2016: Cubs above Indians
2017: Astros about Dodgers
2018: Red Sox on Dodgers
2019: Nationals above Astros
2020: Dodgers over Rays
If you thought that was difficult, I’m going to try something harder today: I’m going to guess the next 10 World Series winners. It’s worth noting that I did this exercise last year and definitely didn’t get 2020 right.
Okay, let’s try. If I don’t get 2030 correct, please don’t come back in 10 years to mock me for it. I will be old and weak and not up for all the hassle.
2021: Dodgers over Yankees
Now that the Dodgers finally have one, they are more likely to win more titles, not less. After the last decade they’ve had, they probably should have won more than one; their luck is next, especially since they are still quite clearly the best team in baseball. Los Angeles has been too powerful in recent years to simply go under as a title team. The Dodgers are ready to get at least one more. The Yankees are the American League’s pick, almost standard. Is it possible there are four better teams (Dodgers, Padres, Braves and maybe even Mets) in the National League than in the AL?
2022: Dodgers on Angels
Yes, I might as well turn it into a triptych, right? There’s no reason to think that the Dodgers aren’t just going to get better, but the real jump here is, of course, the angels. The hope here? They consider themselves a few pitchers, Shohei Ohtani finally stays sane for an entire season, Mike Trout has another MVP Award-winning year and then hits a walk-off homer to win the AL Championship Series. A series from Southern California actually sounds like a blast.
2023: White Sox on Padres
It’s the Padres’ misfortune to be in the same division as the Dodgers, but it’s also their eternal merit that this reality prompts them to push harder on the gas instead of slamming on the brakes. I’m guessing they’ll be rewarded in 2023, when all the young stars hit their peak, with their first World Series appearance of the new century. Unfortunately, they come across a team with just as much young talent. They are the two most exciting teams in baseball in ’21, imagine what they will be in ’23.
2024: Padres on Red Sox
It’s hard to imagine the Red Sox staying put too much longer, although it can take that long for them to fully return. Meanwhile, hungry after just missing out the year before, the Padres get a Reggie-esque World Series from Fernando Tatis Jr., who will only be 25 years old.
2025: Braves over Blue Jays
Atlanta only got one title from the Maddux-Smoltz-Glavine years, and it turns out to be 30 years until the next, in case you don’t feel old enough yet. It would be incredibly frustrating for Braves fans if they don’t make it to the World Series for the next four seasons, but this year is the year, against soon to be released free agency Vladimir Guerrero Jr. and the Jays, that makes up for it. And Ronald Acuña Jr. finally becomes the Atlanta legend we all know is going to be.
2026: Mets over Yankees
Speaking of anniversaries … what about 40 years? The nice thing about Steve Cohen’s aggressive moves as the new owner of the Mets is that there doesn’t seem to be a time limit on them. He’s not just trying to win for years to come, in every kind of window: he’s just trying to win. If he can renew Francisco Lindor, this could be the year the Mets finally get over that bump. They will keep trying until they get there. Do you realize that the only teams that were in NL when the Mets last won the World Series and haven’t won since then are the Pirates and Padres? Is it a race to see who gets one first? And if the Mets do it, shouldn’t it be about the Yankees?
2027: Orioles over Giants
It feels like it will be around this time for both teams to peak, right? Two smart front offices, with passionate fan bases who have invested deeply in it to win. Each of them will certainly have made progress in the years before. This is the one they are finally breaking through.
2028: Dodgers over Tigers
The Dodgers haven’t been named for a while, but there’s no question they’ll be good every year this decade. We don’t know many players who will definitely be on the squad by then, but we know that Mookie Betts (signed through 2032) will, which means they will be a force to be reckoned with. The Tigers are too proud a franchise that will have turned it around behind all the young pitching they now cultivate at this point.
2029: As on Giants
It would be cool to have another Bay Bridge series 40 years after the last one. Presumably the natural world elements would be a bit kinder this time.
2030: Yankees Over Cardinals
The new decade starts with a throwback match between the franchise that has won the most World Series in the AL against the one that has won the most World Series in NL.