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5 teams with the most pressure to win the 2023 World Series

By John Grimaldi |
PEORIA, ARIZONA - MARCH 11: Fernando Tatis Jr. #23 of the San Diego Padres walks across the field before the Spring Training Game against the Chicago White Sox at Peoria Stadium on March 11, 2023 in Peoria, Arizona. (Photo by John E. Moore III/Getty Images)
PEORIA, ARIZONA - MARCH 11: Fernando Tatis Jr. #23 of the San Diego Padres walks across the field before the Spring Training Game against the Chicago White Sox at Peoria Stadium on March 11, 2023 in Peoria, Arizona. (Photo by John E. Moore III/Getty Images)
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You have to spend money to make a championship caliber team. It’s the name of the game, if your favorite teams owner isn’t willing to shell out the cash then, unfortunately, you don’t have much of a shot at the World Series. It was a method truly popularized by the late, great New York Yankees owner George Steinbrenner, with people crowning his team “The Evil Empire.”

Of course, there are exceptions, like the previously known Florida Marlins (1997, 2003), the 2015 Royals, and the San Francisco Giants of the 2010s that won three World Series titles (2010, 2012, 2014). However, in today’s game, the cream of the crop open their wallets and try to get the best players on the market.

When you spend that kind of money, your fans expect results. There is a direct correlation between championship pressure and total team payroll.

Here are the top five teams that are under the most pressure to win the World Series heading into the 2023 season.

5. Los Angeles Angels

After the Seattle Mariners snapped their 20-season postseason drought, the Angels now hold the longest one in the MLB (tied with the Detroit Tigers). They also have Shohei Ohtani and Mike Trout, meaning arguably the top two players in the entire sport are on the Angels roster. While Trout was willing to sign a massive contract to stay in L.A., Ohtani has voiced that he intends to play for a contender. If the Angels want to keep both of their generational talents, forget about winning the World Series, they need to get to the playoffs first. If they can do that, who knows how far they go? But the pressure is certainly on for them to succeed.

Bryce Harper of the Philadelphia Phillies. (Photo by Tim Nwachukwu/Getty Images)
Bryce Harper of the Philadelphia Phillies. (Photo by Tim Nwachukwu/Getty Images) /

4. Philadelphia Phillies

The Phillies had a great postseason run last year, but ran out of steam when they faced the Houston Astros in the World Series. There’s no reason the Phillies can’t fight their way back to that spot. They are basically running it back with that same team, and added one of the best hitters and base stealers in the league with Trea Turner, who signed a massive contract this offseason. Despite being in arguably the most difficult division in baseball, they have a legitimate shot to win on the backs of their pitching staff, lead by Aaron Nola and Zack Wheeler, as well as their deep lineup.

3. New York Yankees

There has always been tremendous pressure on the Yankees to win. It’s what the fans expect, it’s what ownership expects, and it’s what the players expect when they don the uniform. However, the Yankees haven’t even made the World Series since they won win 2009. They handed out a massive contract to Aaron Judge, the AL MVP, and named him team captain, the first since Derek Jeter. They signed Carlos Rodon (who will start the year on the injured list), and, of course, they still have Gerrit Cole. They have some promising talent coming up soon with Anthony Volpe, Oswald Peraza, and Jasson Dominguez, but this core isn’t getting any younger. They’ve also been plagued by the Astros several times in the playoffs. It’s time for the once “Evil Empire” to assert themselves back at the top sooner rather than later.

Xander Bogaerts of the San Diego Padres. (Photo by Matt Thomas/San Diego Padres/Getty Images)
Xander Bogaerts of the San Diego Padres. (Photo by Matt Thomas/San Diego Padres/Getty Images) /

2. New York Mets

I mentioned you need to spend money to win. Well, no one knows how to spend money like Steve Cohen. He started with Francisco Lindor, and has just upped the ante by signing players such as Max Scherzer and, most recently, Justin Verlander. They have an unbelievably talented lineup, the best one-two tandem of starting pitchers in baseball, and it all culminates in a $475 million payroll. Even after losing Jacob deGrom to Texas in free agency, they came out the other side looking even better than last year. They fell short in the postseason after losing a season-long lead in the NL East and playing in the Wild Card but, make no mistake, they are ready to win now and everyone knows it.

1. San Diego Padres

Even though the Padres don’t boast the highest payroll, they have the most pressure to win a World Series. Owner Peter Seidler spent a pretty penny this offseason despite being a “small market” franchise. He signed former Red Sox shortstop Xander Bogaerts to a massive 11-year contract, gave Manny Machado an 11-year contract extension, has Fernando Tatis Jr. coming off his PED suspension, and, last but not least, Juan Soto in the lineup after a massive trade last season. At some point, Soto is getting paid, and it would be a lot easier to pay him if you win a World Series with this team first.

Every other team on this list can afford to spend hundreds of million of dollars year after year. Owners like Cohen and Steinbrenner will always go big with the hopes of a championship. But for San Diego, who knows how long Seidler keeps up this spree? That’s why they take this top spot.

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