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

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.