Ten different teams have won the World Series in the last 11 years, the Red Sox being the only team to do it twice. The top spot is always there for the taking for teams with a leaner wallet, if they play their cards right and spend what they can on upgrades when the opportunity presents itself.
If those teams time their moves well and make the right decisions, it could yield a long run of success that builds upon itself. Wins bring fans. Fans bring money. Money brings players. Players bring wins. Around and around we go, if we stay on the ball.
It’s safe to say the Minnesota Twins, who have greatly increased their payroll in a sparkling new park, and the Texas Rangers, who have a loaded system and gobs of money coming down the pipeline, have made the leap to sustained success. They should be factors for years to come. Who’s next? Which team that we normally relate with losing or mediocrity is ripe for a turnaround? Below are three that come to mind.
1. Washington Nationals
They have their new park, have drafted a phenom in consecutive years at the top of the draft and perhaps no last-place team in baseball history was linked to more major players during an offseason than the Nationals were this year. They likely overpaid severely for Jayson Werth, but the fact of the matter is they are a better team with him. Washington has an ownership group in the Lerners, Tannenbaums and Cohens that is obviously willing to spend. If Stephen Strasburg can rebound OK from Tommy John surgery, they have a No. 1 starter to build around. If Bryce Harper is legit, they have a young bat to eventually pair with Werth, Ryan Zimmerman and highly touted catcher Wilson Ramos.
In addition, the National League East will be ripe for the picking in the coming years. Sure, the Phillies are stacked right now, but they may get a bit long in the tooth very soon. The Mets are down. The Braves were a playoff team in 2010, but just barely. The Marlins are rather ordinary.
Washington’s farm system, once rather lean, has improved in the past year or so.
2. Oakland Athletics
OK, so they were a .500 team last year and they are not that far removed from a pretty good run of playoff teams, but the Athletics are still in the process of bouncing back from three straight losing seasons. They have some tremendous and cheap (for now) young pitching, an intriguing lineup and a pretty good defensive club. The fact that they were aggressive in pursuing Adrian Beltre and flirted with upgrades elsewhere shows they are prepared to use some money to challenge Texas as this current roster matures. Oakland is slated to move into a new stadium in San Jose in a few years, eliminating the one aspect of their existence, their less-than-ideal home park, that has dragged them down a bit. Most of the organization’s best minor-league talent has since graduated, leaving the system a bit more average than it was before. If that doesn’t drag the A’s down, and they can find a way to afford some of the pitching as it ages, they could be very competitive for the next several years.
3. Baltimore Orioles
We analyzed one reason why the Orioles run of futility may soon end right here. Another lies in the fact that a restructured farm system has begun to produce some talent, even though a few top prospects have been hit with injuries in recent years. Put together, there might be enough at the major league and minor league levels over the next few years to create the club’s best team since the Cal Ripken Jr. days. Will it be enough to supplant the Red Sox, Yankees and Rays? Not immediately. Give the O’s some time and they might. It’s a great baseball town with a wonderful stadium and a rich history which has been saddled with a bad team for over a decade. It has to balance out at some point. When it does, big-name talent will want to play here once again.
Which other teams are ripe for a turnaround? Leave your thoughts below.
