A closer look at some of the top World Series contenders

With the MLB season in its very early stages, we are starting to get a feel for the haves and the have-nots across the baseball landscape. So let’s take a look at a few of the top teams and how their offenses and defenses stack up, along with their chances to win it all.

There are plenty of familiar faces in the Astros lineup, including World Serie MVP Jeremy Peña, Alex Bregman, and Yordan Álvarez so they are still looking stacked in the early season, even with José Altuve out. The signing of José Abreu will ease any concerns with Altuve missing and add yet another explosive bat to the Astros’ O.

Coming off a World Series team no-hitter, there should be no mistaking the talent in the Astros’ rotation. The loss of Justin Verlander would be a big dent in most sides chances, but with Cristian Javier, Framber Valdez, and Hunter Brown all looking dangerous there shouldn’t be a significant drop-off.

Going back-to-back is near impossible in the MLB, there are simply too many variables to control, the Astros have nearly all bases covered - no pun intended. Despite a mixed start to the season, they still look the team to beat when the playoffs start.

Two years on from their most recent World Series win, the Braves retain mostly the same core of players, with talent oozing across the lineup. With Ronald Acuña Jr leading the charge and ably supported by Matt Olson, Austin Riley, Sean Murphy and Ozzie Albies, the Braves have constructed one of the most feared groups of hitters across the league.

A young but extremely talented trio of pitchers lead the rotation in Atlanta, with Kyle Wright, Max Fried and Spencer Strider all offering dominance on the mound. A bullpen many doubted going into 2022 proved to be a diverse and talented group as well, giving absolutely no respite to opponents. Raisel Iglesias is as good a closer as there is in the league so there is no doubting this group in 2023.

The Braves won over 100 games last year and were shockingly knocked out by a Phillies side riding high on emotion. There is no reason to suggest they won’t win 100 games again this year and make it even further into the postseason. Pitching depth and reliable bats become so important in the baseball playoffs and the Braves have both in abundance.

A lineup featuring Xander Bogaerts, Fernando Tatis Jr., Juan Soto and Manny Machado is enough to make anyone sit up and notice. The Padres are absolutely loaded with high-quality bats and have a couple of great designated hitter options as well in Matt Carpenter and Nelson Cruz. Not only are they loaded but most of that group are signed up for the long term, so beyond 2023, the San Diego team should remain a challenger.

The Padres have a good but not great lineup this year, led by Blake Snell and 36-year-old Yu Darvish, it looks like a group that can be attacked at times. Joe Musgrove offers something more than that and in the right circumstances can look like a genuinely elite player. For the Padres, the starters aren’t the stars, it’s the bullpen where the real quality lies, Josh Hader, Drew Pomeranz and Robert Suarez look a quality trio.

There’s a bit of a sense of destiny surrounding the 2023 Padres squad, it just looks too good on paper and the ‘vibes’ just feel right for them to have a real challenge at a World Series title. If the pitching holds together, the offensive prowess will see them dominate at times. They have a real shot this year.

Headlined by shortstop Francisco Lindor, the starting lineup might not look quite as imposing as others on this list, but Starling Marte and Jeff McNeil are both high-quality bats and ‘Polar Bear’ Pete Alonso is one of the biggest sluggers in the league. This lineup is top-heavy but certainly good enough to keep the Mets in contention through most games.

Max Scherzer, Justin Verlander, Kodai Senga and Jose Quintana are a very deep top four in any rotation, but considering the Mets lost Jacob deGrom, Chris Bassitt, and Taijuan Walker in free agency, it is perhaps even more impressive. Senga, signed from the Japanese league and famed for his ‘Ghost Fork’ has lofty expectations to meet, but expect him to do so. They also possess perhaps the best closer in baseball in Edwin Diaz.

After a 101 win season in 2022, the Mets are looking to push even further this year and they are unabashedly excited about their squad, even taking out a Super Bowl ad to show it off. With a loaded roster and depth in key positions, the only thing holding the Mets back will be the quality of their division, competing against the Braves and the Phillies in the NL East.

The Phillies showed time and again last year, they just need a small spark to get their bats firing, with Kyle Scwarber, JT Realmuto and Alec Bohm all offering huge contributions with the bat last year. The star of the lineup, Bryce Harper is out until mid-season recovering from elbow surgery, but with the addition of Trea Turner they should be able to ride his absence

Last year the Phillies were very reliant on their two aces, Aaron Nola and Zach Wheeler, with a big drop-off after that. Third on the depth chart is Ranger Suárez, who is a good player but is injured more often than you’d like. Adding Taijuan Walker from the Mets adds depth to the lineup and if 19-year-old Andrew Painter can get healthy expect him to get plenty of starts as the Phillies seem to rate him highly.

A run that eventually led to World Series heartbreak in 2022 showed what this team can do when fit and firing, so with some additions at key spots this offseason, there is a real chance the Phillies are challenging for the World Series once again. If they are sitting above .500 when Harper comes back, expect them to gain momentum which no other team will be able to slow down.