Lots of our best baseball gamers by no means received a World Collection. Ted Williams by no means received one. Neither did Ken Griffey Jr., Ty Cobb, Tony Gwynn, Barry Bonds, Harmon Killebrew or Ernie Banks. (Heck, whereas we’re right here, Mike Trout hasn’t received a postseason recreation, a lot much less a championship.)
This isn’t fairly as huge a deal in baseball as it’s in different sports activities. For Corridor of Famers comparable to Dan Marino, Karl Malone, Randy Moss, Patrick Ewing and Charles Barkley, by no means successful a title can be a part of their biographies perpetually. However not successful a World Collection isn’t the very first thing that involves thoughts if you consider Bonds or Williams. It’s a really completely different sport.
Nonetheless, you’d prefer to see the all-time greats get a World Collection title. Half the enjoyable of the Dodgers’ championship in 2020 revolved round Clayton Kershaw including that last line to his Cooperstown résumé. These are a few of the best gamers we’ve ever seen, and it simply feels proper for them to win a title earlier than they retire.
At this time we have a look at 10 lively gamers who’ve had the perfect, most storied careers however have but to win a World Collection … and have an opportunity to take action this 12 months. A few of these guys are sure-fire Corridor of Famers, some are nonetheless attempting to construct a case and a few aren’t significantly shut however have been among the many recreation’s finest for years. This might be their 12 months.
Gerrit Cole, SP, YankeesHas appeared in 7 postseasons (1 World Collection)
The 12 months after he lastly received his first Cy Younger Award, Cole has taken a step backwards in 2024, each in well being (15 begins) and effectiveness (3.97 ERA, his highest since 2017). He’s nonetheless one of many final beginning pitchers any group needs to face in a postseason sequence. He signed with the Yankees for 3 fundamental causes: 1) That huge contract; 2) It was the group he cheered for as a child; 3) To have the perfect probability to win a World Collection. He can nonetheless assist make that occur in 2024.
Bryce Harper, 1B, PhilliesHas appeared in 6 postseasons (1 World Collection)
A World Collection ring stays the one factor Harper doesn’t have at this level. The Nationals, slightly famously, received one the 12 months after Harper left. The Phillies then reached the World Collection in 2022 and got here simply in need of making it once more final 12 months. The primary postseason sequence Harper performed in, the 2012 NLDS towards the Cardinals, started when Harper was solely 19 years outdated. His subsequent postseason recreation can be his fiftieth. He’s answerable for some all-time playoff moments. He’s gotta get a hoop ultimately … proper?
Aaron Decide, OF, YankeesHas appeared in 6 postseasons (0 World Collection)
Enjoyable truth about Decide within the postseason: He’s solely hitting .211 in 44 video games, with a meager (for him) .462 slugging share. In his most up-to-date postseason sequence, the 2022 ALCS towards the Astros, he went 1-for-16. He additionally is likely to be having the perfect season, ever, for a right-handed hitter. To cap it off along with his first World Collection look, for the franchise that he in some ways has personally rejuvenated, can be a becoming solution to end such a historic 12 months.
Thanks partly to some gradual begins, Lindor hasn’t made an All-Star Sport since 2019, though he’s about to complete within the high 10 of MVP voting for the third straight 12 months. (And this time, he seems to be primed to complete not less than second within the NL.) He’s having the perfect 12 months of his profession for a group that has been the most effective second-half tales in baseball, and he’s the unquestioned group chief. It appears like he hasn’t fairly elevated himself to the top-shelf standing reserved for inner-sanctum New York superstars. Profitable a World Collection for the Mets would very a lot do it.
Manny Machado, 3B, PadresHas appeared in 5 postseasons (1 World Collection)
It’s been a down 12 months for Machado by his requirements, however he’s beginning to look much more like himself now that he’s more healthy. (Although many with the Padres consider he received’t actually be wholesome till 2025.) Machado made his first postseason look in 2012 with the Orioles at age 20, and he misplaced his lone World Collection look, with the Dodgers, again in 2018. He has a bit extra work to do to lock down his Corridor of Fame standing, and successful a World Collection would do quite a lot of heavy lifting.
Properly, he’s lastly going to play in his first postseason recreation this 12 months, in order that’s a begin. (May he even pitch within the postseason? Apparently, we are able to’t rule it out.) Ohtani is a kind of all-time abilities who belongs on the biggest stage attainable, and he’s in fact with the Dodgers largely to get them their first World Collection in a full season since 1988. (Although 2020 nonetheless counts!) He has a few years forward of him to take bites of the apple, and it’s important to suppose he’ll get a hoop ultimately. However there’s no time like the current.
José Ramírez, 3B, GuardiansHas appeared in 5 postseasons (1 World Collection)
The forever-underappreciated famous person from Cleveland – he ought to have received the 2020 AL MVP Award over José Abreu – has been excellent 12 months after 12 months for a decade now. However he by no means will get the love he deserves. (I’m a longtime proponent of arising with a catchy nickname for him. That might assist.) You realize what else would get him that love and a focus? Profitable a World Collection for Cleveland. That might finish MLB’s longest lively title drought. They’d construct a statue of him. They could construct a number of.
J.T. Realmuto, C, PhilliesHas appeared in 2 postseasons (1 World Collection)
We’ll see how Corridor of Fame voting seems for Buster Posey and Yadier Molina within the subsequent few years, as a result of it’ll give us a way of the way it might end up for the perfect catchers of a more moderen period: the Royals’ Salvador Perez (who already has a hoop) and Realmuto. Whereas Realmuto stays an plain chief on his group, the factor that Perez (and Posey, and Molina) has that he doesn’t, that title, is the factor that Realmuto might have his finest probability to get this 12 months.
Carlos Santana, 1B, TwinsHas appeared in 6 postseasons (1 World Collection)
Santana, slightly famously, got here this near successful a World Collection with Cleveland in 2016. Profitable one this 12 months in Minnesota can be a becoming capper to a 15-year MLB profession that has all the time flown a little bit bit beneath the radar. The Twins would be the fourth group Santana has represented within the postseason within the final 5 seasons, as he was with Cleveland in 2020, the Mariners in 2022 and the Brewers final 12 months. Three of MLB’s high 4 lively gamers in profession video games – Andrew McCutchen (first), Santana (second) and Paul Goldschmidt (fourth) – have by no means received a hoop. However Santana is the one with an actual shot to vary that this October.
He’s most likely going to finish up with not less than 500 homers in his profession – he’s signed with the Yankees by 2027 – and would be the heart of a fully fascinating Corridor of Fame dialogue sometime. Profitable a World Collection with the Yankees can be a useful knowledge level in his favor … and nearly make his contract look value it by itself. He’s put up huge postseason numbers, too, with a .635 slugging share and 11 homers in 27 profession playoff video games, all for the Bronx Bombers.
