Some of Major League Baseball’s biggest stars without a World Series ring will be in the mix for a championship this October.
Shohei Ohtani will make his first career postseason appearance with the Dodgers this year. Former MVPs Bryce Harper and Aaron Judge are also primed for deep playoff runs. Other big names, including Gerrit Cole and Francisco Lindor, came a game away from winning it all earlier in their careers – and are still in search of their first titles.
Here’s a look at some of the top players who have a chance to win their first championship this year:
Shohei Ohtani, Dodgers
The Dodgers’ $700 million man is finally set for his first postseason trip after six losing seasons with the Angels to begin his time in America. About to become the inaugural member of MLB’s 50-50 club, Ohtani is probably going to win his third MVP award this year. And, as unlikely as a return to the mound may be, the Dodgers haven’t completely discounted the idea Ohtani could pitch in the playoffs. Will he change the club’s postseason fortunes?
Follow every MLB game: Latest MLB scores, stats, schedules and standings.
Bryce Harper, Phillies
Harper never got past the NLDS with the Nationals, but helped the Phillies reach the World Series in 2022, with the team coming up a game short in the NLCS last season. Philadelphia was something of an underdog the past two years, but the team will have a target on its back this fall as an NL favorite entering the playoffs. Harper has done his part through the years, posting a .996 OPS with 16 homers and 31 RBI in 49 postseason games.
Aaron Judge, Yankees
Unable to get over the ALCS hump, it’s been 15 years since the Yankees even reached the World Series, coming closest in Judge’s rookie year (2017) when they lost to the Astros in Game 7. This may be Juan Soto’s only year in the Bronx, upping the stakes for the Yankees’ captain and this 2024 team.
Manny Machado, Padres
San Diego’s third baseman went to the Fall Classic as a rental with the Dodgers in 2018 and got to the NLCS with San Diego in 2022. Machado has been one of the best hitters in baseball for most of the season after a slow start, and the Padres could be a trendy pick to make a run from the wild-card round with one of the best bullpens in baseball.
Francisco Lindor, Mets
Lindor came close to winning it all in 2016, but Cleveland famously blew a 3-1 World Series lead against the Cubs in the shortstop’s second major league season. Now 30 years old, Lindor is having arguably the best season of his career and has helped the Mets come back from the dead.
Gerrit Cole, Yankees
Cole was warming up in the bullpen as his Astros lost Game 7 of the 2019 World Series, but he’s done his part in seven postseason trips with the Pirates, Astros and Yankees – pitching to a 10-6 record with a 2.93 ERA in 17 starts. He hasn’t been quite himself in 2024 after missing the first few months of the year with an elbow injury. The 34-year-old is on a path to the Hall of Fame and a ring would certainly make his case even stronger some time in the late-2030s.
Jose Ramirez, Guardians
Ramirez’s breakout 2016 was Cleveland’s near-miss and he’s been one of the best players in baseball since, an often overlooked superstar primed for his seventh top-10 MVP finish in eight seasons. Another guy trending towards Cooperstown, Ramirez leading the Guardians to a long-awaited World Series title would go a long way considering his current .638 OPS in 124 career postseason at-bats.
The USA TODAY app gets you to the heart of the news — fast. Download for award-winning coverage, crosswords, audio storytelling, the eNewspaper and more.
