A's Projected to Win the World Series...in 2034

Nov 1, 2024; Los Angeles, CA, USA;  Los Angeles Dodgers starting pitcher Clayton Kershaw (22) lifts the Commissioner's Trophy during the team's 2024 World Series celebration at Dodger Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jayne Kamin-Oncea-Imagn Images
Nov 1, 2024; Los Angeles, CA, USA; Los Angeles Dodgers starting pitcher Clayton Kershaw (22) lifts the Commissioner's Trophy during the team's 2024 World Series celebration at Dodger Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jayne Kamin-Oncea-Imagn Images / Jayne Kamin-Oncea-Imagn Images
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The A's are having one of their best offseasons in years, and the folks over at MLB are believing in this team. Well, not this team. The franchise to be more specific. And not immediately, either.

In a recent post, MLB predicted that the Athletics, who will presumably be playing in a location they feel free to include in their name by that point, will win the 2034 World Series.

While it's always fun for fans to see their team mentioned as a potential World Series contender, it's a little tougher to imagine that future when there's no way to tell who will even be on the team. There are 12 year olds out there right now that could be helping secure this fictional title. Or maybe a 39-year-old Brent Rooker will still be pumping dingers.

It's a silly exercise.

So let's dive into the predictions. They have the A's defeating the Colorado Rockies, which just seems like they threw two teams that have no business in this conversation in there for fun and to get people talking. (Touché).

Outside of the A's title, there are also a number of other things that stand out from these predictions. First off, how are the Chicago White Sox, a team that lost 121 games just last season, going to win one before 24 other teams?

The Seattle Mariners winning a World Series will presumably happen in our lifetimes, but they're having a hard enough time making the postseason the past two decades, so let's not heap too many expectations their way.

For all of the complaining about how much money the Los Angeles Dodgers and New York Mets spend, for them to only win two each in the next ten years seems a little low, given the outrage.

There were also some teams left off this list that are a bit surprising. The Atlanta Braves, who had to open up a new hospital wing at Truist Park, still made the postseason last year. The Washington Nationals have a huge group of super talented prospects and have the top pick in this year's MLB Draft. The Toronto Blue Jays seem destined for a rebuild, so who knows how that'll turn out.

The San Diego Padres have a pretty good team, and were the Dodgers' biggest competition in the 2024 postseason, yet don't get a nod on this list. The Arizona Diamondbacks made the Series in 2023 and have kept adding. The Houston Astros have been a machine in the postseason. Maybe they're slowing down, but it's weird to not see them get at least one appearance, given recent history.

A's fans will enjoy that the San Francisco Giants didn't get mentioned here, which is objectively funny, if this plays out. The Giants will have the entire Bay Area to themselves starting this season, and if the A's still beat them to a title that would be something.

Finally, not to throw any shade on the Detroit Tigers, who are a fun and exciting team, but to have them playing the Series this coming season seems like a bit of a stretch. They have signed Gleyber Torres, and that has been their big move. They have talent and could certainly make the postseason and even have a run in October, but the World Series still seems like it's a bit of a stretch, at least for now.

It's also worth mentioning that expansion could be on the table before the end of this list comes to pass. Which divisions, or what kind of divisional realignment happens with the addition of two teams, would likely play a pretty big role in who will be playing in October.


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Jason Burke
JASON BURKE

Jason is the host of the Locked on A's podcast, and the managing editor of Inside the A's. He's a new father and can't wait to take his son to his first baseball game at the Coliseum.Â