No, It's Not Possible To Buy A World Series

Narratives in Major League Baseball are a funny thing. Fans want teams to try to win, but not try too hard. They want to see star players on the biggest stage, but demonize those who want to play on the best team. Spending the most money only comes in for criticism if you win, while tanking is a perfectly acceptable strategy.

There's not a lot of consistency and coherence in national narratives. 

But there is one narrative that refuses to die, no matter how inaccurate it might be: that some teams are attempting to buy a World Series. And rest assured, it is wildly inaccurate.

The Los Angeles Dodgers have come in for this type of criticism during the 2024-2025 offseason, thanks to several signings that have pushed their payroll up above $300 million. Except no matter how high payroll gets for the Dodgers, or for any other team for that matter, there's no way to buy a World Series. And talk of the 2025 season being a foregone conclusion is ignorant of recent history and the thin margins in professional baseball.

As Chris Rose pointed out, "The Dodgers last year became the sixth team that finished with the regular season's best record to also go on and win the World Series" in the last 25 years. 

Not only does winning the most games in the regular season not matter when it comes to October, but spending the most money in an attempt to win the most games also doesn't matter.

Oct 30, 2024; New York, New York, USA; Los Angeles Dodgers outfielder Teoscar Hernandez (37) and designated hitter Shohei Ohtani (17) celebrate after winning the 2024 MLB World Series against the New York Yankees at Yankee Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Vincent Carchietta-Imagn Images

The margins between teams in MLB is so small that even the most dominant