MLB playoff pressure rankings: Which World Series contenders must win now -- or else?

"Which playoff team most needs to win the World Series? This is a question we try to answer around this time every year. What builds the pressure to win right now? The answer is a little different for every team, and the force of that pressure changes with each passing season. Teams age. Free agents leave and arrive. Playoff disappointments pile up. Playoff absences chafe."

"The more success a team has without winning it all, the more the pressure builds up. Not until it wins it all does that pressure finally release, resetting the valve, and fans of that team can relax. Only the Dodgers' faithful are in a state of pure release -- because L.A. won just last year. Let's take a look at how the current contenders rate on the pressure scale."

"1. Drought pressure: This is all about flags, both World Series titles and pennants. The championship part of this factor counts twice as much as the pennant factor. The current leader is the Cleveland Guardians, owners of baseball's longest title drought at 76 years. Teams coming off a title -- e.g., the Dodgers -- have no drought pressure. The New York Yankees, as the defending American League champs, get a little release from the drought factor for ending their pennant-less streak,"

An updated Pressure Index combines historical measures and narrative-based factors to quantify how urgently playoff teams need a World Series title. The system weights drought pressure most heavily, counting championships twice as much as pennants. Recent champions register minimal drought pressure, while long title droughts amplify urgency. The methodology also factors in repeated postseason failures, roster aging and turnover, and other narrative signals that increase perceived pressure. The Cleveland Guardians exhibit the longest championship drought at 76 years. The Los Angeles Dodgers carry no drought pressure after winning last year, and the New York Yankees gain partial relief from a pennant. The index ranks contenders to show varying pressure levels heading into the 2025 playoffs.

Read at ESPN.com