The 2021 Houston Astros
It may seem strange to rank a team that got to within two games of another World Series title at the number four slot, but once again the pitching on this team, as was exposed in the playoffs, is enough to bump them down.
The offense on this team is arguably the best of the entire five run stretch. And the defense was definitively the best in the five years of this golden era.
But aside from Lance McCullers Jr. and the bullpen additions that came halfway through the year, you would be hard pressed to take this team over the ones that had stronger starting rotations.
The bullpen after the trade deadline went from a weakness to a strength and they had to overcome a complete meltdown by the starting rotation as well as an unfortunate forearm injury to ace Lance McCullers Jr. to help the Astros battle through the Chicago White Sox and Boston Red Sox.
The rotation though just does not stack up compared to the other three teams we’re about to rank.