MLB dynasties: Why the late-'90s Yankees ruled and why it's so hard to replicate today
Could the Dodgers ever achieve dynasty status on the same level as those Yankees?
(This article was written with the assistance of Castmagic, an AI tool, and reviewed by our editorial team to ensure accuracy. Please reach out to us if you notice any mistakes.)
On the latest episode of "Baseball Bar-B-Cast," hosts Jake Mintz and Jordan Shusterman sat down with ESPN's Buster Olney to dig into the question: Where did all the dynasties go? Their conversation offers a look at the legendary New York Yankees dynasty of the late 1990s — and why today's superteams struggle to achieve similar levels of dominance.
This embedded content is not available in your region.
The Yankees: Baseball's last true dynasty?
Buster Olney quite literally wrote the book on the Yankees' dynasty years: "The Last Night of the Yankee Dynasty: The Game, the Team, and the Cost of Greatness." As he explains in the episode, the late-'90s Yankees weren't just a collection of high-priced free agents; they were a product of patience, clever management during a brief George Steinbrenner suspension and a homegrown core that included Derek Jeter, Jorge Posada, Andy Pettitte and Bernie Williams. Veterans and stars such as David Cone and Roger Clemens rounded out the roster, but the key ingredients were sustainability and in-house talent.
ADVERTISEMENT
Advertisement
Olney frames the 1998-2001 Yankees as the last 'true' MLB dynasty, or as he puts it: 'maybe the last dynasty that's going to win four World Series in five years.'
What made the Yankees so special? Olney emphasizes the 'combination of homegrown players and great stars that they added through free agency,' plus, crucially, a culture that made outside stars want to join: 'Because they were so successful, they have what the Dodgers have now, which is a lot of players coming in from the outside saying, 'I want to be a part of that.''
Why don't we see MLB dynasties anymore?
So what has changed? Olney, Mintz, and Shusterman point to several big reasons dynasties have become nearly impossible in MLB.
ADVERTISEMENT
Advertisement
Roster turnover and free agency: With player movement so much more common today, keeping a championship core together is extremely difficult.
Injuries and luck: As Olney notes, 'it's also about luck, it's about injuries, it's about players who decide to depart.' Maintaining excellence over multiple MLB seasons is just brutally difficult.
The psychological toll: Olney makes a great point: Today's social media era means players face far more noise, scrutiny and pressure than Ken Griffey Jr. ever did in the clubhouse. 'I do think it takes a toll … players get worn down by the constant feedback.'
Expanded playoff fields: More rounds mean more opportunities for upsets — a dynasty killer. As Mintz notes, 'The playoffs are longer by one round … just another roll of the dice.'
The modern superteams: Dodgers, Astros, Giants
Every few years a team emerges — think the Dodgers, Astros or the earlier 2010s Giants — and gets branded with the 'dynasty in the making' label. But as the Bar-B-Cast crew explains, none has repeated the Yankees' level of sustained postseason success. Olney praises the current Dodgers as, 'on paper, the best team I've ever seen,' but even he acknowledges that it's far from a given that they'll embark on a pinstripes-level run.
The Astros' frequent postseason trips and the Giants' trio of even-year titles are impressive, but Mintz still contends, 'I would probably argue against both of those [being true dynasties].'
Will we ever see another true dynasty?
All signs, according to the podcast trio, point to 'maybe, but don't hold your breath.' The hosts agree that because of all the factors named above, a four-titles-in-five-years run looks like an artifact of another era.
ADVERTISEMENT
Advertisement
But as Mintz points out, that isn't a reason to stop believing: 'For those of us who love the drama, there's always a chance … and that's what keeps baseball compelling.'
For more deep dives into baseball's dynasties and other debates, tune in to "Baseball-Bar-B-Cast" on Apple, Spotify or YouTube.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
New York Times
9 minutes ago
- New York Times
‘I don't go and fact check my dad': Hunter Dobbins addresses false Yankees claims
BOSTON — Last weekend in New York, rookie starter Hunter Dobbins added some fuel to the Red Sox-Yankees rivalry. Dobbins told the Boston Herald he would rather 'retire' than play for the Yankees, citing how his father, Lance, had been drafted twice by the Yankees and traded to the Arizona Diamondbacks. Dobbins' Texas Tech bio, as well as his bio in the Red Sox media guide make note of his father's career. Advertisement On Tuesday, the New York Post reported that Lance Dobbins had never played for either organization. On Wednesday, Dobbins addressed the story about his false claims. 'My feelings (on the Yankees) and all that, they're based off of my personal experiences and nothing to do with growing up or family,' Dobbins said. 'And also it's a rivalry, so we're just having some fun. Jazz (Chisholm Jr.) got into it too, and we had a good time about it. 'The whole backstory, stuff that I had heard growing up, and seen pictures from my dad — at the end of the day, it's just from my dad, and what kind of grew my love for the game. But at the end of the day, I don't go and fact check my dad or anything like that.' Hunter Dobbins isn't too concerned about a New York Post article 🤷♂️ "Doesn't faze me … my focus is [on] performing for the guys here in the locker room, for the fans." — NESN (@NESN) June 11, 2025 Dobbins said he wasn't surprised by the stir his comments made. 'Not really, this is a great rivalry,' he said. 'It's two cities that have a long history together. Anything that's kind of in the news that goes with both of them is going to turn into a story. It just adds to the game and we just have to embrace and kind of keep rolling.' The 25-year-old earned a win on Sunday against the Yankees, allowing three runs on four hits. He is scheduled to start against the Yankees again on Saturday when New York visits Boston. 'My focus has been on Saturday,' Dobbins said. 'This is my first time in the big leagues facing the same team a second time, let alone back to back. So that's where my focus is 100 percent.' Asked how much of a distraction this might have caused for himself, Dobbins didn't view it that way. 'Doesn't faze me, doesn't bother me,' he said. 'I love working with the media, everybody has been great. My focus has been performing for the locker room and the fans of Boston,' he said. 'Growing up watching those series you can't wait to be on the mound for it.' Dobbins has a 4.20 ERA in 10 games, including eight starts, this season for the Red Sox with 10 walks and 37 strikeouts.
San Francisco Chronicle
13 minutes ago
- San Francisco Chronicle
Red Sox pitcher Hunter Dobbins defends making discrepancies about his father playing for Yankees
BOSTON (AP) — Red Sox rookie Hunter Dobbins made some headlines prior to his first career start against the Yankees last week when he said he'd retire before pitching for New York. Now he's explaining why the claims he made about his father once playing for Boston's longtime rivals aren't the intentional fabrication that a New York Post report says they were. Hunter Dobbins said Wednesday he was made aware of the Post story, but said there is nothing nefarious about the connections he said his father had to the Yankees. 'My feelings and all that are based on my personal experiences and nothing to do with growing up or family,' Dobbins said. 'The whole backstory is stuff I heard growing up and seen pictures of from my dad. At the end of my day it's just from my dad and how I kind of grew my love for the game. But at the end of the day I don't go and fact-check my dad or anything like that.' In a June 7 Boston Herald feature on Dobbins that ran the day before he allowed three runs and four hits in five innings in an 11-7 win over the Yankees, he said that his father, Lance Dobbins, had been drafted twice by the Yankees before being traded to the Arizona Diamondbacks. The story also makes reference to Dobbins saying his father was friends with Andy Pettitte, who played 15 major league seasons with New York. But the Post report found no evidence of any of that, citing multiple official databases and the Yankees' own records that couldn't substantiate Lance Dobbins having played with the organizations. Lance Dobbins' own profile on the doesn't list any Yankees affiliation. The 2025 Red Sox Media Guide does mention him on Hunter Dobbins' biography page, but says only that Lance "pitched for 2 seasons (1996-97) in the Diamondbacks organization.' Dobbins, who is scheduled to pitch again against the Yankees on Saturday at Fenway Park said he has since spoken to his father 'a little, but not really' about the Post story that first noted the discrepancies. 'My whole focus is on Saturday and getting ready to face the Yankees," Dobbins said. "This is my first time in the big leagues facing a team for a second time, let alone back-to-back. So that's where my focus is 100%. I imagine we'll talk in the future or something like that. But it's been a bigger deal than it ever really needed to be. But at the end of the day I really just need to get ready to go for Saturday' The 25-year-old is 3-1 with a 4.20 ERA this season. He said he isn't surprised that this story has gotten the attention it has in recent days. 'This is a great rivalry," Dobbins said. "Two cities that have a long history together. Anything that's kind of in the news that goes with both of them that's going to turn into a story. It adds to the game and we just have to embrace it and keep rolling.' ___
Forbes
16 minutes ago
- Forbes
The Tigers Need To Trade For A Starter After Losing Jackson Jobe
The Detroit Tigers have the best record in MLB at 44-24, but they'll have to press on without a highly promising young pitcher for the rest of the season. Jackson Jobe will undergo Tommy John surgery according to Evan Petzold of the Detroit Free Press. Jobe, a 22-year-old right-hander, was the third overall pick in the 2021 draft and the consensus top pitching prospect in the minors before the 2025 season (excluding Roki Sasaki). Every major prospect ranking outlet had him in the top five overall on their preseason lists. He made two appearances for the Tigers out of the bullpen at the end of the 2024 season, then pitched twice more in the playoffs. He began the year in Detroit's rotation, but failed to live up to the hype. In 10 starts and 49 innings, he compiled a 4.22 ERA and a 1.49 WHIP with just 39 strikeouts. Batters hit .296 with a .519 slugging percentage against his vaunted fastball. Even more concerning was that his fastball velocity decreased rapidly over the course of the season. Early in spring training, he averaged 98.5 mph, but in his last start before going on the injured list, he was down to 95.5 mph. That can often be a precursor to an injury, and now he will miss the rest of this year and most or all of the 2026 campaign too. The Tigers have enjoyed a dream start to the season and are positioned to make an easy run to the playoffs, but they have to be concerned about their pitching depth. Jobe is one of five Detroit starting pitchers on the injured list at the moment. Reese Olson is sidelined with ring finger inflammation, while Alex Cobb, Ty Madden, and José Urquidy have all yet to pitch this year. The front three pitchers in their rotation have certainly held their own. Tarik Skubal is aiming for his second Cy Young Award in a row, and he leads the American League with a 1.85 FIP, 0.8 walks per nine innings, and 11.3 strikeouts per nine innings. If he can maintain his 15.0 strikeouts-to-walks ratio, it would shatter the MLB single-season record. Jack Flaherty and Casey Mize also have excellent 3.41 and 2.91 ERAs respectively. Keider Montero and Sawyer Gipson-Long have been pressed into duty by all the injuries. Montero has made six starts and three relief appearances, but has only struck out 30 batters in 46 innings while giving up 48 hits and 17 walks. Gipson-Long missed almost the entirety of the 2024 season, only making one appearance in the minors. He has already pitched at four levels this year, including 8 1/3 innings for the Tigers. With Jackson Jobe out of action until possibly 2027, Detroit has already scraped the bottom of the barrel of their pitching depth. They should become major players in the trade market for starting pitching before the deadline at the end of July. They may even need to acquire more than one hurler, especially if another pitcher gets hurt, and Jobe's fate is a reminder of how fragile pitchers' arms can be.
