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?
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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