The Washington Nationals are currently playing in their first World Series in franchise history. The club had never made it to the championship series as either the Expos or the Nationals.
Not only did they make it to their first World Series, but they also won their first two games in the series. They won both games on the road no less, taking a 2-0 lead to Washington.
The Nationals are on the cusp of ending a 51-year skid (though some would say the drought is only 15 years long because the team moved from Montreal to Washington in 2004). Ironically, they are playing the Houston Astros in the World Series, who just won their first championship in 2017.
A few other teams have beaten their winless streaks in recent years. The St. Louis Blues and Toronto Raptors have each won their first championships in 2019, and the Philadelphia Eagles won theirs a year earlier.
If you want to go across the pond, Leicester City F.C. defied 5,000-1 odds to win their first Premier League Championship.
The Nationals may not be the only team looking to add some hardware to their trophy cases. There are a few other teams who can change their history sooner rather than later.
The five teams that could end their droughts, from least likely to most likely are:
Houston Texans
The Houston Texans are the youngest franchise in the NFL, but are also the closest to winning their first Super Bowl. For contrast, the Arizona Cardinals, formerly the Chicago Cardinals, are one of the oldest franchises in the league, and have yet to win one.
The Texans don’t have a good enough team to make a postseason run if the season ended today. As of the writing of this article, the Texans are 4-3, in second place in the AFC South, and currently occupying the second Wild Card spot.
However, they have been loading up on assets, trading for Laremy Tunsil and Gareon Conley. These two trades help address the biggest needs they have.
The most important player in any NFL franchise is the quarterback, and the Texans have a good one. Deshaun Watson is one of the most dynamic players in the league. If you pair him with DeAndre Hopkins, Carlos Hyde, and a healthy Will Fuller, then you have a pretty good offense.
The Texans probably won’t win Super Bowl LIV, but they could contend in a year or two if they are active in free agency.
Milwaukee Brewers
The Brewers were eliminated from the playoffs by the Nationals, who obviously did pretty well from themselves after that game.
Christian Yelich could single handedly bring the Brewers back to the playoffs, but it helps that he has some great players around him. Also suiting up for he Brewers in 2020 will be All Stars Ryan Braun, Josh Hader, Mike Moustakas, Lorenzo Cain, and Eric Thames.
Yelich is under team control until 2022, which will be his age 30 season. Veteran outfielders Cain and Braun are also under contract for the near future. The 25-year old Hader is only a year away from arbitration, though, and some of the Brewers best starters are going to be free agents come November.
Therein lies the biggest problem the Brewers are going to face, and that is pitching. They need to sign some dominant hurlers, as they have a weak farm system. They only have one prospect in MLB’s Top 100: Bryce Turang, an infielder who sits at number 98.
The Brewers could hoist the Commissioner’s Trophy soon, but it’s do or die. Either they win now, or they will have to wait even longer.
San Jose Sharks
The San Jose Sharks have been on the cusp for the last four years, but just haven’t taken the final steps. This team is only four seasons removed from a Stanley Cup finals loss to the Pittsburgh Penguins, and only one from a Conference Finals loss.
San Jose has what they need to compete. They have a couple of the best defensemen in the game in Brent Burns and Erik Karlsson. They also have a great set of forwards, with almost ten All Star appearances between them. Basically, their top line can compete with any other in the league.
Like the Brewers, the Sharks need to win soon, though. Most of their stars are on the wrong side of 30, and those that aren’t are quickly approaching it.
The Sharks have only missed the playoffs six times in their 27-season history. They have come so close, they just need to flip the final switch.
Nashville Predators
Staying in the NHL, the Sharks’ Western Conference rivals have also lost in a Stanley Cup Finals against the Penguins.
The Nashville Predators have been to five straight playoffs since 2014, which is the second-longest active streak in the league. They only made it to the Finals once, in 2017, but the Penguins defeated them for their second straight Cup victory.
The Predators have Pekka Rinne, one of the most consistent goaltenders in the league over the course of their playoff streak. The problem here is that Rinne is 36 years old, and may not be as dependable as he was in the past.
Other than that, the Predators have a good defensive unit, with two of their top players under contract for a few more years. Their top offensive trio of Matt Duchene, Ryan Johansen, and Filip Forsberg, also gives the Predators a few more years of team control.
If the Predators can get a few more playoff runs out of Pekka Rinne, then they can easily get back to another Stanley Cup Final. Taking the Cup to Nashville isn’t that far outside the realm of possibilities.
Los Angeles Clippers
Two-time NBA Champion Kawhi Leonard propelled the Raptors to their first league championship win, and the first championship in Toronto in 26 years. He’s now playing for the Clippers, and he’s going to try to take control of the West.
Paul George and Patrick Beverly are also trying to help Kawhi, and there are a few factors that go in their favor.
First of all, the Western Conference is at its weakest over the last few years. The Thunder and the Pelicans don’t seem like playoff contenders this year, and even the Lakers are starting slowly with LeBron James and Anthony Davis. The Warriors will have to go without Klay Thompson due to an injury, and their depth may lead to shaky results. On paper, the Rockets could challenge, but the chemistry between James Harden and Russell Westbrook may not be what they thought it would be.
If anyone was going to topple the West, it could be the Clippers.
Secondly, the Eastern Conference is also weaker than it was a year ago, and that’s saying a lot. Either the Nets or the 76ers will run away with the East this year without much resistance. If the Clippers were to meet either of those teams in the finals, their defense would match up pretty favorably.
What do you think? Let me know in the comments which team you think can win it all for the first time.