The MLB playoffs start today, and I wanted to take a look at which MLB teams can win the World Series. Obviously, every team COULD win it all; that’s why we play the games. However, some teams certainly look like they have a better chance than others. I’ve arranged them into some tiers that look at each team’s chances.
The Dodgers are, and should be, the favorites for the World Series in any year where they have this core. The players on this team may be aging, but they are still superstars of the game, and they are mostly still producing at that level. It helps that they have the organizational depth that they have, because it ensures that their most important pieces are healthy for another postseason run.
They have hitters up and down the lineup, and their starting rotation can be the best we’ve ever seen. If they can find consistency in their bullpen, there really isn’t a clear weakness on this team. The playoff bullpen will also likely feature different names than the regular season, as some roles will be moved around as the pitching staff tightens up for the playoffs.
Many people believe this is the greatest Brewers team of all time, and it is hard to argue with them. Postseason success pending, this team broke their franchise record in wins by six and finished the season with the best record in baseball by three games. The Brewers’ reason for success is so hard to pin down because it comes through in almost every aspect of the game.
They are renowned for their pitching lab, turning wild flamethrowers like Jacob Misiorowski and Trevor Megill into Cy Young and Reliever of the Year candidates. Pat Murphy, who has been at the helm for three seasons, squeezes everything out of young and veteran hitters alike. Breakouts like Jake Bauers help this team go from good to great. This Milwaukee team is the biggest threat to the Dodgers’ three-peat, simply because they do everything well. They pitch, play defense, and generate runs at a staggering pace.
The Rays and Brewers draw a lot of comparisons. Two of the smallest markets in baseball have had an incredible track record over the past several seasons of competing at the highest level. They have a legitimate MVP contender in Junior Caminero, whose legend only continues to grow as he destroys every baseball that comes his way. The lineup behind Caminero is no slouch either, with Yandy Diaz, Jonathan Aranda, and Chandler Simpson all having fantastic seasons in their own right.
The Tampa rotation can hold up with the best of them, with Drew Rasmussen leading the charge, and the bullpen behind them led by save leader Bryan Baker. They got a tremendous boost from one of the league’s best trade deadlines, grabbing both Liam Hicks and Freddy Peralta, who have become strong contributors down the stretch. The Rays can mash with anyone, but they can also keep runs off the board. A team nobody wants to face in the AL bracket.
A couple of weeks ago, there was a very large question mark around the Padres postseason chances. They were battling with Arizona for the last wild card spot, and it looked like it was going to come down to the wire. They then won 17 of their last 20 games, cementing themselves firmly in the postseason and even taking over the first wild card seed, guaranteeing that the crucial three-game set will be played at a raucous Petco Park.
Every year, there is one team that seems to sneak into the playoffs on the back of a hot stretch, and every year, that team goes further than anyone expects. This Padres team certainly fits that bill. Their hitters are back to form, with Fernando Tatis Jr., Manny Machado, and Jackson Merrill getting very hot to end the season. They have one of the best bullpens in baseball, featuring the Reliever of the Year favorite Mason Miller. The only question mark for the Padres is their starting rotation, which has given them trouble all year. It hasn’t seemed to matter over the last 20 games, but that is a weakness that could be exploited in October.
The biggest question mark around the Yankees will continue to be the health of Aaron Judge. While you don’t particularly want all eyes on one guy as you push for a championship, Judge is just that type of player. His presence could flip the scales in the Yankees’ favor, while his absence could end up sinking the ship. Outside of Judge, New York’s lineup has struggled overall this season, making the postseason performance, especially against some of the best pitchers in the sport, a concern. They certainly have the arms to compete for a World Series, with the presumptive Cy Young in Cam Schlittler, followed by Gerrit Cole, Max Fried, and Carlos Rodon. Even their bullpen has been better down the stretch. One of their toughest matchups will come early against the Red Sox in the short wild card series.
The Red Sox and Yankees know each other well, as they have what is potentially the most iconic rivalry in pro sports. They share a lot of similarities, with talented rosters and inconsistent play. Many have pointed out that the Red Sox match up very well against the Yankees due to their wealth of left-handed pitching, which will force New York to activate their platoons.
The health of Willson Contreras will be a major factor for Boston, as the 34-year-old has had a career year, energizing the team. Otherwise, it will come down to how well the other guys perform. From Ceddanne Rafaela to Caleb Durbin to trade pickup Adley Rutschman, they will need these young players to show they can step up in the big moments. Boston already had a 15-game win streak this season. If they could replicate that level of heat, they will be hoisting a trophy in no time.
For Atlanta to recapture the magic of the early season, their biggest key will be who can give them an electric start other than Chris Sale. We know what Sale can do, as he has been doing it all season. They will need someone else to really shove for a few innings before handing it over to that lockdown bullpen. It’s almost a given that their top of the lineup will perform, as Ronald Acuna Jr., Matt Olson, and Drake Baldwin have all been incredible, to say the least, in 2026.
It will take a big swing from someone else. Can Austin Riley finally get hot and show that he’s worth that contract? Can Ha-Seong Kim deliver some more late-inning magic? It remains to be seen. Atlanta plays their division rival Philadelphia, who has really struggled lately, in the three-game wild card. Even with that, it’s the playoffs, and anything can happen. Atlanta looks to exert the will of a division champion early.
Craig Counsell must be investing in hair dye, because the Chicago Cubs bullpen would give anybody gray hair. Counsell clearly doesn’t trust his pitching staff, and we shouldn’t either. For a team that has a likely MVP in Pete Crow-Armstrong leading arguably the best offense in baseball, they have not done as much winning as you may expect. Early in the season, it was the starting pitching; lately, it has been the pen. Chicago will have to get some monumental efforts from their offense to win if they keep throwing the ball as they have been. That said, that is not out of the question, as they can mash the ball up and down the lineup, starting with guys like Crow-Armstrong, Alex Bregman, and Seiya Suzuki. More likely, some of their pitchers will have to put a disappointing regular season behind them and lock in for the playoffs.
After the last couple of weeks, it was tempting to put Philadelphia into the “It Would Take a Miracle” category. They nearly played themselves out of a playoff spot. However, it is just so hard not to have some trust in the names on this roster. On paper, this should be one of the best teams in baseball. When you have Schwarber, Harper, and Turner to start your lineup, that is challenging for any pitcher. When your playoff rotation will likely be Sanchez, Wheeler, and Luzardo, that seems like a great formula.
Now, there are health concerns with guys like Luzardo and Arraez, but when things ratchet up for the playoffs, I expect guys like that to give it a shot, at least. The bullpen outside of Duran has been terrible, and underperformance has decimated their vibes as a team, which is why they are so low on the totem pole here. This is just the type of team that can beat anyone, but can also lose in the worst ways possible, meaning it may be a rollercoaster of an October for Phillies fans.
Because of how the AL playoff bracket is set up, one of the three teams in this tier will be playing in the ALCS. If I had to pick a team that could do that, I would pick the White Sox. I do think whoever they run into in the ALCS will be the buzzsaw that ends their season, but until then, it will be a fun ride for Chicago. Their story is out of a movie, coming back from the last few terrible years in the Southside to the playoffs in 2026.
They have mostly ridden their bats to this position, relying on the power of stars like Miguel Vargas and Munetaka Murakami to blast them to victory. They’ve had to rely on that due to their pitching staff being borderline awful since the All-Star break. They have already announced that game one against Houston will be a bullpen game, and that isn’t surprising. I simply do not believe that a team with a pitching staff in shambles like this can win a championship, though with as fun as the White Sox have been, I’d love to be proven wrong.
Cleveland surged down the stretch to take the AL Central away from those White Sox, who had controlled it for most of the season. Their team makeup is almost directly in contrast to Chicago. Where they rely on their hitters to out-slug their competition, Cleveland relies on their stellar pitching to lock down the other teams. They feature dominant arms such as Parker Messick, Gavin Williams, and Cade Smith. Their offense, however, has been anemic all season. Not helping is a down year for perennial MVP candidate Jose Ramirez, who has not looked like himself when he has been on the field. Perhaps a guy like that needs the bright lights of October to come out of an extended slump. Beyond him, the rest of the offense has struggled to slug, making it tough for them to be looked at favorably come playoff time.
Houston squeaked past the Rangers to win their division and secure the three seed in the AL playoffs. They did so with a record of 81-81, becoming the first team in MLB history to win a division without a winning record. They will draw the White Sox at home in the wild card round, in a series that is sure to feature a lot of runs being scored. Like Chicago, Houston has survived most of the season with very little in terms of competent, consistent pitching. They do have MVP favorite Yordan Alvarez, who can take over a game, but they will need someone outside of closer Josh Hader to step up on the mound to have any shot. Get ready for a slugfest in H-Town this week if both teams continue to play like they have all season.
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