1) Los Angeles Dodgers
Strengths: Where to start? The Dodgers set a franchise record by winning 111 games in the regular season (fourth most of any franchise in MLB history). With Mookie Betts, Trea Turner and Freddie Freeman, they might have the best offense in baseball. Additionally, their starting pitchers have the best ERA. Weaknesses: Can future Hall of Fame pitcher Clayton Kershaw reverse his postseason slump? Can manager Dave Roberts hit the right buttons with a stick still in flux after demoting closer Craig Kimbrel? Will their Wild Card bye and home field advantage against tough National League competition pay off? Stay tuned. Key player: Mookie Betts, OF. There are plenty of Dodgers who could earn a spot on this list, but we’ll go with the one most likely to hit the go-ahead run and hit the game-saving hit in two halves of the same inning.
2) Houston Astros
Pros: By far the best team in the AL, the Astros have terrific starting pitching and offense, and a bullpen full of hittable relievers. Plus, the earliest they could face the Dodgers would be the World Series. Hopefully this time it will be on. Weaknesses: In theory they should have one, right? Ryan Pressly is a quality reliever, but he’s not really the type of bully you want in a must-win playoff game. Second baseman Yuli Gurriel had a down year, batting just .242 with eight home runs. However, these Astros look like AL favorites. First baseman: Justin Verlander, SP While Albert Pujols received some media attention, it might not even have been the best season performance from a near-retired veteran. At age 39, Verlander posted an impressive 1.75 ERA.
3) New York Yankees
Pros: You might not have noticed given the lack of media attention, but this Yankees team can hit a lot of home runs. Even as opposing pitchers worked around Aaron Judge to avoid having their names associated with baseball history, the rest of the lineup was designed to lead him. Weaknesses: Lead ace Gerrit Cole has had a serious gopherball problem all season and their bullpen has been beyond unreliable. Yankees fans don’t trust manager Aaron Boone to pull the right levers, but when do they ever trust their manager? Base: Aaron Judge, OF. It’s hard not to pick the guy who just hit the all-time American League home run record and just missed out on the triple crown, especially now that teams won’t have the same incentive to rally around him.
4) Atlanta Braves
Michael Harris II had a great rookie campaign for the Braves. Photo: Brett Davis/AP Pros: The Braves were basically the Yankees of the National League, hit the most home runs there and made the biggest comeback of the regular season by stealing the NL East away from the Mets. If it weren’t for the 111-game winning Dodgers who were also an NL team, one could argue that the Braves would deserve the number one slot here. They also have a bunch of really good young players on big contracts, so last year’s World Series could be the start of a dynasty. Weaknesses: Rookie ace pitcher Spencer Strider may not be available for the start of the postseason, which could leave the rest of the starting staff treading water until he returns. Additionally, these homer-happy hitters strike out very often (in 24.6% of their at-bats), a trend that opposing pitchers will look to exploit. First baseman: Michael Harris II, OF. It’s always fun when a player joins the team he started for as a kid. It’s an even better story when they put together a Rookie of the Year campaign.
5) St Louis Cardinals
Strengths: However you want to count them, the Cardinals have that pesky Devil Magic on their side. There are more tangible reasons, too: first baseman Paul Goldschmidt has a good chance to be NL MVP, and third baseman Nolan Arenado has done his part by putting together a 103-RBI season. Weaknesses: Cardinals pitchers don’t strike out many batters – the second fewest per nine innings in all of MLB during the regular season – which usually isn’t great during the playoffs. No matter how good St Louis’ defense is, you add extra uncertainty to the game the more you allow your opponents to make contact. First baseman: Albert Pujols, 1B/DH. Yes, Aaron Judge was given the many, many, many “live look-ins” on ESPN, but for us baseball fans of a certain age, Pujols’ pursuit of 700 home runs (and beyond) was the real treat. . story of the year.
6) Cleveland Guardians
Pros: Guardians just don’t go out. Like that pesky Kansas City Royals team that won it all in 2015, they get on base and make things happen. It also doesn’t hurt that they have a HOF manager who has made three trips to the World Series in Terry Francona, even if it sounds like he’s nearing retirement. Weaknesses: Yes, the Guardians won their division, but did you see the AL Central? Additionally, they hit just 127 home runs in the regular season, the second-worst total in the majors. This is certainly not the strategy that tends to lead to postseason success. Key player: Emmanuel Clase, RP. The best closer in the playoffs might not be a name you recognize: Clase had a stellar season with 42 saves and 77 strikeouts in 72.2 innings.
7) New York Mets
The Mets have the best one-two punch in the majors with Jacob deGrom (left) and Max Scherzer. Photo: Brad Penner/USA Today Sports Pros: They have a dazzling one-two punch at the top of their starting rotation in Max Scherzer and Jacob deGrom, plus a dominant closer in Edwin Diaz. There is a strong argument that the Mets were the second best NL team on paper. Weaknesses: The games aren’t played on paper, and their chances of making the World Series took a hit when they lost control of the division in a season-ending sweep by Atlanta. Because of that, they now face a tough Padres team in the Wild Card round and then the Dodgers and then possibly the Braves again. Key player: Jacob deGrom, SP. Once again, deGrom proved to be the most unstoppable pitcher in baseball when healthy. Also once again, he wasn’t always as durable as New York would have liked, going just 64.1 innings. He also ended the season with a mini-slump after battling blister problems.
8) San Diego Padres
Strengths: Yu Darvish and Blake Snell shine at the top of the rotation. If Juan Soto starts hitting for extra bases (his isolated power is down 100 points since he was traded from the Washington Nationals), he’s the type of hitter who can win Series MVP honors. Weaknesses: First of all, it’s bad news when your franchise player is serving an 80-game doping ban: this Padres would look a lot better if Fernando Tatis Jr was still in the lineup. They also have a tough road to the World Series, having to get past the Mets, Dodgers and possibly the Braves. Key player: Josh Hader, RP. The Padres brought in the controversial Hader to serve as their closer, and he had a rocky start in San Diego. He did, however, have a 0.87 ERA in September. If he can keep it up in the playoffs, the trade would be worth it, at least statistically.
9) Toronto Blue Jays
Pros: The Blue Jays have some serious pop in their lineup thanks to Vlad Guerrero Jr and Bo Bichette. Junior Alex Manoah has also emerged as one of the best starters in the game, has a 1.08 ERA over his last eight outings and has knocked Kevin Gausman into the No. 2 slot starter. Weaknesses: Outside of Manoah and Gausman, the starting rotation has some serious question marks. That would be enough to get them through a three-game Wild Card series against the Seattle Mariners, but it would become more of a concern as the streak extends down the stretch. Vladimir Guerrero Jr has the power to change a game. Photo: Nathan Denette/AP First baseman: Vlad Guerrero Jr, 1B/DH. The second-generation star had a down year by his standards, but still managed 32 home runs and 97 RBI. Don’t flip the channel when he comes to bat in close games.
10) Seattle Mariners
Pros: The best story in baseball has to be worth something, right? It’s been 21 years since the Mariners last made the postseason. He was sixth in the majors during the second half of the season, despite being just 29th in batting average. I guess when you’re playing with the house money, it doesn’t hurt to play with your swings like that. Weaknesses: Not only do the Mariners, as a team, have little playoff experience, but they are a very young team. The postseason is usually when experience pays off, which can be doubly true for a team unaccustomed to the media spotlight. They also, again, had the second-worst batting average in the regular season. Basic: Julio Rodriguez, OF. An easy choice here. If Seattle makes any noise in the postseason, it will be thanks to Rodríguez, who had 28 home runs, 75 RBI and 25 stolen bases in his rookie campaign.
11) Philadelphia Phillies
Pros: Aaron Nola heads into the postseason having flirted with a no-hitter in his last start, making him a solid No. 2 behind Zach Wheeler. Kyle Schwarber is no Aaron Judge, but he still hit the most home runs in the National League with a more modest 46, making him the key cog in the heart of a lineup that includes JT Realmuto and Bryce Harper. Weaknesses: They may have the worst defense of all teams in the postseason and are limping into the playoffs. Plus, they have a lot of uncertainty on their board, so everything has to go right for Philadelphia to…
