Good Morning! Technically the calendar says September, but the Major League Baseball playoffs begin today. That means it’s time for an October baseball preview!

NATIONAL LEAGUE

(1) Milwaukee Brewers

SEASON IN REVIEW: Boasting the best record in baseball, the Brew Crew has the feeling of a team of destiny. After years of regular season success, Milwaukee has their sights set on a deep playoff run.

WHY THEY’LL WIN IT ALL: Because that’s what they’ve done all season. It’s hard to point to one player or one aspect of the game that stands out, but this team doesn’t make mistakes. Every member of the organization executes their role to the best of their abilities.

WHY THEY WON’T: It’s hard to point to one player or one aspect of the game that stands out. The problem the Brewers have faced in each of their recent postseasons remains the same– can a consistent, fundamentally sound team withstand the randomness of a short playoff series?

(2) Philadelphia Phillies

SEASON IN REVIEW: Philly was sort of overlooked this preseason, with all the hype surrounding the Mets and Braves in the NL East. But this veteran group overcame injuries and early slumps from key players to once again finish as a top team in the National League. The championship window may be closing, but for now, it remains open.

WHY THEY’LL WIN IT ALL: Kyle Schwarber. Bryce Harper. The Phillies are built around stars who thrive in big moments. Add in a stellar starting rotation and a raucous home crowd, and you can see why they’ve gotten so close in recent years. It’s not hard to picture Jhoan Duran, their flame-throwing closer acquired at the trade deadline, slamming the door for the final out in the Fall Classic.

WHY THEY WON’T: They miss Zack Wheeler. It’s hard to win when the best player on the team is out with an injury, but that’s what the Phils are attempting to do. That plus a potentially shaky bullpen and the growing pressure on this aging core could prove too much to overcome.

(3) Los Angeles Dodgers vs Cincinnati

SEASON IN REVIEW: This was not the dominant Dodgers team we all expected. Practically every starting pitcher was injured at some point this summer, along with many of the hitters, too. And still, a “down year” for the defending champs saw another division title. The expectations in LA are still to repeat as World Series champions.

WHY THEY’LL WIN IT ALL: Shohei Ohtani is the best player in the world. The rotation is finally healthy. And they won last year with much of the same group. LA may be the third seed in the National League, but the Dodgers still feel like the favorite.

WHY THEY WON’T: The bullpen is really not good. Starters Roki Sasaki, Emmett Sheehan, and Clayton Kershaw will begin the playoffs in relief in order to stabilize the back of games, but no Dodger lead has been safe this season. Plus all-star catcher Will Smith is out with a broken hand, and no team has repeated as World Series champion since the Yankees in 2000.

(4) Chicago Cubs vs San Diego

SEASON IN REVIEW: A tremendous first half was followed by a midseason slump, but the Cubs finished strong and carry some positive momentum as they return to the postseason for the first time in five years.

WHY THEY’LL WIN IT ALL: The stars lead the way. Kyle Tucker is an MVP candidate when healthy. Pete Crow-Armstrong was one of the best players in baseball before the all-star break. Add in a steady bullpen and the support of an energized Wrigley, and you can see a path for the Cubs.

WHY THEY WON’T: Is there enough starting pitching? A late injury to breakout starter Cade Horton really hurts Chicago’s chances. They’ll need the first-half of the year offense to show up and carry the load, because shutdown innings may be hard to come by.

(5) San Diego Padres vs Chicago

SEASON IN REVIEW: San Diego’s season will be remembered for their insane trade deadline, where they acquired basically every big name. But very quietly, the Padres put together a very solid 90-win season.

WHY THEY’LL WIN IT ALL: The Padres might not allow any runs. With arguably the best and most versatile bullpen in the postseason, San Diego will not make it easy on opposing hitters. It’s a tried-and-true postseason recipe, and if the Padres can keep games close into the late innings, you have to like their chances.

WHY THEY WON’T: For as much success as San Diego’s had this year, they’ve also been inconsistent. Manny Machado and Fernando Tatis anchor a lineup that looks much better on paper than it’s performed on the field. The starting rotation has a similar feel, although the bullpen probably covers up that flaw. Still, this Padres group has failed to get over the hump in recent years for much similar reasons.

(6) Cincinnati Reds vs Los Angeles

SEASON IN REVIEW: A rousing success for Terry Francona in his first season managing the Reds! After a rough first half, the young Cincinnati Reds core should be over the moon to be back in the postseason.

WHY THEY’LL WIN IT ALL: Cincy has three really, really good starters, led by Hunter Greene. And wouldn’t it just make sense for the last team that sneaks in to end up going all the way?

WHY THEY WON’T: Again, it’s a thrill for the Reds to still be playing baseball. They’ve got a young team with a great foundation to build on for the future. I will let this tweet by Opta Stats explain why the odds may be against them:

AMERICAN LEAGUE

(1) Toronto Blue Jays

SEASON IN REVIEW: What a year in Toronto! After multiple disappointing seasons and few offseason changes, the Blue Jays felt like a failed experiment set to expire. But they put it all together in 2025 on their way to the best record in the American League.

WHY THEY’LL WIN IT ALL: The pitching staff is steady. Vladdy Guerrero Jr. is a star. Veteran leader George Springer is a postseason legend. Toronto’s got all the key ingredients you need for a memorable October.

WHY THEY WON’T: Bo Bichette’s knee injury is important to monitor, because he’s a crucial cog in a lineup that lacks some punch. When he’s not healthy, the Blue Jays struggle to score runs. The lack of a true ace could hurt, too.

(2) Seattle Mariners

SEASON IN REVIEW: Cal Raleigh hit 60 homers and the Mariners won the AL West for the first time in over 20 years! It’s been a magical summer in the Pacific Northwest. Could this group finally end the quest for the franchise’s first World Series?

WHY THEY’LL WIN IT ALL: The rotation is stacked. The offense is explosive. And the bullpen is anchored by one of the top shutdown closers in the game, Andres Munoz. Mariner fans are pumped not only because this team plays an exciting brand of baseball, but they’re also quite good at it.

WHY THEY WON’T: Outside of Randy Arozarena, there’s not a ton of postseason experience on the roster. Maybe that’s a good thing for a team that’s never won? I want to confidently declare this as the year of the Mariners, but I have to hold back until they take the field. We’ll know very quickly if this group is able to meet the moment… Also, keep an eye on the health of ace Bryan Woo. He’s a true difference-maker.

(3) Cleveland Guardians vs Detroit

SEASON IN REVIEW: The largest comeback to win a division in MLB history! Talk about finishing strong– Cleveland is the hottest team in baseball, and their much deserved reward is hosting the wild card round.

WHY THEY’LL WIN IT ALL: Are you seriously going to bet against them now? The Guardians seemingly can’t lose anymore. Plus, Jose Ramirez is a legit superstar and no matter who Cleveland throws out on the mound, the guy tends to be pretty good. You have to at least like their odds this week against Detroit, after Cleveland beat their division rivals in two key series over the last month.

WHY THEY WON’T: This team wasn’t very good for most of the summer. They don’t have a particularly good lineup, and it’s generally a surprise they’ve made it to the postseason. We can be disappointed, by we shouldn’t be surprised if the clock strikes midnight on Cinderella.

(4) New York Yankees vs Boston

SEASON IN REVIEW: There was a brief stretch where the Yankees looked like the other New York team, on the precipice of crashing out of the playoffs. But the Bronx Bombers righted the ship and blasted their way to another postseason appearance. They are back on track in their mission to avenge last year’s World Series loss.

WHY THEY’LL WIN IT ALL: Home runs and strikeouts. Aaron Judge, Giancarlo Stanton, and a powerful Yankee lineup supply the former, while Max Fried, Carlos Rodon, and a recently solid bullpen dish out the latter. Teams that hit lots of homers and strike out lots of opponents tend to win baseball games, and the Yankees excel at both.

WHY THEY WON’T: The bullpen, which has only recently rounded into form, suddenly falters. Aaron Judge struggles in yet another postseason. Errors are everywhere and a lack of fundamentals are exposed in big moments. Once again, the Yankees have to avoid beating themselves.

(5) Boston Red Sox vs New York

SEASON IN REVIEW: It was an interesting year for the Sox, who dealt their best player early in the season and then played better baseball. Ultimately, an up-and-down summer had more good than bad, and Boston finds themselves back in the playoffs.

WHY THEY’LL WIN IT ALL: Garrett Crochet is one of the three best pitchers in baseball, and there’s nothing better than a dominant ace in the postseason. If the Red Sox can rely on Crochet and produce enough offense for their other starters, they’ll be a very tough out. Not to mention a lights-out bullpen led by the resurgent Aroldis Chapman.

WHY THEY WON’T: This team would be so much better if rookie slugger Roman Anthony was healthy and able to slot into the middle of the lineup. Someone is going to have to step up and carry the offense in his absence. Lucas Giolito’s injury is also a big blow to the rotation, which suddenly looks quite thin after Crochet.

(6) Detroit Tigers vs Cleveland

SEASON IN REVIEW: ‘Twas a tale of two halves for Detroit. They began as the best team in all of baseball, before plummeting to Earth and ending up a wild card team. What started out as one of the best seasons in recent memory ended with the Tigers barely sneaking into the postseason.

WHY THEY’LL WIN IT ALL: We’ve seen them dominate, so a World Series winner has to still be in that clubhouse somewhere. And Tarik Skubal is the best pitcher in baseball, so the Tigers have to feel good about their chances whenever he takes the mound.

WHY THEY WON’T: They’ve been one of the worst teams in the big leagues over the last few months. It’s going to be quite difficult for Detroit to suddenly flip the switch.

WRAPPING UP THE REGULAR SEASON

So far we’ve learned about three managers who will not be returning to their posts in 2026. Bob Melvin has been let go by the San Francisco Giants, the Minnesota Twins parted ways with Rocco Baldelli, and Bruce Bochy and the Texas Ranger mutually agreed to split up.

St. Louis Cardinals President of Baseball Operations John Mozeliak held his retirement press conference yesterday. Although it felt to many Cardinal fans that Mo overstayed his welcome during the team’s struggles over the last few seasons, he leaves his post as one of the most successful front office members in the game of baseball. Mozeliak oversaw a franchise-record 15 consecutive winning seasons during an impressive sustained run of success that, personally, I enjoyed very much.

A record seven players finished the season as members of the 30/30 club! That almost doubles the previous number of four, which was accomplished five times in MLB history. Can you name the seven stars who hit 30 homers and stole 30 bases this year? The answer is here at this link.

Finally, it’s time to revisit my preseason predictions. You can read everything I wrote back in March at this link. Since this preview is already quite long, I will link the results here– you can see the handy spreadsheet I made to grade each prediction. By the end of the day today, I will move everything into the online version of this post. If you don’t want to click any links or come back later to read more, that’s ok too… just know that I finished 17-10 (with three abstentions) in team wins over/unders.

WILD CARD SCHEDULE (all times Eastern)

TODAY:

• Tigers @ Guardians, 1 PM on ESPN

  • Tarik Skubal vs Gavin Williams

• Padres @ Cubs, 3 PM on ABC

  • Nick Pivetta vs Matthew Boyd

• Red Sox @ Yankees, 6 PM on ESPN

  • Garrett Crochet vs Max Fried

• Reds @ Dodgers, 9 PM on ESPN

  • Hunter Greene vs Blake Snell

TOMORROW:

• Tigers @ Guardians, 1 PM on ESPN

  • TBD vs Tanner Bibee

• Padres @ Cubs, 3 PM on ABC

  • Dylan Cease vs TBD

• Red Sox @ Yankees, 6 PM on ESPN

  • Brayan Bello vs Carlos Rodon

• Reds @ Dodgers, 9 PM on ESPN

  • Zack Littell vs Yoshinobu Yamamoto

… ALL GAME THREES WILL BE PLAYED ON THURSDAY (IF NECESSARY)

There you have it! And if somehow you aren’t sold on the whole postseason thing, there’s still plenty of time to be inspired by the Triple-A champion Jacksonville Jumbo Shrimp… 

Gonna be a fun month! See you on Thursday