With the MLB playoffs approaching, the championship race is shaping up to be a wide-open contest. For the second consecutive season, no team is on pace to reach the 100-win benchmark, signaling a level of parity across the league that is expected to define the postseason.
To gauge the landscape, 19 baseball players, executives, and scouts were polled on which teams they considered the ones to beat in the National and American Leagues. While opinions varied, a consensus emerged around one sleeper team that insiders believe could make a deep October run.
National League Favorite: Milwaukee Brewers
In a tightly contested poll, the Milwaukee Brewers emerged as the narrow favorite over the defending champion Los Angeles Dodgers and the high-powered Philadelphia Phillies. While the Dodgers possess a distinct power advantage and the Phillies boast one of the league’s most reliable closers, insiders gave the edge to Milwaukee for its well-rounded performance and deep, healthy starting rotation.
Why the Brewers?
- NL Player: “They seem like a team that has a really solid plan and cohesive approach. They’re on the same page, and I just like how they play. They’ve done it all year; why can’t they keep it going?”
- NL Scout: “They still have to figure out the back end of their pen, but in a short series, they have the luxury of sending one of their good starters to the bullpen. They might just run into enough home runs to keep pace.”
- NL Exec: “Getting the bye will be huge for them. They’ve been knocked out in those short series several times; this will let them breathe a bit. Plus, their starting staff is so good.”
Top NL Challengers
Philadelphia Phillies
- NL Player: “It’s simple for me. They still have good pitching, and they’ve been there before. Playoffs are about home runs, and they can hit them.”
- NL Exec: “It’s their last hurrah, right? They have older players, some of whom will be free agents. I just can’t see Bryce Harper going his career without a ring, and this is their best chance, even without Zack Wheeler.”
Los Angeles Dodgers
- NL Player: “When we played them, they didn’t have a good series, but they seem to turn it on when they need to. That’s the sign of a champion. I think their offense will have a big October and lead them like it did last year.”
- NL Exec: “Talent will win out, and they have the potential for their healthiest pitching staff all year in October.”
San Diego Padres
The Padres remain a dangerous but enigmatic contender. Though their offense can be inconsistent, their elite bullpen is capable of shutting down any opponent in the late innings, a strength that could carry them far.
- NL Player: “I like San Diego. They’re hungry. They made all the right deadline moves. And they have the experience of getting close but not going all the way.”
- NL Exec: “There’s a lot to like, but they can still be pitched to even with their deadline additions. If they survive a wild-card round and get some home games, Petco Park’s energy could wake them up.”
New York Mets
Despite a recent slump, the Mets are not to be counted out. As last year’s postseason demonstrated, a team can get hot at the right time, and New York’s formidable lineup has the potential to carry them if their young pitchers can rise to the occasion.
- NL Player: “The Mets are really good. I know they’ve struggled, but I’m banking on them getting hot like they did last postseason. Sometimes you get your worst baseball behind you, then find your groove.”
American League Favorite: Toronto Blue Jays
The voting in the American League was even closer, with four different teams receiving significant support. The Toronto Blue Jays narrowly edged out the competition, earning recognition for their experienced rotation and a lineup that features a potent mix of talent. Home-field advantage could be a deciding factor, as the renovated Rogers Centre provides one of the most electric atmospheres in the majors.
Why the Blue Jays?
- AL Player: “They’re one of the most rounded teams in the AL. They have some experience, especially in the rotation, and have a little bit of everything in the lineup. That’s tough to contend with in a series.”
- AL Scout: “As good as Bo Bichette, Vlad Guerrero Jr., and George Springer have been, it’s the contributions from left-handed hitters like Nathan Lukes and Addison Barger which make Toronto really dangerous. They have some balance, which has eluded them.”
- AL Exec: “I love their team, but I question their bullpen. It hasn’t been very stout in the second half. Tommy Nance might be a guy to lean on.”
Top AL Challengers
Detroit Tigers
The Tigers are viewed as a major threat, leveraging their aggressive baserunning at Comerica Park into a formidable home-field advantage. Their success, however, may ultimately depend on ace Tarik Skubal.
- AL Player: “Detroit is high up on that list. They know how to win. They proved that last offseason. I know they go first to third better than anyone. That’s a key, playing in that ballpark.”
- AL Exec: “I’ve tried to fill out playoff rotations without a true ace. It’s really tough. So having Tarik Skubal makes all the difference for me. Unless he runs out of gas, Detroit is my pick.”
New York Yankees
With a lineup full of power bats and a bullpen capable of getting hot at the right moment, the Yankees possess the key ingredients for a deep postseason run in a crowded AL field.
- AL Exec: “I think their bullpen will get hot, and they have enough power bats to get through a weaker field in the AL.”
Boston Red Sox
The Red Sox feature a cohesive and balanced lineup, anchored by the playoff leadership of Alex Bregman. With Garrett Crochet headlining the rotation and Aroldis Chapman closing out games, Boston has the components to challenge any opponent.
- AL Player: “They are playing good baseball. They have formidable pitching… and their lineup is cohesive and looks like they have a good time together. They know how to win with Bregman there.”
Houston Astros
Houston’s big-game experience makes them a perennial threat. The return of slugger Yordan Alvarez, who missed much of the season, adds a game-changing presence back into an already dangerous offense.
- AL Player: “Everyone is forgetting that Yordan Alvarez missed most of the season. He’s a difference-maker. When we played them, Framber Valdez and Hunter Brown were as good as any two pitchers. Houston is my pick.”
The Consensus Sleeper: Seattle Mariners
Across both leagues, insiders consistently identified the Seattle Mariners as the team with the most untapped potential. The belief is that Seattle has yet to play its best baseball and could be poised for a breakout performance in October.
- AL Player: “A team that can get really hot that isn’t playing its best baseball is Seattle. That pitching staff is legit. They have guys that are built for that moment—the spotlight moment. Randy Arozarena and Eugenio Suarez are two of them.”
- NL Player: “It’s one of those lineups where everyone is waiting for them to put it all together. Their rotation is very talented, and they have one of the best closers in the league. If they get hot at the right time, no one can beat them.”
- AL Exec: “If there is a real sleeper in this entire playoff field, it’s the Seattle Mariners.”
