This past MLB season was anything but expected. As the final days of the season close in, we have seen teams come from behind and fight for a playoff spot, and other teams crumble and fall apart despite high hopes and anticipation from their fans.

Quick primer: The MLB postseason is formatted so that twelve teams make the playoffs: six from the American League, and six from the National League. In each league, there are three divisions: East, Central, and West. Out of the three division leaders, the two with the best record receive a first-round (or Wild Card) bye in their own league’s playoff bracket. The four teams remaining in said league compete in the Wild Card round, and each winner advances to compete against a team that received a bye in the Wild Card round. This round is called the (American or National) Divisional Series, and the winners of this series move on to the (American or National) Championship Series. When each playoff bracket comes to an end, the “champions” of each league go head-to-head in the World Series. As the playoff picture solidifies these next couple of days, let’s take a look at some of the favorites, the overlooked, and the underrated teams heading into the playoffs.

American League

Frontrunners

Even though the regular season is still underway, some teams have already been declared champions of their division, and some teams have already secured a spot in the Wild Card round. The clear champions of the AL Central are the Minnesota Twins—however, this team isn’t necessarily a frontrunner, because of their current record, and also a lack of competition in their division. [Ed. Note—And a postseason losing streak that’s longer than the lives of many McQuaid students.] Across the American League, there have been two clear and consistent powerhouses throughout the season: The Baltimore Orioles, and the Texas Rangers. These two teams carry lots of talent on their rosters, evident by the fact that the Texas Rangers had six of the players on their roster elected to the American League All-Star team. A team that some consider to be a frontrunner, the Tampa Bay Rays, are still competing with the Orioles for the AL East divisional title, and as of now the Orioles are sitting 2.5 games above the Rays.

Dark Horses

Not every team can reach 100 wins and be a clear favorite. Teams that make a Wild Card spot can still sit in their divisions at second or even third place. The AL West division still has three teams fighting it out for their divisional title, and even though the favorite of this division, the Texas Rangers, have proven themselves to be clear winners throughout the season, their division is still anyone’s game. The other two teams competing for the division are the Houston Astros (looking to repeat), and the Seattle Mariners. Over in the AL East, the Toronto Blue Jays (although they are not in the same division) are competing against both the Astros and Mariners for the final spot in the wild card round. Out of these three teams, unless the Rangers perform terribly in their final games, only two can make a playoff spot.

National League

Frontrunners

In a surprise to nobody, the two teams who have dominated the entire league, the Atlanta Braves and the Los Angeles Dodgers, have already secured their own divisional titles. This past season, the Braves have proven themselves to be the best team in all of baseball, with every name on their roster seeming to be an incredibly talented and accomplished player. The only other team to secure a playoff spot in the National League is the Milwaukee Brewers, though their division is still up for grabs.

Dark Horses

With only three playoff spots remaining in the National League, there are still five teams that have a chance to compete for these final spots in the playoffs. These teams consist of two from the NL East division, two from the NL Central, and one from the NL West. These teams are the Philadelphia Phillies and Miami Marlins (NL East), the Chicago Cubs and Cincinnati Reds (NL Central), and the Arizona Diamondbacks (NL West). Out of these five teams, the three most likely to secure a playoff berth are the Phillies (check!), Cubs, and Diamondbacks. Although it is unlikely, the Marlins and Reds can still pull off a miracle and clinch a spot in the playoffs.

Playoff Prediction

Although it is nearly impossible to predict baseball, it is hard to see success come out of a select few teams. This is due either to lack of talent on the roster, lack of competition in their division, or inconsistent play. The main team that falls into this category is the Minnesota Twins. Although they are the champions of the AL Central, with so many other talented teams in the American League, it is hard to see them come out of the Wild Card round still alive in the playoffs. The same goes for the Brewers, who have only won two playoff series in the past 41 years, and it is very unlikely for them to advance past the NLDS. 

Even though the Astros have not been the dominant powerhouse that they were last regular season with a 106-56 record, due to their consistency in the playoffs and their ability to win crucial playoff games, I think they will come out of the American League as champions and advance to the World Series.

In the National League, throughout the season there have been two teams who have consistently declared themselves as winners: the Braves and the Dodgers. Although the Braves have a 1-3 series record against the Dodgers in the postseason, due to the amount of talent on their roster and their recent playoff consistency (five series wins in three years), I think the Braves will have very little trouble coming out of the National League alive and move on to the World Series.

So with the Astros winning the ALCS and the Braves winning the NLCS, I am predicting a rematch of the 2021 World Series. Unlike the World Series in 2021 where the Braves won in six games, I predict that this year, Atlanta will win it in five. Although it is not unheard of in baseball for teams to win back to back World Series, I think that the sheer power of the Braves will be too much for the Astros to handle. With star players such as Ronald Acuña Jr, Michael Harris II, Matt Olson, Spencer Strider, Orlando Arcia, and so many more, it is clear that the Atlanta Braves will follow their path to success and eventually become MLB World Series champions.