The best month in sports is just around the corner, and with the fate of several teams on the brink of clinching still up in the air, here is how the MLB postseason could shape up.
National League
After hovering around the .500 mark for the opening months of the season, the power of friendship propelled the Milwaukee Brewers to a 30-5 record from July to mid-August and yet another NL Central title. Christian Yelich and Jackson Chourio highlight the Brew Crew’s high-powered offense, and rookies Isaac Collins and Caleb Durbin have added nicely to the current NL top-seed’s arsenal.
The Chicago Cubs have cooled off slightly from their explosive start, but if Kyle Tucker and Pete Crow-Armstrong figure it out, the trio of aces in Cade Horton, Matthew Boyd and Shota Imanaga will have the pressure taken off.
I am unwaveringly confident that this is the year my Philadelphia Phillies clear the hump and raise the Commissioner’s Trophy. The back-to-back NL East champs hold a 37-23 record since the All-Star break, courtesy of Kyle Schwarber’s 50-home run season and Cristopher Sánchez’s season-long 2.66 ERA. Not to mention the trade deadline acquisitions of electric closer Jhoan Durán and the savvy Harrison Bader, who has been batting at an insane .329 clip since arriving in Philly. Even without Zack Wheeler, Red October this year will be one for the history books.
The NL West is still up for grabs, although the San Diego Padres and reigning World Series champs Los Angeles Dodgers have already clinched postseason bids. For the Dodgers, Shohei Ohtani is almost assuredly a three-peat MVP lock — dominating at both the dish and mound all year — and Will Smith and Freddie Freeman have picked up the slack on a down year for Mookie Betts.
Meanwhile, the Padres have climbed back from a large division deficit after aggressively buying at the deadline, courtesy of their star-studded rotation and bullpen. Don’t count either team out, regardless of who wins the West.
The sixth seed will be a toss-up between the New York Mets, Cincinnati Reds and Arizona Diamondbacks. I have the most faith in the Dbacks, but all three teams have serious holes that make me reluctant to buy into the recent trend of the NL underdog magic.
American League
The AL East will likely field three playoff teams in the Toronto Blue Jays, New York Yankees and Boston Red Sox. Not a soul predicted the Jays to run the table, but the dynamic trio of Bo Bichette, Vladimir Guerrero Jr. and George Springer have been raking all season for the team North of the border.
However, I am much more confident in the Yankees’ pitching and playoff experience, and maybe this is the year Aaron Judge finally hits a clutch playoff homer. Garrett Crochet has been an absolute gem in Boston, and with an even lineup mix of young talent and seasoned veterans, I wouldn’t be surprised if the Sox make a deep run.
I took a shot in the dark with the Seattle Mariners in my preseason predictions, and I’m doubling down by picking them as my AL favorites. Cal Raleigh’s breakout has been the story of their season — boasting an MLB-leading 58 home runs — but the rest of the lineup is filled with firepower, and their pitching staff might be the deepest in the field. Don’t be shocked if Seattle runs the table.
The Detroit Tigers seemed poised to run away with the AL Central title for most of the season, but the Cleveland Guardians have crept all the way back from trailing by 10 games earlier this month. Detroit is 26-34 since the break despite fielding six All-Stars, including Tarik Skubal, who is a lock to win his second-straight Cy Young award. Meanwhile, Cleveland is a scorching-hot 39-23 since the break despite being sellers at the deadline. The Tigers look destined to crash and burn, while the Guardians have all the momentum to shake up the bracket.
The Houston Astros are the only other team with a chance to play in October. Please don’t let the cheaters make it. Please.
World Series prediction: Phillies over Mariners in 6 (sorry, not sorry)