The MLB playoffs are well underway, as four teams have already been eliminated. In the American League, the Detroit Tigers, Cleveland Guardians, Kansas City Royals and the New York Yankees remain. In the National League, it is the New York Mets, Philadelphia Phillies, San Diego Padres and the Los Angeles Dodgers. 

The clear frontrunners in most people’s minds this year are the Yankees, the Phillies and the Dodgers. These teams have some of the most star-studded rosters in baseball, and had big expectations going into the season. They have done what is expected of them, but the story has not been the same for all the other teams. 

The Padres and Mets have teams that were supposed to be good coming into the season, but had bumpier seasons than they would have liked. Both teams got hot late in the season, and hope to keep that level of play going for a deep playoff run. 

The last three teams all come from the American League Central, and have had surprising paths to the playoffs. The Guardians were expected to be a solid team, but have played beyond what most people expected of them. The Royals were projected to not be very good this year, and outperformed the expectations all year long. The Tigers had what was undoubtedly the craziest path to the playoffs. They were not supposed to be good, and were not very good most of the year. At the start of August they had almost no chance to make the postseason, but battled all the way back to claim their spot in the last few games.

The National League seems to have the hardest road ahead, as all of these teams have championship-worthy rosters. Even with that being the case, it is difficult to pick against the Dodgers. They have the consensus best batting lineup in the league, led by players like Shohei Ohtani, Mookie Betts and Freddie Freeman. While the pitching has been questionable through the regular season, I think that their pitching will be able to do just enough to get them into the World Series.

The American League looks a lot different. The Yankees seem to be the heavy favorite, as they have a great lineup of hitters to put out everyday, along with a solid pitching staff. Their biggest competitor in my mind is the Guardians. They might have the best pitching in the postseason, and their hitting has been better than expected. They are not great at getting on base, however, and I think that makes a big difference. With the Royals and Tigers not being legitimate contenders in my mind, I do think that the Yankees will represent the American League in the postseason. Their star power is too much for the other teams. 

A World Series matchup between the Dodgers and Yankees would shape up to be a good one. Both teams have star players all over the field, but I think that the Dodgers will come away with the World Series this year. They have underperformed in the postseason in recent years, while having one of the best rosters in baseball. They spend a lot of money, and I predict that the investment in Ohtani in the offseason will help them win a championship.

While I think it will be the Dodgers, baseball is a crazy game that has things no one would expect to happen. Anyone still around to play in October has a chance to become the champion.