Now the enjoyable actually begins.
After six months of regular-season motion and a whole bunch of stunning plot twists over the remaining couple of weeks, we’ve arrived at the 2025 postseason. We can say goodbye to the 18 teams that fell short and shift our focus to the dozen groups nonetheless vying for a World Series title.
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The common season offered loads of information to assist us consider these golf equipment’ probabilities of profitable a championship, however the starting of the postseason can be a reset of types. How precisely these groups obtained to this level doesn’t matter as much as who can step up and perform when the stakes are raised. And if current historical past tells us something, predicting which teams are about to embark on memorable runs and which is able to flame out in a rush is a virtually unimaginable activity.
With all that in thoughts, right here’s how the 12 playoff groups stack up at the outset of October — with a case for every to be the final crew standing.
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12. Cincinnati Reds (83-79)
Cincinnati seized the alternative afforded by the Mets’ epic, second-half collapse to earn its first postseason berth since 2020. Its reward for qualifying is a visit to Los Angeles to face the defending champions in the wild-card spherical, with Blake Snell lined up for Game 1 on Tuesday.
As daunting as that opening task seems, the excellent news for the Reds is that they could simply have the pitching essential to pull off the final upset — and maybe catch hearth and play deep into October. That begins with ace Hunter Greene, who will get the ball in Game 1 for Cincinnati. Although accidents restricted him to simply 19 begins this season, Greene was the greatest model of himself when wholesome and seemed particularly sharp in September.
He’s the unquestioned headliner right here, however Cincinnati additionally boasts two stellar southpaws in All-Star Andrew Abbott and Nick Lodolo, a duo who helped the Reds’ rotation rank second in MLB in fWAR, behind solely Philadelphia. Steady nearer Emilio Pagán and workhorse Tony Santillan (80 appearances!) lead an underrated bullpen that additionally options fireballing rookie righty Chase Burns.
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It’s a way more modest position-player group, however Elly De La Cruz has the type of star energy that would shine particularly vivid on the postseason stage. Add a supervisor in Terry Francona who’s intimately acquainted with success in October, and the Reds may need what it takes to go on a surprise run. But for a franchise that hasn’t received a playoff collection since 1995 — the longest drought in MLB — it’s one step at a time.
11. Detroit Tigers (87-75)
Blown division lead be damned, Detroit is in, and as supervisor A.J. Hinch mentioned throughout the crew’s clinch celebration Saturday, everybody is 0-0 beginning Tuesday. If the Tigers can efficiently embrace that symbolic reset and rediscover what helped them construct an unlimited division lead in the first place, they may grow to be harmful in a rush.
It will take extra than simply Tarik Skubal pitching like the greatest pitcher on the planet, although that’s an awfully good place to begin and never a bonus that must be missed. The “pitching chaos” past Skubal has been a far much less dependable technique just lately, however there are some contemporary faces who weren’t a part of final 12 months’s employees however may play pivotal roles this time round, reminiscent of Jack Flaherty and rookie Troy Melton.
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Most importantly, the position-player core of Riley Greene and Spencer Torkelson, plus veteran Gleyber Torres, will want to ship a much more cohesive offense than what we’ve seen just lately. As evidenced by what this membership demonstrated collectively in the first half, the Tigers have the expertise to achieve this, nevertheless it’s time to flip the swap. The wild-card series in Cleveland presents an unbelievable mulligan for the Tigers to erase a miserable and embarrassing chapter in the franchise’s history and recapture the momentum to push additional into October than they went final 12 months.
10. Cleveland Guardians (88-74)
A ten-game dropping streak to fall 15.5 video games behind the Tigers on July 6. Losing two key pitchers to a playing investigation. Dealing away Shane Bieber at the commerce deadline. Losing 9 of 10 in late August. The lowest crew batting common and second-lowest OPS in all of baseball. A minus-6 run differential. Add all of it up, and also you get … the AL Central champions.
For all the absurdities surrounding Cleveland’s unbelievable run to a division title, the recipe for fulfillment has really been considerably easy. With a breakout frontline arm in Gavin Williams, a worthy No. 2 in Tanner Bibee, sufficient moxie from the remainder of the rotation to gasoline a historic stretch of run prevention, plus a fantastic bullpen and a terrific defense, it’s tough to rating towards the Guardians. That foundational energy helps compensate for his or her objectively meager offense, as do the presences of All-Star Steven Kwan and future Hall of Famer José Ramírez atop the lineup. Ramírez’s all-around skill, relentless hustle and unwavering confidence have helped elevate the efficiency of the less-proven place gamers surrounding him in the lineup.
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If his splendid debut season as skipper wasn’t compelling sufficient, Stephen Vogt’s knack for regular management and motivation have been on full show throughout this tumultuous marketing campaign. Defeating Detroit once more to put an exclamation level on their benefit in the rivalry can be unbelievable sufficient, however the Guardians may have so much to show ought to they advance additional and tackle the different American League contenders. Let’s see if they’ll hold proving everybody fallacious.
How the 12 playoff groups obtained to this level doesn’t matter practically as a lot as who can step up and carry out when the stakes are highest. (Mallory Bielecki/Yahoo Sports)
9. San Diego Padres (90-72)
A 12 months in the past, many pegged the Padres as the most harmful crew getting into October, main to excessive expectations earlier than San Diego’s disappointing elimination in the NLDS towards the rival Dodgers. This 12 months’s membership arrives in the postseason with notably much less hype — and perhaps that’s factor. While the 2025 Padres don’t possess fairly as many statistical markers of a bona fide contender, there are many spectacular components that would spark a run to the franchise’s first World Series championship.
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The aggressive trade-deadline acquisition of Mason Miller supercharged an already-loaded bullpen that ranks at or close to the high of the league in every major measure and nonetheless has an argument as the greatest reduction corps in October, even after the season-ending injury to All-Star Jason Adam. That elite group of arms for supervisor Mike Shildt to flip to at the finish of video games lessens the strain on a proficient however unstable rotation; Michael King, Nick Pivetta, Yu Darvish and Dylan Cease every appear as possible to ship six shutout innings as they’re to get bombarded in the early frames. The Padres’ upside on the mound throughout the board is simple, however consistency will likely be key.
On offense, the Padres characteristic a wealth of recognizable stars sans the commensurate statistics to match. San Diego lags considerably far behind in the slugging division, rating twenty eighth in MLB in homers with simply 152 — far and away the fewest of any playoff crew — and its .390 slugging share ranks forward of solely Cleveland. That’s a full-season pattern of less-than-stellar manufacturing, however there are a number of hitters on this lineup price taking critically, from Manny Machado to Fernando Tatis Jr. to an ascendant star in Jackson Merrill who’s lastly wholesome after an injury-marred summer time and has seemed excellent in September. The bones of a very nice crew are nonetheless intact for San Diego; now it’s time to carry out when it counts.
8. Boston Red Sox (89-73)
After a drama-filled first half that includes the surprising choice to commerce Rafael Devers to San Francisco, Boston steadily discovered sufficient stability down the stretch to keep away from lacking the postseason for a fourth consecutive 12 months, which might’ve been the longest stretch with out playoff baseball in Boston since the early Nineteen Nineties. Now supervisor Alex Cora is again in October with a roster that appears nothing like the crew that made it to the 2021 ALCS; reliever Garrett Whitlock is the solely participant from that collection who stays on the energetic roster. Well, from the Red Sox anyway: New Boston third baseman and former Astros nemesis Alex Bregman has now made it to the playoffs in 9 consecutive seasons, whereas his old buddies in Houston were left on the outside looking in for the first time since 2016.
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Bregman is an important cog for a Red Sox lineup that feels one influence bat quick, a evident actuality since the Devers commerce but in addition one which has been felt acutely with star rookie Roman Anthony on the injured list due to an oblique strain. Perhaps the Red Sox play deep sufficient into October for Anthony to return in some unspecified time in the future, however regardless, Boston’s path to postseason success is rooted in its strengths on the mound, with totally dominant presences headlining each the rotation (Garrett Crochet) and bullpen (Aroldis Chapman). If the second-level starters (Brayan Bello) and relievers (Whitlock, Justin Slaten, Greg Weissert) step up behind the two monsters main their respective items, the Red Sox may completely make some noise. The rival Yankees await in the Bronx for an ultra-juicy wild-card series.
7. Chicago Cubs (92-70)
The Cubs haven’t received a playoff recreation since 2017. That won’t sound like an particularly very long time for a franchise that went 108 years between championships, nevertheless it’s a reasonably substantial drought contemplating Chicago’s standing as one in all baseball’s marquee golf equipment. The path to restoring the Cubs’ standing as related postseason characters entails a mixture of regular beginning pitching and a return to type for an offense that was arguably baseball’s greatest in the first half.
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The latter entails the likes of Michael Busch and Ian Happ persevering with to rake like they’ve just lately, with Pete Crow-Armstrong and Seiya Suzuki rediscovering what made them such dynamic players earlier in the year. Then there’s Kyle Tucker, the wildly talented and fascinating free-agent-to-be whose total influence coming off a calf damage that price him most of September is a crucial issue to contemplate and a tough one to challenge. But if Tucker and this lineup begin to discover their groove, be careful.
It’s a bit extra difficult on the mound, with the brutal news of rookie Cade Horton’s rib fracture placing substantial strain on left-handers Matthew Boyd and Shota Imanaga to ship high quality outings from the get-go. This will not be a pitching employees that’s going to match up with these of another contenders in the National League from a stuff standpoint, however you may typically depend on the Cubs’ arms to throw strikes and never beat themselves, a mindset empowered by having arguably the game’s best defense taking part in behind them. San Diego is a staunch first opponent, however don’t rule this Cubs crew out too shortly.
6. New York Yankees (94-68)
With the best hitter since Barry Bonds in Aaron Judge, two elite left-handers in Max Fried and Carlos Rodón and a deep lineup with an amazing quantity of over-the-fence energy, New York definitely appears the a part of a viable contender. The problem for the Yankees will likely be overcoming the popularity earned over the previous 12 months — in final 12 months’s World Series and all through a very uninspiring run in June and July — that they’ll falter towards top-tier competitors when the stakes are excessive and that their shortcomings in the nuances of the recreation will resurface at the worst potential time. At the similar time, the expertise on this roster suggests the Yankees have nearly as good an opportunity at glory as any, significantly on this 12 months’s wide-open American League area.
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Judge’s outsized presence as a traditionally nice slugger speaks for itself — although it’s no secret that Yankees followers will likely be hoping for lots greater than the .184/.344/.408 slash line he mustered final October — however this position-player group can beat you in myriad methods. It’s Cody Bellinger’s rock-solid presence on either side of the ball, Jazz Chisholm Jr.’s power-speed dynamism, large swings from Trent Grisham and Ben Rice’s bountiful breakout. And don’t neglect Giancarlo Stanton; he has hit a handful of homers in October, if I recall appropriately.
There’s great expertise on the mound as properly, albeit way more unpredictable in nature, with rookies Will Warren and Cam Schlittler in the rotation and several other unstable items in the bullpen (Devin Williams, Camilo Doval, Fernando Cruz). But if these arms lock in and pitch to their potential — and if sketchy protection and baserunning don’t grow to be this crew’s premature undoing — the Yankees may discover themselves again in the Fall Classic with a shot at redemption and a twenty eighth World Series title.
5. Toronto Blue Jays (94-68)
Toronto fended off a late charge from the Yankees to secure its first AL East crown since 2015, a monumental achievement for a franchise that entered the season with a number of existential questions looming massive. Signing Vladimir Guerrero Jr. to a long-term extension in April quieted a few of the noise, however expectations for the season remained modest till the Blue Jays actually began to click on midsummer and started to appear to be authentic contenders.
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Bo Bichette’s ongoing absence due a sprained knee has dampened Toronto’s potential considerably, however that is nonetheless a balanced offense able to doing injury, with Guerrero and a resurgent George Springer main a lineup that enters October with the highest batting common (.265) and fewest strikeouts of any membership in the area. There is actual expertise on the mound as properly, although Toronto’s pitching employees has been inclined to some ugly showings and arrives in October with the highest crew ERA (4.19) of any playoff membership. That mentioned, ace Kevin Gausman and trade-deadline addition Shane Bieber are able to buying and selling zeroes with any opposing starter, and nearer Jeff Hoffman has seemed a lot sharper in September.
Catch Toronto on the proper day, and this crew appears unstoppable. But with out a lot current October success to lean on — the Blue Jays have misplaced seven consecutive postseason video games courting to the 2016 ALCS — they want to exit and show they belong earlier than planning any parades.
4. Seattle Mariners (90-72)
AL West champions for the first time since 2001, the Mariners earned a first-round bye and home-field benefit in the ALDS, which may show to be a pivotal launching pad for a memorable postseason run. Seattle’s success over the previous 5 seasons has largely been constructed on its stellar run prevention, and that manifests most clearly at pitcher-friendly T-Mobile Park in the Pacific Northwest. But what makes this 12 months’s Mariners membership extra formidable than current iterations is its loaded lineup; now not does this crew want to scrape by, eking out shut recreation after shut recreation.
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Whether or not he wins AL MVP, catcher Cal Raleigh’s historic campaign will be remembered in Seattle for generations, and now the switch-hitting celebrity backstop has the alternative to create much more reminiscences with a standout October. And Raleigh will not be alone in Seattle’s run-production efforts. Julio Rodriguez and Randy Arozarena mixed for 59 homers and 61 stolen bases in the common season. Eugenio Suarez and Josh Naylor, twin deadline additions from the D-backs, have bolstered the offense additional, giving the Mariners greater than sufficient firepower to assist a pitching employees that additionally seems to be peaking at the proper time.
Indeed, a rotation that was slowed by accidents early on has began to coalesce right into a extra acquainted, dependable type. A bullpen initially led by recognized portions Andres Muñoz and Matt Brash has been strengthened by breakouts from Gabe Speier and Eduard Bazardo. Skipper Dan Wilson is not any stranger to the postseason, having reached the playoffs 4 occasions as a participant with Seattle, however navigating the high-stakes situations of October baseball as a supervisor for the first time is not any small activity. How he handles the problem stays to be seen, however the roster at his disposal has all the elements of a authentic championship contender.
3. Los Angeles Dodgers (93-69)
The Dodgers enter this postseason a lot more healthy and way more imposing on paper than they did a 12 months in the past — but also without a first-round bye. That means Los Angeles is about to be topic to the wild-card spherical and the ominous randomness that comes with it for simply the second time throughout its dynastic run courting to 2013. No matter how a lot better this crew seems to be than its opponent in Cincinnati, shorter collection provide much less time for such discrepancies in expertise to manifest. That mentioned, there are nonetheless a ton of causes to consider the Dodgers have an excellent chance of retaining their crown.
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First and foremost, Shohei Ohtani has resumed his function as a mind-blowing, singular, two-way presence, reestablishing his brilliance on the mound while continuing to pile up power numbers as L.A.’s leadoff hitter. While Ohtani’s return to the rotation comes with questions from a roster management and deployment standpoint, he undoubtedly strengthens a unit that’s, consider it or not, absolutely wholesome, with Yoshinobu Yamamoto persevering with to thrive and Blake Snell prepared to make his mark in his first October as a Dodger. The rotation will likely be relied on to counterbalance the Dodgers’ most blatant weak spot, which has been a troublingly shoddy bullpen, regardless of a bevy of extremely achieved arms.
However supervisor Dave Roberts chooses to deploy his pitchers en route to 27 outs, having a high-powered offense ought to afford him some respiratory room as he makes these tough selections. While L.A.’s modest win whole — by its sky-high requirements, anyway — is reflective of a crew that didn’t all the time play up to its potential over the course of the common season, it could be silly to underestimate the Dodgers now that the postseason has arrived.
2. Milwaukee Brewers (97-65)
With a victory over Cincinnati in Game 162, the Brewers completed the common season with 97 victories and the best record in baseball for simply the second time in franchise historical past. The final time that occurred was 1982, which was additionally the final and solely time Milwaukee appeared in the World Series. A defeat in seven video games towards St. Louis that 12 months means this franchise continues to be looking for its first championship. So right here the Brewers are, in October for the seventh time in the previous eight years, with a golden alternative to do what no Brewers crew has achieved earlier than.
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Having home-field benefit for the entirety of the playoffs is definitely a boon, however Milwaukee has additionally demonstrated consolation away from American Family Field, with baseball’s greatest highway report at 45-36. And whereas the Brewers aren’t possible to overpower opponents, they’re mainly good-to-great at each different side of the recreation on either side of the ball. Their plate self-discipline is beautiful, they’re environment friendly and aggressive on the basepaths, they play superior protection, and so they have a deep and numerous assortment of arms able to racking up outs towards high quality opponents.
This won’t be the most star-studded group, nevertheless it’s no accident that Pat Murphy’s ballclub emerged as the greatest regular-season crew over a 162-game pattern. Their strengths won’t be as stupendously spectacular as another golf equipment’, however these Brewers have very few obvious weaknesses. Now it’s time for them to use that pattern of success as a springboard for one thing far more significant in October.
1. Philadelphia Phillies (96-66)
Although they couldn’t chase down the Brewers for the top overall seed, the Phillies completed the season on a powerful observe, with an MLB-best 35-19 report since the begin of August. Fueled by their early postseason exits the previous two years following a visit to the World Series in 2022, it is a motivated and proficient group laser-focused on doing no matter it takes to play their greatest when the lights are brightest.
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Philadelphia was maybe the solely crew outfitted to take a season-ending injury to a pitcher like Zack Wheeler in stride, as it is a pitching employees that also appears able to dealing with the rigors of October with aplomb. From a newfound ace in Cristopher Sánchez to a venerable game-ender in Jhoan Duran to a surprise current addition with fairly the postseason résumé in Walker Buehler, supervisor Rob Thomson should not have any scarcity of choices to cowl the high-stakes innings to come.
Of course, it’s the veteran lineup that can want to flush the no-shows of current Octobers and ship in the greatest moments. Kyle Schwarber leveling up from influence hitter to world-class pressure of nature definitely evokes confidence on that entrance, and Bryce Harper’s private postseason historical past is immaculate. Getting shortstop Trea Turner — who’s having arguably the greatest all-around season of his profession — back from the injured list just before October is one other massively optimistic improvement. And maybe the new guys in the outfield in Harrison Bader and Max Kepler can present the increase to push this crew to new heights.
Everything is in place for Philadelphia to obtain the final aim that has eluded it throughout this in any other case extremely profitable period. But as we all know, nothing is definite in baseball. The Phillies enter this event as the crew to beat by my humble estimation, however we’ve obtained fairly the month forward of us to discover out who actually has what it takes.
Let the video games start.