28 sept. 2026
·Brandon Gustafson
It took 162 games and countless days of blood, sweat and tears from players and fans alike, but the 2026 MLB postseason field is set. The action begins Tuesday with the start of the Wild Card Round, where four best-of-three series will set up the Divisional Series round.
Just 12 teams remain this year, and we’ve got a good mix of known contenders, pleasant surprises and everything in between.
Ranking all 12 MLB playoff teams by their chances to win the 2026 World Series
With SeatGeek serving as the Official Ticket Marketplace of MLB, we’re going to rank all 12 playoff teams in terms of their chances to win this year’s World Series.
1: Los Angeles Dodgers
Did you expect anyone else at the top? Sure, the Dodgers don’t have the best record in baseball, but they didn’t last year and still won it all. There are a lot of reasons to feel good here about the reigning champs.
First, they’ve won the last two titles. Second, they have the most talented team. Third, outside of Shohei Ohtani not pitching, the team is in great shape in the health department. And fourth, big names who struggled for much of the year – Kyle Tucker and Mookie Betts – caught fire in September.
Postseason experience is a big deal, and while talent – which the Dodgers have an abundance of – plays a big role, being able to slow the game down in huge spots is massive come October. This Dodgers team has a lot of playoff games played and World Series rings spread across the clubhouse.
If there’s any worry for me, it’s the bullpen given one of their biggest names – Edwin Diaz – missed a lot of time this year, while another – Blake Treinen – will miss the postseason. Tanner Scott has been excellent, though, and Diaz more than has the stuff and pedigree to be unhittable on any given night.
2: Tampa Bay Rays
This Rays team, man. Many expected the Rays to finish last in the AL East. How about a division title and home-field advantage in the American League?
This team is balanced – that’s the best word for it. The Rays feature great pitching with Nick Martinez, Shane McClanahan and Drew Rasmussen in the rotation and Bryan Baker closing games out. The lineup is headlined by Junior Caminero, Yandy Diaz and Jonathan Aranda, and speedster Chandler Simpson is a major player to watch.
Tampa does everything right. The team has no glaring weakness. The Rays hit homers, draw walks, steal bases and pitch well while playing quality defense. They’re also the best home team in baseball along with Milwaukee, going 55-26 at Tropicana Field.
No one really saw this kind of season coming, but the Rays are the clear team to beat here in the American League. Their ALDS path is tough – it will be either New York or Boston – but should they get past that, I believe they’ll go to the World Series.
3: New York Yankees
The Bronx Bombers still hit a ton of homers, but they’re really the Bronx Hurlers this year.
New York’s pitching has been amazing. Cam Schlittler is the AL Cy Young favorite and should win the award in unanimous fashion after a stellar second MLB season. He, Gerrit Cole and Max Fried make up an incredible rotation trio that helped the Yankees lead baseball in team ERA and should have New York as an incredibly difficult out this postseason.
The lineup remains dangerous, though questions remain, namely will Aaron Judge play, and if so, how does he perform? Ben Rice had a great year and will get MVP votes, and Cody Bellinger is a key piece as well, but the lineup really boils down to Judge’s presence.
Still, the pitching staff alone has the Yankees as a World Series contender. If Judge plays and is in top form, the Yankees easily could get past the Rays, though Tampa had a 7-6 edge in the regular season. Still, New York is very much a sleeping giant.
4: Milwaukee Brewers
Is this low for the team that led MLB in wins at 103? Absolutely. But in my heart of hearts, I just don’t see the Brewers winning the World Series over any of the above teams.
That being said, this Brewers team is much better equipped to win a title than last year’s squad that scored four runs in the NLCS. Jacob Misiorowski is baseball’s best pitcher, the bullpen is elite and the team is scoring more runs and is hitting more homers than last year. Don’t sleep on Jake Bauers, and Jackson Chourio is a great young player.
The pieces are certainly there for a run. The Dodgers had the Brewers’ number last year, and that’s hard to forget. And Milwaukee’s style has led to a lot of wins, but can it win deep into October? That question certainly remains.
The Brewers have home-field advantage for the entire postseason and were tied with Tampa for the most home wins in baseball with 55. That’s a huge advantage. If the Brewers can slug, then they will really be a World Series contender.
5: Atlanta Braves
The Braves were another pleasant surprise this year. After a great season in 2024 that resulted in a quick NLCS exit, Atlanta finished under .500 in 2025, resulting in the team being a bit of a sleeper. Well, the Braves were great basically all year long and are NL East champs.
They don’t get a bye like the Brewers or Dodgers, and their first test is a division matchup with Philadelphia in the Wild Card Round. The Braves dominated the season series this year, and you have to like their roster overall. Chris Sale is a stud ace, Tyler Mahle has been a man on fire since being traded to Atlanta and the likes of Matt Olson, Michael Harris II and Drake Baldwin all had great years. If one – or more – of Ronald Acuna Jr., Ozzie Albies and Austin Riley get going, watch out.
The Braves are a well-balanced group that does everything well. They’re rock solid, but they’re just not as dynamic or deep as L.A. or Milwaukee, hence the placement. That being said, they more than have the makeup to get past Philly and knock off the Dodgers, which would really shake up this playoff field.
6: Boston Red Sox
Boston has been a great story. The Red Sox had an abysmal start and couldn’t hit to save their lives, but the team magically caught fire in July and never looked back, taking advantage of a weak American League Wild Card picture in the process.
Boston’s lineup is dangerous and does a lot of things right, with Willson Contreras and Wilyer Abreu leading the charge. But like their archrivals and first-round opponent, the Yankees, the Red Sox are dominant on the mound.
Payton Tolle, Sonny Gray and Ranger Suarez are an amazing trio. Each has been excellent in 2026. Aroldis Chapman remains an elite closer who can lock down games in the ninth, and there are other top relievers like Garrett Whitlock who have been great in the later innings for Boston as well.
This really comes down to getting past the first round. The Yankees went 7-6 against Boston, as did Tampa Bay. I think the Red Sox are the clear No. 3 team of that trio, but it’s all very close. The Red Sox can pitch well enough to stay in any game or series, and the lineup is pesky. They’ll be a tough out no matter the opponent.
7: Philadelphia Phillies
It may be strange to have the Phillies as the top NL Wild Card team listed. I get it. They are third of that group, after all, and nearly collapsed at the end and missed the playoffs entirely. But man, I love this roster.
Postseason baseball often comes down to pitching and homers. The Phillies check both boxes.
Kyle Schwarber was tied for the lead in homers this year, Bryce Harper mashes, and there are countless other players with thump in this lineup. Luis Arraez gives the Phillies some bat-to-ball skill, and guys like Trea Turner, Bryson Stott, Alec Bohm and Brandon Marsh are solid ballplayers with considerable playoff experience.
On the mound, it hurt to have to use Zack Wheeler for Game 162, but it had to be done. Now, the duo of Jesus Luzardo and Cristopher Sanchez – both elite lefties and All-Stars – will have to start the first two games while Wheeler awaits either a Game 3 or Game 1 of the NLDS should Philly sweep Atlanta. The bullpen isn’t the greatest, but standout closer Jhoan Duran is lights out and can lock up tight games as needed. Still, that rotation is maybe the best trio in the National League, and the playoff experience and home run ability of Philly’s top bats are awfully intriguing to me. The Phils have had issues with Atlanta this year, but the makings of a surprise run are all there.
8: San Diego Padres
The two things I love most about the Padres are how the bats have come alive late in the year, as well as how good the bullpen is.
As far as bats go, Ty France became an elite contributor, Fernando Tatis Jr. shook off a cold start to finish 2026 with 25 homers and an .828 OPS, and even in a down year, Manny Machado slugged 30 homers. This is a lineup that’s dangerous, even after starting the year as one of baseball’s worst offenses.
On the mound, this bullpen is dynamite. I think the Padres’ ‘pen is the best in the business. Mason Miller is baseball’s best reliever, Adrian Morejon is a standout lefty who can work multiple innings, Wandy Peralta is another southpaw who gets good results, and don’t forget about Jason Adam and Bradgley Rodriguez.
I’m worried about the rotation, though. I’m a huge Michael King fan and wouldn’t take too many starting pitchers over him for one game, but after that is a big question mark. Case Mize is on the IL, Robbie Ray has a 5.02 ERA since being traded to San Diego, Walker Buehler had a 4.62 ERA this year and while he has pitched well since returning, Nick Pivetta made just eight starts due to injury. If the Padres can get good work from their starters, they’ll be very tough to beat. I just worry about how that group looks over longer series like the NLDS or even NLCS should they get past Chicago.
9: Cleveland Guardians
The Guardians are a weird team and took advantage of a weak AL Central race to not only win a division title, but get a first-round playoff bye.
Cleveland has once again been bottom 10 in runs scored while ranking top 10 in ERA. It’s overall a young lineup that doesn’t have many big names outside of Jose Ramirez, who had the worst year of his career amid some notable injuries. The Guards have been better at the plate in the second half, but the lineup is still their weakness.
But the pitching keeps them in games – and winning. Gavin Williams had 248 punchouts and a 3.48 ERA. Rookie Parker Messick posted a 2.56 ERA. Joey Cantillo had a sub-4 ERA as well. The bullpen is full of unheralded names, but they get outs and keep runs off the board.
The Guardians are always an annoying team to play, and that’s amplified in October. I think they’ll make it to the ALCS by virtue of their path – an ALDS matchup against either Houston or Chicago – but I have a hard time seeing the Guardians getting past Tampa Bay, New York or Boston.
10: Chicago Cubs
When I was putting this list together, I did not think at first glance that I would have the Cubs as the last National League team ranked, but here we are.
The Cubs’ lineup is very good, but I like the veteran makeup of the Phillies’ lineup better. Both the Phillies and Padres have better overall pitching staffs than the Cubs do, with Philly’s rotation standing out in a big way over what Chicago has to offer while San Diego’s bullpen is maybe the best in the entire postseason field.
Craig Counsell is a very good manager, but he hasn’t had the most postseason success. He’s 11-16 overall with one NLCS trip in six trips.
The Cubs will need to lean on a lineup that features the NL MVP in Pete Crow-Armstrong, an amazing power-speed threat, and the veteran bats of Alex Bregman, Ian Happ and Seiya Suzuki. As has been the case all year long, I am worried about Chicago’s rotation. Kevin Gausman is a proven postseason performer, but he has not pitched well since being traded from Toronto. Clay Holmes has been more good or even fine than great since the trade, and I have some hesitations about Matthew Boyd and Shota Imanaga.
If the Cubs are going to make a run, it will be on the strength of their bats. But at this stage, I like the makeup of the other five NL playoff teams more. A first-round matchup at San Diego is awfully tough.
11: Chicago White Sox
It’s an awesome story, but the White Sox don’t look like a World Series contender – at least this year. Chicago’s rotation has a few good young arms in Davis Martin and Sean Burke, but the Sox have arguably the worst rotation of any team in the field.
Where the White Sox will be tough is at the plate. Chicago slugs a ton, and despite being a young lineup, the team is patient. The Sox are among the best in the game at drawing walks, even though they do strike out a lot. Given how important home runs and free bases are in the postseason, it’s not out of the realm of possibility for the White Sox to make things tough for their opponents.
I do think the White Sox will advance to the ALDS as their best-of-three series is against the AL West champion Astros, who finished 81-81 and are easily the worst playoff team we’ve seen in a long time outside of the COVID-19 expanded field in 2020. The Astros did go 5-2 against the White Sox, however.
I think Chicago gets through this round, where a date with the Guardians is on tap. If that is the case, the AL Central will be represented in the ALCS this season.
12: Houston Astros
The Astros’ strength is the lineup, with likely MVP Yordan Alvarez and playoff legends Jose Altuve and Jeremy Pena. There are some notable bullpen pieces like Josh Hader and Bryan Abreu, and Hunter Brown is a capable No. 1 starter, but this team won 81 games.
The postseason pedigree and a first-round matchup with Chicago – and that series being at home – are certainly reasons not to sleep on the Astros, but this is a very average team. They went 81-81 for a reason, winning the worst divisional race in recent memory.
The Astros’ stars will need to do a lot of heavy lifting for a roster that simply is not very good, particularly on the pitching side of things. Even if the Astros get past the White Sox – which could very well happen as they took five of seven from Chicago – I have a hard time seeing Houston beating Cleveland next round.
What a strange year this has been for the AL West.