As the calendar flips to October, the most exciting time of the year commences for baseball fans: the MLB playoffs, where all twelve of the teams that clinch a postseason berth have a chance to hoist the World Series trophy at the end of the month. Unlike other professional sports, the MLB gives even the biggest underdogs hope and a fighting chance to win the entire thing.
Who’s going to win it all?
The Philadelphia Phillies
The Phillies have been notorious over the last decade or so for being one of the best regular season teams in baseball, then choking when the lights get bright during playoff time. So why will the Phillies turn it around and win the World Series this year?
First of all, their elite starting rotation rivals just about any team in baseball, even with their ace Zack Wheeler missing the rest of the season due to injury. The lefty trio of Christopher Sanchez, Ranger Suarez and Jesus Luzardo have all had career-best, all-star caliber seasons, and the entire rotation put up an ERA of 3.53, a National League best. Their trade acquisition of closer Jhoan Duran is paying off big time, as the back end of their bullpen is sealing wins for Philadelphia nearly every game.
Along with their elite pitching staff, the Phillies also have one of the highest powered offenses in the game, particularly designated hitter Kyle Schwarber, who launched a National League best 56 home runs. Other superstars in the lineup include speedy shortstop Trea Turner and eight-time All-Star Bryce Harper. Their balanced lineup, filled with contact, power and speed, makes the Phillies an extremely tough team for pitchers to face.
Another reason for excitement is the first-round bye and home field advantage they possess throughout most of the postseason by being the number-two seed. Playing most games at home will be crucial for the Phils, as they held an MLB-best 55-26 record at home, compared to a 41-40 record on the road.
The Phillies have also proven that they can beat the best, as they have won nearly 60% of games versus teams that made the playoffs this year.
Phillies fans are giving their team a lot of pressure to win, as they have faltered nearly every year, even with one of the highest payrolls in the sport and one of the most talented rosters in MLB. The Phillies will finally win their first World Series in nearly two decades, with their well-structured, balanced roster and dominant pitching staff.
Who makes it from the American League?
The Seattle Mariners
The Mariners enter the postseason as one of the hottest teams in baseball, winning 17 of 18 games at one point in September and sweeping the Houston Astros in a crucial series that earned them their first AL West title in over two decades. The passionate Mariners fans have undergone pain and suffering for decades, and the thought of October baseball is certainly foreign to the organization, with their measly two playoff appearances in the last 23 years. But they look to finally head to their first World Series in franchise history, the only team in the MLB to never do so, and this 2025 team looks like their best chance in a while.
The most notable player in their lineup is Cal Raleigh, also known as “The Big Dumper,” who is coming off of a historic, MVP-caliber regular season where he clubbed 60 long balls as a catcher and was two homers shy of the American League single-season record. Other key offensive players include Julio Rodriguez, coming off of his second career 30/30 season (30 homers and 30 stolen bases), and two trade deadline acquisitions from the Arizona Diamondbacks, Josh Naylor and Eugenio Suarez, both of whom have been major spark plugs in the offense. Their lineup will be a nightmare for other pitching staffs, as evident with their top-three finish in home runs and runs scored in the American League this year.
Although Seattle’s pitching staff has slightly underperformed and dealt with injuries this season after an incredible 2024 campaign, they still have the potential to be one of the best starting rotations in October, with young studs Bryan Woo, Logan Gilbert and George Kirby manning the front of the rotation, along with a proven, experienced playoff workhorse in Luis Castillo. One thing that could hold the Mariners back is the inconsistency in their bullpen. With so much success in the postseason based on run prevention, even a pitching staff’s minor struggles can be the difference between winning and losing a playoff series. Even so, closer Andrés Muñoz and southpaw Gabe Speier have dominated at the back end of the bullpen and have shut opposing hitters down at the end of games.
The Mariners’ road to the World Series is more favorable than any other American League team, with their automatic bye to the Divisional Series, and the fact that they will avoid the elite AL East teams until the American League Championship Series. They will instead be matched up against the Detroit Tigers, where the Mariners claimed the season series and finished 4-2 against them.
Another benefit for the Mariners will be their home field advantage throughout most of the postseason. Seattle has by far the most jarring home and away splits out of any team in the MLB this year, especially post trade deadline, with the Mariners going a staggering 22-6 at their home stadium, T-Mobile Park, over the final two months of the regular season and an overall record of 50-31 at home. A reason for this could be the electric home atmosphere, or the fact that T-Mobile Park suppresses fly balls more than any other stadium in baseball due to a low elevation and a cold, damp atmosphere. With a team built on pitching and run prevention, that is a big advantage.
The Mariners’ deep and dangerous lineup, along with their talented pitching staff, makes them one of the favorites in the American League with a solid chance to win the World Series.
Dark horse team to win the World Series:
Milwaukee Brewers
Calling the team who just led the league in wins this year a dark horse definitely feels like a stretch. But let me explain. Many people are not particularly high on Milwaukee for multiple reasons. First of all, the Brewers relied heavily on long winning streaks throughout the season to fuel their push to the postseason, where they won ten–plus games on two separate occasions in the regular season. Without those streaks though, the Brewers did not seem like a particularly elite ball club.
Secondly, the Brewers were bottom ten in home runs this year and rather relied on a stout pitching staff and stolen bases to win games, which will not lead to sustainable success against elite pitchers in the postseason. Sometimes all it takes is one big swing to win the game, something that the Brew Crew did not do all that much this season. Conversely, one big home run could be enough to knock the Brewers out of the playoffs.
However, I still believe that the Brewers have what it takes to win the World Series, even though they are being overlooked by many. Although their home run total is not all that flashy, they led the league in stolen bases and hit many singles, meaning they were still able to manufacture lots of runs without having to rely on a big swing.
Second of all, Milwaukee ranked first in the National League in batting average with runners in scoring position at .279, meaning that they were extremely clutch and delivered when it mattered most in high-leverage situations. Another advantage that the Brewers have is their sensational pitching staff, highlighted by their 3.58 team ERA, number one in MLB. Run prevention, especially during postseason play, is crucial and means that they do not need to score that many runs or hit homers to win games.
The Brewers will be a dark-horse team that has as good of a chance as anybody in the league to claim victory in the Fall Classic.
Other under the radar teams to keep an eye out for:
Chicago Cubs
The Cubs look to win their first World Series since 2016, where they famously broke their 108-year championship drought. Chicago is a team that can make a run in a crowded National League.
The Cubs’ offense is one of the highest scoring in baseball, with the offseason addition of Kyle Tucker bolstering their lineup. Additionally, young star Pete Crow-Armstrong burst onto the scene in 2025, smashing 30 homers and providing some of the best center field defense in the game. Underrated run producers in the middle of the lineup such as Seiya Suzuki, Michael Busch, and Ian Happ have given the lineup extra depth and power. The Cubs ranked third in the National League in long balls and second in RBIs, making them a scary team for pitchers to face.
Their pitching staff has been nothing to overlook either, with key contributors in both the starting rotation and the bullpen.
New York Yankees
As 27-time World Series champions, the Yankees are always a team to watch out for come October. Although their postseason success has been diminished, especially as of late, they still have a lot of talent that could lead them to the World Series.
The team begins and ends with the likely American League MVP this season, Aaron Judge, who is putting together a historic season and has singlehandedly carried this Yankees team to a playoff berth. Judge leads MLB in batting average, on-base percentage and OPS (on base + slugging percentage, which Judge leads the next player in baseball by over 100 points).
Although Judge is the main man in the Bronx, he is surrounded by some impressive talent on both sides of the ball. Breakout seasons by Trent Grisham and Ben Rice have contributed to the Bronx Bombers leading the league in home runs this season. On the pitching side, lefties Max Fried and Carlos Rodon have been staples in the rotation, and the bullpen has been solid at times as well. One cause for concern is the amount of homers their bullpen has surrendered, especially the last two months, nearly surrendering two long balls per nine innings. Even with some pitching troubles, the Yankees’ explosive offense and ability to hit homers, paired with their playoff experience, makes them a team to look out for in October.
Yankees fans are looking for their team to win their first World Series pennant in over fifteen years, an outcome that other baseball fans are certainly not wishing for.
Toronto Blue Jays
Coming into the playoffs, the Blue Jays with an AL East division title, are one of the favorites out of the American League to get to the World Series. Although not a popular preseason pick to be a contender, the Blue Jays have been led by resurgent players George Springer and Bo Bichette, as well as their superstar first baseman Vladimir Guerrero Jr. to not only win their division but also clinch a first-round bye and home field advantage throughout the playoffs.
On the pitching side, starters Kevin Gausman, Chris Bassitt and deadline acquisition Shane Bieber have been essential for limiting runs. However, one thing that could hinder the Blue Jays from making a run at the Fall Classic is their shaky bullpen, one that ranked second worst in ERA at 5.60 in the second half. However, Toronto’s deep lineup and solid starting rotation makes them a dangerous team to defeat in October.
Detroit Tigers
The Tigers limp into the postseason having blown a 15.5 game lead in the AL Central to the Cleveland Guardians. This collapse, therefore, has led to the Tigers losing the division and their home field advantage throughout the playoffs.
The Tigers do have one of the most dominant starting pitchers in baseball, Tarik Skubal, a two time all-star with a 2.21 ERA this season and on his way to his second consecutive Cy Young Award. Because playoff series are so short, having a true ace in the rotation is often the difference in the series. Along with Skubal, Detroit has a pair of breakout young outfielders in Riley Greene and Kerry Carpenter who have led the offense.
Their regular season collapse and lack of momentum, a factor that has a key influence on playoff success, could turn some people away and lead to an early playoff exit, but they could still make a deep run with Tarik Skubal and the talent around him.
