After a grueling 162-game schedule, the MLB regular season is finally done, setting up the stage for our favorite time of the year. We can only dream of having a postseason as memorable and exciting as we had in 2025, but many of its protagonists are making a comeback. Eight of last year’s 12 playoff entrants are back for another crack at the World Series. However, they are not created equally.
THE 2026 MLB POSTSEASON BRACKET IS OFFICIALLY SET 🍿 pic.twitter.com/D82gbThJkR
— B/R Walk-Off (@BRWalkoff) September 27, 2026
Featuring a field that includes financial heavy hitters, feel-good stories, and teams out with something to prove, there are several profiles that can fit a profile for those of us who have nobody to root for. With 18 teams taking an early vacation, many fan bases are left only with the chance to root for (or against!) these last 12 standing. From a neutral fan’s standpoint, who should you be cheering through October?
There are no right or wrong answers here, but it is clear that baseball is at a point where some kind of novelty would do wonders for the industry. With that in mind, it is clear who should be at the bottom of these rankings, while the battle for the top is left to more of a personal choice. Regardless of your picks, let’s just hope that these playoffs can serve as a segway towards a positive winter.
#12 – Los Angeles Dodgers
There is no other way around it – nobody outside of hardcore LA fans want to see a three-peat. While this would be true in any given year, the looming lockout makes it even more urgent, as the Dodgers winning another World Series would give owners all the momentum they need to push towards a salary cap. From a baseball perspective, it is evident that LA’s financial might provides a competitive advantage like no other, even if it doesn’t take away from their ability to evaluate talent and maximize what they have.
To wit, the Dodgers paid Kyle Tucker and Edwin Díaz a combined $73 million to put up a 0.0 bWAR in 2026, which is just a tad below Cleveland’s total payroll of $79 million. Most franchises would be set back by that kind of disappointment for years, but LA can simply write it off and have enough depth to cruise towards a 100-win season and a first-round bye. While there are some legitimate questions around the health of Shohei Ohtani, Blake Snell, and Tyler Glasnow, the Dodgers have perfected an NBA-like way to load-manage their best players and should be fresh for an NLDS against either Atlanta or Philadelphia.
Oddsmakers seem to agree, giving LA almost 2-to-1 odds to win the title. However, the general public is sure to root hard for an upset.
#11 – Houston Astros
The Astros are back in the playoffs after a rare miss in 2025, and there is always the lingering taste of the 2017 cheating scandal and perceived lack of punishment. However, this low ranking has more to do with how Houston has reached this stage. It can be argued that the 2026 Astros will be considered the worst division winner in baseball history, having made the playoffs with the 14th-best record in baseball at 81-81 and tied for 19th in run differential with -32, which was the same finishing number for the terrible Mets.
As Houston barely outlasted the Rangers for the division, it is clear that they are the weakest team on paper for these playoffs, but MLB’s format will give them a home wild card series. With probable MVP Yordan Alvarez and the playoff experience of Jose Altuve, Josh Hader, and Jeremy Peña, it would be foolish to discount the Astros on any short series. From a fairness standpoint, many will hope for a quick exit and give the chance to a team that at least finished the regular season as a winner. It is easy to think that the Astros have zero chance, but they did go a combined 19-12 against the rest of the AL playoff entrants.
#10 – Philadelphia Phillies
It is well documented that the dissonance between the Phillies and their general perception around baseball has only grown with each year, as they have continued to double down on an aging core that never really won anything. Their diminishing returns since the 2022 pennant have gotten more and more dramatic, and almost culminated in an embarrassing collapse to end the season, as Arizona could not capitalize over the final weekend and snatch the final wild card spot. While Philadelphia looked dominant for stretches of the season, their body language over the final month suggests that they have no real chance in a loaded NL.
The Phillies sandwiched a fantastic 21-7 August with two losing months in July and September, and it is important to remember that they had a mid-season managerial change. Don Mattingly righted the ship and led the team to a remarkable 79-55 record, but the front office has refused to remove the interim tag from him, which just looks like terrible karma. Not many will be rooting for the Phils, even around Philadelphia, but things are even more damning by falling all the way to the sixth seed. They had losing records against all other NL playoff teams… except for the Padres, against whom they went an incredible 6-0.
You might be done with the Phillies. They are not done with you.
They're back in the playoffs for a fifth straight year after avoiding a historic collapse: https://t.co/sFNssQHjHx
— Matt Gelb (@MattGelb) September 27, 2026
#9 – New York Yankees
Much like it happens with the Dodgers or any big-money team, neutrals may never be inclined to root for a team like the Yankees. And yet, there are enough mitigating factors to at least make a case for the Bronx Bombers as a fun team to consider this October. For starters, these Yankees are built on a pitching foundation that does not need all that much from its offense to be sustainable. New York finished the season with MLB’s best team ERA at 3.24, and a playoff rotation of Cam Schlittler, Max Fried, and Gerrit Cole should be scary.
Simultaneously, drama is always around the corner in the Bronx. The late-season absence of Aaron Judge has raised many alarms and discussions for the franchise, including a bizarre back-and-forth with manager Aaron Boone in which Judge’s timetable was put into question. There is also the matter of not deciding on a Game 1 starter for the wild card round, even as conventional wisdom screams that Schlittler is the obvious choice. Yankee fans should at least find solace in that almost any outcome could be good for them. If the team manages to plow through a weak AL, they could claim their second pennant in three years. If not, maybe it could mark the turning point towards finally running out of patience with Boone and several players that have failed in the highest stage.
#8 – Chicago Cubs
The Cubs may be the most visceral team on these rankings, as a case can easily be made to love or loathe them. Part of that dueling view stems from their future MVP, as Pete Crow-Armstrong has embraced his role as superstar/villain around baseball circles. It is undeniable that PCA has taken a leap forward and just posted a fantastic season for Chicago, but that is not enough to sway many baseball fans who think this team is far from the lovable curse-breakers of a decade ago.
Chicago also blitzed its way through the regular season, taking advantage of a 35-16 record in blowout games and a couple of improbable 10-game winning streaks. Their whole body of work suggests that better competition come playoff time should expose many of this team’s flaws, starting with a short rotation and a truly awful bullpen. The contrast between their bullpen and San Diego’s will be massive, as the Cubs will need big early leads to feel safe. As the top-scoring team of 2026, it would be foolish to count them out, but it is also hard to root for a team that can’t pitch.
#7 – San Diego Padres
If somebody had told you that the most valuable Padre of 2026 was Ty France, it probably meant that the season had gone sideways for the Friars. In many ways, it was not a pretty year for the franchise as they went through an ownership change and several uncharacteristic seasons from their top players. And yet, 91 wins later, the Padres are back in October for the third season in a row and will host a wild card series, capping a remarkable 18-6 September that sprung them from uncertainty to confidence that they can make a run.
Players like Fernando Tatis Jr. and Manny Machado still rub people the wrong way, and local Padres broadcasts remain insufferable for anyone outside San Diego, but there is something commendable for a franchise that is still pursuing winning baseball at every chance. Bonus points should also be added for San Diego’s bullpen, which is a force and could be the team’s defining weapon. Mason Miller is the clear headliner, but the Padres go five-deep in power relief arms, making their frail rotation almost an afterthought. Considering the good and the bad, it makes sense to have the Friars around the middle of these rankings.
#6 – Boston Red Sox
Using the big-money principles stated above, it would seem weird to be so high on the Red Sox. However, their self-imposed financial restrictions have made them middle-of-the-pack in terms of payroll, leading to a roster full of likable players that erased a terrible start to produce one of the hottest stretches the league has ever seen. Boston’s 10-17 start led to the ouster of beloved manager Alex Cora, while replacement Chad Tracy looked like a placeholder in a lost season. A 42-20 stretch that included an amazing 21-4 July turned it all around, as the Red Sox relied on young players like Payton Tolle, Wilyer Abreu, and Caleb Durbin, who went from enduring home-crowd boos to becoming an integral part of the offense.
Boston achieved all this without their presumed best pitcher, instead seeing vintage seasons from Sonny Gray and Aroldis Chapman. Unlike the Phillies, Boston did reward Tracy with an extension, as it became clear that an interim tag was no longer a fit. As fate has provided a second straight wild-card series against the Yankees, Boston will be considered an underdog, but they appear to have enough fight and grit to make things interesting.
The Red Sox finish 2026 with a 87-75 record. Just 2 wins shy of last year, but will have the same exact postseason matchup as last year. Please give us a different result.
— Steve Perrault (@Steve_Perrault) September 27, 2026
#5 – Atlanta
Atlanta is the only NL playoff team that did not make it to October last season, following a terrible year in which seemingly everything went awry. Instead of panicking, the front office was wise enough to trust its process and deep roster, even as the beginning of the year looked ominous with a number of pitching injuries. Atlanta took control of the NL East on April 2 and never lost its grip, even with a concerning June swoon and a middling September. While the team could not secure a first-round bye, they look like favorites over the Phillies and pretty evenly-matched for a potential NLDS against the Dodgers.
As the overlooked superteam in the NL over the past half-decade, Atlanta has continued to employ several fun, productive players that should shine in October. Matt Olson is a national treasure, while Chris Sale continues to forge a Hall of Fame path. Ronald Acuña Jr. has slowed down but seems to be ramping up at the right time, while a national audience will get the chance to know Mauricio Dubón, Michael Harris II, and the improbable return of Tyler Mahle, who went from Giants discard to #2 starter in Atlanta. Oh, and there is also this head of hair ready for a potential Game 3.
#4 – Cleveland Guardians
The Guardians earned a first-round bye and their third straight AL Central title with only 85 wins, which speaks to the overall mediocrity of the junior circuit. On the other hand, they achieved this despite having the lowest payroll in baseball and only a year removed from losing their all-world closer to a gambling scandal. Being part of a weak division certainly helps, but the Guardians have shown their resilience and again overcame a significant deficit to win the division. José Ramírez had a rare bad year, but several unsung heroes proved to be more than the proverbial sum of their parts, using just enough offense and a solid staff to get to this point.
Cleveland’s World Series drought is approaching 80 years, and every chance they get to break that curse is always welcome from a neutral perspective. The Guardians were even lucky enough to draw the short end of the AL bracket, as they get to face the winner of the Astros-White Sox series while the powerhouses of the East get to battle each other through two grueling rounds. With Parker Messick having a great rookie season and Gavin Williams becoming a strikeout artist, there is enough talent to believe in Cleveland and crack at breaking the curse a decade after they came oh so close.
#3 – Tampa Bay Rays
For years, the Rays operated as the bottom-payroll team that had all the success, coming just short in many playoff series. Following a rare two-year October absence, Tampa Bay is back with a vengeance, securing the best record in the AL as they seized control of the East since early April. The 98-win effort will go down as one of the best regular seasons in franchise history, and the Rays now have the chance of making it more memorable with a deep playoff run.
The emergence of Junior Caminero as an MVP candidate and franchise cornerstone has given the Rays a great starting point, while their usual array of solid supporting players will have a chance to prove themselves in the playoffs. Yandy Díaz, Jonathan Aranda, Victor Mesa Jr., and even the throwback Chandler Simpson can become household names, while the pitching staff has a legit ace in Drew Rasmussen and a top-tier closer in Bryan Baker to secure late leads. As they await the winner of the Yankees-Red Sox series, the Rays know they will be sentimental favorites through the ALDS, while a win there could set up a matchup of Davids against a team from the Central, just like…
#2 – Chicago White Sox
In a season where most teams played to their projections, the downfall of a few AL favorites opened the path for the only shocker of 2026. The Chicago White Sox had lost a combined 324 games between 2023 and 2025, looking mostly like a lost franchise. They at least had started trusting a young core, and began 2026 by taking a flier on Japanese import Munetaka Murakami, who many scouts considered unfit to hit major league pitching. All Murakami did was slug 35 homers in 127 games, joining Colson Montgomery and Miguel Vargas to form one of the most feared and dynamic offenses in baseball.
Add the whole Pope Leo connection, which included a memorable team giveaway, and the Sox have gone from an afterthought to a true baseball miracle, with a core that could get better for years to come. Alas, it is hard to predict how they will fare in October. Chicago went 40-39 over the last three months and squandered a division lead that would have given them a bye, and now have to face an experienced Houston team on the road. Without a clear ace and a just-happy-to-be-here attitude, it would be normal if this becomes a short playoff run, but the White Sox have shown all year that they cannot be counted out.
#1 – Milwaukee Brewers
The Brewers led these rankings last season, and nothing much has changed since. A shocking NLCS sweep against the Dodgers punctuated just how tough it has become for this franchise to break through in October, but it also created an increased sense of urgency. The front office did the usual, shipping out Freddy Peralta while staying at a bottom-third payroll, but trusting that an extra year of development would provide enough coverage from their youngsters. It all paid out and then some, with the Brewers trotting out the best season in franchise history, with a 103-win behemoth that again has home-field advantage through the playoffs.
Jacob Misiorowski will win the NL Cy Young and can now become an October legend, Brice Turang is arguably the best-kept secret in the sport, Jackson Chourio is a stud, and manager Pat Murphy continues to work wonders in every facet of the game. The recent appointment of Christian Yelich as the first official captain in team history adds a layer of wholesomeness to a roster that has looked on a mission to silence its doubters all year long. Now on what seems like a collision course for an NLCS rematch against the mighty Dodgers, it is time for the Brewers to erase all the narratives that their stuff doesn’t work in October.
The Brewers go 103-59, they are the #1 overall seed in the league, and they have the best 1-2 starting pitcher punch in baseball. If there was ever a time for the franchise to win a World Series, it is now. Get it done boys.
— OberSports (@obersports) September 27, 2026
