Playoff Rootability Rankings

After the utterly strange and chaotic doubleheader that ended MLB’s regular season, we finally have a full set of twelve playoff teams that will vie for that piece of metal the vaunted World Series trophy. Moreover, with the Diamondbacks missing out on the final day, we will see brand new pennant winners in this playoff field that promises to be a smorgasbord of baseball idiosyncrasies. There are the usual big-money, national-following teams aiming for glory, but also plenty of mid-market contenders ready to surprise them. And while TV execs are probably salivating at the chance of a Yankees-Dodgers Fall Classic, who should command the attention of the neutral baseball fan?

In these highly unscientific and biased rankings, we will try to identify the teams that represent the most compelling cases to chase a championship. Sometimes, it’s about David slaying Goliath, or maybe breaking a long drought…even rooting for chaos. The current playoff format and the lack of a truly dominant team in 2024 should give us a postseason full of upsets and upstarts, and if your team is already making vacation plans, here is who you should be rooting for over the next few weeks.

#12 Astros

For the first two months of the season, it looked as if the long-awaited fall of the Astros would finally arrive. An array of slow starts and injuries had left Houston well behind the AL’s playoff field, but that was quickly reversed as Seattle and the rest of the West collapsed. By mid-summer, another Astros division title became inevitable, and now they will try to reach an unprecedented eighth straight ALCS berth.

Between their infamous 2017 scandal and their recurring October presence, it is just hard to root for the Astros to run it back, especially as they are only two years removed from their latest championship. Their slow start may have cost them a chance to earn a bye and now they will navigate the playoffs from the wild-card round, which has been unfamiliar territory for this franchise. Even with the possible last hurrah for Justin Verlander and ever-exciting players like Yordan Alvarez and José Altuve, nobody outside Houston should be rooting for this team.

#11 Yankees

A 15-year championship drought seems perfectly normal for almost any franchise in American sports. However, when you are the Yankees, it can easily look like a hundred-year curse, especially as that streak has not even produced a pennant. Since their last title in 2009, the Bronx Bombers have almost made losing in the playoffs an art form, including five crushing defeats in the ALCS and plenty of money spent chasing that elusive trophy. After missing October altogether in 2023, the front office went ahead and assembled an upgraded roster that included the best possible acquisition outside of Shohei Ohtani.

Juan Soto embraced the bright lights and became Aaron Judge’s perfect cohort, with both combining for nearly 20 bWAR and literally becoming the best Yankees duo since Ruth and Gehrig. And yet, are these Yankees even fun? The drop-off after Judge and Soto is steep, and there was some truth to Luis Severino’s jab that the Yanks only have two good hitters in their lineup. There are plenty of scenarios in which better pitching can neutralize New York’s biggest threats and basically dare the rest of the lineup to step up. While Soto is a proven postseason performer, Judge’s last appearance was a ghastly 1-for-17 in 2022’s ALCS, and he carries a career .772 OPS in October (against a whopping 1.010 mark in the regular season). Even as some will root for the past and future MVP to turn it around, how can you justify rooting for the Evil Empire?

#10 Atlanta

Much like it happens with the Astros, there is a fatigue factor when it comes to Atlanta. In what will mark their seventh straight to the playoffs, the team will try to replicate the magic of 2021, when a depleted roster was able to overcome brutal injuries to win an improbable title. However, it may be tough to justify rooting for that scenario in 2024.

Outside of Chris Sale’s renaissance and the emergence of Reynaldo López, the roster is basically full of familiar names that do not carry much in terms of likability. Marcell Ozuna, their best hitter in 2024, has a problematic personal history, Matt Olson is coming off a down season, Ronald Acuña Jr. and Austin Riley are out for the year, and Charlie Morton may finally be feeling his age. Put it all together and there may not be much reason to root for a deep playoff run. And if you add that Atlanta’s inclusion basically left out a really fun team in Arizona, the choice becomes easy.

#9 Orioles

Baltimore’s 41-year championship drought makes them an immediate pick for neutral fans trying to see a compelling story, especially as we have already seen many curses broken this century. Alas, the Orioles have basically sleepwalked their way into the playoffs, and it is hard to see just how they can suddenly morph into their championship selves again. A 38-41 mark since July does not scream “lovable upstarts” the way the AL-East-champion team of 2023 did, as last season’s early playoff exit was truly shocking.

This time around, Baltimore should have more experience to face a short series in October, but the roster as a whole may not be enough to warrant the attention of the baseball world. Starting pitching becomes dangerously thin after Corbin Burnes, while the bullpen is best described as shaky and is liable to squander a lead at any time. With Adley Rutschman’s bat taking a notable step back this season, the offense has lost much of its dynamic self, instead relying on Gunnar Henderson and Anthony Santander – that was not the blueprint promised for this roster. The silver lining for this franchise is that regardless of how this October unfolds, their competitive window will remain open for many years.

#8 Dodgers

When a team is blatant in its effort to buy a championship, should we adjust our expectations? At least the Dodgers have never been shy of their mission, embracing their rich-kid status and superior scouting en route to countless division titles and big names. After yet another flame-out in 2023, it was almost inevitable that they would try again and sign the biggest name in the sport, along with a flurry of other free agents and trades that exceeded a billion dollars in commitments. And despite all that, LA enters the playoffs full of question marks and the threat of another letdown.

The only reason the Dodgers are not lower on the list is that Shohei Ohtani will finally play in October, and that should be a delight for even the most bitter anti-Dodger enthusiasts. After posting a truly historic season, Ohtani gets to ply his trade in the biggest stage, headlining an offense that is a headache for any pitching staff (and not only because of their cringe-worthy celebrations). However, that may become moot when you consider that Dave Roberts will be making pitching decisions with a depleted staff that reminds us of “Spahn and Sain and pray for rain”. As the team tries to win a championship in a full season for the first time since 1988, it’s a shame that Ohtani is still unable to pitch.

#7 Mets

The 2024 Mets are a Rorschach test of neutral allegiances. On one hand, they are a big-market team with literally the highest payroll in the sport. On the other, they emerged from an afterthought to become one of the most fun teams in baseball, doing it all in what was supposed to be a transition year. Adding that they are also trying to break a nearly 40-year drought, it makes sense to have New York around the middle of these rankings.

Despite their flaws, the Mets cover a lot of the playoff/fun checklist to become attractive for neutral fans. They have a true superstar (Francisco Lindor), some nice complementary players (Pete Alonso, Brandon Nimmo, Mark Vientos), underrated pitching (Sean Manaea, David Peterson), and a closer in Edwin Díaz who will always make it interesting. Adding intangibles like the whole OMG saga and the Grimace shenanigans, it makes sense to like a team that won 65 of their last 100 games. Memories of 2015 should also remind us that having a good Mets team is always a nice October bonus, but don’t think this is a plucky underdog by any means.

#6 Phillies

The Phillies are also a funny situation when it comes to neutral fans. Their late 2000s teams that dominated the NL were not particularly likable, and there is also the infamous history of merciless crowds in Philadelphia (it is an obligation to never forget that they booed Santa Claus that one time), but now it seems that things are starting to turn. Heck, there is even a new documentary coming out to address this particular notion! Considering that the front office has acted like a big-market team and assembled a core full of impact players, it is clear that the perception around the Phillies has shifted dramatically.

Philadelphia was also one of the season’s most consistent teams, with top-notch starting pitching that bodes well for October to complement an offense that specializes in power heroics. The possibility of Bryce Harper finally winning a World Series should be enough for many baseball fans to like the Phillies, but it is understandable if a history of disdain prevents you from that. After all, this may be the last best chance for an aging roster that fell short painfully in the last two postseasons. If anything, getting at least a couple of Zack Wheeler starts should be enough eye candy for anyone who likes pitching.

#5 Padres

Much like the Mets, the Padres spent a lot of resources only to flounder in 2023 and then enter 2024 as a bubble team. Instead, they tapped into their potential despite losing Juan Soto, Josh Hader, and Blake Snell. After years of chasing superstars and trying to imitate the mighty Dodgers, San Diego found success in a balanced approach that yielded zero players above 4.5 bWAR but plenty of contributions around the roster to offset that. Going 50-29 to close the season served as a reminder of how this team was built to win consistently, and now they will try to finally break through in the playoffs.

San Diego remains the oldest team to have never won a World Series, and they lost their beloved owner during the offseason, which also created a nice tribute towards 2024. Besides their talented roster, there is also the vibe that Petco Park has embraced in this recent era of San Diego baseball, which adds a nice background to any playoff game. Having a balance of savvy veterans and exciting youngsters is also a good reason to like this team, especially if they get another meeting with the Dodgers in the NLDS.

#4 Guardians

After coming only a win short of a World Series title in 2016, the Cleveland franchise has remained a steady contender but not a real threat to win it all. Unceremonious ALDS exits in 2017, 2018, and 2022 were not close to the magic of that pennant-winning squad, but things may have started to turn around with an improbable 2024 team. The Guardians were not even favored to win their own division and now they enter the AL field as the #2 seed, where they will introduce the name Jhonkensy Noel to a national audience.

Outside of the always-underrated José Ramírez, most casual fans will probably struggle to name three players from this roster, but that is exactly what makes this Cleveland team so compelling. Ramirez and Josh Naylor combined to hit nearly half the team’s homers, but they are complemented by a wide array of contact hitters that will wreak havoc on opposing pitchers. While first-year manager Stephen Vogt may not have a deep rotation to choose from, he will carry arguably the best bullpen in the sport, with a dominant Emmanuel Clase and his 0.61 ERA leading the way. Also, remember that they are still seeking for their first championship since 1948, and this open field could give Cleveland a chance to finally break the curse.

#3 Royals

The Royals are not only high on this list because they are underdogs, but also because they should give hope to every fan base in baseball (except for the White Sox’s, sorry). Despite losing 106 games in 2023, Kansas City’s front office showed the world that a roster can be fixed in a hurry with smart signings, a bit of luck, and not being afraid of securing a franchise cornerstone when you have the chance. The Royals emerged from their decade-long funk with a roster that is admittedly flawed, but nevertheless dynamic and fun, and will now have the chance to prove they can be more than that.

Despite a late-season fade that threatened their playoff standing, the Royals will try to go back to their 2014-15 ways on the strength of savvy baserunning, veteran pitching, Bobby Witt Jr.’s greatness, and the steady presence of captain Salvador Perez. The possibility of getting Vinnie Pasquantino back for the playoffs could add a new dimension for an offense that struggled in the final stretch, while the possibility of Cole Ragans becoming a household name is increased tenfold if the Royals can set up a date with the Yankees in the ALDS.

#2 Tigers

At this point, you may have heard all the stories about the Tigers and their improbable playoff spot. Odds below 1%, trading their second-best pitcher at the deadline, etc. and yet here we are with a franchise that failed to launch for many seasons finally getting redemption. While it is undeniable that this run was mostly fueled by Minnesota’s epic collapse, there is no denying that the Tigers are a great story en route to facing the mighty Astros. When MLB expanded its playoff structure, this was the kind of matchup that kind of justified its existence.

As improbable as it sounds, this version of the Tigers will try to do what the star-laden team of the early 2010s could not and break a World Series drought that dates back to 1984. Not even in an Orwellian concept would it be possible to think that Tarik Skubal and Riley Greene could deliver what Miguel Cabreraand Justin Verlander could not, but the Tigers may be the ultimate sleeper team in the AL. Having won 31 of their last 44 games, there is real momentum for this team, and adding manager A.J. Hinch’s redemption arc is only the cherry on top. After not sniffing October for a full decade, Detroit knows they need to seize this opportunity.

#1 Brewers

In a division full of splashy transactions and exciting rookies, the Brewers entered the season having lost their manager, president of baseball operations, top staring pitcher and knowing that their all-world closer would miss at least half the year while their remaining ace would be shelved for the full season. Not to break character, they also lost their veteran leader halfway through the year. Despite all this turmoil, Milwaukee seized control of the Central in early April and never let go, with an astounding level of consistency that bodes well for October. The Brewers were the only team in baseball that did not have a four-game losing streak, as first-year manager Pat Murphy led an exciting brand of baseball that left everyone saying “Craig who?”.

The Brewers featured nine players with double-digit steals, got their closer back, and have their fair share of power options, including three-run-homer savant Willy Adames. While they almost knocked the Mets out of the postseason altogether in the final weekend, they will now get the chance to do it in front of a raucous crowd in Milwaukee, which is always an underrated baseball atmosphere. Even as their lack of a dominant ace could be a dent in their hopes, the Brewers appear well-rounded and well-managed, which could be a key factor in the later rounds. And have we almost mentioned that they have never won a World Series? The time could be now.