The four best words to write: MLB. Playoffs. Are. Here.
That’s right, the postseason madness begins on Tuesday, with the wild-card round and some best-of-three matchups awaiting.
Which means it’s a great time to drop some power rankings on you. Obviously, you know who No. 1 will be and it’s the easiest call in the world. But so many times, we’ve seen a team or two sneak up on us and make a run thanks to the small sample size in October when bats or arms can get hot.
Let’s run down the 12 teams remaining as the World Series looms sooner than you think:
12
Miami Marlins
Fun fact: The Marlins finished the season with a negative run differential (-57, yikes) and won’t have Sandy Alcantara pitching for them. You never know in the postseason, and maybe they put up a fight with their bats against the Phillies… but I’m not buying it.
11
Arizona Diamondbacks
When you have Zac Gallen as an ace and rookie sensation (frankly, an understatement, he’s a superstar out of the gate!) Corbin Carroll, you’ve got a shot. Not a great one, but a shot!
10
Minnesota Twins
The good news: Sonny Gray and Pablo Lopez are a formidable 1-2 punch.
The bad news: The lineup isn’t the best. Also, the ghosts of that 18-game playoff losing streak loom.
9
Texas Rangers
Yes, they ended up with the No. 5 seed in the AL instead of missing the playoffs completely. But the roller-coaster ride to get there was… a lot. Plus, I don’t love the matchup against the Tampa Bay Rays. Still, this is a team that could slug its way into the next round.
8
Milwaukee Brewers
I’d feel a lot better about them if Brandon Woodruff was healthy and pitching in the wild card series. But their bullpen is filthy and they’ve got the bats to compete with anyone. They could be a darkhorse to make a run, assuming Woodruff returns at some point.
7
Toronto Blue Jays
The team has pitching depth for days, an enviable lineup… what more could you want? Well, you want them to live up to that potential, and we haven’t seen that in recent years. That said, I think this is the year to do it.
6
Philadelphia Phillies
I know: “Past performance is no guarantee of future results.” But last year’s postseason darlings are mostly back, and they’re hungry. And still talented.
5
Houston Astros
It wasn’t the best of regular seasons for this franchise, but no matter: They’re a serious threat once again now that Justin Verlander is back.
4
Tampa Bay Rays
They probably should be higher given recent playoff history and the makeup of this team that just never quits and seems to have the right matchup at the right time every night.
3
Los Angeles Dodgers
And maybe they should be lower with slight concerns about the rotation. Still, plain and simple, they’re the Dodgers, with a few MVPs in the lineup.
2
Baltimore Orioles
Maybe you had your doubts about their young core performing under the postseason pressure, or a rotation with names like Grayson Rodriguez, Kyle Bradish and Dean Kremer who might not be ready for primetime.
Nope. They’re not to be doubted. This team is legit NOW, playoffs or not.
1
Atlanta Braves
The favorites, of course. We’ve seen favorites falter in the playoffs, though. So… we’ll see!
