With the wild card series over, the playoff format is finally locked in for the 2025 postseason.
The Yanks and Tigers sent their division rivals packing, the best bullpen in the field lost in a three-game set at Wrigley Field to the Cubs, and the Dodgers won the most lopsided wild-card series this era of playoffs has ever seen.
Now, with both leagues kicking off their division series, the only thing left to do is rank the teams heading toward their pennants. Which team is the best? And which team did I slight? Read below to find out.
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1. Phillies
Philadelphia has all the talent to go win a World Series. Now, it’s about executing.
A rotation of Cristopher Sanchez, Ranger Suarez, and Aaron Nola won’t be fun for any remaining offense in October, and if you don’t get those guys, then Jhoan Duran is waiting in the ninth.
The lineup is also potent. Bryce Harper, Kyle Schwarber, and Trea Turner at the top can do instantaneous damage, then the bottom is filled out with underrated players in Harrison Bader, Bryson Stott, and Brandon Marsh. If they get past their first test in the defending champ Dodgers, there won’t be much after to stop them.
2. Yankees
Cam Schlittler. That’s it, that’s the argument.
Joking aside, Schlittler emerging as an ace for the Yanks’ postseason push is exactly what this club needed. The righty helped put the Red Sox to bed, and will get another crack against a tough lineup in the Blue Jays.
Him, along with Max Fried and Carlos Rodón, are in contention with the Phillies for best rotation in the playoffs. And then of course, Aaron Judge and co. is the best lineup in the entire field of teams this postseason.
3. Cubs
Please don’t sleep on the Cubs this postseason.
The offense has guys all around, including a healthy Kyle Tucker and a hot Seiya Suzuki. They can put up runs against any pitching left on their schedule, which included tough opponents in the San Diego rotation and bullpen.
The major question will of course be the rotation, but even without Cade Horton for the NLDS, the bullpen proved it can play in the wild card series. If they can push runs on the board against the Brewers, the pitching should be able to hold off a team that relies on base hits rather than slug.
4. Mariners
It could be Seattle’s year in 2025.
They have the Big Dump. A dominant closer in Andrés Muñoz. And lineup 1-through-9 that can do damage while also playing stellar defense. As Aaron Boone and Carlos Mendoza would say, it’s all right in front of them.
It also benefits the Mariners that they have a pretty path to the pennant. They’ll get a Tigers team that struggled down the stretch in September and barely got past a Guardians’ team that had two above league average (OPS+) hitters, then one of the Yankees and Blue Jays, who might beat up on each other just to advance to the next round.
We’ll see how health impacts them. Bryan Woo is still out with a pectoral injury, and is in danger of missing the ALDS.
5. Dodgers
The Dodgers could easily be No. 1 on this list. But we all saw what’s holding them back in their wild-card series against the Reds.
The bullpen looked fraudulent in a short series against the Reds. So much so that it made Dave Roberts and us at home really think that the Reds could come back from six to seven-run deficits.
Now imagine that implosion against the Phillies. They might not survive. Luckily, they have uber-talented arms in Shohei Ohtani, Blake Snell, and Yoshinobu Yamamoto in the rotation to navigate the early innings, and then Roki Sasaki available in the later innings to fill the void of the bullpen.
And then of course there’s the offense. But I don’t think we need to highlight how insanely good they are.
6. Brewers
The Brew Crew might be the hardest team to rank this postseason.
They led the majors in wins. Looked dominant throughout the season as well. But the team doesn’t slug, and relies on station-to-station offense to put runs on the board. I’m not sure if that method will play in short series against top teams in the NL and AL, and I’m not sure you are all convinced either.
But if they can score runs, the pitching looks scary for another season. Freddy Peralta is as strong a game one starter as any team has, and a bullpen of Trevor Megill and Abner Uribe isn’t going to give up many runs.
7. Blue Jays
Everything this October for the Jays will depend on their rotation.
Will Kevin Gausman, Max Scherzer, Chris Bassitt, and Trey Yesavage all hold up in a series against the Bombers? I’m not sure. And if you’re a Mets fan like me, two of those names especially stick out.
On the other hand, the lineup is nothing to scoff at. It’s strong, and if the Jays get the playoff George Springer we’re all accustomed to, they’ll put pressure on other lineups to score.
8. Tigers
Detroit was an intriguing team in 2025.
They blew a massive division lead to the Guardians in the second half, just to knock them out of the playoffs in Cleveland to advance to Seattle. Baseball is a funny sport.
But in that wild-card series, the flaws of the Tigers stood out. The lineup strikes out a lot, and at times, you wonder if they’ll score runs. The bullpen also looked suspect, especially closer Will Vest,who had a moment in Game 3 where he almost blew a 6-1 lead.
Tarik Skubal looks like the only sure thing this team has going. After his bump day, anything and everything is possible.
