Fight for the trophy: Rankings for the 2024 MLB postseason

Ryan Bautista | News Editor

October 4, 2024

It’s fall! Leaves are falling, the weather is getting colder, and baseball fans are glued to their TVs for the next month or so. That’s right, it’s time for baseball’s playoffs!

The best teams from around the country compete for the best piece of metal in sports, the World Series trophy. With so many powerhouses still in the mix, from the classic New York Yankees to the scary Los Angeles Dodgers, this season’s bracket will surely be filled with great games and heartbreak for 11/12 teams. Four teams have already been eliminated from contention, some surprisingly and others not so much. Eight remain in the battle for the best in baseball.

But which of these teams is the best, and which will win the hardware? Here’s everything you need to know in an easy-to-read ranking, starting with…wait, the Tigers are still in here?!

8. Detroit Tigers

If you had said a few months ago that the Tigers would be in the divisional round of the playoffs, everyone would have laughed at you. The Tigers are baseball’s Cinderella story this year, from having a 1% chance of making the playoffs to securing their spot five weeks later. Carrying them to this spot is Tarik Skubal, the AL Cy Young favorite and winner of the AL pitching Triple Crown, leading the league in ERA, strikeouts, and wins. However, name five other people on the team…I’m waiting………yeah, that’s their problem. They kept their streak alive by beating the Astros on the back of Skubal in Game 1 and a team effort in Game 2, but how long can they keep this streak alive without superstars? Now, they must win more games without Skubal on the mound against the formidable Guardians. They have the support of the underdog fans, but will that be enough?

7. Kansas City Royals 

While Kansas City’s baseball team’s star may not be dating a pop star, he still makes plenty of news on his own. Bobby Witt Jr. just became the first shortstop to have a 30-home run and 30-steal season, cementing his spot as their franchise player with that and his massive off-season contract. Catcher Salvador Perez is ready to lend his postseason experience to this young roster of hopefuls, and pitchers like Seth Lugo and Cole Ragans are ready to carry the bullpen, especially since that’s their main shortcoming. While the Royals’ starting pitching has been exceptional, the bullpen has struggled all season, ranking low in ERA and wins. The starting pitchers won’t be enough to carry this team, they need some relievers like trade deadline acquisition Lucas Erceg to step up. They were able to hold the young Baltimore Orioles to only 1 run, so that’s promising. Whether they can keep doing that with the Yankees remains to be seen. 

6. New York Mets 

Everyone pities the Mets right now. They had to go from Milwaukee on Sunday to a doubleheader against the Braves on Monday, right back to Milwaukee on Tuesday. They must be exhausted, depleted, and hoping that the Brewers would be OK with letting them win one game just as a reward. But the Mets came out firing. They are one of the hottest teams in baseball after this series, and they don’t show any signs of slowing down. Sean Manaea and Jose Quintana have shown they still have their best stuff, and Pete Alonso demonstrated his big-homer threat in a big way during the last wild-card game, lifting them past the Brewers. If Francisco Lindor can keep going through his serious back pain and get to his MVP form, the Mets may be in good shape. All that’s stopping them are some of the toughest teams left, including their next opponent the Phillies.

5. San Diego Padres

The Padres are the scariest team in the playoffs, coming off the best record in MLB since the All-Star Break. With a lineup consisting of the 3-time reigning batting champion Luis Arraez, the franchise leader in home runs Manny Machado, and a man always a threat to steal the spotlight in Fernando Tatis Jr., they can not be ignored. Throw in Michael King, who made the Braves look silly in the first wild-card game, and you have a legitimate contender. Plus, they are up against the Dodgers in the first round, who don’t have the best record versus NL West teams in the playoffs. If they can keep this momentum going, and not slow down, they may be a threat to win the pennant. 

4. Cleveland Guardians 

For those readers who don’t follow baseball closely, yes this is a real team. And you should be frightened of their bullpen. It is the best in baseball by far, with the lowest ERA, home runs given up, and everything else in between. Led by the most dominant closer in baseball Emmanuel Clase, this bullpen is dreaded. Unfortunately, bullpens can’t pitch the entire playoffs. Their starting rotation is the bullpen’s pale shadow, with the 23rd-best ERA and missing their strongest arms for the entire season. Makes sense how they are 24th in innings pitched too. If opposing teams can get to their starting rotation early, they may be able to hold the consistent offense of Josh Naylor, Steven Kwan, and Jose Ramirez to low numbers while they try to survive against the bullpen. 

3. New York Yankees 

The Yankees have the number 1 seed in the AL, securing their familiar place as the team to beat in that league. The combination of Aaron Judge and Juan Soto is producing numbers and feats not seen since Babe Ruth and Lou Gehrig, proving that pinstripes deserve t0 be feared once again. Gerrit Cole is also as clutch as ever, helping their pitching staff become a force in the playoffs. And they’ll need it with the defense behind them. The Yankees have had defensive problems all season, leading to a carousel of an infield and giving away important plays. The possible absence of playoff legend Anthony Rizzo at first is just another punch in the gut to this team. They also rank last in base running, which is troubling in the postseason when every run counts. Well-rested after skipping the wild-card round, the upstart Royals will be the first team to test their postseason abilities. 

2. Los Angeles Dodgers

   

One name. Shohei Ohtani. The man who hit 54 home runs and stole 59 bases in the first 50-50 season ever. Any postseason team with him at the top of the lineup is a legitimate contender. Junior Connor Crilly exclaims “How can you respect him” after hitting “so many homers and stealing so many bases?” Even if opposing pitchers somehow get past or intentionally walk him, two more MVPs wait to strike in Mookie Betts and Freddie Freeman. This is, on paper, the most dangerous lineup in baseball, and their season proves it.  The offense is set. Pitching, on the other hand, isn’t. The Dodgers starting rotation has been savaged by injuries, from big names like Tyler Glasnow and Clayton Kershaw being out to Yoshinobu Yamamoto just barely making it back into the postseason. The Dodgers will be relying on the Japanese fireballer and trade deadline acquisition Jack Flaherty to carry their pitching, but if their offense can’t support the others, the Dodgers may repeat history. By the way, who are they playing in the first round?… (Every Dodger fan seeing who won the wild-card and flashing back to the past two years) Oh, shoot. 

1. Philadelphia Phillies 

And the best team in the playoffs — according to this list anyway — is the Phillies! Is anyone surprised? Yeah, I didn’t think so. The Phillies are the most well-rounded team in baseball. Their starting pitching is superb, especially with their five All-Stars fully healthy including Zach Wheeler and Aaron Nola. Bryce Harper, no matter what you think of him, is a great player using his veteran experience to help this team reach the playoffs. Alec Bohm is a young star ready to make his mark on the playoffs, and Kyle Schwarber is ready to belt home runs like nobody’s seen before. Plus, they may have the best home-field advantage in baseball with their Philly fan base. The only problem is, they’ve been here before and haven’t broken through. They’ve made it far, but not quite far enough, denying deserving past teams the chance at a ring. Maybe their first-round bye will help them rest up for the games that count. Or the rust won’t shake off and they’ll come up short again. But the fact that this is their greatest worry going to the postseason shows how good they are.