Heading into the 2026 postseason, theScore's Michael Bradburn, Bryan Mcwilliam, Chicco Nacion, Simon Sharkey-Gotlieb, Tom Ruminski, and Brandon Wile make their picks for each round.
The Yankees are the favorites to beat their long-time rivals once again, with the majority of our editors believing New York will advance to a third straight ALDS. The Yankees went 7-6 against the Red Sox this season, and won four of six in the Bronx. Boston, meanwhile, hasn't won a playoff series since 2021.
Things are more divided on the other half of the bracket, which is understandable considering the White Sox and Astros finished with the two worst records among all playoff teams. Both clubs also ranked in the bottom five in starting pitching ERA. Chicago hasn't won a postseason series since 2005, and was nine games under .500 on the road this year. The 81-81 Astros limped into the playoffs, but have AL MVP favorite Yordan Alvarez on their side.
The Phillies snuck into the playoffs on the last day despite losing four of their last five games, and now play a Braves team that dominated them (9-4) this season. Their championship window might be closing, and the majority of our editors believe the NL East champion Braves will take care of business at home.
The Cubs and Padres meet in the wild-card series for a second straight year, this time on the west coast. San Diego lost to the Cubs last year at Wrigley Field, and is hoping home-field advantage brings a different outcome in 2026. Both teams have stars on offense and a number of questions on the starting pitching side. It really feels like this will be an entertaining series, and a complete toss-up when it comes to picking a winner.
It's clear we're believing in the Rays. After finishing the regular season with the AL's best record, all but one editor has Tampa Bay reaching the ALCS for the first time since 2020. That's also the last time the Rays won a playoff round. The Guardians will no doubt benefit from being on the weaker side of the bracket, and the majority sees them cruising to a second ALCS appearance in three seasons.
It really should be no surprise that, despite the randomness of the postseason, we'd be leaning heavily towards the Brewers and Dodgers to advance to the NLCS. The two NL heavyweights are easily the most talented teams in the Senior Circuit, and both should benefit heavily from getting a bye to the division series.
We're all in on Rays magic. Sure, the AL was weak overall this year, but Tampa Bay proved beyond a reasonable doubt that it's the best team in the Junior Circuit. All but one of our editors agrees that the World Series is headed back to the Trop.
Opinions were far more split on the NL side, with only three editors believing the Dodgers will make a third straight trip to the World Series. Maybe that's wishful thinking given how stacked that league was this year. Milwaukee is looking for its first trip to the World Series since 1982.
We believe it's either going to be a Dodgers three-peat or the end of a long title drought. Neither the Rays or Brewers have ever won a World Series, while the Phillies haven't been champions since 2008. MLB hasn't seen a team win three straight titles since the Yankees in 1998-2000, and no National League team has ever done it.
