Batter up! With the exciting conclusion of the regular season, fans are pumped for the start of the MLB playoffs! The league’s 12 best teams have waited all year for this moment. With the defending champs, the Texas Rangers, out of the picture, the throne has been left for the taking, and these teams are hungry for a chance to be on top in the baseball world. That leaves the question, which teams will step up to the plate and knock it out of the park, and which will strike out under the pressure?  So get your gloves ready because the playoffs are coming in hot!

First things first, how are the MLB playoffs formatted? Well, the playoff bracket consists of 12 teams, 6 from both the American League (AL) and the National League (NL). Each team will try to make its way through each round, which includes the Wildcard, Divisional, Championship, and World Series. The Wildcard round, which previously was a game elimination, has changed into a 3 game format in recent years. The Divisional Series is a 5-game contest and the Championship and World Series are each 7-game series. On top of this, the 2 best teams from the AL and NL are placed on a bye, meaning they skip the Wildcard Series and automatically advance to the Divisional Series.

Next up, who’s competing in the playoffs this year? Starting in the American League, the New York Yankees (1) and the Cleveland Guardians (2) advanced to the Divisional Series. In the Wildcard Series, the Houston Astros (3) face the Detroit Tigers (6) while the Baltimore Orioles (4) go against the Kansas City Royals (5). Hopping over to the National League, the Los Angeles Dodgers (1) and the Philadelphia Phillies (2) advanced to the Divisional Series. In the Wildcard series, the Milwaukee Brewers (3) square up with the New York Mets (6), and the San Diego Padres (4) go head-to-head with the Atlanta Braves (5). These electric matchups are sure to bring the excitement and hype to the postseason. 

Finally, who are the teams and the players I should be looking out for? Coming off a historic 50/50 season, Shohei Ohtani looks to make a splash in his postseason debut. Surrounded by Mookie Betts and Freddie Freeman, the Dodgers secured the best record in the MLB. In New York, the Yankees have their dual threat in Juan Soto and Aaron Judge, who have put up another amazing season worthy of AL MVP. The Philadelphia Phillies and the Cleveland Guardians have each brought the firepower into the playoffs with Bryce Harper and José Ramírez, some of the league’s biggest home run hitters. The Milwaukee Brewers and the Houston Astros have shown their consistency all year round. For their teams, Willy Adames and Yordan Alvarez have displayed their all-around skills on the field. While these teams have been the best all year, the Baltimore Orioles and San Diego Padres have been holding it down in the middle of their conferences. Led by Gunnar Henderson and Fernando Tatis Jr, these teams are ready to make a statement in the postseason.

Finally, we can’t forget about the underdogs of these playoffs, the Kansas City Royals, Atlanta Braves, New York Mets, and the Detroit Tigers. The Braves have struggled with injuries all year, especially with a season-ending injury to Ronaldo Acuña Jr, last year’s NL MVP. On the other hand, Bobby Witt Jr has been having his best season with the Royals, leading them to the playoffs for the first time in nearly 10 years. On the same page, both the Mets and Tigers were highly doubted to make the playoffs but Tarik Skubal for the Tigers and Francisco Lindor for the Mets have led their team to the impossible. The Mets had a less than 28% chance to make the playoffs, while the Tigers had a less than 5% chance. But in the climactic last few weeks of the season, both teams surprised the baseball world by each making the 6th and final seed for the postseason. 

The playoffs are where magic happens. It’s where we see the most competitive and greatest games of the season. It’s where players do the impossible and break our expectations of what can be done. So join the hype train as we await to see greatness unfold in this year’s MLB playoffs. You can catch all of the MLB action on FOX, ESPN, and TBS starting October 1st.