One hundred sixty-two games are in the books, and baseball is ready for one of the most wide-open and unpredictable playoff fields in recent memory. This year marks the first time since 2014 that no team won 100 games, and if last year’s World Series taught us anything, it’s that we shouldn’t worry about the win totals too much and don’t sleep on those Wild Card teams.
For these power rankings, this is how I see all 12 teams on paper entering the postseason. This doesn’t necessarily mean one team that is ahead of the other means that they’ll win their playoff series, though, because anything can happen.

<h2>1) Philadelphia Phillies</h2>
Record: 95-67
Last postseason appearance: 2023, lost to Arizona in NLCS
Forget just making the playoffs. The Phillies have played well into October in each of the past two seasons, including taking out the 104-win Braves last season. Their rotation boasts two of the best and most durable starters in the game in Zack Wheeler and Aaron Nola, both of which have had their fair share of success in the playoffs during the past two postseasons.
For the Phillies to go far, they need ______ to be at his best: Carlos Estevez. It might not be the most obvious name, but the Phillies traded away two of their late-game relievers at the trade deadline, so he&#8217;ll shoulder a lot of the high leverage frames in October. Estevez, who has only pitched in one playoff game in his career, had a really nice 2024, posting a 2.45 ERA, 0.909 WHIP, and 26 saves across 54 games this season. His pitch mix has been simple but effective; opponents hit below .200 against his fastball, slider, and changeup this season.
<h2>2) Houston Astros</h2>
Record: 88-73
Last postseason appearance: 2023, lost to Texas in ALCS
Similar to Philadelphia, I&#8217;m a big fan of the experience here. Houston is looking to go to their eighth consecutive ALCS and their fifth World Series in that same time span. They surely exceeded their limit on pitching injuries this season, but they&#8217;ve still found a way to make it work with Yusei Kikuchi shutting all of the trade deadline haters up, Ronel Blanco emerging as an impactful starter, and Hunter Brown holding a 2.26 ERA during the second half of the season.
For the Astros to go far, they need ______ to be at his best: Kyle Tucker. He played in only 78 games this season due to a shin contusion, but he looked fantastic after he returned in September with 23 hits in 18 games. Unfortunately for Houston, they may be without Yordan Alvarez for the Wild Card series against Detroit due to a knee sprain. Alvarez&#8217;s availability will be a literal game-time decision, but if he can&#8217;t go, Tucker becomes Houston&#8217;s greatest weapon from the left side of the dish. Even though he missed a large portion of the season, he still finished third on the team in home runs with 23.
<h2>3) Los Angeles Dodgers</h2>
Record: 98-64
Last postseason appearance: 2023, lost to Arizona in NLDS
With the amount of success and talent that has resided in Chavez Ravine during the last decade, the Dodgers could easily have more than just one championship during that time span. Adding Shohei Ohtani (54 homers, 130 RBIs) and Teoscar Hernandez (33 homers, 99 RBIs) to a core of Freddie Freeman, Will Smith, and Mookie Betts is only going to make that lineup more dangerous, but as they&#8217;ve learned in the past, they&#8217;ll need those guys to show up once the calendar flips to October.
For the Dodgers to go far, they need ______ to be at his best: Yoshinobu Yamamoto. Ohtani has obviously and rightfully been the most popular free agent signing that the Dodgers made, but this would be one heck of a time for Yamamoto to remind fans not to forget about him. The 325 million dollar man pitched to a 3.00 ERA, 1.11 WHIP, and a 10.5 K/9 through 18 starts this season, and his performances will carry a lot of weight given how many injuries the Dodgers have suffered within their rotation.
<h2>4) San Diego Padres</h2>
Record: 93-69
Last postseason appearance: 2022, lost to Philadelphia in NLCS
This might be a high mark for the Padres, but they had a chance to win the NL West during the final week of the season before dropping a competitive series with the Dodgers. The Padres have a very intriguing build, and it got even better after acquiring relievers Jason Adam and Tanner Scott at the trade deadline. San Diego enters the postseason as one of the healthiest teams in the field, with shortstop Ha-Seong Kim being their only starter on the injured list.
For the Padres to go far, they need ______ to be at his best: Xander Bogaerts. He&#8217;s got the most postseason experience on the team, but his two years with the Padres have been underwhelming compared to what he achieved in Boston. Bogaerts slashed .264/.307/.381 with 11 homers and 44 RBIs this season, although a shoulder fracture kept him out for several weeks. San Diego benefited heavily from Jackson Merrill and Jurickson Profar having breakout seasons; getting an above-average Bogaerts would make this team far more dangerous.
<h2>5) New York Yankees</h2>
Record: 94-68
Last postseason appearance: 2022, lost to Houston in ALCS
Moving the Padres up meant someone needed to drop some, and that happened to the Yankees. The identity of this team features the best duo in the league in Juan Soto and Aaron Judge. The former eclipsed 40 home runs for the first time in his career, and the latter fell just two home runs shy of 60 in what would&#8217;ve been the second time he achieved that feat in three years. This team still comes with their question marks, but their most concerning trait is how much they&#8217;ve fallen short since Judge made the playoffs for the first time. They&#8217;ve got some doubters (including me) to prove wrong.
For the Yankees to go far, they need ______ to be at his best: Austin Wells. There are a lot of choices here, but Wells lengthened New York&#8217;s lineup whenever it became predictable. He started the season in the bottom third of the batting order, but very productive months of July and August earned Wells regular playing time batting cleanup. The Rookie of the Year candidate slashed .252/.330/.431 in 39 games in the 4-hole with six homers and 33 RBIs.
<h2>6) Cleveland Guardians</h2>
Record: 92-69
Last postseason appearance: 2022, lost to New York Yankees in ALDS
Despite not having the flashiest team, the Guardians had an incredible season under first-year manager Stephen Vogt. Jose Ramirez flirted with a 40/40/40 season, amassing 39 home runs, 39 doubles, and 41 stolen bases to go along with a .279/.335/.537 slash line. Cleveland&#8217;s best trait lies within their bullpen; you know, those guys with itty bitty ERAs on their team stat sheet. Their ability to shorten the game makes them a lethal playoff opponent, almost eerily similar to their 2016 squad.
For the Guardians to go far, they need ______ to be at his best: Tanner Bibee. Like many other teams on this list, the Guardians have a depleted pitching rotation, but Bibee has looked like the team&#8217;s ace. Through 31 starts, Bibee held a 3.47 ERA, 1.12 WHIP, and a 9.7 K/9, but he struggled in starts against other playoff foes such as the Tigers and Royals. Again, Cleveland&#8217;s bullpen is elite. They just need a starter that can get them there.
<hr />
<figure id="attachment_77146" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-77146" style="width: 1024px" class="wp-caption aligncenter"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="size-large wp-image-77146" src="https://publish.bluejaysnation.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/8/2024/08/USATSI_23941347_168383996_lowres-1024x717.jpg" alt="" width="1024" height="717" srcset="https://publish.bluejaysnation.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/8/2024/08/USATSI_23941347_168383996_lowres-1024x717.jpg 1024w, https://publish.bluejaysnation.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/8/2024/08/USATSI_23941347_168383996_lowres-300x210.jpg 300w, https://publish.bluejaysnation.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/8/2024/08/USATSI_23941347_168383996_lowres-768x538.jpg 768w, https://publish.bluejaysnation.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/8/2024/08/USATSI_23941347_168383996_lowres-1536x1075.jpg 1536w, https://publish.bluejaysnation.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/8/2024/08/USATSI_23941347_168383996_lowres-2048x1434.jpg 2048w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px" /><figcaption id="caption-attachment-77146" class="wp-caption-text">Aug 7, 2024; Toronto, Ontario, CAN; Baltimore Orioles second baseman Jackson Holliday (7) flips his bat after hitting a two run home run against the Toronto Blue Jays during the seventh inning at Rogers Centre. Mandatory Credit: Nick Turchiaro-USA TODAY Sports</figcaption></figure>
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<h2>7) Baltimore Orioles</h2>
Record: 91-71
Last postseason appearance: 2023, lost to Texas in ALDS
One of the most youthful and exciting teams in the league with high hopes of making a run in the postseason is somewhat limping into the postseason. The Orioles duelled with the Yankees for control of the AL East, but their 38-40 finish to the regular season didn&#8217;t do them any favours. Baltimore&#8217;s trade deadline turned out to be quantity over quality; Eloy Jimenez and Trevor Rogers were sent down to the minor leagues, and Seranthony Dominguez and Gregory Soto haven&#8217;t exactly posed much of a threat at the backend of their bullpen. Nonetheless, they&#8217;ve gotten into the playoffs, and they still have the talent to make a run.
For the Orioles to go far, they need ______ to be at his best: Adley Rutschman. One of the pillars of this Orioles rebuild, the third-year backstop took several steps back between the first and second halves of the season. During the final 58 games of the season, Rutschman slashed .207/.282/.303, heavily weighing down the .300-plus batting average he maintained through the first couple of months of the season. He has a long career ahead of him, but Rutschman has chance to rewrite the script on his 2024 season and give the Orioles a shot.
<h2>8) Milwaukee Brewers</h2>
Record: 93-69
Last postseason appearance: 2023, lost to Arizona in NLWC
Milwaukee continued to serve as the class of the NL Central in the first year of the Pat Murphy era, collecting the franchise&#8217;s third division title in the last four years. Despite this, it hasn&#8217;t been enough to get the Brewers out of the Wild Card series or NLDS in that time span. 20-year-old Jackson Chourio is doing what he can to change that after posting a 20/20/20 rookie season, and while the pitching rotation doesn&#8217;t have many household names, they did enough to keep the team competitive and get them to another dominant group of Brewers bullpen arms.
For the Brewers to go far, they need ______ to be at his best: Freddy Peralta. I could almost copy what I wrote for Tanner Bibee and Cleveland, but the same really goes for Peralta here. He was a part of some really good Milwaukee rotations with Corbin Burnes and Brandon Woodruff, but Peralta is now the head of the snake. He started 32 games this season with a 3.68 ERA and 1.22 WHIP, and he&#8217;s got a quality start against the Mets under his belt from this season.
<h2>9) Kansas City Royals</h2>
Record: 86-76
Last postseason appearance: 2015, won World Series
They may have narrowly gotten in, but the Orioles can&#8217;t be thrilled that they&#8217;ll be facing Cole Ragans and Seth Lugo to start this Wild Card series. In his first full year with the Royals, Ragans pitched to a 3.14 ERA and 10.8 K/9 through 32 starts, making last year&#8217;s Aroldis Chapman trade seem more and more victorious for Kansas City. Lugo turned out to be money well spent as he dabbled with Cy Young talks, posting a 3.00 ERA over 33 starts.
For the Royals to go far, they need ______ to be at his best: Bobby Witt Jr. Postseason game number one for one of the game&#8217;s youngest stars. The MLB&#8217;s leader in batting average and hits spearheads Kansas City&#8217;s offence, rocking a .977 OPS and 171 OPS+ in his third season. The pitching will do their fair share for the Royals, but their middle-of-the-road offense will need to show up at some point, and it starts with #7.
<h2>10) New York Mets</h2>
Record: 89-73
Last postseason appearance: 2022, lost to San Diego in NLWC
The Mets are the ultimate wild card. Would it surprise me if they got swept in the first round? Not at all. Would it surprise me if they made a run to the NLCS? Nope. A hit song from one of their players, a positive influence from Grimace, and an MVP candidate in Francisco Lindor, the Mets fit the &#8220;wild card&#8221; title perfectly.
For the Mets to go far, they need ______ to be at his best: Brandon Nimmo. Offensively, this was one of Nimmo&#8217;s worst seasons since 2019. He was removed from the leadoff spot, and while the Mets will gladly take Lindor&#8217;s production there, Nimmo hasn&#8217;t found a consistent level of success in whichever spot he&#8217;s occupied. He held a .224/.327/.399 slash line through 151 games this year, and he&#8217;s had only three hits in 27 at-bats against Brewers pitching this season.
<h2>11) Atlanta Braves</h2>
Record: 89-73
Last postseason appearance: 2023, lost to Philadelphia in NLDS
The Mets are the fun team, but the Braves are the &#8220;house money&#8221; team. The amount of star power that has been on their Injured List throughout the season should be criminal, but Brian Snitker and his staff did a fantastic job getting to this point. Clinching a postseason berth on Monday was a great time, but the team was hit with some tough news in that Chris Sale would likely be unavailable for the Wild Card series due to back spasms. This is the 2024 Atlanta Braves after all &#8211; they may just be built for this kind of uphill battle.
For the Braves to go far, they need ______ to be at his best: Reynaldo Lopez. He was one of the most underrated pitchers this season, finishing with a 1.99 ERA and 1.11 WHIP through 26 games (25 starts). Lopez is almost guaranteed a start in the Wild Card series against the Padres now, and he&#8217;s faced them twice already this season, allowing 16 hits and five earned runs in 12.1 innings.
<h2>12) Detroit Tigers</h2>
Record: 86-76
Last postseason appearance: 2014, lost to Baltimore in ALDS
A 39-26 second half coupled with a collapse from the Minnesota Twins has the Tigers in the playoffs for the first time in a decade, and manager A.J. Hinch gets to face his former club in the first round. Starting pitcher and ace Tarik Skubal, who was heavily involved in trade rumours through most of the first half, has all but won his first career Cy Young award. He posted an 18-4 record, a 2.39 ERA, and a 0.92 WHIP while leading the league in strikeouts. Pitching is what will have to keep them in games because out-slugging Houston isn&#8217;t for the weak.
For the Tigers to go far, they need ______ to be at his best: Spencer Torkelson. He was optioned to Triple-A Toledo in early June, but his numbers made a few strides upon his return in mid-August. The former top prospect has legitimate power, but there has not been a better time for Torkelson to display it as the Tigers don&#8217;t have a clear alpha in their batting order.

One hundred sixty-two games are in the books, and baseball is ready for one of the most wide-open and unpredictable playoff fields in recent memory. This year marks the first time since 2014 that no team won 100 games, and if last year’s World Series taught us anything, it’s that we shouldn’t worry about the win totals too much and don’t sleep on those Wild Card teams.

For these power rankings, this is how I see all 12 teams on paper entering the postseason. This doesn’t necessarily mean one team that is ahead of the other means that they’ll win their playoff series, though, because anything can happen.


<h2>1) Philadelphia Phillies</h2>
Record: 95-67

Last postseason appearance: 2023, lost to Arizona in NLCS

Forget just making the playoffs. The Phillies have played well into October in each of the past two seasons, including taking out the 104-win Braves last season. Their rotation boasts two of the best and most durable starters in the game in Zack Wheeler and Aaron Nola, both of which have had their fair share of success in the playoffs during the past two postseasons.

For the Phillies to go far, they need ______ to be at his best: Carlos Estevez. It might not be the most obvious name, but the Phillies traded away two of their late-game relievers at the trade deadline, so he'll shoulder a lot of the high leverage frames in October. Estevez, who has only pitched in one playoff game in his career, had a really nice 2024, posting a 2.45 ERA, 0.909 WHIP, and 26 saves across 54 games this season. His pitch mix has been simple but effective; opponents hit below .200 against his fastball, slider, and changeup this season.
<h2>2) Houston Astros</h2>
Record: 88-73

Last postseason appearance: 2023, lost to Texas in ALCS

Similar to Philadelphia, I'm a big fan of the experience here. Houston is looking to go to their eighth consecutive ALCS and their fifth World Series in that same time span. They surely exceeded their limit on pitching injuries this season, but they've still found a way to make it work with Yusei Kikuchi shutting all of the trade deadline haters up, Ronel Blanco emerging as an impactful starter, and Hunter Brown holding a 2.26 ERA during the second half of the season.

For the Astros to go far, they need ______ to be at his best: Kyle Tucker. He played in only 78 games this season due to a shin contusion, but he looked fantastic after he returned in September with 23 hits in 18 games. Unfortunately for Houston, they may be without Yordan Alvarez for the Wild Card series against Detroit due to a knee sprain. Alvarez's availability will be a literal game-time decision, but if he can't go, Tucker becomes Houston's greatest weapon from the left side of the dish. Even though he missed a large portion of the season, he still finished third on the team in home runs with 23.
<h2>3) Los Angeles Dodgers</h2>
Record: 98-64

Last postseason appearance: 2023, lost to Arizona in NLDS

With the amount of success and talent that has resided in Chavez Ravine during the last decade, the Dodgers could easily have more than just one championship during that time span. Adding Shohei Ohtani (54 homers, 130 RBIs) and Teoscar Hernandez (33 homers, 99 RBIs) to a core of Freddie Freeman, Will Smith, and Mookie Betts is only going to make that lineup more dangerous, but as they've learned in the past, they'll need those guys to show up once the calendar flips to October.

For the Dodgers to go far, they need ______ to be at his best: Yoshinobu Yamamoto. Ohtani has obviously and rightfully been the most popular free agent signing that the Dodgers made, but this would be one heck of a time for Yamamoto to remind fans not to forget about him. The 325 million dollar man pitched to a 3.00 ERA, 1.11 WHIP, and a 10.5 K/9 through 18 starts this season, and his performances will carry a lot of weight given how many injuries the Dodgers have suffered within their rotation.
<h2>4) San Diego Padres</h2>
Record: 93-69

Last postseason appearance: 2022, lost to Philadelphia in NLCS

This might be a high mark for the Padres, but they had a chance to win the NL West during the final week of the season before dropping a competitive series with the Dodgers. The Padres have a very intriguing build, and it got even better after acquiring relievers Jason Adam and Tanner Scott at the trade deadline. San Diego enters the postseason as one of the healthiest teams in the field, with shortstop Ha-Seong Kim being their only starter on the injured list.

For the Padres to go far, they need ______ to be at his best: Xander Bogaerts. He's got the most postseason experience on the team, but his two years with the Padres have been underwhelming compared to what he achieved in Boston. Bogaerts slashed .264/.307/.381 with 11 homers and 44 RBIs this season, although a shoulder fracture kept him out for several weeks. San Diego benefited heavily from Jackson Merrill and Jurickson Profar having breakout seasons; getting an above-average Bogaerts would make this team far more dangerous.
<h2>5) New York Yankees</h2>
Record: 94-68

Last postseason appearance: 2022, lost to Houston in ALCS

Moving the Padres up meant someone needed to drop some, and that happened to the Yankees. The identity of this team features the best duo in the league in Juan Soto and Aaron Judge. The former eclipsed 40 home runs for the first time in his career, and the latter fell just two home runs shy of 60 in what would've been the second time he achieved that feat in three years. This team still comes with their question marks, but their most concerning trait is how much they've fallen short since Judge made the playoffs for the first time. They've got some doubters (including me) to prove wrong.

For the Yankees to go far, they need ______ to be at his best: Austin Wells. There are a lot of choices here, but Wells lengthened New York's lineup whenever it became predictable. He started the season in the bottom third of the batting order, but very productive months of July and August earned Wells regular playing time batting cleanup. The Rookie of the Year candidate slashed .252/.330/.431 in 39 games in the 4-hole with six homers and 33 RBIs.
<h2>6) Cleveland Guardians</h2>
Record: 92-69

Last postseason appearance: 2022, lost to New York Yankees in ALDS

Despite not having the flashiest team, the Guardians had an incredible season under first-year manager Stephen Vogt. Jose Ramirez flirted with a 40/40/40 season, amassing 39 home runs, 39 doubles, and 41 stolen bases to go along with a .279/.335/.537 slash line. Cleveland's best trait lies within their bullpen; you know, those guys with itty bitty ERAs on their team stat sheet. Their ability to shorten the game makes them a lethal playoff opponent, almost eerily similar to their 2016 squad.

For the Guardians to go far, they need ______ to be at his best: Tanner Bibee. Like many other teams on this list, the Guardians have a depleted pitching rotation, but Bibee has looked like the team's ace. Through 31 starts, Bibee held a 3.47 ERA, 1.12 WHIP, and a 9.7 K/9, but he struggled in starts against other playoff foes such as the Tigers and Royals. Again, Cleveland's bullpen is elite. They just need a starter that can get them there.

<hr />

[caption id="attachment_77146" align="aligncenter" width="1024"]<img class="size-large wp-image-77146" src="https://publish.bluejaysnation.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/8/2024/08/USATSI_23941347_168383996_lowres-1024x717.jpg" alt="" width="1024" height="717" /> Aug 7, 2024; Toronto, Ontario, CAN; Baltimore Orioles second baseman Jackson Holliday (7) flips his bat after hitting a two run home run against the Toronto Blue Jays during the seventh inning at Rogers Centre. Mandatory Credit: Nick Turchiaro-USA TODAY Sports[/caption]

<hr />

<h2>7) Baltimore Orioles</h2>
Record: 91-71

Last postseason appearance: 2023, lost to Texas in ALDS

One of the most youthful and exciting teams in the league with high hopes of making a run in the postseason is somewhat limping into the postseason. The Orioles duelled with the Yankees for control of the AL East, but their 38-40 finish to the regular season didn't do them any favours. Baltimore's trade deadline turned out to be quantity over quality; Eloy Jimenez and Trevor Rogers were sent down to the minor leagues, and Seranthony Dominguez and Gregory Soto haven't exactly posed much of a threat at the backend of their bullpen. Nonetheless, they've gotten into the playoffs, and they still have the talent to make a run.

For the Orioles to go far, they need ______ to be at his best: Adley Rutschman. One of the pillars of this Orioles rebuild, the third-year backstop took several steps back between the first and second halves of the season. During the final 58 games of the season, Rutschman slashed .207/.282/.303, heavily weighing down the .300-plus batting average he maintained through the first couple of months of the season. He has a long career ahead of him, but Rutschman has chance to rewrite the script on his 2024 season and give the Orioles a shot.
<h2>8) Milwaukee Brewers</h2>
Record: 93-69

Last postseason appearance: 2023, lost to Arizona in NLWC

Milwaukee continued to serve as the class of the NL Central in the first year of the Pat Murphy era, collecting the franchise's third division title in the last four years. Despite this, it hasn't been enough to get the Brewers out of the Wild Card series or NLDS in that time span. 20-year-old Jackson Chourio is doing what he can to change that after posting a 20/20/20 rookie season, and while the pitching rotation doesn't have many household names, they did enough to keep the team competitive and get them to another dominant group of Brewers bullpen arms.

For the Brewers to go far, they need ______ to be at his best: Freddy Peralta. I could almost copy what I wrote for Tanner Bibee and Cleveland, but the same really goes for Peralta here. He was a part of some really good Milwaukee rotations with Corbin Burnes and Brandon Woodruff, but Peralta is now the head of the snake. He started 32 games this season with a 3.68 ERA and 1.22 WHIP, and he's got a quality start against the Mets under his belt from this season.
<h2>9) Kansas City Royals</h2>
Record: 86-76

Last postseason appearance: 2015, won World Series

They may have narrowly gotten in, but the Orioles can't be thrilled that they'll be facing Cole Ragans and Seth Lugo to start this Wild Card series. In his first full year with the Royals, Ragans pitched to a 3.14 ERA and 10.8 K/9 through 32 starts, making last year's Aroldis Chapman trade seem more and more victorious for Kansas City. Lugo turned out to be money well spent as he dabbled with Cy Young talks, posting a 3.00 ERA over 33 starts.

For the Royals to go far, they need ______ to be at his best: Bobby Witt Jr. Postseason game number one for one of the game's youngest stars. The MLB's leader in batting average and hits spearheads Kansas City's offence, rocking a .977 OPS and 171 OPS+ in his third season. The pitching will do their fair share for the Royals, but their middle-of-the-road offense will need to show up at some point, and it starts with #7.
<h2>10) New York Mets</h2>
Record: 89-73

Last postseason appearance: 2022, lost to San Diego in NLWC

The Mets are the ultimate wild card. Would it surprise me if they got swept in the first round? Not at all. Would it surprise me if they made a run to the NLCS? Nope. A hit song from one of their players, a positive influence from Grimace, and an MVP candidate in Francisco Lindor, the Mets fit the "wild card" title perfectly.

For the Mets to go far, they need ______ to be at his best: Brandon Nimmo. Offensively, this was one of Nimmo's worst seasons since 2019. He was removed from the leadoff spot, and while the Mets will gladly take Lindor's production there, Nimmo hasn't found a consistent level of success in whichever spot he's occupied. He held a .224/.327/.399 slash line through 151 games this year, and he's had only three hits in 27 at-bats against Brewers pitching this season.
<h2>11) Atlanta Braves</h2>
Record: 89-73

Last postseason appearance: 2023, lost to Philadelphia in NLDS

The Mets are the fun team, but the Braves are the "house money" team. The amount of star power that has been on their Injured List throughout the season should be criminal, but Brian Snitker and his staff did a fantastic job getting to this point. Clinching a postseason berth on Monday was a great time, but the team was hit with some tough news in that Chris Sale would likely be unavailable for the Wild Card series due to back spasms. This is the 2024 Atlanta Braves after all - they may just be built for this kind of uphill battle.

For the Braves to go far, they need ______ to be at his best: Reynaldo Lopez. He was one of the most underrated pitchers this season, finishing with a 1.99 ERA and 1.11 WHIP through 26 games (25 starts). Lopez is almost guaranteed a start in the Wild Card series against the Padres now, and he's faced them twice already this season, allowing 16 hits and five earned runs in 12.1 innings.
<h2>12) Detroit Tigers</h2>
Record: 86-76

Last postseason appearance: 2014, lost to Baltimore in ALDS

A 39-26 second half coupled with a collapse from the Minnesota Twins has the Tigers in the playoffs for the first time in a decade, and manager A.J. Hinch gets to face his former club in the first round. Starting pitcher and ace Tarik Skubal, who was heavily involved in trade rumours through most of the first half, has all but won his first career Cy Young award. He posted an 18-4 record, a 2.39 ERA, and a 0.92 WHIP while leading the league in strikeouts. Pitching is what will have to keep them in games because out-slugging Houston isn't for the weak.

For the Tigers to go far, they need ______ to be at his best: Spencer Torkelson. He was optioned to Triple-A Toledo in early June, but his numbers made a few strides upon his return in mid-August. The former top prospect has legitimate power, but there has not been a better time for Torkelson to display it as the Tigers don't have a clear alpha in their batting order.

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Kansas City Royals shortstop Bobby Witt Jr. (7) hits an RBI single against the Toronto Blue Jays during the sixth inning at Rogers Centre.

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