The Athletic has live coverage of the MLB Wild Card Series.
The postseason begins with no clear favorite, as MLB finished the regular season with no 100-game winner for the first time since 2014. Every team seemingly has a path to a title, and every team also appears to have a flaw as big as the Death Star. So who will take home the trophy at the end of the playoff marathon? Our staff experts weigh in with their predictions:
Predictions for World Series winner
Andy McCullough (Houston): They have the best starting rotation. They have a championship core. This is what the Astros do.
Will Sammon (Philadelphia): Their lineup remains as formidable as anyone’s. Their rotation features enough starters opposing teams do not want to see in any pivotal game. Oh, and they also created a bullpen loaded with variety, depth and talent.
Fabian Ardaya (Houston): I mean, they’ve made it this point. And once the Astros get let into the dance, they tend to go far.
C. Trent Rosecrans (Cleveland): They don’t have the sexiest team, but they just do everything right. They’re death by a thousand paper cuts. They’re a team that won’t make the big mistakes but will force their opponents to do so.
Eno Sarris (San Diego): Excellent starters, great relievers by the handful, a lineup that not only makes contact but does so with power: all things the Padres enjoy.
Andrew Baggarly (Philadelphia): My gut wants me to pick the Padres because they have starting pitchers capable of dominance, a deep and nasty bullpen, and a star-laden lineup. But the Phillies have all those things and maybe more of them — plus the best home-field advantage in the major leagues. Ring the bell.
Jen McCaffrey (Philadelphia): They’re deep and experienced. This feels like their year to finally pull it all together.
Keith Law (Philadelphia): They’re almost fully healthy and have the kind of top-end hitters and pitchers who make the difference in the postseason’s limited schedule.
Stephen J. Nesbitt (Philadelphia): There is no perfect team this postseason. But the Phillies come closer than anyone. They have a well-rounded lineup, a rotation led by Cy Young candidate Zack Wheeler, and a bullpen with some of the baddest stuff in the sport. They are capable of getting on the board quickly, and holding on.
Sam Blum (Cleveland): Bullpens win games in the playoffs. And there’s no better bullpen than Cleveland’s.
Chad Jennings (Philadelphia): If the Phillies aren’t going to win, then what’s their fatal flaw? For the Dodgers, it’s their banged-up rotation. For the Yankees, it’s a thin bullpen and uncertain bottom of the order. For the Astros, it’s injuries that have weakened their outfield and robbed them of multiple starting pitchers. But the Phillies don’t have a glaring weakness. Their pitching staff has a legitimate ace, a four-deep rotation, and an elite bullpen. Their lineup can run, hit home runs, and score in multiple ways from top to bottom. Manager Rob Thomson is a battle-tested veteran with a steady hand.
They’ve come close in the past two seasons. This is the year they win it all.
Chandler Rome (San Diego): The Padres are the most complete team in the sport.
Zack Meisel (San Diego): A.J. Preller’s maniacal wheeling and dealing finally pays off. The Padres have the pitching and just enough offense to get it done.
Kaitlyn McGrath (Philadelphia): At one point this season, it looked like the Phillies would cruise to the best record in baseball. That didn’t happen, but even within their uneven play, there was never a serious doubt that the Phillies wouldn’t figure it out. The Phillies have been a big presence in the postseason for a couple of years now, and it feels like this is finally the time that Bryce Harper leads them all the way.
David O’Brien (Philadelphia): It’s their time, with almost the same group of veterans having made several runs together at this thing.
Sahadev Sharma (San Diego): They look like the most balanced team. Defense isn’t great, but the rest is well above average.
Patrick Mooney (Philadelphia): A star-studded roster built for the postseason.
Noah Furtado (Los Angeles): They have Shohei Ohtani.
(Top photo: Carmen Mandato / Getty Images)