The MLB playoffs officially kick off on Tuesday with the Wild Card Round, and you know what that means: the march to the 2026 World Series is on! The regular season just wrapped up Sunday, and all eyes are on the Los Angeles Dodgers. They’re sitting pretty as the undeniable favorites at +200 odds, gunning for their third straight championship, and frankly, they look like they might just pull it off.
The Dodgers Are a Playoff Machine, Even With the Scares
Let’s be real: this Dodgers team is built different. They’ve already snagged two championships in a row, and they’re showing up to the postseason with the best pitching staff in MLB by fWAR and the second best position player group. Sure, Shohei Ohtani has looked human this year, stuck to only hitting thanks to nagging injuries. And yeah, that big-ticket reliever Edwin Diaz has been unreliable, which is never what you want in October. Even Freddie Freeman and Mookie Betts aren’t getting any younger. But when you can roll out Yoshinobu Yamamoto, Tarik Skubal, Tyler Glasnow, and Blake Snell to start playoff games, you’ve got a problem for the rest of the league. Glasnow and Snell are healthy and available, and that’s all this team needs to bring home another ring. They might not be immortal, but they’re deserved favorites.
Can Anyone Stop LA? The Rays Have Star Power, But Also Questions
So, who’s got a shot at stopping this Dodgers juggernaut? The Milwaukee Brewers are next up on the odds board at +600. The Tampa Bay Rays are lurking at +800 and they’re always a fascinating team. They’ve got true star power in Junior Caminero and some great offensive pieces around him. But you have to ask: can they get enough outs? Past Rays teams were masters of run prevention, but this year their bullpen has been surprisingly mediocre and the starting rotation is just decent. That’s a huge question mark when you’re facing elite playoff offenses.
Other teams in the mix include the New York Yankees (+850), Cleveland Guardians (+1200), and both the Boston Red Sox and Atlanta Braves at +1500. The Chicago Cubs are in the hunt at +1700, followed by the San Diego Padres and Philadelphia Phillies at +2000. And if you’re looking for a longshot with some name recognition, the Houston Astros are at +2500, with the Chicago White Sox bringing up the rear at +4000.
The Wild Card Round kicks everything off on Tuesday, and the stakes couldn’t be higher. Every pitch, every swing, every out matters. Can anyone really challenge the Dodgers, or are we about to witness history with a three-peat? We’ll start finding out real soon.
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by CBS Sports.
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