As October is just around the corner, many are wondering what the MLB playoffs will look like.  Of course, many teams stick out as major playoff contenders.  

One major contender is the Los Angeles Dodgers, who have proven their capability of meeting expectations.  With the likes of Mookie Betts and Freddie Freeman, they are certainly a force to be reckoned with.  As of Sept. 11, they are guaranteed to make the playoffs and will have well over 100 wins this season.  The Dodgers are not a sure thing when it comes to winning the World Series.  With an injury to star pitcher Walker Buehler and their bullpen failing to meet expectations, lately many have questioned how far they could go without some much better pitching.  

“I think the Dodgers are an outstanding team but without some key players, I don’t think they can make it that far in the playoffs compared to other teams like the Mets or Astros,” said sophomore Jake Chakrian. 

Although the Astros have a worse record, they are shaping up to be a better contender to win it all.  With players like veteran pitcher Justin Verlander leading their rotation, who has a 16-3 overall record this year, they could prove a formidable force against other teams. As good as their pitching has been, their hitting has been even better.  The Astros’ strongest player is Yordan Alvarez, who has crushed a whopping 32 home runs this season, a record for his career.  

“Alvarez and Verlander are unstoppable this season.  If the Astros keep performing they could clinch the title this year,” said sophomore Paul Trombly.  

Although the Astros are a better team, some could argue that the Mets are the dark horse of top contenders.  The Mets, who have had great success this season, have been ramping it up in terms of their pitching.  Jacob deGrom has come back from his injury to  dominate the field, with a stellar 2.01 ERA as of Sept. 15.  It’s not just deGrom who has done well in the Mets rotation; fellow right-hander Max Scherzer has also shown skill this season.  Scherzer has a whopping 153 strikeouts and will likely have more as the season winds down.  Some say that the Mets pitching does not have support from the bats, but hitting has still been strong this season. 

“The Mets hitting, despite some shortcomings, has had a great year and I think they could even win it all this season,” said sophomore Jacob Spence.  

The Mets’ Jeff McNeil has been having a formidable year, with a .322 batting average and 56 runs batted in this season.  The Yankees, on the other hand, have not been having much luck in the second half with tons of losing streaks throughout the season.  Despite this, Aaron Judge has had an electric season, totaling an MLB-leading 57 home runs by Sept. 15 and a .310 batting average.  The pitching staff has not had much success except for Nestor Cortes, who has led the staff with a 2.70 ERA and a strong 142 strikeouts as of Sept. 15. Although individual players have been doing well the team as a whole has done poorly.  With only a six-game lead as of Sept. 15, many have questioned if they could make it very far in the playoffs.  

In the new playoff system, there are now three wildcard teams, making it much easier for teams like the Phillies or the Padres to make the playoffs.  The Padres have struggled this season, even with their blockbuster star Juan Soto lighting it up on the field with over 100 hits this season.  However, they have not had that much success compared to other teams, and have sorely missed star shortstop Fernando Tatís, Jr.  

In the end, only one team can come out on top and be crowned as the World Series Champion.  Whether it be the Dodgers, Mets, Astros, or an unlikely contender, these playoffs are going to be must-watch.