Let's begin with the AL.
The Tampa Bay Rays won the AL East. It is their first post-season appearance since 2023 & first AL East title since 2021. With the best record in the AL, the Rays earn a first-round bye.
The Cleveland Guardians won their third consecutive AL Central title. It is the Guardians' third consecutive AL Central title and fourth in five years. Since 2016, the Guardians have won 7 AL Central titles but have no World Series rings to show for it as they are in the midst of a drought which goes back to 1948. The Guardians also get a bye in in the AL Wild Card round.
After missing the post-season a year ago on a technicality, the Houston Astros have won their 8th AL West title since 2017. Granted, the Astros finished with a record of 81-81 with manager Joe Espada not returning to manage in 2027 regardless of what they do in the post-season. To put that into perspective, the Astros would have finished 22 games back of the Milwaukee Brewers were they back in the NL Central where they were from 1994 to 2012. Hell, they even finished a game behind the Pittsburgh Pirates. But the Astros live to fight another day and will face the Chicago White Sox in the AL Wild Card Series.
The Chisox are a remarkable story with their first post-season appearance since the COVID shortened 2020 season. They are two years removed from losing an MLB record 121 games which they did exactly two years ago today. Last year, the White Sox lost 108 games under first year manager Will Venable. To say, the Chisox exceeded expectations would be an understatement. They won 30 more games than they did a year ago.
Still, I'm sure the Chisox are disappointed they didn't win the AL Central having led the division for most of the second half of the season. Should the Chisox prevail against the Astros they would get another shot at the Guardians. A footnote on the upcoming White Sox-Astros matchup. The two teams faced each other in the 2005 World Series when the Astros were still an NL team with the Chisox sweeping the Astros and earning their first World Series title since 1917.
The other AL Wild Card matchup will see the Boston Red Sox and New York Yankees face each other for a second year in a row. The Yankees prevailed a year ago. But this time there's no Aaron Judge or Giancarlo Stanton. But Ben Rice has picked up where they have left off. Still, they face a resilient Red Sox squad which fired Alex Cora in early April and had the worst record in the AL in late June before winning 32 of 37 games. The winner will face their AL East rival the Rays in the ALDs.
Now let's turn our attention to the NL.
After missing the post-season last year, the Atlanta Braves won the NL East for the 7th time since 2018 under new skipper Walt Weiss. The Milwaukee Brewers set a franchise record 103 wins en route to their fourth consecutive NL Central title and fifth in six seasons. Meanwhile, the defending back-to-back World Series champion Los Angeles Dodgers won their 14th NL West title in 15 years. With 100 wins of their own both the Dodgers and Brewers earn byes in the NL Wild Card round while the Braves will face the Philadelphia Phillies who reached the post-season by the enamel of their teeth.
The 2026 Phillies have had a season for the ages. The team fired manager Rob Thomson after a 9-19 start replacing him with Don Mattingly. Within three weeks, Mattingly had righted the ship. However, the Phillies were on the verge of a 1964 like collapse following a surge from the Arizona Diamondbacks but Mattingly righted the ship once more. If Mattingly navigates the waters against the Braves, the Phillies will face the Dodgers in the NLDS. Of course, Mattingly was Dave Roberts' predecessor at Chavez Ravine managing the club from 2011 to 2015 winning those first three NL West titles.
The other NL Wild Card matchup will see the Chicago Cubs and San Diego Padres face each other. As with the Red Sox and Yankees, they will face each other for the second year in a row. The Cubs won last year avenging their collapse against the Friars in the 1984 NLCS. Whoever prevails in this matchup faces the Brew Crew in the NLDS.
So here are the possible World Series rematches.
New York Yankees vs. Los Angeles Dodgers (2024, 1981, 1978, 1977, 1963, 1956, 1955, 1953, 1952, 1949, 1947 & 1941)
Houston Astros vs. Philadelphia Phillies (2022)
Houston Astros vs. Atlanta Braves (2021)
Tampa Bay Rays vs. Los Angeles Dodgers (2020)
Boston Red Sox vs. Los Angeles Dodgers (2018 & 1916)
Houston Astros vs. Los Angeles Dodgers (2017)
Cleveland Guardians vs. Chicago Cubs (2016)
New York Yankees vs. Philadelphia Phillies (2009 & 1950)
Tampa Bay Rays vs. Philadelphia Phillies (2008)
New York Yankees vs. Atlanta Braves (1999, 1996, 1958 & 1957)
New York Yankees vs. San Diego Padres (1998)
Cleveland Guardians vs. Atlanta Braves (1995 & 1948)
Chicago White Sox vs. Los Angeles Dodgers (1959)
Cleveland Guardians vs. Los Angeles Dodgers (1920)
Boston Red Sox vs. Chicago Cubs (1918)
Boston Red Sox vs. Philadelphia Phillies (1915)
Chicago White Sox vs. Chicago Cubs (1906)
There are two World Series matchups which have not previously taken place which would fascinate me.
Tampa Bay Rays vs. Milwaukee Brewers or San Diego Padres
Should either of these teams face each other in the Fall Classic it would mark the first World Series matchup where neither team had previously won a World Series since 1980 when the Phillies bested the Kansas City Royals to win their first championship.
While I do not follow baseball with the same rigor and enthusiasm, I still keep an eye on the standings and still care who will end up winning it all. It would be nice to attend another Red Sox World Series parade if at all possible. Whatever the outcome, let the games begin tomorrow.
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