MLB execs, insiders on 2025 playoff favorites, biggest threats - ESPN

The MLB playoffs are just around the corner and shaping up to be a wide-open affair. For the second consecutive season, there is not a single team on pace to win 100 or more games. That means there is plenty of parity across the majors, which is bound to carry over to October.

With that in mind, we asked 19 baseball players, executives and scouts: Who is the team to beat in the National League? And who is the team to beat in the American League?

There was little uniformity to their answers, though most agreed on one thing: a sleeper team that people in both leagues agreed could make a run in October. Here's how those in the game view the upcoming postseason.

(Phillies, 5; Dodgers, 4; Padres, 2; Mets, 1)

Voting was as tight as you might imagine, considering the Brewers are mixed in with the defending champion Dodgers and high-priced Phillies. Those teams dominated our poll, leaving few votes for anyone else.

All three teams can slug their way to the World Series, but the Dodgers have a distinct advantage in the power game, outhomering both Philadelphia and Milwaukee by a wide margin this regular season. However, Philly employs easily the best closer of the three — a crucial element that could help finish off those tight October games.

Still, it was the Brewers who won our poll because they've played at such a high level in all areas while also possessing a deep and healthy starting staff.

Why the Brewers

NL player: «They seem like a team that has a really solid plan and cohesive approach. And they seem like they're on the same page. I just like how they play. And they've done it all year; why can't they keep it going?»

NL scout: «They still have to figure out the back end of their pen, but in a short series, they have