2026 MLB playoffs: World Series odds, postseason preview - ESPN

After a thrilling conclusion to the regular season, the 2026 MLB playoff field is set!

Will Shohei Ohtani and the Los Angeles Dodgers pull off a historic three-peat? Is this the year the Milwaukee Brewers or Tampa Bay Rays finally win it all as No. 1 seeds? Will the New York Yankees or Boston Red Sox go from a wild-card meeting to the World Series? And whom should you root for in this year's field?

MLB experts Jorge Castillo, Bradford Doolittle, Alden Gonzalez, Jeff Passan and David Schoenfield get you ready with odds for every round, why every team could win it all — or go home early — and a name to watch for from all 12 World Series hopefuls.

Note: Doolittle's World Series and matchup odds come from a formula that uses power ratings as the basis for 10,000 simulations to determine the most likely outcomes. Team temperatures are based on Bill James' formula for determining how «hot» or «cold» a team is at any given point; the average is 72°.

Jump to a team:
TB | CLE | HOU | NYY| BOS | CHW
MIL | LAD | ATL | SD | CHC | PHI

Key links: Bracket | Schedule & more

No. 1 seed | 98-64 | AL East champs

ALDS opponent: Yankees (44.9% chance of advancing) or Red Sox (52.3%)

Doolittle's WS odds: 13.3% | DraftKings odds: +800

Team temperature: 84°

Why they can win the World Series: They do almost nothing poorly. No team strikes out as infrequently as the Rays (18.7% of plate appearances). They're hitting an MLB-best .283 with runners in scoring position. They turn batted balls into outs as well as anyone. They lead the AL in stolen bases. Drew Rasmussen is a legitimate frontline starter, and Nick Martinez and a resurgent Freddy Peralta backing him speaks to their rotation depth. Their bullpen is a grab-bag of fun options, from Kevin