MLB Playoffs Heat Up

The Major League Baseball postseason began with twelve teams competing for a title, including the Boston Red Sox, Chicago Cubs, Tampa Bay Rays, Houston Astros, Chicago White Sox, Milwaukee Brewers, Los Angeles Dodgers, Cleveland Guardians, Philadelphia Phillies, New York Yankees, San Diego Padres, and Atlanta Braves. The bracket has narrowed down to the final five teams competing, with the Dodgers and the Brewers playing for the National League Pennant. 

In the American League, the most shocking team was the Chicago White Sox, who have had an absolute 180-degree turn of a season. In the 2024 season, the White Sox broke their all-time losing record with a record of 39-121, which was seen as the lowest of lows for the franchise, but after having another 100-loss season in 2025, they are now in the running to make the American League Championship Series.

Similar to the White Sox, the Rays have also experienced an absolute turnaround. The Rays came into the season with low expectations due to recent struggles with attendance, missing the playoffs the year before by 10 games. However, the Rays have been acting like a completely new team this year, winning the AL East and sweeping the Yankees in the ALDS.

The National League was less surprising, with the Padres sweeping the Cubs and the Braves beating the Phillies in 3. The Dodgers beat the Braves in Game 4, winning the series, and the Brewers did the same, beating the Padres in 4. This sets up the Championship Series for a very good series between the two best teams from the National League.

Image Courtesy of Dmoore5556 on Wikimedia Commons.