For the second straight year, no MLB team finished the regular season with 100 wins. In 2024, that resulted in the Yankees and Dodgers, a pair of No. 1 seeds and teams from the sport’s two biggest markets, qualifying for the World Series. What will happen this year with both of those franchises starting their postseason runs Tuesday in the wild-card round?
SI senior writers Tom Verducci, Stephanie Apstein and Ryan Phillips along with editors Will Laws and Nick Selbe make their picks all the way through the World Series as well as some bold predictions.
American League BracketTom Verducci
AL Wild Card: Guardians over Tigers
AL Wild Card: Yankees over Red Sox
AL Division Series: Mariners over Guardians
AL Division Series: Yankees over Blue Jays
AL Championship Series: Yankees over Mariners
Stephanie Apstein
AL Wild Card: Guardians over Tigers
AL Wild Card: Yankees over Red Sox
AL Division Series: Mariners over Guardians
AL Division Series: Yankees over Blue Jays
AL Championship Series: Yankees over Mariners
The Yankees are an incredibly flawed baseball team, but they are so talented that I think they're going to get away with it. You don't have to know how many outs there are in the inning if you just club the ball over the fence all the time. That said, I think eventually they will face a team that's more talented and less flawed, and they'll be in some trouble. (See below.)
Will Laws
AL Wild Card: Tigers over Guardians
AL Wild Card: Red Sox over Yankees
AL Division Series: Mariners over Tigers
AL Division Series: Blue Jays over Red Sox
AL Championship Series: Mariners over Blue Jays
The AL’s two best pitchers can help their teams pull off first-round upsets. The Blue Jays are the most overlooked No. 1 seed in recent memory, which could fuel them to the World Series, but I have a hard time overlooking the lack of swing-and-miss in their gray-haired rotation. It’s about time Seattle made a World Series—and after the Mariners’ midseason moves, they have enough offense to support their stellar pitching staff.
Nick Selbe
AL Wild Card: Guardians over Tigers
AL Wild Card: Yankees over Red Sox
AL Division Series: Mariners over Guardians
AL Division Series: Yankees over Blue Jays
AL Championship Series: Mariners over Yankees
The Yankees have the offensive firepower. The Mariners have a loaded pitching staff. The difference will be Seattle's much-improved offense, with Julio Rodríguez possessing the star power to seize the moment on the big stage. Cal Raleigh, Josh Naylor, Randy Arozarena and Eugenio Suárez provide enough thump to give the Mariners their first-ever World Series appearance.
Ryan Phillips
AL Wild Card: Guardians over Tigers
AL Wild Card: Yankees over Red Sox
AL Division Series: Mariners over Guardians
AL Division Series: Yankees over Blue Jays
AL Championship Series: Mariners over Yankees