2025 MLB Playoffs preview

There will be no Diamondback team in the 2025 playoffs, the team losing their last five games to miss out on a post-season spot. But that doesn’t mean we will be ignoring the playoffs entirely. Indeed, there will be a Postseason Gameday Thread every day there is a game, through the end of the World Series. Below, you’ll find capsule portraits of each of the dozen teams involved, along with various nuggets of information regarding them, D-backs involved, etc. Teams are listed in descending order of regular season wins – though it is worth stressing that everybody starts the post-season 0-0, and it’s how they play the next month that will determine the World Series champion,

Milwaukee Brewers (97-65)

• Odds: 6-1 (BetOnline), 7.3%
• Last title: Never
• Best player and pitcher: Bryce Turang (5.5 bWAR) and Freddie Peralta (5.5)
• D-backs involved: Shelby Miller

Will this finally be the year for the Brew Crew? They had the best record in franchise history, and it’s the first time since 1982 they have led the majors in the regular season. That team won the pennant, and was the last occasion Milwaukee reached the World Series. However, Fangraphs gives then only the sixth-best odds of winning it all, and they ranked only ninth in the NL for home-runs, which can be a huge difference maker in the playoffs.

Philadelphia Phillies (96-66)

• Odds: 9/2, 16.8%
• Last title: 2006
• Best player and pitcher: Trea Turner (5.5) and Cristopher Sánchez (8.0)
• D-backs involved: Buddy Kennedy, Taijuan Walker, Brett de Geus and, I guess, Jhoan Duran

The fourth season in a row the Phillies have made it to the post-season, and I honestly had not realized how good a season Sánchez had. Only thirteen wins, but a 2.50 ERA, and one of the rare starters this year to pass two hundred innings. Turner has just come back off the IL in terms for the playoffs, and makes a formidable 1-2 punch at the heart of the Philadelphia line-up. But if it comes down to a battle with the Brewers in the NLCS, worth noting Milwaukee took the season series 4-2.

Toronto Blue Jays (94-68)

• Odds: 7-1, 10.2%
• Last title: 1993
• Best player and pitcher: George Springer (4.8), Kevin Gausman (3.8)
• D-backs involved: Daulton Varsho, Max Scherzer, Buddy Kennedy

They pipped the Yankees for the AL East by virtue of an 8-5 regular season record, but the bookies do not favor them if that rematch is repeated in the ALDS. Never mind a series, Toronto haven’t won a playoff game since 2016, but will at least get to sit back and see which divisional rival they face in the Division Series. Their team ERA is actually worse than AL average (4.18 vs. 4.09), so if they are to go anywhere, it’ll likely be as far as their offense can take them.

New York Yankees (94-68)

• Odds: 15/2, 9.6%
• Last titie: 2009
• Best player and pitcher: Aaron Judge (9.7) + Carlos Rodon (4.6)
• D-backs involved: Paul Goldschmidt, Jazz Chisholm, Luke Weaver

Know the last time New York had a losing record? 1992. Despite much weeping and wailing over the struggles in the Bronx, that streak was never really under threat this season: their worst calendar month was just one game below .500. That said, they did show a tendency to be pretty streaky, with multiple six-game losing streaks this year. On the other hand, they finished off the regular season on an eight-game winning streak, so none of the playoff contenders are hotter coming in.

Los Angeles Dodgers (93-69)

• Odds: 11/2, 16.0%
• Last title: 2024, duh
• Best player and pitcher: Shohei Ohtani (7.7) and Yoshinobu Yamamoto (5.0)
• D-backs involved: Buddy Kennedy, Anthony Banda, J.P. Feyereisen

Was Kennedy on every playoff team this year? No, but of the six teams he has played for since 2023, five of them have gone to the post-season. Just saying… Well, the Dodgers did indeed win another division title, and spent precisely three days out of first place after April. But it was their lowest win percentage since 2018, and the third year in a row where their win total declined. However, there’s no more fearsome top of the order, and if the bullpen can avoid imploding, they’ll be a threat.

Chicago Cubs (92-70)

• Odds: 14/1, 3.9%
• Last title: 2016
• Best player and pitcher: Nico Hoerner (6.1) and Matthew Boyd (2.6)
• D-backs involved: Dansby Swanson, Carson Kelly and manager Craig Counsell

First time back in the post-season since 2020, and they haven’t gone past the wild-card round since 2017. Their pitching wasn’t up to much (102 ERA+) and they will have, at least initially, to do without starting pitcher Cade Horton. However, their offense was the best in the NL by OPS+ (116), with eight different position players worth more than three bWAR, and six coming in at four or better. They also had a very stable line-up, six men each appearing in 150+ games.

Seattle Mariners (90-72)

• Odds: 5/1, 19.8%
• Last title: never
• Best player and pitcher: Cal Raleigh (7.3) and Bryan Woo (4.0)
• D-backs involved: Josh Naylor, Dominic Canzone, Eugenio Suarez, Ryan Bliss, Jose Castillo, Juan Burgos, Brandyn Garcia

Yeah, I think a lot of D-backs fans will be rooting for Chase Field West, given trade deadline activity. Naylor has been well worth it for Seattle; Suarez, less so. But we all know how Geno can suddenly get hot, and if that happens in the playoffs, you can only hope to contain him. This was the Mariners’ first division title since 2001, when they won 116 games, and… Well, we all know what happened there. They’ve been very consistent of late, winning 85-90 games each of the last five seasons.

San Diego Padres (90-72)

• Odds: 12-1, 5.9%
• Last title: never
• Best player and pitcher: Fernando Tatis Jr. (5.9) and Nick Pivetta (5.3)
• D-backs involved: None

At least they broke the “even year bullshit” curse, after making the playoffs in 2020, 2022 and 2024, this is their first odd year appearance since 2005. Arizona got to experience first-hand how unstoppable San Diego can be, getting swept by them over the week, in a 24-9 combined score. Their bullpen is an entire regiment of flame-throwers, but after Pivetta, the rotation does have question-marks. Credit GM A.J. Preller for going all in… again… But if they fall short… again… It could be trouble.

Boston Red Sox (89-73)

• Odds: 18-1, 4.0%
• Last title: 2018
• Best player and pitcher: Ceddanne Rafaela (4.8) and Garrett Crochet (6.3)
• D-backs involved: None

If one man got the Red Sox here, it’s arguably relief pitcher Aroldis Chapman, showing what a difference a reliable closer can make. He saved 32 games in 34 chances, and one of the blown saves was before the ninth. A 1.17 ERA and 85 strikeouts over 61.1 innings will do that. The problem for Boston is more likely to be getting the ball to Chapman in the ninth. The loss of Roman Anthony will hurt the offense far more than most rookies, but when Crochet is pitching, they shouldn’t need many runs.

Cleveland Guardians (88-74)

• Odds: 22-1, 1.5%
• Last title: 1948
• Best player and pitcher: Jose Ramirez (5.8) and Gavin Williams (3.8)
• D-backs involved: Slade Cecconi, Paul Sewald

An astonishing comeback for Cleveland. They were below .500 after 130 games, and as late as September 10, had only a 4.7% change of making the playoffs. And a 0.1% chance of winning the division, being 9.5 games back, with 17 to play. Yet, here we are. They have a chance to break a championship drought now approaching eighty years – the only franchise with an empty cabinet across the major sports is the Arizona Cardinals, who last won anything in 1947. When not in Arizona, obvs.

Detroit Tigers (87-75)

• Odds: 20-1, 3.4%
• Last title: 1984
• Best player and pitcher: Dillon Dingler (3.1) and Tarik Skubal (6.6)
• D-backs involved: Paul Sewald and manager A.J. Hinch

On the other side of that comeback are the Tigers, who truly have backed into the playoffs after a dismal 7-17 record in September. Still, as noted: everyone begins the post-season at 0-0, and nobody is going to enjoy facing Skubal in a short series. They also had the best record in the American League on September 1st, and it’s not as if everyone on the roster has forgotten how to play baseball in a month. But no World Series champion has ever been below .400 in September. The Tigers were at .291…

Cincinnati Reds (83-79)

• Odds: 33-1, 1.6%
• Last title: 1990
• Best player and pitcher: Elly de la Cruz (3.6) and Andrew Abbott (5.6)
• D-backs involved: Garrett Hampson, Wade Miley

Yeah, I thought Miley was Hall of Fame eligible by now, but apparently not. Anyway, we feel warm and fuzzy toward the Reds, because they eliminated the Mets on the last day of the season. But where was this “83 wins is enough for a playoff spot” last season, dammit? Heck, even the 2023 D-backs won more than that. Still, all you need to win the lottery is a ticket, and Cincinnati are now there. No question who I will be cheering for, when they face the Dodgers in the NLWC series.

And speaking of who you will be cheering for… Below please find a survey. Please rank the 12 teams in the order you will be cheering for them – #1 is your favorite and #12 your least favorite. Click on a team in the lower half to move it onto your list, and you can then drag and drop it from there!