2025 MLB Playoff Rankings: With the Dodgers as the Team to Beat, the Phillies Lead the Chase to Dethrone the Reigning Powerhouse

Breaking Down the 2025 MLB Playoffs: Who’s Poised to Make a Run at the World Series?

It’s that magical, maddening time of year again — when everything matters, yet nothing is guaranteed. The MLB postseason is here, bringing with it all the chaos, heartbreak, and unpredictability that has come to define October baseball.

Over the next month, 12 teams will be whittled down to just two, with the World Series hanging in the balance. Hot teams can suddenly go cold, sluggers can vanish under playoff pitching, and all it takes is one misplaced breaking ball to flip a season’s narrative. Whether you’ve cruised into October with a division title or stumbled across the finish line as a wild-card hopeful, the postseason wipes the slate clean.

This year’s bracket kicks off Sept. 30 with four wild-card series, and the intrigue is already sky-high. The Dodgers once again loom as the team to beat, but the Phillies, Yankees, and Mariners have all made strong cases as legitimate challengers. Let’s rank the top World Series contenders heading into the 2025 playoffs.

1. Philadelphia Phillies

The Phillies feel like a team built for October. Even without ace Zack Wheeler, sidelined by shoulder surgery, Philadelphia still boasts a rotation with real depth, a proven closer, and a bullpen capable of catching fire at the right time. Offensively, everything revolves around Kyle Schwarber, fresh off a jaw-dropping 56-home-run season, with Trea Turner and company rounding out a dangerous lineup.
Sure, drawing the Dodgers early is daunting, but facing them in a five-game NLDS might be easier than a seven-game NLCS. If there was ever a moment for Philly to dethrone L.A., this is it.

2. New York Yankees

Dropping a wild-card team this high in the rankings might sound crazy, but have you seen the Yankees lately? They ended the season scorching hot, winning eight straight and going 25-8 over their last 33. Aaron Judge and Giancarlo Stanton are locked in, and Ben Rice’s late-season surge has added yet another weapon to an already potent lineup.
They’ll face tough pitching in the wild card, but if they survive, the Yankees could be the postseason’s scariest dark horse.

3. Los Angeles Dodgers

Once again, the Dodgers enter October as a juggernaut. Yoshinobu Yamamoto looks like an ace, Shohei Ohtani smashed a franchise-record 55 homers, and Blake Snell and Tyler Glasnow round out a formidable staff. On paper, they’re the most complete team in baseball.
But history hasn’t been kind to the Dodgers’ playoff runs. A potential NLDS matchup with Philadelphia has the makings of a de facto World Series.

4. Seattle Mariners

Seattle might have the best path in the field, thanks to MLB’s quirky seeding. Avoiding the Yankees-Red Sox survivor is a huge advantage, and the Mariners’ balanced roster gives them staying power. Still, they’ll need one of their young arms to emerge as a true postseason ace, and strikeout woes could haunt them. If things click, though, an ALCS appearance is well within reach.

5. Milwaukee Brewers

Back for the seventh time in eight years, the Brewers have secured the NL’s No. 1 seed. But postseason success has eluded them, with no series wins in their past five trips. Injuries to key pitchers complicate things further, and the lineup lacks the kind of thump that carries teams deep into October. They’ll need to maximize every scoring chance to avoid another early exit.

6. Toronto Blue Jays

Even after losing Bo Bichette, Toronto managed to hold off challengers and claim the division. George Springer’s resurgence gives them a legitimate X-factor, but pitching depth is a concern, especially with rookies being leaned on heavily. Still, the Jays have a dangerous mix of power and resilience that could make them a surprise contender.

7. Chicago Cubs

The Cubs are tough to peg. At their best, they look like a well-rounded playoff team. At their worst, injuries and inconsistency make them vulnerable. Missing rookie sensation Cade Horton hurts, and Kyle Tucker’s health remains a question mark. Still, their overall roster balance means they can’t be written off.

8. Detroit Tigers

The Tigers barely squeaked into the postseason, stumbling badly down the stretch. But Tarik Skubal gives them an ace who can flip a series on his own, and a late surge from Javy Báez helped keep their season alive. They may not have the depth to go far, but as baseball loves to remind us, anything can happen in October.

Who’s Left on the Outside?

The Reds, Padres, Guardians, and Red Sox all made the cut but face steep uphill battles. Whether it’s shaky rotations, inconsistent lineups, or brutal matchups, their chances of surviving deep into October seem slim. Still, one swing, one pitching performance, or one upset could change everything.

At the end of the day, the Dodgers remain the powerhouse, but the Phillies and Yankees feel like the biggest threats to take them down. The Mariners and Blue Jays will look to shake things up in the American League, while the Brewers and Cubs hope to finally make good on their regular-season promise.

No matter who lifts the trophy, one truth always holds: October baseball is beautifully unpredictable.