Milwaukee Brewers: 7 votes<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n(Phillies, 5; Dodgers, 4; Padres, 2; Mets, 1)\n\nThe voting was very close, considering that the Brewers compete with the Dodgers, the current champions, and the Phillies, with an expensive roster. These teams dominated the poll, leaving few votes for other contenders.\n\n\n While all three teams have the potential to reach the World Series, the Dodgers have a clear advantage in terms of offensive power, outperforming Philadelphia and Milwaukee in home runs during the regular season. However, the Phillies have the best closer of the three, a crucial element for tight October games.<\/p>\n\n\nDespite this, the Brewers led the survey due to their consistent performance in all areas, as well as having a solid and healthy starting pitching staff.\n\n\n \u201cThey seem like a team with a solid plan and a cohesive approach. They are on the same page. I like how they play. They’ve done it all year; why couldn’t they keep it up?\u201d<\/p>\n\nNational League Player<\/cite><\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n \u201cThey still have to figure out the back end of the bullpen, but in a short series, they have the luxury of sending one of their good starters to the bullpen. And they could hit enough home runs to stay in the fight in October.\u201d<\/p>\n\nNational League Scout<\/cite><\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n \u201cTaking the direct pass will be huge for them. They’ve been eliminated in those short series several times; this will allow them to breathe a little. Also, their starting pitching staff is very good. If I were Milwaukee, I’d want the longer series.\u201d<\/p>\n\nNational League Executive<\/cite><\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n Philadelphia Phillies<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cIt’s simple for me. They still have good pitching and they’ve already been there. The playoffs are about home runs, and they can hit them.\u201d<\/p>\n\nNational League Player<\/cite><\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n \u201cTheir lineup is a bit reliant on the top bats, but they have enough at the bottom to get the job done. If those guys show up, then that lineup is really good. Their bullpen is incredible with Jhoan Duran.\u201d<\/p>\n\nNational League Player<\/cite><\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n \u201cIs this your last chance, right? They have older players, some of whom will be free agents at the end of the season. I just can’t imagine Bryce Harper ending his career without a ring, and this is his best opportunity, even without Zack Wheeler.\u201d<\/p>\n\nNational League Executive<\/cite><\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n Los Angeles Dodgers<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cWhen we play against them, they didn’t have a good series, but they seem to turn it on when needed. That’s the sign of a champion. I think their offense will have a great October and lead them like it did last year.\u201d<\/p>\n\nNational League Player<\/cite><\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n \u201cTalent will prevail, and they have the potential to have the healthiest pitching staff of the entire year in October.\u201d<\/p>\n\nNational League Executive<\/cite><\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n San Diego Padres<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cI like San Diego. They\u2019re hungry. They made all the right moves at the deadline. And they have the experience of being close, but not quite making it to the end.\u201d<\/p>\n\nNational League Player<\/cite><\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n \u201cThere’s a lot I like about San Diego, but they can still be outpitched even with their deadline additions. It’s like they disappear sometimes. If they survive a wild-card round and get some home games, the energy of Petco [Park] could wake them up. They still have a great bullpen.\u201d<\/p>\n\nNational League Executive<\/cite><\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n New York Mets<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cThe Mets are really good. I know they’ve struggled, but I trust they’ll turn it on like they did in the postseason last year. Sometimes, you leave the worst of baseball behind and find your rhythm. I like the Mets to do that.\u201d<\/p>\n\nNational League Player<\/cite><\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n \u201cTheir 1-9 alignment has to carry them. I’m not sure how they’ll put it together on the mound, but sometimes you find rookie magic in an arm or two. If two of Nolan McLean, Jonah Tong, and Brandon Sproat can succeed, why not the Mets?\u201d<\/p>\n\nNational League Scout<\/cite><\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n \u201cThey are one of the most complete teams in the American League. They have some experience, especially in the rotation, and they have a bit of everything in the lineup. It’s difficult to compete with that in a series. I think they have the most complete team.\u201d<\/p>\n\nAmerican League Player<\/cite><\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n \u201cAs good as Bo Bichette, Vlad Guerrero Jr., and George Springer have been, it\u2019s the contributions from guys on the left side of the plate like Nathan Lukes and Addison Barger that make Toronto truly dangerous. They have some balance, which has eluded them.\u201d<\/p>\n\nAmerican League Scout<\/cite><\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n \u201cI love their team, but I question their bullpen. It hasn’t been very strong in the second half. Tommy Nance could be a guy to lean on.\u201d<\/p>\n\nAmerican League Executive<\/cite><\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n Detroit Tigers<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cDetroit is at the top of that list [of teams to beat]. They know how to win. That’s the key. They proved it last offseason. And they’ve turned that park into a good home-field advantage. I know they go from first to third better than anyone. That’s a key, playing in that stadium.\u201d<\/p>\n\nAmerican League Player<\/cite><\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n \u201cSometimes, watching a team play a lot can give a more negative opinion than their record indicates, and sometimes it can be a more positive opinion than their record indicates. With the Tigers, it’s the latter. And they already have a pretty good record.\u201d<\/p>\n\nAmerican League Scout<\/cite><\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n \u201cI’ve tried to complete playoff rotations without a true ace. It’s really difficult. That’s why having Tarik Skubal makes a difference for me. Unless he runs out of gas, Detroit is my pick.\u201d<\/p>\n\nAmerican League Executive<\/cite><\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n New York Yankees<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cI think their bullpen will be on fire, and [they] have enough power bats to overcome a weaker field in the American League.\u201d<\/p>\n\nAmerican League Executive<\/cite><\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n Boston Red Sox<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cIt’s the Red Sox. They’re playing good baseball. They have formidable pitching, starting with Garrett Crochet, and their lineup is cohesive and seems to be having fun together. They know how to win with Bregman there.\u201d<\/p>\n\nAmerican League Player<\/cite><\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n Houston Astros<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cEveryone is forgetting that Yordan Alvarez missed most of the season. He makes a difference. And when we played against them, Framber Valdez and Hunter Brown were as good as any two pitchers. Houston is my pick.\u201d<\/p>\n\nAmerican League Player<\/cite><\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n \u201cA team that can really catch fire and isn’t playing its best baseball is Seattle. That pitching staff is legitimate. Cal Raleigh hit 50 [home runs], but they have other guys who are made for that moment, the moment in the spotlight. Randy Arozarena and Eugenio Su\u00e1rez are two of them. They are made to win at the end.\u201d<\/p>\n\nAmerican League Player<\/cite><\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n \u201cIt’s one of those lineups where everyone is waiting for them to put it all together. Their rotation is very talented, and they have one of the best closers in the league. I think they’re one of those teams that, if they catch fire at the right time, nobody can beat them.\u201d<\/p>\n\nNational League Player<\/cite><\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n \u201cSeattle has one of its best teams we’ve seen in years. If there’s a true “sleeper” in this entire playoff field, it’s the Seattle Mariners.\u201d<\/p>\n\nAmerican League Executive<\/cite><\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n \u201cSeattle is my ‘sleeper’ team. I think a down year for pitching in Seattle could turn their fortunes around in the postseason with their starters improving.\u201d<\/p>\n\nAmerican League Executive<\/cite><\/blockquote>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" MLB Playoff: Who are the favorites? The MLB playoffs are just around the corner and promise to be an unpredictable spectacle. For the second consecutive season, no team seems on track to win 100 or more games, suggesting great parity in the majors. This could generate strong emotions in October. Faced with this situation, Alofoke […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[34],"tags":[1212,1156,989,104],"class_list":{"0":"post-37264","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","6":"category-mlb","7":"tag-blue-jays","8":"tag-brewers","9":"tag-mariners","10":"tag-playoffs"},"amp_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/alofokedeportes.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/37264","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/alofokedeportes.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/alofokedeportes.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/alofokedeportes.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/alofokedeportes.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=37264"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/alofokedeportes.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/37264\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/alofokedeportes.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=37264"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/alofokedeportes.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=37264"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/alofokedeportes.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=37264"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}Why the Brewers?<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
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Main threats for Brewers<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
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What if it’s not Milwaukee, Philadelphia, or Los Angeles?<\/h3>\n\n\nThe reality is that these opinions were given before the recent downfall of the Mets, who had a streak of eight consecutive losses. However, anyone can catch fire at the right moment, as the Mets demonstrated the previous year. But, before thinking about going far in the postseason, they have to secure their place in the October party.\n\nThe Padres are difficult to predict, but that doesn’t make them less dangerous. Their offense can go into hibernation at times, but they can silence anyone in the late innings. Their bullpen is very good and could take them far despite the absence of Jason Adam.\n\n\n
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American League: Who is the team to beat?<\/h3>\n\n\nToronto Blue Jays: 6 votes<\/strong>\n\n(Tigers, 5; Yankees, 3; Red Sox, 3; Astros, 2)\n\nThe voting was even closer in the American League than in the National League, with four teams receiving three or more votes. The Blue Jays edged out the competition by a single vote.\n\nThe home-field advantage could be decisive for the top two teams in the American League, as both dominate at home but hover around .500 on the road. The Tigers play very well at Comerica Park, where they can run wild on the bases and go from first to third. And, of course, they have Tarik Skubal at the top of their rotation. Meanwhile, the Blue Jays can make the recently renovated Rogers Centre vibrate as loudly as any major league stadium. First place in the American League is up for grabs down the stretch, and it’s very likely that one of these two teams will get it.\n\n\n
Why the Blue Jays?<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
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Main threat to the Blue Jays<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
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What if it’s not Toronto or Detroit?<\/h3>\n\n\nIt can be argued that any of the wild card teams, depending on where the Astros finish (as they are still in a tight divisional battle with Seattle), could surprise in October, with the big-game experience emanating from the Astros and Yankees lineups. New York can also hit home runs, of course, while the return of Yordan Alvarez makes Houston’s offense even more dangerous.\n\nOn the other hand, the Red Sox have only reached the postseason once (2021) since winning the World Series in 2018. However, they have a balanced lineup with playoff leadership in the form of Alex Bregman. In addition, Aroldis Chapman is among the best closers.\n\n\n
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The October Surprise Team: Seattle Mariners<\/h3>\n\n\nUntil recently, the Mariners had not shown their best game, so they are considered the “sleeping” team. The interviewees on Alofoke Deportes mentioned that Seattle has more potential than any other team.\n\n\n
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