The 2026 MLB playoff field was nearly cut in half Wednesday night. The Atlanta Braves, New York Yankees and San Diego Padres were all eliminated, and the Cleveland Guardians were the only team facing a series deficit that survived to play another day.
The race to crown the next World Series champion keeps moving closer, though some fans may want an answer sooner. To get a head start, we turned to the latest expert predictions and oddsmakers’ lines.
A First-Time Title in Milwaukee?
Five MLB franchises have never won a World Series title, and a few experts from ESPN think the Milwaukee Brewers could be ready to leave that group.
In a recent set of bold playoff predictions, three of ESPN’s experts built their forecasts around Milwaukee winning big. Tristan Cockcroft called for Brewers breakout star Jackson Chourio to “become the 10th player to win LCS and World Series MVPs.” Eric Karabell predicted a combined no-hitter from Jacob Misiorowski, Abner Uribe and Trevor Megill in Game 1 of the World Series. AJ Mass predicted that the Brewers would “trail in every playoff game en route to a championship,” but Milwaukee already broke that prediction, never trailing in Wednesday’s win.
Support for a franchise that has never won a championship is notable, but the picks are not unfounded. The Brewers won an MLB-best and franchise-record 103 games this season. This postseason, they have the highest OPS (.688) and the second-lowest ERA (1.80).
Two-Time Defending Champs Aren’t the Favorites?
Ahead of the postseason, The Athletic asked “more than 20” of its MLB experts to make World Series predictions. The Los Angeles Dodgers, winners of the past two World Series, were not the most popular pick.
The Brewers led the poll with 56 percent of the vote. The Tampa Bay Rays finished second with 24 percent, while the Dodgers received just 16 percent. The Brewers and Rays are both reasonable picks, but the Dodgers’ level of star power and recent dominance would seem to warrant more support.
“No team carries as much October hype as Los Angeles,” Katie Woo wrote. “There are rightful concerns over the drop-off in production from Shohei Ohtani and Freddie Freeman, but their rotation of aces should carry them through any qualms on the offense. It’s the Dodgers’ title to lose, and they know it.”
Oddsmakers agree with Woo’s assessment. But if most of her colleagues are right, this year’s title won’t return to Los Angeles.