With less than a week until the 2026 MLB playoffs begin, baseball insiders are breaking down the questions, teams and themes that will shape October. Jeff Passan, Buster Olney, Jesse Rogers, Jorge Castillo and Alden Gonzalez have shared their latest intel heading into the postseason. Buster Olney predicts the San Diego Padres will win the World Series for the first time, citing their deep bullpen as the key advantage despite starting pitching concerns.

Jeff Passan believes the Boston Red Sox, as a potential No. 5 seed, are poised to win the American League pennant, highlighting their elite offense and strong pitching metrics since the All-Star break. Alden Gonzalez expects the Los Angeles Dodgers to remain favorites, noting their depth and talent, while acknowledging vulnerabilities as Shohei Ohtani and Mookie Betts return from injury. The experts debate whether the Dodgers can three-peat or if another team will represent the National League, with one GM remarking they would take every NL playoff team over every AL counterpart.

As the 12-team postseason field looms, insiders identify sleeper teams and under-the-radar players ready to make an impact in October.