With all four Division Series set to begin on Saturday, we asked several MLB.com experts to weigh in on which clubs they think will advance to the League Championship Series round. Guardians (2) vs. White Sox (6) Wow, this one was close. And for good reason. This matchup is as close as possible. The White Sox have been the best story in baseball in 2026, going from a record 121 losses just two years ago to the ALDS virtually overnight. Meanwhile, the Guardians always seem to be playing good baseball the closer it gets to October, and that was true again this year, with manager Steven Vogt’s club winning 11 of its last 15 games to clinch the American League Central on the penultimate day of the regular season. So who wins this series? According to our experts, Cleveland. Something has to give. Will good pitching beat good hitting, as the old saying suggests? Will the White Sox’s youthful exuberance continue this storybook all the way to the American League Championship Series? Or will the Guardians reach the American League Championship Series for the second time in three years under Vogt? Although it was close, our experts are banking on the superior pitching and relative wealth of playoff experience Cleveland has on its roster. “Cleveland has the starting pitching advantage with its 1-2 punch of Parker Messick and Gavin Williams, but the Guardians’ bats have tended to stay quiet in recent Octobers. I’m confident the White Sox good vibes and charismatic young hitters will prevail.” — Elizabeth Muratore, Senior Content Producer. Stories abound in this ALDS. There is, of course, the rivalry in the American League East. And then there are the stark contrasts in the teams: a big-market, high-payroll behemoth versus a small-market club whose whole is greater than the sum of its parts. The Rays-Yankees clash should be a good one, and our experts have Tampa Bay emerging victorious. Because? Well, for one, it remains uncertain whether three-time American League MVP Aaron Judge will be able to contribute (and if so, what he might contribute) to the Yankees’ cause. Then, while the Yankees’ rotation is formidable and showed why in the American League Wild Card Series sweep of the Red Sox, Tampa Bay’s starting staff compared quite favorably to the Yankees’ group, led by left-hander Drew Rasmussen, the Rays’ starters combined for a 3.51 ERA during the regular season, second in the American League behind the Yankees’ 3.30. These clubs met in the 2020 ALDS and the Rays won in five games. Our experts see a similar result this year. “The Wild Card Series showed that the Yankees have a lot of players capable of stepping up in big moments, and with their rotation, I think they have enough to overtake the Rays.” — Jen Vestuto, content producer Dodgers (2) vs. Braves (3) This was a blowout victory for the two-time defending World Series champions. And really, it all comes down to the embarrassment of the Dodgers’ wealth in the starting rotation and the Braves’ lack of depth behind ace Chris Sale. When you send Tarik Skubal, who is scheduled to start Game 1, Yoshinobu Yamamoto, Blake Snell and Tyler Glasnow, it’s tough for anyone to beat. And aside from Ozzie Albies and Michael Harris II, Atlanta’s offense went 14-for-75 (.187) in the NL Wild Card Series against the Phillies. On the other hand, Atlanta’s rotation has been decimated by injuries. Sale started in a Wild Card Series Game 1 win over Philadelphia and then shut down the Phillies in Game 3 on Thursday, so he won’t be available until at least Game 2. Tyler Mahle, who pitched in Game 2 of the Wild Card Series, won’t be available until Game 3. So the Braves will likely opt for a bullpen game in the series opener. With two-way superstar Shohei Ohtani dealing with knee and biceps issues, as well as an aging lineup, the Dodgers might not be what they were in recent years offensively. But with Atlanta’s lineup woes and a superior starting rotation on paper, our experts overwhelmingly picked Los Angeles to advance to the National League Championship Series for the ninth time in the last 14 years. “Call it a gut feeling, or maybe it’s just Sale. Los Angeles is more vulnerable than it’s been in years.” — Anthony DiComo, senior club reporter covering the Brewers Mets (1) vs. Padres (4) Talk about a fun matchup: This one pits the hottest team in baseball against the club with the best record in the Major Leagues during the regular season. The Padres have been red hot over the last few months, peaking at just the right time as they entered the postseason. San Diego’s lineup, led by the electric Fernando Tatis Jr., veteran star Manny Machado and the resurgent Jackson Merrill, is scary right now. But the Brewers have “The Miz,” followed by fast-rising right-hander Logan Henderson, who has really given the Brewers a big boost following Kyle Harrison’s struggles. Jacob Misiorowski, the NL Cy Young Award favorite, is simply overwhelming, and since Milwaukee had a bye in the first round of the playoffs, he is lined up to pitch in Game 1 and, if necessary, a winner-take-all Game 5. The Padres, meanwhile, have Michael King and then veteran options that haven’t been as effective, although Nick Pivetta has been fine since returning from the disabled list. Trade Deadline acquisition and former Cy Young Award winner Robbie Ray, who is scheduled to start Game 1 for San Diego, has struggled since putting on a Padres uniform, posting a 5.02 ERA in nine starts. The bullpens are two of the best in baseball, although the Padres have Mason Miller, the most dominant closer in the game. Scoring early will be key, and while San Diego’s lineup has been firing on all cylinders, Milwaukee’s group is no joke: Jake Bauers is having a career year, Brice Turang has become a major run producer, and Jackson Chourio continues to be a tremendous power and speed threat. There’s also the home-field advantage factor: If this series goes five games, Game 5 will be in Milwaukee. “If the NL Wild Card Series proved anything, it’s that the Padres are on another level right now.” — Allison Waxman, tap story producer.
