The 8 Top Contenders as MLB Reaches the Business End of the Season
While there is (thankfully) still plenty of summer remaining, as we move into August, there is always a sense of fall not being far away. August, too, brings a sense of urgency to the long, winding Major League Baseball season, with teams scrambling to get into position for the postseason in September.
Of course, as we are well over 100 games into the MLB season, we have a fair idea of who the contenders will likely be for the postseason and a berth in the Fall Classic. Below, we look at eight of those teams. While there are others, like the Milwaukee Brewers and Boston Red Sox, who could move into contention, it feels like this octet is riding the wave en route to contending for the 2025 World Series:
1. LA Dodgers
The Dodgers have been favorites in the MLB odds for the World Series since they were crowned champions in November 2024. In terms of betting odds, the Dodgers are clear of the pack. They have the experience, talent, and nous to be the first team to go back-to-back since Joe Torre’s Yankees in 2000.
2. Detroit Tigers
Many experts tipped the Tigers to be the surprise package this season. Everyone knew they were improving, albeit not as quickly as this. Detroit has the best record in MLB at the time of writing. The team may lack some of the postseason experience as their rivals, but it’s been exciting to watch their trajectory.
3. Philadelphia Phillies
If someone is to wrestle the National League crown from the Dodgers, why not the Phillies? They have been locked in an absorbing contest with the New York Mets to take command of the NL East. There’s a sense that whoever comes out on top could vanquish the Dodgers en route to the World Series.
4. New York Yankees
Odds-setters still like the idea of a repeat of the 2024 World Series, even though the Yankees have fallen behind in the AL East over the summer. Still, the Yankees have abundant talent, and there is a sense that they will get into shape by September. They might have to navigate the Wild Card Game, however.
5. Houston Astros
The Astros always seem to be there or thereabouts, and they have been quietly doing their business this season without drawing too much attention to themselves. You get the sense that that’s how Joe Espada and his coaching setup like it. You should not rule them out.
6. New York Mets
A first World Series win since 1986? That was the hope once the Mets signed Juan Soto in an eye-wateringly large contract in the offseason, one of the biggest in sports history. However, the team is much more than Soto, and they will look to prove that throughout the coming weeks.
7. Chicago Cubs
We’d put the Cubs in a similar bracket to the Astros because they have been quietly excellent. They have not been back to the World Series since breaking the curse of the Billy Goat in 2016. It looks more than possible, but they’ll have to navigate some tricky waters.
8. Toronto Blue Jays
The biggest surprise package on this list is that the Blue Jays have somehow found themselves on top of the always-tough AL East. There are some questions over roster depth and whether they can hang on through the early fall, but the Jays have defied the odds all season and don’t look like they will stop anytime soon.
