Who’s Left in the Baseball Playoffs?

It’s October, and that means baseball playoffs! Here’s a look at which teams are still in the running for the World Series.

The American League

The New York Yankees and the Houston Astros are the last two teams standing in the American League. The Yankees are looking to make their 28th World Series appearance, while the Astros are looking to make their second World Series appearance in franchise history. Who will come out on top?

The New York Yankees

The New York Yankees are an American professional baseball team based in the Bronx, New York City. They compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) East division. They are one of two major league clubs based in New York City; the other is the National League’s (NL) New York Mets. The Yankees began play in 1901 as an expansion team officially known as the Baltimore Orioles (no relation to the similarly named MLB franchise based in Baltimore, Maryland), and were renamed three years later to the New York Highlanders. From 1923 to 2008, they were known as the New York Yankees. An Intrastate Rivalry with the Mets existed from their origins until renewal of a Subway Series between them from 1997-2017 after a 15 year hiatus brought on by realignment brought about by MLB expansion and movements facilitated by new MLB Commissioner Bud Selig brought about in 1998 which established Interleague Play for all 30 major league clubs for the first time ever; as part of this schedule all teams play 20 Interleague games every season regardless if qualification for postseason play is at stake or not which has served to increase ratings and ticket sales for both teams meaningfully.

The Boston Red Sox

As the 2018 Major League Baseball season comes to a close, only four teams remain in the running for the World Series title. These teams are the Cleveland Indians and the Houston Astros from the American League, and the Los Angeles Dodgers and the Milwaukee Brewers from the National League.

Of these four teams, only one is from the AL East division – The Boston Red Sox. The Sox have had an impressive season, finishing with a record of 108-54. They are led by manager Alex Cora and stars such as Mookie Betts, J.D. Martinez, and Chris Sale.

The Sox will face off against the Astros in the ALDS. The Astros are coming off of a World Series win in 2017, and are looking to repeat as champions in 2018. They finished the season with a record of 103-59 and are led by manager A.J. Hinch and stars such as Jose Altuve, Justin Verlander, and Gerrit Cole.

The winner of this series will go on to face either the Dodgers or the Brewers in the World Series.

The Houston Astros

The Houston Astros are an American professional baseball team based in Houston, Texas. The Astros compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) West division, having moved to the division in 2013 after spending their first 51 seasons in the National League (NL). The Astros have played their home games at Minute Maid Park since 2000. The team was established as the Houston Colt .45s and entered the NL in 1962 with the expansion New York Mets. The current name—reflecting Houston’s role as the host of the Manned Space Flight Center—was adopted three years later when they moved to the Astrodome, home of NASA’s Lyndon B. Johnson Space Center.

The Cleveland Indians

The Cleveland Indians are an American professional baseball team based in Cleveland, Ohio. The Indians compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) Central division. They have played their home games at Progressive Field since 1994. The team’s spring training facility is at Goodyear Ballpark in Goodyear, Arizona. Since their establishment as a major league franchise in 1901, the team has won two World Series championships: in 1920 and 1948, along with 10 Central Division titles and six American League pennants.

The National League

Out of the National League, the Chicago Cubs, Los Angeles Dodgers, and Washington Nationals are left in the playoffs. The Cubs are set to play the Nationals, and the Dodgers will play the winner of the Cubs and Nationals.

The Los Angeles Dodgers

The Los Angeles Dodgers are an American professional baseball team based in Los Angeles, California. They compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (NL) West division. Established in 1883 in Brooklyn, New York, the team moved to Los Angeles before the 1958 season. They played four seasons at Dodger Stadium before moving to their current home of Chavez Ravine in 1962.

The Milwaukee Brewers

The Milwaukee Brewers are a professional baseball team based in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. They are members of the Central Division of Major League Baseball’s National League (NL) and play their home games at Miller Park. The team is named for the city’s association with the brewing industry. Since the 1998 season, the Brewers have played their home games at Miller Park, which has a seating capacity of 41,900.

The Chicago Cubs

The Chicago Cubs are an American professional baseball team based in Chicago, Illinois. The Cubs compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (NL) Central division. They play their home games at Wrigley Field, located on the city’s North Side. The Cubs are one of two major league teams in Chicago; the other, the Chicago White Sox, is a member of the American League (AL) Central division.

The Colorado Rockies

The Colorado Rockies are an American professional baseball team based in Denver, Colorado. The Rockies compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (NL) West division. The team’s home venue is Coors Field, located in the Lower Downtown area of Denver.