MLB expert playoff predictions and wild card picks: Yankees or Red Sox?

In the NL, the San Diego Padres host the Chicago Cubs while the Philadelphia Phillies visit Atlanta . In the other AL series, the Houston Astros (81-81, the worst record for a playoff team in history) face the Chicago White Sox .

In the four seasons since MLB changed its playoff format in 2022, two teams have played in the wild card series and gone on to win the World Series: the 2023 Texas Rangers and 2025 Los Angeles Dodgers .

The New York Yankees lead the pack by a wide margin with 27 World Series titles, the most championships in major American professional sports. They're followed by the St. Louis Cardinals, who have won the Fall Classic 11 times, while the back-to-back champion Los Angeles Dodgers have catapulted into the No. 3 spot with their ninth championship − and third in the last five years − in 2025. Also tied for third-most World Series are the Boston Red Sox and the Athletics. The A's former neighbors across the Bay, the San Francisco Giants, are fourth (eight championships). The Cincinnati Reds and Pittsburgh Pirates round out the top five with five titles apiece. Here's a complete ranking of every MLB club by World Series titles: