The B.O.A.R.D. returns -- who does October belong to?

Each October, the MLB postseason belongs to someone or something. Whether it's the Rally Monkey in 2002, David Ross in 2016, or Jose Altuve last year, October is always dominated by a particular force. With so much good baseball packed into one month, it's sometimes tough to follow all the madness, so we created the Baseball October Arbitrary Ranking Device (The B.O.A.R.D.) to keep track of it all.
We finally made it, friends. October has arrived, and the 2018 postseason is mere hours away from commencing as the Rockies visit the Cubs at Wrigley Field in the NL Wild Card Game at 8 p.m. ET on ESPN. 
The feeling of postseason baseball came a tad early this year when we were treated to two Game 163s to determine the division champions in the NL Central and the NL West. But with no team at risk of elimination on Monday, the general October vibe of urgency was not quite in place just yet. Now, every game is absolutely crucial. Which teams will rise to the occasion? Which players will etch their places in baseball history the way Altuve, George Springer, and Justin Verlander did in 2017?
With so many exceptional squads in this year's postseason field, it is difficult to pinpoint which teams have the best chance. But there are a few players with the spotlight on them as October gets underway. Which players -- or things -- sit atop the B.O.A.R.D as the 2018 postseason begins? Check out the video at the top of the page to find out.