Drafting the best potential October matchups

Just three weeks from Sunday, the 2024 regular season will come to a close. That means it’s time to start peeking ahead to the postseason, which is set to begin on Oct. 1, with the best-of-three Wild Card Series.

While the playoff field is already beginning to take shape, there are still many possible matchups we could see over the course of October. Any of those has the potential to produce a classic series that will be remembered for years to come, but some are especially eye-catching, at least on paper.

Therefore, we asked six MLB.com writers to each pick out one AL or NL postseason matchup that we could realistically see next month and that particularly stood out to them. (In other words, no World Series matchups just yet.) To make things a bit more interesting, we also added this stipulation: Each team could only be picked once.

Here then is the 2024 AL/NL postseason matchup draft.

1. Braves vs. Phillies
Season Series: Braves won, 7-6

A Braves-Phillies playoff series in 2024 would feel like the final act in a baseball trilogy of drama. A Phillies win would represent an emphatic stamp of dominance. A Braves win would represent a classic overcoming-the-odds victory. Either way, it's a great story.

The Phillies easily dispatched the Braves in the NLDS in 2022 and 2023, despite finishing the regular season well behind Atlanta in the standings. But this season, Philadelphia would almost certainly go in as the heavy favorite, given the teams' postseason history and because the Braves have suffered from major injuries and underperformance all season. But, guess what: Things don't always go as expected in the postseason (ask the 2021 Braves).

The Phillies recently took three of four from the Braves to pretty much end Atlanta’s run of six straight NL East titles, but the Braves would likely enter the playoffs with Austin Riley and Ozzie Albies back in the lineup after each missed major time with injuries. Not to mention Atlanta's stellar rotation headlined by Cy Young favorite Chris Sale, perennial Cy Young contender Max Fried and the surprisingly dominant Reynaldo López. When paired with the Phillies' standout rotation of Aaron Nola, Zack Wheeler and Ranger Suárez, it could be a recipe for exquisite baseball cinema. And with logic and recent history pointing in the direction of one outcome, baseball could very well flip the script.

-- Jason Foster

2. Dodgers vs. Padres
Season Series: 7-3 Padres (3 games remaining)

The energy and emotion would be absolutely crackling in this series. The Dodgers, historically, have been the big brother to their neighbors down south. But the Padres have come for L.A.’s crown in recent years, aggressively loading up on talent (including some former Dodgers, such as Manny Machado and Yu Darvish) and showing no fear of the NL West’s behemoth.

In 2020, the Dodgers cruised to an NLDS sweep of the Padres on their way to a World Series title. But two years later, San Diego returned the favor, bouncing back from a Game 1 loss to take three straight, all by one or two runs. And while the 2023 season was a fiasco for the Padres, the club is now storming back toward October under first-year manager Mike Shildt. The Dodgers still hold a solid NL West lead, yet their upstart rivals have won each of the teams’ three series in 2024, since splitting the season-opening Seoul Series back in March.

If there is another October rematch, the pressure would be high on both clubs, with the Dodgers looking to avoid another painful playoff flameout after their enormous offseason, and the Padres trying to capitalize on their various all-in moves in an effort to capture the franchise’s long-awaited first championship. Sign us up for all that drama.

-- Andrew Simon

3. Yankees vs. Astros
Season Series: Yankees won, 6-1

Given the recent playoff history between these two clubs, you don’t have to search too hard to find intriguing storylines for this matchup.

With no World Series appearances since 2009 and a demanding fan base that is growing ever restless, the Yankees are already facing a ton of pressure to make a deep postseason run in 2024. Another matchup with Houston would only magnify the stakes for New York. A series win over the Astros in October has been the proverbial white whale for the current iteration of the Yankees, who fell to Houston in three of their six playoff appearances from 2017-22. (New York also lost to Houston in the 2015 American League Wild Card Game.) If the Bronx Bombers are going to get to their first World Series in 15 years, it almost seems like a prerequisite that they go through the Astros to do it.

There’s a lot at stake for Houston, too, considering Alex Bregman, Justin Verlander and Ryan Pressly are all headed for free agency this offseason, followed by Framber Valdez and Kyle Tucker the year after. The Astros have made seven straight AL Championship Series appearances and won two World Series titles since 2017, showing an impressive ability to push forward despite some notable departures. However, it could become increasingly difficult for the team to extend this run. We wouldn’t mind seeing the Astros run it back against the Yankees one more time while all of the aforementioned players are still in the fold.

-- Thomas Harrigan

4. Orioles vs. Royals
Season Series: Orioles won, 4-2

The Orioles are young, exciting and have a postseason drought to break. They haven’t won a World Series in more than 40 years. The Royals haven’t been to the postseason since winning it all in 2015. Both clubs boast some of the best young talent in the game, coupled with veterans who are still delivering results.

Royals superstar shortstop Bobby Witt Jr. is having a season that, even with the incredible campaign that Aaron Judge is having, puts him in the AL MVP conversation. With Vinnie Pasquantino (who hopes to return from injury in October) and ageless slugger Salvador Perez also in the lineup, as well as a strong starting rotation featuring Seth Lugo, Cole Ragans, Brady Singer and Michael Wacha, Kansas City has become a force to be reckoned with.

On the other side, Baltimore has become an AL power with a burgeoning young roster that features superstars Gunnar Henderson and Adley Rutschman, along with rising stars Jordan Westburg and Colton Cowser, among others. The starting rotation has taken some injury hits, but the hope is that Grayson Rodriguez will return to the mound soon to join ace Corbin Burnes and the surprising Albert Suárez.

In all, a matchup between two teams with exciting young superstars and a hunger for snapping a championship drought would be tremendous October theater.

-- Manny Randhawa

5. Guardians vs. Twins
Season Series: 7-2 Guardians (4 games remaining)

The first postseason matchup between these two AL Central rivals would be a sight to see this October. The Guardians currently have a 4 1/2-game lead over the Twins in the Central, but Minnesota has a strong chance at a Wild Card spot if it doesn’t erase the division deficit. A playoff series between these two clubs is highly possible -- and it would be highly entertaining, too.

Just picture Pablo López taking the mound for the Twins in Game 1 against a lineup featuring Steven Kwan, José Ramírez and Josh Naylor. Imagine Emmanuel Clase having to get through Byron Buxton (currently on the IL and rehabbing), Carlos Correa (currently on the IL) and Royce Lewis to close things out -- or Jhoan Duran firing triple-digit fastballs in a save opportunity for the Twins. The Guardians have had the upper hand when these two teams have met this season, winning seven of nine matchups, but it was a 7-6 series as recently as last season. Especially if Minnesota’s lineup is back at full strength by the postseason, an all-AL Central clash would be a treat.

-- Theo DeRosa

6. Brewers vs. D-backs
Season Series: 0-0 (7 games remaining)

It’s a rematch of last year’s Wild Card Series, which the D-backs swept in two games and helped kickstart their unexpected run to the World Series. This matchup is enticing because both clubs are arguably even better than their 2023 versions.

The Brewers are in the running for one of the top two spots in the National League and guaranteeing a first-round bye. There’s also a chance that Milwaukee surpasses its franchise-record 96 wins from 2011 and 2018. This Brewers team is gelling at the right time, with Jackson Chourio, William Contreras and Willy Adames all performing like some of the best players in baseball.

The D-backs, meanwhile, boast a potent offense that leads the Majors in runs scored and have thunder throughout their lineup. Even with recent injuries to players like Ketel Marte, Christian Walker and Gabriel Moreno, Arizona continues to find ways to put up gaudy offensive numbers. Assuming everyone is healthy by the end of the season, the D-backs will be a nightmare for opposing pitching staffs in October.

-- Brent Maguire