Sixteen teams have won the World Series since 2000, and no club has won back-to-back World Series championships since then. Many times, it’s been a surprise team that has won it all, and we were reminded of that with last year’s Texas Rangers, who faced a surprising NL champion in the Arizona Diamondbacks.

If there’s one thing we know about baseball, it’s that once you get to the postseason, anything can happen, and oftentimes, it isn’t the team with the best roster on paper that hoists the Commissioner’s Trophy when it’s all said and done.

As we open the 2024 postseason, here’s a look at why each playoff team can win the World Series.

• Full postseason schedule, coverage

Orioles

The 2024 season has been nothing like ‘23 for the O’s, who stormed to 101 wins and an AL East title without facing much adversity last year. That could turn out to be a good thing as Baltimore prepares for its second straight postseason appearance. This Orioles team has been more “battle tested,” as star shortstop Gunnar Henderson recently put it. It hasn’t been all smooth sailing, and that could help if the O’s end up with their backs against the wall in October. Plus, much of Baltimore’s young core now knows what to expect from the postseason -- and they’re still not happy about last year’s elimination, when they got swept by Texas in the AL Division Series.
– Jake Rill

Yankees

Simply put, they have the modern-day Babe Ruth and Lou Gehrig hitting Nos. 2 and 3 in their lineup – or Mickey Mantle and Roger Maris, if you prefer. Juan Soto and Aaron Judge are just the third tandem of Yankees to each hit 40 or more homers in a single season, joining the aforementioned legends. Their pitching improved later in the season, as did the club’s overall health; the Bombers welcomed Anthony Rizzo, Clarke Schmidt and Luis Gil back from the injured list just in time for the postseason. It has been 15 years since the Yankees last played in a World Series, and everyone understands that the mission from this point forward is championship or bust.
– Bryan Hoch

Guardians

A team with nothing to lose is a dangerous one. The Guardians have had a chip on their shoulder since the start of Spring Training, knowing that no one expected them to be here. Oh, and they have the best bullpen in the Majors … by far. The relief corps ended the season with a 2.57 ERA, more than a half-run better than any other bullpen in the big leagues. If the Guardians can just get a handful of innings out of their starters, they know they can quickly end any game by picking up the bullpen phone.
– Mandy Bell

Royals

The Royals have a superstar as their shortstop and a veteran catcher who did everything possible to get the only team he’s ever known back to the postseason. But the Royals are here because of their rotation. Its 3.55 ERA was second best in the Majors. Cole Ragans struck out 223 batters this year while posting a 3.14 ERA – and a 1.08 ERA in September. Seth Lugo led the Majors in starts and finished sixth in the AL in ERA (3.00). A team that believes in itself more than anyone else can get dangerous – even more so if the pitching backs up that belief.
– Anne Rogers

Astros

Seriously, would any team want to face the Astros in the postseason? This is the most experienced playoff team in this year’s field by a wide margin. The Astros, winners of four AL pennants and two World Series titles since 2017, are looking for their eighth consecutive trip to the ALCS. After a 7-19 start this year, they finished 81-54 behind a deep rotation, led by Framber Valdez, Hunter Brown, Yusei Kikuchi and Ronel Blanco. They have an elite closer in Josh Hader, but their offense will take a hit if injured slugger Yordan Alvarez (right knee sprain) isn’t able to play.
– Brian McTaggart

Tigers

The Tigers have MLB’s best record since Aug. 11 while essentially playing postseason-style baseball, using openers and bulk pitchers, playing matchups and leveraging a deep corps of relievers young and old. Now give them shorter series and more off-days, letting Tarik Skubal have a bigger impact while potentially adding baseball’s best pitching prospect to the bullpen in Jackson Jobe. Offensively, the Tigers don’t rely on home runs as much as other teams, instead generating runs through line-drive hitting and hyper-aggressive baserunning. There’s a bit of an Arizona Diamondbacks feel to this club, and nobody’s heading into the postseason hotter.
– Jason Beck

Braves

With Reynaldo López coming off the injured list during the regular season’s final weekend, the Braves head into the postseason with a rotation that could fuel a deep October run. Max Fried and López were All-Stars this year, and Spencer Schwellenbach has posted a 1.79 ERA in the seven starts he has made against NL playoff teams this year. Chris Sale’s status is uncertain after he was scratched from Game 162 with back spasms, but Charlie Morton’s vast postseason experience could prove valuable if he’s needed to make a start at some point in October. The rotation’s talent and depth has the potential to compensate for the inconsistencies of an injury-depleted lineup.
– Mark Bowman

Mets

Since May 30, the Mets have been the best team in baseball -- full stop. They have an MVP candidate leading the way in Francisco Lindor, who’s (mostly) healthy following a mid-September back injury. Their rotation continues to click even in the absence of Kodai Senga, with Sean Manaea offering his best ace impression every five days. Closer Edwin Díaz has shown an ability to take on an outsized role in the biggest games, and manager Carlos Mendoza isn’t afraid to be aggressive. Tack on some strong clubhouse vibes, and the Mets look the part of a bona fide contender.
– Anthony DiComo

Phillies

Talent evaluators following the Phillies this season have said they have the deepest roster of any team in baseball. Their rotation is four deep with Zack Wheeler, Aaron Nola, Cristopher Sánchez and Ranger Suárez. Their bullpen is five or six deep with Carlos Estévez as the closer. They have seven All-Star-caliber players in the first seven spots in the lineup, with Bryce Harper, Trea Turner and Kyle Schwarber hitting in the top three spots all year. It’s a team that has proven it can win in multiple ways.
– Todd Zolecki

Brewers

They’re playing with house money. Nobody predicted the Brewers to be here without Corbin Burnes and Brandon Woodruff, after missing NL Reliever of the Year Devin Williams for the first four months of the season and NL batting average leader Christian Yelich for the last two, and fielding a lineup with six first- or second-year players, including a 20-year-old rookie in Jackson Chourio. Yet Milwaukee ranked sixth in MLB in runs per game, led the NL in bullpen ERA, finished with 93 wins and took the NL Central – again. “If they can do that,” manager Pat Murphy said, “why can’t they just keep going?”
– Adam McCalvy

Dodgers

Over the last couple of months, the Dodgers have shown some weaknesses, particularly in their injury-depleted starting rotation. But in the end, the Dodgers have Shohei Ohtani and Mookie Betts, which just might be enough if the two former Most Valuable Players get hot at the right time. The supporting cast – including Freddie Freeman – will also need to have a big October, but it all starts at the top with Betts and Ohtani.
– Juan Toribio

Padres

Is there a more complete team in baseball right now than the San Diego Padres? They have posted the best record in baseball since the All-Star break, and their offense is the best -- and deepest — in franchise history. Their rotation features five starters who have all posted solid numbers since the Trade Deadline; all five seem capable of starting a playoff game. Their bullpen has been revamped since the acquisitions of Tanner Scott and Jason Adam. Perhaps most importantly -- after missing Joe Musgrove, Yu Darvish, Xander Bogaerts and Fernando Tatis Jr. for large chunks of the season — the Padres are healthy.
– AJ Cassavell