The 2026 Major League Baseball playoffs have arrived with the best-of-three wild card series beginning Tuesday, Sept. 29, featuring some marquee matchups led by a New York Yankees vs. Boston Red Sox showdown in the American League.
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.
Here’s how USA TODAY Sports’ MLB reporters and editors see the best-of-three wild card series playing out:
-
Bob Nightengale: Yankees in 3
-
Gabe Lacques: Yankees in 2
-
Kristie Ackert: Yankees in 3
-
Jesse Yomtov: Yankees in 3
Astros vs. White Sox prediction
-
Bob Nightengale: White Sox in 3
-
Gabe Lacques: White Sox in 3
-
Jesse Yomtov: White Sox in 3
1 / 26
MLB teams ranked by their World Series championships
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:
(Bettmann, Bettmann Archive via Getty Images)
1 / 26
MLB teams ranked by their World Series championships
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:
(Bettmann, Bettmann Archive via Getty Images)
2 / 26
MLB teams ranked by their World Series championships
New York Yankees – 27 titles (1923, 1927, 1928, 1932, 1936, 1937, 1938, 1939, 1941, 1943, 1947, 1949, 1950, 1951, 1952, 1953, 1956, 1958, 1961, 1962, 1977, 1978, 1996, 1998, 1999, 2000, 2009)
(Robert Deutsch, USAT)
3 / 26
MLB teams ranked by their World Series championships
St. Louis Cardinals – 11 titles (1926, 1931, 1934, 1942, 1944, 1946, 1964, 1967, 1982, 2006, 2011)
(Jeff Haynes, REUTERS)
4 / 26
MLB teams ranked by their World Series championships
Los Angeles Dodgers – 9 titles (1955, 1959, 1963, 1965, 1981, 1988, 2020, 2024, 2025)
(Bettmann Archive via Getty Images)
5 / 26
MLB teams ranked by their World Series championships
Boston Red Sox – 9 titles (1903, 1912, 1915, 1916, 1918, 2004, 2007, 2013, 2018)
(Eileen Blass, USA TODAY)
6 / 26
MLB teams ranked by their World Series championships
Athletics – 9 titles (1910, 1911, 1913, 1929, 1930, 1972, 1973, 1974, 1989)
(Bettmann Archive via Getty Images)
7 / 26
MLB teams ranked by their World Series championships
San Francisco Giants – 8 titles (1905, 1921, 1922, 1933, 1954, 2010, 2012, 2014)
(JULIAN H. GONZALEZ, Detroit Free Press via USA TODAY Network)
8 / 26
MLB teams ranked by their World Series championships
Pittsburgh Pirates – 5 titles (1909, 1925, 1960, 1971, 1979)
(Bettmann Archive via Getty Images)
9 / 26
MLB teams ranked by their World Series championships
Cincinnati Reds – 5 titles (1919, 1940, 1975, 1976, 1990)
(Bob Lynn, The Enquirer via USA TODAY Network)
10 / 26
MLB teams ranked by their World Series championships
Atlanta Braves – 4 titles (1914, 1957, 1995, 2021)
(CHRIS WILKINS, AFP via Getty Images)
11 / 26
MLB teams ranked by their World Series championships
Detroit Tigers – 4 titles (1935, 1945, 1968, 1984)
(Mary Schroeder, Detroit Free Press via USA TODAY Network)
12 / 26
MLB teams ranked by their World Series championships
Baltimore Orioles – 3 titles (1966, 1970, 1983)
(PORTER BINKS, USA TODAY)
13 / 26
MLB teams ranked by their World Series championships
Chicago Cubs – 3 titles (1907, 1908, 2016)
(Ezra Shaw, Getty Images)
14 / 26
MLB teams ranked by their World Series championships
Chicago White Sox – 3 titles (1906, 1917, 2005)
(Eileen Blass, USA TODAY)
15 / 26
MLB teams ranked by their World Series championships
Minnesota Twins – 3 titles (1924, 1987, 1991)
(ROBERT DEUTSCH, USA TODAY)
16 / 26
MLB teams ranked by their World Series championships
Cleveland Guardians – 2 titles (1920, 1948)
(Bettmann Archive via Getty Images)
17 / 26
MLB teams ranked by their World Series championships
Houston Astros – 2 titles (2017, 2022)
(Gary A. Vasquez, Imagn Images)
18 / 26
MLB teams ranked by their World Series championships
Kansas City Royals – 2 titles (1985, 2015)
(ROBERT DEUTSCH, USA TODAY)
19 / 26
MLB teams ranked by their World Series championships
Miami Marlins – 2 titles (1997, 2003)
(H. DARR BEISER, USA TODAY)
20 / 26
MLB teams ranked by their World Series championships
New York Mets – 2 titles (1969, 1986)
(Bettmann Archive via Getty Images)
21 / 26
MLB teams ranked by their World Series championships
Philadelphia Phillies – 2 titles (1980, 2008)
(H. Darr Beiser, USA TODAY)
22 / 26
MLB teams ranked by their World Series championships
Toronto Blue Jays – 2 titles (1992, 1993)
(Rick Stewart, Getty Images)
23 / 26
MLB teams ranked by their World Series championships
Arizona Diamondbacks – 1 title (2001)
(JACK GRUBER, USA TODAY)
24 / 26
MLB teams ranked by their World Series championships
Los Angeles Angels – 1 title (2002)
(ROBERT DEUTSCH, USA TODAY)
25 / 26
MLB teams ranked by their World Series championships
Texas Rangers – 1 title (2023)
(Mark J. Rebilas, Imagn Images)
26 / 26
MLB teams ranked by their World Series championships
Washington Nationals – 1 title (2019)
(Erik Williams, Imagn Images)
-
Bob Nightengale: Atlanta in 3
-
Gabe Lacques: Atlanta in 2
-
Jesse Yomtov: Phillies in 2
-
Bob Nightengale: Padres in 2
-
Gabe Lacques: Padres in 3
-
Kristie Ackert: Cubs in 3
-
Jesse Yomtov: Padres in 3
1 / 10
Visit the 10 best MLB stadiums, ranked by baseball insider
No. 10. T-Mobile Park, Seattle: This ballpark fits perfectly in the Northwest with the nearby mountains, skyline and water. It features an “umbrella-style” retractable roof that doesn’t enclose the park, only stopping the rain, while enabling fans to enjoy the beautiful outdoors.
(Joe Nicholson, IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect)
1 / 10
Visit the 10 best MLB stadiums, ranked by baseball insider
No. 10. T-Mobile Park, Seattle: This ballpark fits perfectly in the Northwest with the nearby mountains, skyline and water. It features an “umbrella-style” retractable roof that doesn’t enclose the park, only stopping the rain, while enabling fans to enjoy the beautiful outdoors.
(Joe Nicholson, IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect)
2 / 10
Visit the 10 best MLB stadiums, ranked by baseball insider
No. 9. Camden Yards, Baltimore: Meet the godfather, with its famous B&O Warehouse. This is the original retro-classic ballpark that not only dramatically influenced the look of new stadiums, but changed the fabric of some major cities. Denver, Cleveland, San Francisco and San Diego followed its lead and built downtown ballparks that completely invigorated growth.
(James A. Pittman, IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect)
3 / 10
Visit the 10 best MLB stadiums, ranked by baseball insider
No. 8. Coors Field, Denver: The team may stink but the ballpark is so beautiful and the vibe is so cool that it’s become a destination on its own. There’s a purple row of seats signifying the mile-high altitude, and the bullpen could be mistaken for a forest with its trees and running stream. The right-field upper-deck is the hottest bar in Denver.
(Isaiah J. Downing, IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect)
4 / 10
Visit the 10 best MLB stadiums, ranked by baseball insider
No. 7. Dodgers Stadium, Los Angeles: This is the most serene setting in baseball, nestled into the hillside of Chavez Ravine. It has a view of the San Gabriel Mountains beyond the outfield, and downtown Los Angeles behind home plate. It’s hard to believe it was built in 1962 and even though it holds 56,000 fans, it still feels intimate.
(William Navarro, IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect)
5 / 10
Visit the 10 best MLB stadiums, ranked by baseball insider
No. 6. Oracle Park, San Francisco: This ballpark has the second-best view in baseball behind PNC Park with its bay backdrop and splash-down hits in McCovey Cove, but only if you happen to sit in the upper deck. The park is already showing its age and its concourses are narrow and cramped, making it difficult to move around, with the Giants already out-growing the place and badly needing more space.
(Scott Marshall, IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect)
6 / 10
Visit the 10 best MLB stadiums, ranked by baseball insider
No. 5. Petco Park, San Diego: This gorgeous park doesn’t quite have the stunning views as Pittsburgh or San Francisco, but it’s pretty darn close. The architecture is beautiful and the old Western Metal Company warehouse in left-field gives it a retro look. It also happens to be located in the heart of the lively Gaslamp Quarter in downtown San Diego.
(Orlando Ramirez, USA TODAY Sports via Reuters Con)
7 / 10
Visit the 10 best MLB stadiums, ranked by baseball insider
No. 4. Target Field, Minneapolis: This may be the most impressive urban design in baseball on its downtown eight-acre site with freeways and trains outside the park, and warehouses to the left. It also has an ultra-modern look inside, with a 360-degree open concourse, that celebrates the club’s glorious history. Its nod to the retro look is the iconic neon Minnie and Paul home-run sign featuring two ballplayers shaking hands over the Mississippi River representing the Twin Cities.
(Jeffrey Becker, IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect)
8 / 10
Visit the 10 best MLB stadiums, ranked by baseball insider
No 3. PNC Park, Pittsburgh: The most gorgeous ballpark in America. Forget the game on the field. You want to be sitting in the upper deck taking in the view of the Clemente Bridge, the Pittsburgh skyline and the Allegheny River. It’s magnificent.
(Charles LeClaire, IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect)
9 / 10
Visit the 10 best MLB stadiums, ranked by baseball insider
No. 2. Wrigley Field, Chicago: There’s not a more beautiful sight than walking into the ballpark and taking your first look at that beautiful green grass, the ivy on the walls and the iconic scoreboard in center field. Taking in a Friday afternoon game, hitting Murphy Bleachers afterward, and enjoying the Chicago nightlife is utopia for any baseball fan.
(Patrick Gorski, IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect)
10 / 10
Visit the 10 best MLB stadiums, ranked by baseball insider
No. 1 Fenway Park, Boston: No ballpark in America has the romantic feel or the unique quirks of Fenway Park, from the Green Monster to Pesky’s Pole. It’s not a baseball game, but a religious experience watching games at Fenway.
(Eric Canha, IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect)
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: MLB expert playoff predictions and wild card picks: Yankees or Red Sox?
Read the full article here
