Ranking which teams could be the fans' choices for October favorites this MLB postseason

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Which teams will be the fan favorites this September and October as the MLB postseason races really heat up?

We’re not talking here about the betting favorites. That’s for the brains in Vegas to decide, and they’ve pretty much already decided. In their book, it’s the Astros and Braves or Dodgers. No others need apply.

We’re talking about the rooting favorites … the teams that by their play or their history will draw the intrigue of fans whose own teams have already crashed and burned.

And since America loves an underdog, many of the fan favorites will for one reason or another also be among the least likely to actually win the World Series. That’s OK, too.

Who will be the fan favorites in the 2023 MLB postseason?

It’s a strange MLB postseason we’re coming up on; strange in that many of the regulars won’t be showing up. The Yankees, Cardinals and Red Sox (who among them have 59 October appearances since the Wild Card was created in 1995) are all out of the running. The Mets and Padres (with the Yankees the three highest-spending teams) are also dead and buried.

With less than three weeks to play in the regular season, 16 teams remain in plausible contention for a postseason shot. And as teams prove season after season, once you get in you have a chance to win it all.

Just since 2011, three teams that did not win their division won the World Series, and two others (including the 2022 Phillies) played in the Fall Classic.

Our standard for measurement is almost entirely subjective. That’s fine; there’s nothing rational about rooting interest. It consists of several factors:

1. How long has it been since the team actually won a World Series (the less recent, the better)?

2. Does the team bring fresh blood to the postseason, or is it loaded with October regulars (the fresher, the better)?

3. Does it have a high or low payroll (the lower, the better)?

4. Does it play an exciting brand of ball or are its victories methodical and boring?

From least interesting to most interesting, here’s how the 16 remaining teams rank as fan favorites for 2023.

Sep 6, 2023; Arlington, Texas, USA; Texas Rangers relief pitcher Jose Leclerc (25) leaves the game against the Houston Astros during the seventh inning at Globe Life Field. Mandatory Credit: Jerome Miron-USA TODAY Sports /

16. Houston Astros. Nobody outside Houston wants to see the AL West leaders triumph. First, they just won last season. Second, they’ve played in six straight postseasons, reaching the World Series four times. Third, they are boringly efficient. Finally, there’s that cheating business.

15. Los Angeles Dodgers. Aside from not being cheaters, everything said about the Astros goes double for the Dodgers. This will be their 12th straight postseason, they won as recently as 2020, their approach is corporately efficient, and their fans don’t even stick around to watch them win.

14. San Francisco Giants. This is probably moot since the Giants are 1.5 games out of the final Wild Card spot, and play nine of their final 12 games against the Dodgers or Diamondbacks. Of all the teams not presently in a postseason slot, they are the least likely to earn one. They have no truly interesting players, and with three World Series titles in the past 13 seasons they hardly qualify as Cinderellas.

13. Philadelphia Phillies. They absolutely adore the Phillies in Philadelphia. That’s nice; I love my sister, too. But, outside the family, they are yesterday’s news. The Phils had their moment in 2022, climbing from third Wild Card to the World Series before losing in six to Houston. Beyond that, they whiff too much to be inspirational. The Phillies are fourth in the NL and eighth in baseball in Ks. Who gets behind that?

12. Atlanta Braves. Since the Braves won it all just two years ago and are likely to lead the majors this year in wins, rooting for them is only for the corporate-hearted. Still, you have to admire Atlanta management for assembling such a consistently dominant ballclub. And if it comes down to Braves versus Dodgers and then Astros (as the brain trust expects it to do) then, yes, Atlanta will be a solid fan favorite.

11. Toronto Blue Jays. There’s a lot to like about the Jays. This is a team with personalities like Bo Bichette, Vlad Guerrero Jr., and a resurgent Kevin Kiermaier. But heck, if the Jays are such a great story, why are they stuck in third place in their own division? Personally, I can’t work up more than neutral enthusiasm for them.

10. Minnesota Twins. Because, and let’s just be honest here, even Twins fans don’t expect the Twins to do anything in October. Since 2002, Minnesota is 6-27 in postseason play. If you’re an available fan, are you going to throw your heart and emotional well-being behind that track record?

9. Texas Rangers. The last time the Rangers won a World Series was never. They should have won in 2011 but got robbed by the Cardinals, so there is a strong emotional attachment to puling for Texas. At some point, however, reality has to set in. This Rangers team (not the 2011 version but this current one) has played .500 ball since June 1. That’s a long time to be ordinary. If you are looking for a team to gravitate to, one that’s playing .500 ball doesn’t have much gravitational force.

PHOENIX, ARIZONA – AUGUST 12: Corbin Carroll #7 of the Arizona Diamondbacks celebrates with Geraldo Perdomo #2 of the Arizona Diamondbacks following the Arizona Diamondbacks 3-0 win over the San Diego Padres of the MLB Game at Chase Field on August 12, 2023 in Phoenix, Arizona. The Arizona Diamondbacks snapped a nine-game losing streak with their 3-0 win over the San Diego Padres. (Photo by Rebecca Sasnett/Getty Images) /

8. Arizona Diamondbacks. The D-Backs haven’t won since 2001, and they haven’t really contended since losing to Colorado in the 2007 NLCS. They have some dynamic young talent in the persons of Gabe Moreno, Ketel Marte, Alek Thomas and Corbin Carroll. Having said that, Arizona plays out west and is rarely seen by most fans. If they get going, the Diamondbacks have the opportunity to become a fan favorite.

7. Chicago Cubs. Any Cubs team is going to rank relatively high in lovability just because they’re the Cubs and they play in Wrigley Field. This team, which has gone from 10 below .500 to 10 above .500 in a couple months, could be an especially strong pull. There are attractive young faces in the forms of pitcher Jordan Wicks and infielder Christopher Morel, either of whom is capable of exciting young, unattached fans to make the Cubs fan favorites.

6. Miami Marlins. The Marlins are young, they look sexy in those party-colored Miami unis, Luis Arraez is going to win the batting title, and they’ve got guys named Jazz, Nick, Sandy and Eury. Plus, they do it on a payroll that’s measured in nickels. They won’t win the division and will be pressed to make it as a Wild Card, but that’s OK. The Marlins’ two World Series wins (in 1997 and 2003) both came as Wild Cards. Plus, if you root for the Marlins and they win, the postseason party is sure to be epic.

5. Cincinnati Reds. If you are moved by fresh faces, Cincy is Fresh Face City. The average age of the roster is a childish 27.2 years, making the Reds easily the youngest team in postseason contention. That roster includes Spencer Steer, Elly DeLa Cruz, Will Benson, TJ Friedl, Matt McLain, Christian Encarnacion-Strand, and Andrew Abbott, who as a group make Hunter Greene and Jonathan India look old. The Reds are top five in the NL in runs, triples, stolen bases (they’re tops here), strikeouts and most of the esoteric adrenalin-based categories. They may lose, but they’ll go down in a blaze of glory.

4. Seattle Mariners. Last season, when the Mariners broke a 21-year postseason drought, they were the people’s choice. A heartbreaking playoff loss to the Astros ended that dream. But it did acquaint fans with players of the stripe of the Big Dumper and J-Rod. On nicknames alone, the Mariners are favorites. They’re also young with an average age of just 27.9 years. But what the M’s really do is pitch; they’re third in fewest runs allowed per game, second in ERA and second in Fielding Independent Pitching.

3. Milwaukee Brewers. The Brewers have a lengthy and largely undistinguished playoff history. They’ve made six appearances since 2008, four of them since 2018, but are only 13-19 in October play. Yet there is reason for hope. Behind Corbin Burnes, Brandon Woodruff and closer Devin Williams, the Brewers are first in ERA, second in run per game allowed, and second in ERA+. Fans who like a well-pitched game will gravitate to Milwaukee.

2. Tampa Bay Rays. Like Charlie Brown, the Rays are getting yet another shot at kicking the football in 2023 and everybody’s hoping some Lucy doesn’t pull it out from under them again. Despite the third-lowest payroll in baseball, the Rays will make a fifth straight postseason appearance this fall. They lost in the 2020 World Series.

1. Baltimore Orioles. From the standpoint of picking up available fans, the Orioles are strong favorites. They have a dynamic young lineup led by Adley Rutschman (25), Gunnar Henderson (22) and Grayson Rodriguez (23), the entire roster is new to postseason play, and (perhaps most importantly) they’re legit. The O’s are likely to lead the AL in victories. If you’re an available fan, what’s better than a roster loaded with young talented players driving a potential champion?

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