Four teams remain in the 2026 World Series race, and the path to get there has looked nothing like a typical October. The Dodgers, Brewers, Guardians and Rays survived a postseason defined by historically weak offense, a collective .210/.293/.338 batting line and a .632 OPS that has flirted with the lowest scoring playoff run since 2000. Of the 24 games played through the division series and the opening rounds, only one, Guardians-White Sox Game 4, saw both teams score at least four runs.
That context matters heading into the league championship series. Teams that outhomered their opponent went 14-4 in these playoffs, with six games ending in a home run tie. Pitching and timely power have decided nearly everything, and that trend will shape how these four clubs are judged the rest of the way. Here is how they rank entering the NLCS and ALCS.
1. Dodgers (100-62, No. 2 Payroll At $339,319,244)
The Los Angeles Dodgers enter as the only remaining team from MLB’s top-10 payroll group, a list that also included the eliminated Yankees, Braves and Padres. Their $339.3 million payroll is nearly equal to the combined spending of the Brewers, Rays and Guardians, according to Bleacher Report‘s payroll breakdown.
Los Angeles already has recent history working in its favor against Milwaukee. The Dodgers swept the Brewers in the 2025 NLCS, outhoming them 6-1 while holding Milwaukee to a .118 batting average and just four total runs across the series. If the Dodgers get back to the World Series this year, they would become the first team to reach three straight Fall Classics since the Yankees’ run from 1998 to 2001.
2. Brewers (103-59, Best Bullpen In The 2026 Playoffs)
Milwaukee won more regular-season games than any team in baseball at 103-59, one better than the Dodgers’ 100 wins, and the Brewers have backed that up with the strongest bullpen left standing. Right-handers Abner Uribe and Trevor Megill have anchored the back end, with Uribe posting a 1.97 ERA and three home runs allowed in 59⅓ innings and Megill checking in at 2.63 ERA with just one homer allowed in 61⅔ innings.
The lineup has shown signs of growth from a year ago. Milwaukee scored 832 runs in 2026 compared with 806 in 2025, with Jake Bauers emerging as a key driver after hitting 26 home runs and finishing third in MLB in on-base percentage. Bauers went 1-for-1 with three walks in NLDS Game 4.
Jackson Chourio drove in six of the Brewers’ 13 NLDS runs and William Contreras homered twice, but the lineup still has thin spots. Brice Turang is batting .169 in 18 career postseason games with one home run, and Christian Yelich had gone 21 postseason games without a homer before snapping a 19-game RBI drought with a single in Game 3. The Brewers also hit fewer home runs than every MLB team except the Blue Jays during the regular season, and manager Pat Murphy has been hoping for more length from starter Jacob Misiorowski to spare that bullpen.
3. Guardians (No. 30 Payroll At $74,459,014)
Cleveland’s run has been built on pitching and resilience rather than spending. The Guardians completed a comeback against the White Sox in the ALDS that included a 21-strikeout night, then survived a Game 4 slog in which the two teams combined to throw 368 pitches and walk 15 batters.
Despite operating with the lowest payroll remaining at $74.5 million, Cleveland is lined up to send Tarik Skubal in Game 1 of the NLCS matchup with Yamamoto following in Game 2. The rotation depth has been the separator for a roster that was never built to outspend anyone, according to Bleacher Report’s payroll rankings.
4. Rays (No. 28 Payroll At $95,615,469)
Tampa Bay reached the ALCS for just the third time in franchise history, joining its World Series appearances in 2008 and 2020, after eliminating the Yankees. The series turned on power at the right moments. Jonathan Aranda’s home run off Drew Rasmussen was the difference in a 1-0 Game 1 win, and Ryan Vilade and Victor Mesa Jr. both went deep in a 4-3 Game 3 victory.
New York’s own breakdowns helped open the door, including a four-error performance in a Game 2 loss. With the second-lowest payroll among the final four at $95.6 million, the Rays have leaned on pitching and situational hitting rather than star power, the same formula that has defined their franchise for years.
What To Watch Next
The Dodgers and Brewers open the NLCS with Los Angeles chasing a third straight pennant and Milwaukee looking to avenge last year’s sweep. Cleveland’s rotation plan, with Skubal and Yamamoto lined up to start the first two games, will be tested against a Rays club that has thrived in low-scoring games all October. Given how little offense has shown up across this postseason, according to ESPN’s breakdown of the final four, pitching depth and defense figure to decide which two teams advance to the 2026 World Series.
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