October. For some, it means Halloween, with ghouls and goblins and candy galore. For others, it means homecoming, with its floats, football game, and limitless PDA.

But for this baseball fan, October means only one thing – the playoffs are here.

On Oct. 4, for 20 unfortunate teams the 2015 Major League Baseball season will come to a close. The reigning champion San Francisco Giants will be scratching their heads, wondering how they missed out on that elusive Wild Card spot this year, while the Oakland A’s will be nursing their wounds, finally put out of their misery after a dreadful campaign.

But 10 hopeful, talented teams will be working hard, getting ready for the thrill of their lives. These teams will dream of the title that only one will earn – 2015 World Champions. These squads each have their own storylines, their own strengths, and their own weaknesses. But they all share one trait in common – a bloodlust for victory.

Let’s meet these teams, and see how they might fare going forward.

American League

Toronto Blue Jays

Canada’s team is back. For the first time since 1993, the Blue Jays will be in strong pursuit of bringing the title up north. A second half surge has left the Jays as the AL East Champions.

With the Jays, it’s all about offense. Shortly prior to the trade deadline, the Jays shocked the baseball world, sending shortstop Jose Reyes and three young, talented pitchers to the Colorado Rockies in exchange for superstar shortstop Troy Tulowitzki, along with reliever LaTroy Hawkins. “Tulo” joins an already-fearsome Toronto lineup, including the likes of sluggers Jose Bautista, Edwin Encarnacion, and likely AL MVP Josh Donaldson. The Jays lead all of baseball in home runs with 232, the most hit by a major league team since the 2012 Yankees swatted 245.

The Jays’ weakness has been their pitching. Even after acquiring left-handed ace David Price from the Detroit Tigers in another high-profile deadline move, the team ranks 12th in starters’ ERA. Price will only be able to pitch two games of the five game Division Series, meaning the likes of 40 year-old knuckleballer R.A. Dickey, 36 year-old soft-tossing southpaw Mark Buehrle, and 24 year-old Marcus Stroman will have to piece together the rest of the series. But the Jays’ bullpen has been a strength as of late, posting a 3.35 ERA during the second half.

Toronto’s high-powered offense is unquestionably the best in the playoffs. If the Jays are to fall, it will be the fault of their pitching.

Kansas City Royals

The scrappy Royals are at it again. After shocking the world by flying through the postseason in 2014, only to be shut down by Giants’ ace Madison Bumgarner, the Central-winning Royals want to prove their talent on the big stage once more. Bounce-back seasons from first baseman Eric Hosmer and designated hitter Kendrys Morales, Lorenzo Cain’s continued breakout, and midseason acquisitions of ace Johnny Cueto and super-utility man Ben Zobrist have the Royals poised to go all the way once more. But everything isn’t as great as it seems.

The Royals are all about contact. Their 15.9 percent strikeout rate is by far the lowest in baseball. But this contact comes with a consequence. Kansas City’s 6.3 percent walk rate is dead last in the majors. The Royals are also not known for their power, or for hitting the ball particularly solid. In short, the Royals put the ball in play quite often, but not with much authority. This makes them subject to luck on these balls in play, either good or bad.

There isn’t much optimism on the pitching side of things, either. Cueto has been a shell of his former self in nine starts with the Royals, going 4-7 with a 4.76 ERA. The only other reliable starter in the Royals’ rotation is veteran right-hander Edinson Volquez, who is a very fine pitcher in his own right but far from an ace. The bullpen remains a huge strength, as Kelvin Herrera, Wade Davis, and Ryan Madson have each been fantastic. But star closer Greg Holland has been shut down with an elbow injury. As a result, Davis has replaced Holland as the closer. With a relatively weak rotation, Kansas City will need Davis and the rest of the bullpen to absolutely dominate.

It’s easy to see things going right for the Royals once more. A few well-placed and well-timed hits, some of KC’s signature smooth defense, and a rebound from Cueto could lead the Royals to the World Series once more. That being said, this postseason likely won’t be another breeze for Kansas City, and has the potential to go horribly wrong.

Texas Rangers

The Rangers’ year should have been 2010. The same could be said about 2011…and 2012…and 2013…and 2014. Few would have been surprised to see the Rangers win it all in any of the last five years after watching the club produce strong teams thanks to smart drafting and shrewd trades,  After all, they did make it to the World Series in both 2010 and 2011, only to fall just short. Perhaps their luck can turn around in 2015.

Somewhat surprisingly for a Rangers organization known for high-octane offense, the bats just haven’t quite been there. While outfielder Shin-Soo Choo and first baseman Prince Fielder have bounced back extremely well after injury-ridden, disappointing seasons in 2014, franchise star Adrian Beltre is in the midst of his worst season since 2009. Elvis Andrus, owed more than $103 million through 2022, has been one of the worst shortstops in baseball. But not all is bleak. First baseman Mitch Moreland and second baseman Rougned Odor are putting together fine seasons on both sides of the ball, and trade acquisition Mike Napoli has hit very well in his return to Texas.

The Rangers’ rotation has been nothing special. Colby Lewis and Yovani Gallardo have each been decent, but not much else is encouraging. At the deadline, Texas gave up a plethora of young talent to acquire lefty ace Cole Hamels from the Philadelphia Phillies. Hamels has been somewhat disappointing, posting a 3.66 ERA. If Texas wants to go deep into the postseason, Hamels will have to really pick it up.

The AL West-Champion Rangers are, very clearly, not the best overall team entering the postseason. But maybe the Rangers will have luck on their side after the baseball gods treated them so poorly the past five years.

Houston Astros

From 2011 through 2014, the lowly Houston Astros went a combined 232-416, losing a franchise-record 111 games in 2013. Now, all of a sudden, the “Lastros” sit in the second AL Wild Card spot after a shocking 2015. They have the offense, they have the pitching, they have the defense. They just have to put it together.

The offense has been lead by second baseman and 2014 AL batting champion Jose Altuve, who hit 15 home runs and stole 38 bases while posting a .313 batting average. His double play partner, and the likely 2015 AL Rookie of the Year, Carlos Correa, has been astounding. Having just turned 21, Correa swatted 22 dingers and swiped 14 bags in only 99 games, all while providing great defense at shortstop. These two are joined by midseason acquisition Carlos Gomez in centerfield, along with power hitters such as Chris Carter, Preston Tucker, and George Springer. It shouldn’t be surprising that the ‘Stros are second in baseball in home runs behind only the Blue Jays. Somewhat unsurprisingly, these same young Astros also rank second in baseball in offensive strikeouts, with a whopping 1,392 K’s.

Houston’s pitching staff boasts the fifth-lowest ERA in the league, led by breakout lefty Dallas Keuchel and deadline pick-up Scott Kazmir. But Kazmir has struggled greatly as of late, the rest of the rotation isn’t quite stable. Lance McCullers Jr. has been fantastic at the young age of 21, but his arm could tire out as he has already thrown the most innings of his professional career. Collin McHugh has been unable to repeat his 2014 breakout, and veteran Scott Feldman, who had been pitching very well in his last few starts, will miss the entire postseason with a shoulder injury. The Astros’ bullpen, ranked worst in the league in 2014, has been a very pleasant surprise. Their relief corp has the sixth-lowest ERA in baseball.

On paper and on the field, the Astros are a very well-rounded, talented team. But this young team is beginning to show that youth with September struggles, leaving many wondering if they will be able to take the crown.

New York Yankees

One of the most storied franchises in the game, the Yankees are coming off of a disappointing two-year postseason “drought”. But now, after securing the first AL Wild Card spot, the new-look Bronx Bombers (sans franchise stars such as Derek Jeter and Mariano Rivera) are looking to take their franchise’s 19th AL East title.

These Yankees are, for the most part, far from recognizable. Former stars such as Alex Rodriguez (coming off of a 162-game suspension for performance-enhancing drugs in 2014) and Brian McCann have been the team leaders, slugging a combined 59 home runs. First baseman Mark Teixeira had also been a pleasant surprise, but he will miss the entire postseason after fracturing his leg. Not all is lost, though. Teixeira’s replacement, 22 year-old Greg Bird, has light-tower power as well. But centerfielder Jacoby Ellsbury and third baseman Chase Headley have been major disappointments offensively, and some doubt the Yankees could withstand another offensive injury.

Masahiro Tanaka, 26, headlines the Yankees’ youthful rotation. The Japanese import, pitching through an elbow injury, has been very solid in 2015. Behind him are young, hard-throwing righties Michael Pineda and Luis Severino. Pineda has racked up plenty of strikeouts while exhibiting the best control of his career. Severino, one of the game’s top pitching prospects entering the year, has exhibited a fastball upwards of 95 MPH while showing an ability to miss bats and induce weak contact in his first season. And once these starters get through six innings, the game is as good as over. Justin Wilson, Dellin Betances and Andrew Miller create one of the most formidable late-inning trios in the game.

The Yankees might not exactly stand out in any category on either side of the ball. But the team has few noticeable weaknesses, and manager Joe Girardi knows how to lead a team through the postseason. They might not be flashy like the dominant New York clubs of the early 2000s, but this Yankees team has as good of a shot as any to make it all the way.

National League

St. Louis Cardinals

Despite losing long-time ace Adam Wainwright to an Achilles injury in April, the Cardinals sport the best regular season record in baseball after winning the game’s strongest division, the uber-competitive NL Central. The Cards have overcome many injuries to key players en route to their fifth consecutive postseason appearance.

Leading the way on offense is underrated third baseman Matt Carpenter, who has swatted a career-high and team-leading 28 home runs. Backing him up are the consistent Jason Heyward, young slugger Randal Grichuk, and the veteran Matt Holliday, who missed months due to various injuries. Also suffering from the injury bug is catcher Yadier Molina, who hasn’t been able to get it going offensively. Overall, the Cardinals’ offense won’t quite strike fear into opposing pitchers, but the organization as a whole has consistently been able to come up with clutch postseason hits.

A dominant pitching staff, as usual, has been the Cardinals’ strength. Even without Wainwright, the starting rotation has been one of the best in the game. Youngsters Lance Lynn and Michael Wacha have maintained ERAs in the low 3’s, while veterans Jaime Garcia (2.43 ERA) and John Lackey (2.77) have enjoyed fantastic bounce-back seasons. Unfortunately, young ace Carlos Martinez will miss the postseason with a shoulder strain, so Garcia will be counted on to fill that void. Closer Trevor Rosenthal is throwing as well (and as hard) as ever, and shrewd midseason additions such as Jonathan Broxton and Steve Cishek are handling relief innings quite nicely.

These Cardinals have been there before, time and time again. Their strong pitching and defense give them a chance to win any game against anyone. But they may be unable to score against the likes of Clayton Kershaw, Gerrit Cole, Jake Arrieta, and the rest of the pitching-strong National League.

Los Angeles Dodgers

Speaking of Kershaw, his Dodgers have taken the NL West crown once more and will be hunting for redemption. After disappointing exits at the hands of the aforementioned Cardinals in both 2013 and 2014, the game’s richest team will be looking to win their first title since 1988.

The Dodgers have it all. A veteran slugger? Adrian Gonzalez has smacked a team-leading 28 home runs while playing solid defense at first base. High-upside youth? How about 23 year-old outfielder Joc Pederson, who has slugged 26 homers, and shortstop Corey Seager, who has been one of the game’s best hitters since his debut in early September? Many other role players such as infielders Enrique Hernandez, Howie Kendrick, and Justin Turner, and outfielder Andre Ethier have combined to form a lineup without a hole. The only issue is health. Flashy Cuban star Yasiel Puig doesn’t know when he’ll play again this season, and many other players (including Turner and Hernandez) have been very banged-up as of late. The offense will need to stay healthy through October.

None can doubt the obvious talent at the top of the Dodgers’ rotation. Everybody knows about the game’s best pitcher, southpaw Clayton Kershaw (2.13 ERA), but the Dodgers’ number two starter might just take the NL Cy Young award. Zack Greinke has been phenomenal, as he sports a 1.66 ERA to accompany his 19-3 record. Beyond these two, however, the rotation is questionable. Lefty Brett Anderson is in the midst of a nice bounce-back season, but entering 2015 he hadn’t thrown more than 100 innings since 2010. Now at over 180 innings pitched this season, it remains to be seen whether his injury-prone body will hold up through the postseason. The bullpen is another story entirely. Outside of closer Kenley Jansen and righty Yimi Garcia, no Dodgers’ reliever has been able to maintain consistent success and get big outs with the game on the line. This weak bullpen could be the Dodgers’ downfall once more.

New York Mets

The Metropolitans are this year’s “dream team”. The Washington Nationals, picked by many to win the World Series prior to the season, have not been able to back up the likely-NL MVP Bryce Harper and have been overthrown by a second-half surge from the young Mets. Nobody expected the Mets to make it this far, yet they’ve taken the NL East title thanks to some nice midseason additions and an incredible rotation.

Through the first half of the season, the Mets’ offense was one of the worst in the history of the game of baseball. Only first baseman Lucas Duda could hit the ball with any authority, and countless gems from the rotation were being wasted. But after many triumphant returns from injuries and some great deadline acquisitions, the Mets now boast a deep, consistent offense. Slugger Yoenis Cespedes, picked up from the Detroit Tigers, has swatted 17 long balls in only 57 games with the Mets. Catcher Travis d’Arnaud, third baseman David Wright, and shortstop Wilmer Flores have also caught fire in the second half, along with highly-touted rookie outfielder Michael Conforto. Curtis Granderson is in the midst of his best season since 2011. The offense as a whole ranked third in runs scored in the second half, behind only the Blue Jays and Rangers.

Their pitching is even better. Controversy has arisen due to a possible innings limit with hard-throwing righty Matt Harvey in his return from Tommy John surgery, but the club would be fine even without Harvey and his 2.71 ERA. Jacob deGrom (2.54) and Noah Syndergaard (3.24) have each been great as well, and the ageless veteran Bartolo Colon has picked up 14 wins of his own. The young lefty Steven Matz (2.27 ERA over six starts) has returned from a midseason injury and has made his own bid at a spot in the playoff rotation. The bullpen has been just as great with Jeurys Familia, Tyler Clippard, Sean Gilmartin, and Addison Reed dominating the late innings.

The Mets, thanks to many smart additions and an already-great young core, have no glaring weaknesses. If Harvey is at full strength and ready to go, they might just be unstoppable.

Pittsburgh Pirates

The Pirates are at it once again. After a 21-year postseason drought, Pittsburgh is headed for ‘Buctober’ for the third consecutive year as a Wild Card team. This exciting young team finds talent everywhere and anywhere, routinely scouring the scrap heap for players that could be of use to them.

The Pirates are led by perennial MVP candidate Andrew McCutchen. “Cutch” does it all. He has posted double-digit home runs and stolen bases in each season of his career, plays a great centerfield, and knows how to get on base. Patrolling the corner outfield spots are similar players in the young Gregory Polanco and Starling Marte. The pair has combined for 28 home runs and 57 stolen bases this season, and along with McCutchen form arguably the best all-around outfield in the game. Francisco Cervelli has been a pleasant surprise behind the dish, and Neil Walker has been as consistent as ever at second base. But the team was dealt a crushing blow in late September when Korean import and breakout star shortstop Jung-ho Kang underwent surgery on his knee after a collision at second base. Kang had smacked 15 home runs in his first year in America, and was arguably the Pirates’ most important player after McCutchen. The offense will have to find a way to succeed without the help of the 28 year-old rookie.

The Pirates have always been able to produce good, if not great, pitching out of seemingly nowhere. Pitching coach Ray Searage has one of the best reputations in the game, and is known for returning struggling pitchers back into their former selves. While former top draft pick Gerrit Cole, one of the game’s best young pitchers, headlines the Pirates’ rotation, the entire remainder of the Pirates’ rotation is comprised of Searage’s reclamation projects. Francisco Liriano is an excellent example, as he has been an entirely different pitcher since arriving in Pittsburgh. A.J. Burnett and JA Happ are also in the midst of stunning seasons for the Bucs. The four comprise perhaps the most underrated rotation in the game. Tony Watson, Mark Melancon, and Joakim Soria form an impressive trio with the ability to shut down any offense from the back end of the ‘pen.

The Pirates have an outlook very similar to that of their division rival Cardinals. Their pitching and defense are unquestionably strong, and won’t be fun for any team to try and take on. But without a key player in Kang, the Bucs will have their work cut out for them in October.

Chicago Cubs

Very few, if any, expected the youthful Cubs to experience the level of success they have this year. None doubted their overwhelmingly talented farm system, but many still believed these pieces were at least another year away from making an impact. Boy, were we all wrong.

Kris Bryant has been as good as advertised, and then some. The 23 year-old Bryant,  a former second overall pick, blasted 26 home runs and stole 13 bases, as one of the best overall third basemen in the game. First baseman Anthony Rizzo, somehow only 26, has been phenomenal as well, chipping in with 31 dingers and 17 stolen bases of his own. Middle infielder Addison Russell has played slick defense as one of the league’s youngest players, and Kyle Schwarber and Jorge Soler have shown of some power of their own. Veterans such as outfielders Dexter Fowler and Chris Coghlan are also experiencing fine offensive seasons as “glue” pieces. But the offense as a whole has one major problem. The Cubs lead the league in offensive strikeouts after being punched out more than a hundred more times than the second-place Astros and more than 500 more times than the Royals. Postseason aces will likely be able to exploit this swing-and-miss tendency.

Luckily for the Cubs, they have a pair of aces of their own. While lefty Jon Lester’s ERA has jumped almost a run higher than his fantastic 2014 (2.46 ERA to 3.34 in 2015), he has been one of the game’s best postseason aces in his career. But he won’t even be on the hill for the Wild Card game. A hardly-noticeable acquisition in 2013, righty Jake Arrieta, has blossomed into one of the league’s most dominant hurlers. He boasts a miniscule 1.77 ERA in 2015, to go along with 22 wins. Jason Hammel has quietly had a very successful season as well, and youngster Kyle Hendricks has been solid. The bullpen is full of dominant power arms such as Hector Rondon, Pedro Strop, and Justin Grimm. All in all, this Chicago pitching corps will be a hard one to penetrate.

The Cubs, having snagged the second Wild Card spot, have the talent, and that much is undeniable. They have the power, the speed, the defense, and the pitching. But their youth may be their downfall, as they may falter under the pressure of the postseason.

My Predictions

The home team, the New York Yankees, will win the AL Wild Card game. Houston lefty Dallas Keuchel, pitching on short rest, will struggle to keep the ball in the yard in the hitter-friendly confines of New Yankee Stadium. But Kansas City will knock the Yankees right out of the playoffs, as their scrappy style will be too much for the Bronx Bombers. In the other AL Divisional Series, Toronto’s right-handed heavy lineup will demolish Rangers’ lefties Cole Hamels and Martin Perez, and the Canadians will move on to face the Royals in the AL Championship Series. Toronto will overtake Kansas City as the American League Champions, as the Royals’ rotation behind Johnny Cueto will crumble against the Blue Jays’ big bats.

In the National League, Jake Arrieta will continue his dominance, taking his Cubs past the Pirates in the Wild Card game. But the Cardinals, overflowing with postseason experience, will take down these young Cubs in the NL Divisional Series. The Mets will win the other NLDS, as their young pitching will be too much for the banged-up Dodgers offense to handle. The Metropolitans will then become the new National League Champions when they take down the Cardinals somewhat easily in the NLCS.

This World Series will be one to watch, folks. The Blue Jays’ high-octane offense will be put to the test against the Mets’ elite pitching staff. In the end, the Mets’ offense will be too much for Toronto’s weak rotation, and the New York Mets will shock the world by winning the 2015 Fall Classic.

Some other members of The Californian staff have other opinions about how the 2015 MLB Playoffs will play out. Here’s their rationale why the following teams will win the World Series.

National League

Dodgers – Patrick Rettig, staff writer

The Los Angeles Dodgers are going to win this year’s fall classic. The City of Angels’ team has all the street knowledge and cred to be a contender in this years up to seven games from hell, but at the very least four.

They have many reasons for excellence but most of their success can be attributed to the sweet Dodger Blue. They may be baseball’s only team with a their own specific shade of blue. And boy is it aesthetically pleasing.

They also have the distinction of having played in the cities that birthed both major hip hop movements, Brooklyn and LA. Though truthfully they did more to help inspire the West Coast scene then the east, but East Coast is where the roots are.

Many rappers can attribute their success to not the Dodgers, but they are still fans of the team. Ice Cube, Snoop Dogg, and T-Pain are all fans. If the fan base has anything to do with on field performance, then the Dodgers are pretty stacked.

They also have a solid pitching staff anchored by studs Zack Greinke and Clayton Kershaw, and a middle infield duo of Jimmy Rollins and Chase Utley that has been around forever, but in a good way.

People who can hit things with a bat also play for the Dodgers, big names like Adrian Gonzalez, Juatin Turner and Howie Kendrick will cause any pitching staff a headache individually, but together that is a lineup that can cause serious head trauma to even the best of pitchers.

A season of beating on the garbage NL West has prepared this Dodgers team to beat on the rest of the playoff contenders. The only real threat was the Giants, who have a tendency to suck and didn’t qualify for the postseason.

Do it for Vin Scully’s botoxed smile and unnaturally yellow hair you lords of the Flatbush. Dodger Blue for the win.

Cardinals – Jake Barnes, managing editor

The phrase, “There’s no I in team,” has never been more relevant to any team than the 2015 Cardinals.

Albert Pujols is one of the greatest players to grace the baseball diamond. So it makes complete sense for the Cardinals to take a step back once Pujols had left to play for Los Angeles’ Angels.

But somehow the Cardinals won more games without Pujols than with him. The reason for that boils down to two things: Supreme management of prospects and a consistently strong lineup from one to nine.

Mike Matheny has held the tiller firm for this team since he took over in 2012. St. Louis has thrived under his guide and has made the playoffs every year since he took over.

Matheny has paved the way for countless rookies to thrive in the majors. Trevor Rosenthal, Carlos Martinez, and Stephen Piscotty are just a few of the names that have succeeded under Matheny. This team has an unnatural success rate with prospects that will be key in this year’s playoff push.

There are no weak spots in the Cardinals’ lineup. While the team does not have a true superstar, the Cardinals more than make up for it with lineup depth. There is no single injury or slump that could derail the Cardinals this year.

So look out for the red birds come this October.

Mets – Brendan Ogburn, staff writer

The New York Mets are poised to capture their first World Series championship in 29 years, since their magical run back in 1986. A dominant starting rotation full of young stars is sure to continue their dominance into late October. Jacob Degrom, the 2014 NL Rookie of the Year, is slotted as the Mets’ number one pitcher in their playoff rotation. Even with his innings limit continuing into the postseason, ace Matt Harvey figures to make a least one start in every series. Rookie flamethrower Noah Syndergaard and first year phenom Steven Matz will round out an absolutely stacked rotation. If Matz is unable to start because of his back injury, 42 year old veteran Bartolo Colon will take his place. The New York bullpen is anchored by closer Jeurys Familia, who finished the season with a sparkling 1.85 ERA and 43 saves.

At the plate, the Mets are led by trade deadline acquisition Yoenis Cespedes, who finished with 17 home runs and 44 RBI’s, in just 56 games with New York. His arrival on Aug. 1 has done miracles for the rest of the Mets offense, as they scored the third most runs in all of baseball in the second half. In addition, Cespedes own a .350 career batting average in the postseason and generally tends to shine brightest when he’s in the spotlight. Curtis Granderson and 1st baseman Lucas Duda will provide the rest of the power, as they combined for 53 home runs this year. The Mets scored a whopping 5.8 runs per game in the second half, with a batting average of .271.

Overall, the Amazin’ Mets have all the star power and dominant pitching it takes to win in October. This team is peaking at the perfect time, having played their best baseball in the last two months. They are the talk of the town in the Big Apple, and will relish in overwhelming fan support, as Mets fan flock to Flushing for the first ever postseason games at Citi Field. When it’s all set and done, Cespedes and his teammates will be parading down Broadway along the “Canyon of Heroes” in early November.

Pirates – Kyle Tucker, sports editor

One of the worst teams in baseball from the 1990s to 2012, the Pittsburgh Pirates finally took off, and have been a Wild Card team for the last three years.

In 2015, they are one of the best young teams in baseball.  With arguably the best outfield in the game, led by former National League MVP Andrew McCutchen, it isn’t hard to see why the Pirates are in the playoff hunt once again.

But the team is not entirely dependent on offense.  The staff ace, Gerrit Cole, is quickly becoming one of the best pitchers in the game.  With a record of 19-8 with an ERA of 2.60, he is an absolute stud.

Offense and starting pitching are nice, but a team can’t win without a bullpen, and the Pirates have one of the deepest pens’ in the game today.  Closer Mark Melancon has an almost unreal 51 saves and an 2.23 ERA.  He’s arguably the best closer in baseball.

In all facets of the game, the Pirates dominate.  Whether it’s Pitching, hitting, or defense, the Pirates can more than get the job done.

It should be no surprise to see this up and coming powerhouse make a deep run to the playoffs, and hey, it’s time to bring the silver to the steel city.

Cubs – Paige Zilinskas, sports editor

The talented rookies, powerful offensive lineup, and clean defense are the reasons the Chicago Cubs will be the 2015 World Series Champions.

Between Jake Arietta on the mound and Kris Byrant in the batters box, the Cubs are an overall solid team this season.

Along with Bryant, comes power hitters Dexter Fowler, Anthony Rizzo, and Kyle Schwarber. These three players have combined for a total of 64 home runs and 369 hits. They are quite the studs at the plate, something Cubs fans aren’t used to.

With Arietta’s 22 wins and ERA of a mere 1.77, the Cubs won’t have much too worry about in respect to the mound. When he’s not on the hill they have post season ace Jon Lester, as well as Jason Hammel to take care of business.

After clinching their first playoff berth since 2008, the Cubs are well on their way to a World Series victory. The youthful team is ready to take on the playoffs whether Steve Bartman is there or not.

American League

Rangers – Taylor Singer, staff writer

The Texas Rangers are the clear choice to win it all at the end of this 2015 season.

Despite the loss of their ace Yu Darvish at the beginning of the year, the Rangers have fared extremely well, overtaking the dominant Houston Astros for first place in the AL West. They’ve capitalized on the recent struggles of the Astros, despite being a mere 1.5 games ahead of them.

Despite a lengthy DL stint that sidelined Prince Fielder for most of the 2014 season, he’s been having an incredible year. Fielder is currently leading qualified Rangers in several major offensive categories, including average, hits, RBI, OBP and OPS. In addition, he brings a veteran presence to the club, with four years of postseason experience under his belt.

Slugger Mitch Moreland has been a presence in the Texas dugout since 2010, and is leading the team in homers. Although the rotation hasn’t been particularly stellar, the Ranger’s powerful offense makes up for that, with players such as Sin-Soo Choo, Elvis Andrus, and Adrian Beltre making positive contributions as well.

Mike Napoli, acquired on Aug. 7 by the Rangers, has been a force to be reckoned with at the plate so far. Through his first 27 games with the Rangers, he’s been putting up dominant numbers, hitting for a high average while balancing that out with a respectable amount of power. This is all following a mediocre season with the Red Sox, putting up lackluster numbers in 2015 before he was traded.

The Rangers have exceeded all expectations this season, and will no doubt carry their building momentum deep into October.

Blue Jays – Nate Rankin, staff writer

The Blue Jays are quite the comeback story this year. After being down a formidable amount, Toronto, led by the power and consistent hitting of Josh Donaldson and Jose Bautista, skyrocketed to the AL East lead after a 17-4 record in August.

Going into September, they showed no signs of slowing down. With that amount of momentum heading into October, there’s no way these guys aren’t probable World Series contenders. When you combine that with the versatile pitching from Marcus Stroman, who recently came back from ACL surgery, you have a well-balanced World Series contender.

The Jays had 13 games against the Yankees, their biggest competitor heading into the end of regular season play, and they won nine of them. If that isn’t evidence of a strong World Series contender, then I don’t know what is.

As long as Toronto’s offense keeps doing what they’re doing, as they lead the league in runs and home runs, and solidify their pitching rotation of David Price, Marcus Stroman, R.A. Dickey, and Mark Buehrle, they will remain my pick to take it all this year.

Royals – Josh Iversen, staff writer

While I believe the Mets will take the title, I could easily see the Royals returning to the World Series for the second consecutive year. This time, they might exit the Fall Classic crowned as World Champions.

The Royals proved last year that anything can happen in the small sample size of the playoffs. A 400-foot line drive could be caught at the wall for out number three, while a 10-foot dribbler could prove pivotal in a game, and even in an entire series. Kansas City puts the ball in play as well as anyone, giving themselves plenty of opportunities to benefit from some good luck.

It’s not like the entire offense is reliant on luck. Alex Gordon, Ben Zobrist, Eric Hosmer, and Kendrys Morales are fantastic hitters, able to spray line drives to all fields and hit the occasional home run. Alcides Escobar, Jarrod Dyson, and Lorenzo Cain each use their tremendous speed to their advantage, swiping bases left and right, and showing off great range on defense. As a whole, Kansas City boasts one of the cleanest, most efficient defenses in the game.

The pitching staff has potential. While Yordano Ventura and Johnny Cueto struggled in 2015, both have been great pitchers through their careers, and I wouldn’t be surprised to see either return to form and dominate throughout October. Edinson Volquez isn’t flashy, but he has been very consistent, as he only gave up more than four runs in a start four times all season. Volquez can be counted on to go five or six innings and only give up a few runs on any given day.

The Royals aren’t the flashiest pick. But this scrappy team has been there before, and knows how to get it done when the pressure is highest.

Yankees – Brian Barr, adviser

Sorry all you haters and sad sack Red Sox fans, but the Evil Empire is back.

After missing the postseason the past two years, the most dominant team in Major League Baseball history is ready to make a run at its 28th World Series title. Even though the Yankees haven’t won a championship since 2009, this year’s team has the offensive firepower and just enough starting pitching and another dominant bullpen to end the five year drought.

Although the Yankees come limping into the postseason having lost six of the last seven games, the Bronx Bombers can make a serious run if they can just survive past Tuesday’s Wild Card game against Houston. Everything hinges on the health of starter Masahiro Tanaka.

If Tanaka is healthy and on his game, look for the Yankees to win and then roll through the rest of the American League playoffs.

Obviously making another championship run will be more difficult with the recent loss of first baseman Mark Teixeira and his 31 home runs. But the Yankees still have a formidable lineup featuring ARod (yes, he’s a total chump, but he’s our chump as long as he continues to prove useful), Brian McCann, Carlos Beltran, Chase Headley, Jacob Ellsbury, Brett Gardner and  Teixeira’s replacement, Greg Bird, who smacked 11 homers and drove in 31 runs in just 46 games.

In a short series the Yankees can be tough to beat with a three-man rotation of Tanaka (12-7, 3.51 ERA, 139 strikeouts), Luis Severino (5-3, 2.89) and Mike Pineda. If Tanaka and Severino can rise to the occasion and Pineda can be just solid, the Yankees will be tough to beat.

Hey, if the Giants can win the World Series basically with one stud starter last year, why can’t the Yankees win it with two?

Just give New York a lead into the seventh inning and it will be like ’96, when the Yankees had the one-two punch of Mariano Rivera and World Series MVP John Wetteland closing the door on opponents. This year’s duo of Dellin Bentances (1.50 ERA, 131 Ks in 84 innings, 29 hold) sand Andrew Miller (36 saves, 2.04 ERA, 100 Ks in 61.2 innings).

Plus, you got to like how the Wild Card winning Giants and Royals turned out last year. I see the Yankees providing a repeat performance and returning the championship trophy to its rightful home in the Bronx.

Astros – Tristen Singer, staff wrtier

The Astros seem like one of the least likely playoff contenders to make a deep run into the playoffs. They have just completed a 11-16 September, during which they surrendered the AL West division lead to the Rangers. To make matters worse, they have an AL worst 33-48 record on the road and a team batting average of .250, which does not bode well for a run in the postseason.

But not all hope is lost for the Astros. Currently, Houston is most likely going to enter the postseason facing the Yankees in the AL Wild Card game. Houston has a 4-3 winning record against the Yankees this season.

Furthermore, the Astros are loaded with young stars, including Carlos Correa, the current frontrunner for AL rookie of the year, and Dallas Keuchel, who has pitched to a 2.48 ERA in 2015 and is in the thick of the AL Cy Young race. Also, no one can forget about Jose Altuve, who has blossomed into one of the best young stars in the MLB over the past few years, and is putting up career-high homerun and RBI totals in 2015.

Trade deadline acquisitions Scott Kazmir and Carlos Gomez have also had a profound impact on the club as well. Kazmir has pitched to a stellar 3.10 ERA this season, which is good for fourth lowest in the AL. Gomez has helped to add depth to an offensively struggling Astros outfield, and provides a veteran presence to an otherwise very young team.

Astros fans shouldn’t lose faith just yet. There is still many positive things going for Houston, but in order to make a deep playoff run the team must rally around the young stars and become a more productive lineup from top to bottom.