While very few things are guaranteed in sport, two teams from the NL West advancing to the 2021 MLB playoffs is a certainty. The San Francisco Giants with a 95-52 record and the LA Dodgers with a 94-53 record are locks to move to the postseason. These two teams have been leading the way throughout the regular season.

The Dodgers are also the betting favorites to go all the way. A World Series win would make them the first team to win back-to-back titles since the Yankees three-peated in 2000. The Giants have the slightest of  leads which could lead to the Dodgers having to play a Wild Card game if things remain the same come the close of the regular season.

 

Crystal Ball Needed

Who could meet the Dodgers in the wild card game? It’s crystal ball time. The Milwaukee Brewers look to have the NL Central sown up. The NL East and the last wild card spot are not so clear. It could require looking very deep into that ball of glass. It’s a three-way race with Atlanta at the moment slightly edging Philadelphia and the NY Mets. Whoever finishes second will be hard pushed to move into the postseason. Three other teams outside the NL East have slightly better records. St Louis, Cincinnati and the San Diego Padres have all won 76 games to date.

In the AL the winners of all three divisions seems to be clearer. Tampa Bay currently lead the way overall in the AL with a record of 91-56. They will be keen to avenge their World Series loss to the Dodgers in 2020. Could 2021 be the year the Rays bring the Commissioner’s Trophy back to Tropicana Field for the first time? The Rays look likely to win back-to-back Division titles for the first time since the club’s formation in 1998. They may not be favorites in the betting but they definitely are moving in the right direction.

 

Wild Card Races Too Close To Call

Elsewhere in the AL, the Chicago White Sox and Houston Astros have open water in the AL Central and AL West respectively and should move comfortably to the playoffs. As for the AL Wild Card teams – even a crystal ball can’t help. In fact the combined powers of Mystic Meg, Futuristic Frank, Tarot Cards etc. would struggle to make sense of it. Unless Doc Emmett Brown from “Back to the Future” lands with a Delorean outside your house you will struggle to predict this race.

At the moment the Yankees, Red Sox and Blue Jays have almost identical records. Theoretically there could even be three-way playoff to even get to the Wild Card stage. It does look like the Wild Cards will come from the AL East. However, the Oakland A’s and Seattle Mariners are not out of the running yet and are only a handful of games behind the AL East trio.

 

World Series Winner

As for the World Series itself? Can the Dodgers walk the walk and become the 8th franchise in MLB history to win back to back titles? They would be joining illustrious company as only the Yankees, Reds, Blu Jays, A’s, Giants, Red Sox, Cubs have managed this feat. The sportsbooks would say yes, although they may have to win a Wild Card game first. Either way, there are a lot of balls to be hit before any history is made.

As for any of you out there who are wondering what “Back to The Future” is (as I’m sure it’s before some of your time) we have a recommendation for you. Get a copy of this 80s classic, sit back, relax and enjoy the adventures of Doc Emmett Brown and a young Marty McFly. Without a time machine, calling the winners of this exciting MLB season looks a tough task.