So which teams are actually built to be the most dangerous in October, and which ones might be better or worse postseason teams than their regular-season records suggest? When it comes to projecting October, we have to think about teams somewhat differently than we do during the regular season. First, let’s project each team’s roster strength over the rest of the 2026 season. Of the 17 potential playoff teams listed here, the Padres only rank 10th in regular season strength, but they jump up to fifth if you’re just talking about playoff strength. On the flip side are the Guardians and the Red Sox, who see the biggest drop-offs from their regular season projections.