In an unexpected twist to the MLB season, there are no superteams at the top of the standings as the postseason approaches.
There is no team on pace to win 100 games, which would make this the first season since 2014 without a club reaching the mark. Although the Philadelphia Phillies and Los Angeles Dodgers have emerged in the race for the No. 1 overall seed, there is less clarity behind them, with just four games separating the teams with the third- and ninth-best records in baseball.
With that in mind, we went to a panel of MLB execs, scouts and players to pick the team to beat between the two National League leaders, as well as the most likely threats to take them down. Which NL powerhouse is best built for October? Or which of the remaining contenders could pull out an upset? Here is what they said. (Note: Some voters asked for anonymity to speak freely about other teams.)