MLB Roundtable: WS favorites, bubble teams' chances, deadline hits and misses

Our MLB editors, Josh Goldberg, Bryan Mcwilliam, Tom Ruminski, Simon Sharkey-Gotlieb, and Brandon Wile answer some of the biggest questions with seven weeks to go in the regular season.

Which team has the best shot at winning the World Series?

Phillies: Yes, things haven't gone particularly smooth since the All-Star break, as Philadelphia has stumbled during a 12-19 stretch. That being said, the Phillies remain loaded on both sides of the ball. A postseason rotation featuring Zack Wheeler, Aaron Nola, and either Ranger Suárez or Cristopher Sanchez is the best among postseason contenders. The lineup is full of star power, and the bullpen is versatile and capable of locking things down. No team should be excited at the prospect of facing the Phillies in a series. - Goldberg

Dodgers: Los Angeles still owns the best record in baseball despite an overwhelming number of injuries to key players that would've derailed almost any other team. Winning the division would be nice, but regular-season success isn't how this club should be measured - it's World Series or bust. With that in mind, all that matters is whether the team can get healthy heading into October. A playoff rotation consisting of Tyler Glasnow, Yoshinobu Yamamoto, Jack Flaherty, Clayton Kershaw, and Gavin Stone is as deep as it gets, while future NL MVP Shohei Ohtani, Mookie Betts, Freddie Freeman, and Teoscar Hernández form a terrifying heart of the order. The bullpen also looks better with the emergence of newcomer Michael Kopech. - Ruminski

Yankees: The Bronx Bombers have their faults, but this club is built for postseason success. New York's scored the second-most runs in the majors and own MLB's best run differential. Aaron Judge and Juan Soto are each playing at an MVP level and are arguably the most fearsome duo in baseball. New York possesses a deep roster of veteran position players and a seasoned pitching staff led by Gerrit Cole, who could be followed in the postseason by Carlos Rodón, Nestor Cortes, and some combination of Luis Gil, Marcus Stroman, and the returning Clarke Schmidt. - Mcwilliam

Which team outside the playoffs right now has the best shot at getting in?

Mets: Something amazing is happening in Flushing right now: A Mets team that was left for dead in May is now 1.5 games out of a playoff spot. Things haven't gone perfectly, but Carlos Mendoza's club seems to know how to pick itself up and keep going. This week's series win over the Orioles, which included two walk-off homers, felt like a defining moment for New York heading into a massive road trip against fellow wild-card hopefuls San Diego and Arizona. The Braves' uneven play is also helping the Mets stay afloat. With the NL wild-card race so wide-open, the Mets are perfectly positioned to crash the party. - Sharkey-Gotlieb

Red Sox: Somehow, the Red Sox keep hanging around in the playoff race. Boston managed to go 4-3 on the road against the Orioles and Astros and now sit 3.5 games back of the Twins and Royals for the final wild-card spot. The Red Sox own MLB's second-highest scoring offense since the All-Star break, and things should only improve with Triston Casas' return from the IL. If the pitching staff - which owns a 5.46 ERA over the last 30 days - can settle itself, the club will be in prime position to stay in the race, especially with eight of its next 11 games coming against teams with a losing record. - Wile

Giants: San Francisco has what every team needs to be successful down the stretch and into the postseason: starting pitching. Blake Snell, Logan Webb, and Robbie Ray form a strong trio atop the rotation, giving the Giants a good chance of winning every time they take the ball. The middling offense will need to find another gear if San Francisco hopes to make up ground. - Goldberg

Which deadline additions are making the biggest impact?

Jazz Chisholm Jr.: Chisholm added the spark that the Yankees' lineup severely needed. It was more than just his play on the field, which included four homers in his first three games and a 1.063 OPS with seven homers over his first 14 contests in New York. Chisholm's on-the-fly position switch to third base - a spot he'd never played as a pro - was the kind of move that can quickly make you beloved in a clubhouse. There was a brief injury scare, but he's set to be activated from the IL on Friday. - Sharkey-Gotlieb

Yusei Kikuchi: Many questioned Astros general manager Dana Brown when he gave up a haul of prospects to acquire a then struggling Kikuchi from the Blue Jays. Yet, Houston has gone 14-6 since the deadline to build a 5.5-game lead over the Mariners in the AL West. The left-hander has been sensational during the stretch, authoring a 2.42 ERA with 31 strikeouts to just seven walks over 22 1/3 innings (four starts), stabilizing a rotation depleted by injuries. - Ruminski

Padres acquisitions: A.J. Preller might have had the best deadline of any executive in baseball, bringing in four players who are paying dividends. Martín Pérez owns a 2.74 ERA in four starts, while the bullpen trio of Jason Adam, Tanner Scott, and Bryan Hoeing have combined to strike out 29 and allow just five earned runs in 30 innings. Preller stabilized a club that's now in prime position to make a deep playoff run. - Mcwilliam

Which deadline acquisition has been most disappointing?

Trevor Rogers, Orioles: Baltimore raised a lot of eyebrows after trading Connor Norby and Kyle Stowers to the Marlins for Rogers. The left-hander's off to a bumpy start, posting a 7.11 ERA with just 12 strikeouts across 19 innings over his first four starts and was optioned to Triple-A on Thursday. The Orioles had the ammunition to really bolster a rotation in need of a co-pilot alongside ace Corbin Burnes. The Zach Eflin acquisition was working out until he hit the IL with shoulder inflammation. It feels like general manager Mike Elias missed an opportunity with no clear AL juggernaut in Baltimore's way. - Goldberg

Randy Arozarena, Mariners: There's still plenty of time for this to work out, but Arozarena hasn't been the offensive savior the Mariners were likely hoping for. The 29-year-old is hitting .224/.385/.329 with one home run and 27 strikeouts in 22 games since joining Seattle and is currently in a 3-for-30 rut in which he hasn't produced an extra-base hit. Arozarena is walking at a career-best rate (16.7%) with the club, but he was brought in to be a run producer, and Seattle's unlikely to close the gap on Houston if he doesn't get hot. - Wile

Luis García, Red Sox: Boston sent four prospects to the Angels for García before the deadline, and the trade has been dreadful. García owns an 11.17 ERA and 6.99 FIP in nine appearances with Boston. He's also allowed four home runs in 9 2/3 innings after allowing the same amount in 43 2/3 frames with the Angels. On the other side of the deal, Niko Kavadas has already been promoted to the big leagues and the other three players (Ryan Zeferjahn, Yeferson Vargas, and Matthew Lugo) have looked sharp in minor-league games since switching organizations. - Mcwilliam

Which series are you most looking forward to in the rest of August?

Royals-Guardians: If you had asked in March, there's no way this would have been my answer. But baseball's a funny little game, isn't it? The Guardians stormed out front in the AL Central but have struggled to maintain that pace, allowing the surprising young Royals (and Twins, for that matter) to make it a real race. Kansas City's essentially playing with house money - and potential AL MVP Bobby Witt Jr. Can Witt turn this entire division on its head over four games in Cleveland, or will the Guardians' bullpen and pesky offense hold firm? This series, which includes a doubleheader Monday, promises to be incredible theater. - Sharkey-Gotlieb

Orioles-Dodgers: This is the World Series matchup many predicted before the season started. However, both clubs have dealt with adversity. Baltimore basically has an entire starting rotation on the injured list, which has resulted in a grueling battle with the Yankees for the AL East, while Los Angeles hasn't been able to reach its potential as a superteam because of its own injury issues. Regardless, this tasty three-game series in L.A. will feature young stars versus established ones in a potential Fall Classic preview. - Ruminski

Braves-Phillies: If Atlanta has any shot at erasing a six-game deficit in the NL East, it will have to go into Citizens Bank Ballpark and sweep Philadelphia. The two teams have one of the best current rivalries in the sport, and things were made even better Wednesday when Orlando Arcia stared down Bryce Harper in response to the two's exchange during the postseason. The Phillies are focused on a World Series, but winning their first division title since 2011 would be a nice way to enter the postseason. Philadelphia also potentially having a say in bouncing Atlanta from the playoff picture wouldn't be so bad either. - Wile

What will be the most important thing for playoff bubble teams down the stretch?

Julio Rodríguez rediscovering his mojo: The Mariners have seen their once strong postseason chances shrivel up. They once led the AL West by 10 games but find themselves looking up at the Astros. Seattle's pitching has been excellent, but the lineup continues to struggle. Rodríguez has stumbled through the worst offensive season of his young career and will need to find the level he showed in the second half of last season if Seattle hopes to make a last-ditch run at a postseason spot. - Goldberg

The Braves' bats: With Austin Riley now sidelined, the Braves have three All-Star position players on the IL at the most critical point of the season. Midseason pickups Jorge Soler, Ramón Laureano, and Whit Merrifield have all been hot since joining but in very small sample sizes. It's fair to question if they can all sustain it - especially when established members of Atlanta's offense like Matt Olson, Travis d'Arnaud, and Sean Murphy are falling short of expectations. The Braves are clinging to that final playoff spot because their offense (Marcell Ozuna excluded) has inexplicably sputtered. Atlanta needs every single one of those bats to find their real form if it's going to survive September. - Sharkey-Gotlieb

Twins getting healthy: Minnesota has an incredibly talented roster if it can get healthy heading into October. The Twins currently occupy the final wild-card spot but also only sit two games back for the AL Central lead. If the Twins can get Carlos Correa and Byron Buxton back - maybe even Joe Ryan, though that seems like a long shot - they'd have as good a chance as any team to make some noise in October. We saw how good Correa and Royce Lewis can be when the bright lights flip on. - Wile