This is the final post in a three week series leading up to the playoffs. I hope to bring clarity around the different races and shed light on different storylines as the 2016 regular season winds down. May these posts increase your excitement for the best month of the year, October

Leading up to the 2015 playoffs, I looked at the “top four” pitchers for each contender. Essentially, I was trying to rank each team's playoff rotation. The last team to reach the World Series using a three-man rotation was the 2009 Yankees (Sabathia, Burnett, and Pettitte), so that's why I chose four. That post was mildly popular, so I’m doing it again this year. WAR numbers come from Baseball-Reference; I know it's not a perfect way to measure success but I'm using it because my writing time is limited. Comparing the 2015 rankings with actual playoff results is interesting. The Cubs (2nd of 10) , Mets (4th), Blue Jays (7th), and Royals (10th) all made the Championship Series. The Royals came in dead last and won the World Series, confirming that October really is a crapshoot.

For the first time since 1935, the Cubs have won 100 games in a season. That's pretty incredible. And a bad omen; the Cubs lost the 1935 World Series to the Tigers, their fifth consecutive loss in the Fall Classic. Did you know the Cubs have lost seven World Series in a row? I didn't. But the Cubs have won 100 games this year and are bound for a long postseason run, so let’s talk about that. Specifically, let’s talk about the playoff roster.

This is the second post in a three week series leading up to the playoffs. I hope to bring clarity around the different races and shed light on different storylines as the 2016 regular season winds down. May these posts increase your excitement for the best month of the year, October.

This is the first post in a three week series leading up to the playoffs. I hope to bring clarity around the different races and shed light on different storylines as the 2016 regular season winds down. May these posts increase your excitement for the best month of the year, October.