2024 MLB postseason predictions: Staff picks for the entire playoff bracket, including the World Series champion

The 2024 MLB postseason field is set and all that's left is glory. The wild card series begins Tuesday afternoon with four best-of-three matchups. From there, those four league winners will advance to the division series, with the top two teams in each league joining the mix after a first-round bye.

The winners of the best-of-five division series advance to the best-of-seven league championship series, and of course, the best-of-seven World Series. (You can check out Complete playoff bracket And schedule here.)

By the end of the day on November 2, we'll have a World Series winner and plan a parade Here's a look at the playoff set-up:

American League

First round bye
No. 1 Yankees, No. 2 Guardians

Wild Card Series
No. 3 Astros vs. No. 6 Tigers
No. 4 Orioles vs. No. 5 Royals

National League

First round bye
No. 1 Dodgers, No. 2 Phillies

Wild Card Series
No. 3 Brewers vs. No. 6 Mets
No. 4 Padres vs. No. 5 Braves

And now here are our staff picks for the 2024 postseason from CBS Sports MLB writers and editors. We're predicting every round of the bracket from the Wild Card Series through the World Series.

Brackets by RJ Anderson

World Series Qualifiers: Astros over Dodgers

explanation: I picked the Astros to win the World Series When we did it in the spring. I made them go against the brave. While I think Houston remains a reasonable pick to hold up their end of the bargain, I have concerns about the injury-ravaged Atlanta roster. (It doesn't help the Braves They have to get creative with their pitching staff right out of the gate.) I think my most surprising pick is Kansas City over Baltimore. To be clear: even though the Orioles have struggled since the All-Star Game, I think they still have the talent to make a real run; Sometimes you have to make a choice to keep things interesting.

Mike Axisa's bracket

World Series Qualifiers: Padres over Yankees

explanation: I picked the Phillies to win the World Series before the season but I really like the Padres going to the postseason. Four good-to-great starters (Dylan Seaz, Yu Darvish, Michael King, Joe Musgrove), the deepest bullpen in the game and a sneaky-deep lineup that had power and the lowest strikeout rate in baseball (by a pretty big margin too). A.League is more extensive. I'm going with the Yankees because they don't have Aaron Judge and Juan Soto and other teams. This year so many nights that were the difference for them. They had two of the best hitters on the field and the other team didn't, and that was that. I love San Diego's team and think the Yankees are the best bet to come out of a pretty wide open AL. The Padres got revenge in a 1998 World Series rematch.

Brackets by Kate Feldman

World Series Qualifiers: Mets over Yankees

explanation: I'm not ashamed to admit that I back-fit this to get us a Subway Series World Series, but I think we all deserve it. Every team in this bracket has weaknesses, so much so that I don't know if there is a true favorite. The Tigers and Dodgers barely have starting pitchers. The Orioles and Royals have been in a slump for weeks. The Yankees' offense relied almost entirely on Aaron Judge and Juan Soto, and the former forgot how to hit home runs for most of September. The Mets are nowhere near perfect but the vibes are impeccable. Good enough for me.

Dane Perry's Braces

World Series Qualifiers: Phillies over Yankees

explanation: I usually ride with favourites. The exception was the Dodgers' rout of the Padres in the NLDS. I think the Dodgers' pitching situation is a mess right now, and I think San Diego has a roster that is well-prepared for a deep run. Otherwise, yes, I favor teams skipping the first round. Despite last year's absurd narrative, yes, being a bye team provides a big advantage in the playoffs. This is why I'm predicting a Yankees-Phillies World Series. I like the Phillies' front-end starters, their balanced lineup and their tough relief situation. My confidence in these picks is low, of course, because baseball is inherently unpredictable. Still, it says here that the Phils will edge the Yanks for the belt and the title.

Brackets by Stephen Pianovich

World Series Qualifiers: Phillies over Orioles

explanation: Baseball predictions are a fool's errand, and a picture is worth a thousand words.

Brackets by Matt Snyder

World Series Qualifiers: Phillies over Yankees

explanation: I had the Phillies over the Orioles in spring training and that's the main reason I'm sticking with the Phillies here. I want to come back in March. I just couldn't stick with the Orioles, not with the state of their pitching staff and how bad they've played the last three plus months. The Phillies haven't looked great this past month, but they have all the pieces they need: a strong and deep lineup, four starting pitchers capable of throwing like aces, and a potent weapon in the bullpen. As of late for the Yankees, they look like the best of any AL team heading into the playoffs and once the Astros bounce early, nobody strikes me as a team that will take down the Yankees.