Author: Deesha Thosar Rowan Kavner

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The 2024 MLB playoffs are almost underway, so we asked our staff to create superteams out of the best players remaining in each league.

For Part 1, FOX Sports’ Deesha Thosar and Rowan Kavner drafted exclusively from American League postseason teams. Each roster includes eight position players, one designated hitter, four starting pitchers and one closer. The writers could assemble their teams in any order but had to declare what position each player would occupy upon selecting them. Naturally, things became competitive and contentious. 

Thosar drafted first in our American League exercise, with Kavner selecting first for our National League iteration. Both drafts were linear.

But enough with the footnotes. Enjoy the stacked lineups, ruthless trash talk and sometimes loopy explanations for certain selections. 

Here’s our AL mock draft!

No. 1 (Thosar): Aaron Judge, Yankees CF

Deesha: He’s a threat to change the game with every swing in every at-bat, and there’s no one else in the AL that I’d trust more at the plate in do-or-die moments to come up clutch. After his heartbreak of missing the playoffs last year, then leading the majors in home runs, RBIs, OBP and OPS this year, this is finally the October that he steps up as the postseason MVP.

No. 2 (Kavner): Bobby Witt Jr., Royals SS 

Rowan: I could take a player who hits for a high average. Or I could search for someone with slug. Or I could go with someone who can cause havoc on the bases. Or I can take a player I can rely on defensively at a premium position. Or…I can just go with Witt and get everything in one package. Sign me up.

No. 3 (Thosar): José Ramírez, Guardians 3B

Deesha: Perennial All-Star and MVP candidate? Add best third baseman in baseball to his list of accolades. Ramírez finished the year just one home run and one double shy of an unheard of 40/40/40 season.

Rowan: Damn, thought I had him, lol.

Deesha: Suckerrrrr.

No. 4 (Kavner): Juan Soto, Yankees RF

Rowan: Yankees fans are hoping Judge and Soto won’t be split up after this season. In this draft, though, I have to do it. With Witt and Soto, who are both hitting over .340 with runners in scoring position this year, I feel confident in my squad not just reaching base at a high clip but also bringing runners home when they have the chance.

No. 5 (Thosar): Gunnar Henderson, Orioles SS 

Deesha: Henderson will get on base, slug, bring runners home, swipe bags, and play solid defense in the hole. But he’s also the third MVP candidate on my team, and that friendly competition between teammates will only bring out the best in the 23-year-old shortstop.

No. 6 (Kavner): Jose Altuve, Astros 2B 

Rowan: We know Soto can thrive on the biggest stage, but it can’t hurt to add a veteran to the squad who happens to be one of the all-time greatest postseason performers. One of just two players in MLB history with 27 career playoff home runs, Altuve is far and away the most accomplished and productive second baseman in the AL playoff field.

Deesha: Ugh.

No. 7 (Thosar): Kyle Tucker, Astros RF 

Deesha: He should be more dangerous than usual in October thanks to all that extra rest and preserved energy from his three-month absence due to injury. Fortunately, it looks like he picked up where he left off in the first half, and he’ll be essential in creating runs and getting on base for my squad.

No. 8 (Kavner): Tarik Skubal, Tigers SP 

Rowan: Is it too early to grab the guy who won the pitching Triple Crown here? I don’t think so. Good luck, hitters. Oh, and if you do make contact against the guy with the most strikeouts in the AL, try not to hit it to shortstop.

Deesha: Predictable pick by you.

No. 9 (Thosar): Corbin Burnes, Orioles SP 

Deesha: An ace pitching in the playoffs weeks before he hits the free-agent market as the best available starting pitcher? Yes, please. After a 1.20 ERA in five September starts, I’m expecting Burnes’ postseason to be extra dominant as he stabilizes my rotation with his devastating cutter and workhorse mentality.

No. 10 (Kavner): Yordan Alvarez, Astros DH 

Rowan: I should probably just make him my left fielder here to justify taking a DH this high, but considering his health concerns going into the postseason and that we have to pick the position with each pick, I’ll just take the dude with a .949 career playoff OPS — the most dangerous bat remaining in the field — and worry about finding another guy to roam the outfield later.

Deesha: Wild to pick DH right now.

No. 11 (Thosar): Gerrit Cole, Yankees SP 

Deesha: We didn’t get to see last year’s Cy Young winner at his best in the postseason last year, but if you take out his weird intentional-walk start against the Red Sox, this is the closest we’ll get to that version of Cole. The 1-2 punch of Burnes/Cole will allow for zero breathing room for opposing hitters in a short series. Have fun!

Rowan: Oh, good. I was worried you might take one of the best pitchers left.

Deesha: Honestly, I‘m overthinking over here and that’s dangerous.

No. 12 (Kavner): Framber Valdez, Astros SP 

Rowan: You take your Burnes-Cole mix, and I’m plenty comfortable having the starter with the lowest ERA (Skubal) and second-half ERA (Valdez) in the AL playoff field.

Deesha: Don’t forget to mention his 12 earned runs in 12 innings last October.

Rowan: He also had 4 in 25 innings the previous one, so …

Deesha: Yeah, well, he was younger then.

Rowan: I didn’t see Cole’s first half numbers on your blurb? Did I skim over it?

No. 13 (Thosar): Anthony Santander, Orioles LF 

Deesha: Sure, he hasn’t played in left all that much. But the havoc he’ll cause with his bat after a 44-home run season that went under the radar makes my outfield a powerhouse full of guys who can slug and stay calm under pressure.

Rowan: Can’t even hate on that, except he basically never plays LF.

No. 14 (Kavner): Riley Greene, Tigers LF

Rowan: Well, turns out I didn’t need to wait that long to get that left fielder. Happy to get an All-Star at this spot with the fourth-highest OPS among all qualified AL outfielders this season. Greene is hitting over .300 in his last 20 games and has played a huge role in the Tigers’ stunning late-season run.

No. 15 (Thosar): Emmanuel Clase, Guardians closer

Deesha: The best closer in baseball – and nobody is even remotely close. It’s virtually impossible to score on him (you can count the number of runs he gave up all year on one hand) and, somehow, Clase surrendered just two home runs in 74 appearances. The game is over the minute those bullpen doors swing open.

Rowan: Lol … thought about it.

Deesha: No ragrets

No. 16 (Kavner): Alex Bregman, Astros 3B

Rowan: After Ramírez went early, there’s no question Bregman stands out as the next best option at the position, so this is incredible value for him before Deesha snags him and tries to play him somewhere else. Bregman should be extra motivated as he heads into free agency, but if he performs anywhere close to the way he has the last couple months — he has an OPS over .880 since the start of August — I’m in good shape.

No. 17 (Thosar): Salvador Perez, Royals 1B

Deesha: Amid 49 games played at first, the Royals veteran enjoyed a renaissance season — drawing a career-high 44 walks while earning his ninth All-Star nod. Perez brings World Series experience to my team, where he’ll fit right in as the cleanup hitter.

Rowan: Oh, here we go … 

Deesha: Hey, he did play at first a lot!

Rowan: I actually didn’t realize he played THAT much at first. I thought it was like five games.

Deesha: So much first.

No. 18 (Kavner): Yainer Diaz, Astros C

Rowan: I promise I didn’t set out to create an Astros All-Star team, but here we are. Since Deesha got fancy putting Perez at first base, I’ll take the other top offensive catcher on the board so she can’t. Diaz had the highest batting average of any qualified catcher in the majors this year and should keep the line moving in this stacked lineup.

Deesha: Nnnnnoooooonooooo. You are literally Joe Espada at this point.

Rowan: This is what happens when the guardians and royals and tigers all make the playoffs. i’m realizing i’m gonna have to take hader now too eventually. maybe i’ll get cute and use a different guardians reliever. I can still get Jason Heyward to play center.

No. 19 (Thosar): Seth Lugo, Royals SP

Deesha: Lugo’s not getting the same attention as some of MLB’s other lights-out rotation arms, but he’s been just as dominant in only his second season switching to a full-time starter, earning his first career All-Star selection in his age-34 season. We won’t disrespect him on my team, at least.

No. 20 (Kavner): Cole Ragans, Royals SP

Rowan: Not a surprise to see the top Royals arms go back-to-back. While Lugo has the edge in ERA and wins, Ragans’ whiff rate is far superior. Missing bats is crucial in October, and I’m thrilled to end up with the AL’s top two strikeout leaders in Skubal and Ragans.

No. 21 (Thosar): Hunter Brown, Astros SP

Deesha: The Astros’ top-of-the-rotation arm is a solid addition to round out my pitching staff. He owns a 1.69 ERA in 10.2 innings across seven playoff appearances that have all come out of the bullpen, and now I’m expecting Brown to produce those results for the rotation with ease.

No. 22 (Kavner): Josh Naylor, Guardians 1B

Rowan: The fact that Perez, who spends most of his time behind the plate, was the first first baseman to go in this draft demonstrates the dearth of elite options at the position. Naylor, though, brings the most pop at the spot, leading all AL first baseman this year in both homers and RBIs.

No. 23 (Thosar): Adley Rutschman, Orioles C

Deesha: Even though Rowan thought he messed up my game plan by taking Diaz, I’m happy this late in the draft to go with the Orioles catcher who’s one year removed from a Silver Slugger award. It’s been a disappointing second half, no doubt. But I’m not counting out the two-time All-Star just yet.

Rowan: he’s been so bad. but yeah i was tempted too

No. 24 (Kavner): Colton Cowser, Orioles CF

Rowan: He’s been in the conversation for AL Rookie of the Year all season and is a helpful piece on both sides of the ball. Offensively, his strikeout rate can make him prone to ebbs and flows, but he has 24 home runs and can get hot in a hurry (he had four homers over his last eight games). Defensively, his 11 outs above average are more than the rest of Baltimore’s outfielders combined.

No. 25 (Thosar): Kerry Carpenter, Tigers DH 

Deesha: Among designated hitters with a minimum of 100 plate appearances not named Aaron Judge, Carpenter has the best OPS (.968) in the AL. His numbers likely would’ve been even better had injuries not slowed him down, but he’s getting red-hot at exactly the right time.

No. 26 (Kavner): Tanner Bibee, Guardians SP

Rowan: I wanted to add a right-hander to my southpaw-heavy group, and I feel great about getting the ace of Cleveland’s staff here. Bibee has been the one reliable force in the rotation of the AL Central champs and will head into October with some momentum after posting a 2.64 ERA in five September starts.

Deesha: That’s a good one for this late.

No. 27 (Thosar): Jazz Chisholm, Yankees 2B

Deesha: After Rowan took Altuve early, I knew I could afford to make second base my final pick if only because the position is so terribly depleted among AL playoff teams. Still, snagging Chisholm here gets me extra speed and that’s music to my ears.

Rowan: I almost took him for CF, lol. I don’t know how I’d feel about throwing him back in the outfield for the playoffs. You ready for the finale?

No. 28 (Kavner): Cade Smith, Guardians closer

Rowan: “Who?” some who haven’t watched much AL Central baseball might be asking. OK, this might be getting a little cute, but the Cleveland bullpen’s dominance goes beyond Clase, and Smith is the strikeout king of the group. In October, I want my closer to miss bats, to not give up free passes and to keep the ball in the yard. Smith ranks in the top 10 among all qualified MLB relievers in strikeout rate and strikeout-to-walk ratio and has surrendered one homer — ONE! — all year in more than 75 innings of work. I’ll take the guy who by fWAR is MLB’s most valuable reliever this year. Plus, Hader had too many Sept blowups

Deesha: Smith has one save! this feels like grounds for disqualification. Luke Weaver was RIGHT there

Rowan: Have you seen Smith’s numbers? He strikes people out, unlike your closer. And he has more saves than Santander has starts in left field this year.

Deesha: You’re the first and only person ever to attempt Clase hate.

Rowan: I love Clase. I’m sad I couldn’t pick him.

Team Deesha’s starting lineup:

1. Gunnar Henderson, SS
2. Kyle Tucker, RF
3. Aaron Judge, CF
4. Jose Ramirez, 3B
5. Kerry Carpenter, DH
6. Salvador Perez, C
7. Anthony Santander, LF
8. Adley Rutschman, C
9. Jazz Chisholm, 2B

SP1. Corbin Burnes
SP2. Gerrit Cole
SP3. Seth Lugo
SP4. Hunter Brown
Closer: Emmanuel Clase

Team Rowan’s starting lineup:

1. Jose Altuve, 2B
2. Juan Soto, RF
3. Bobby Witt Jr., SS
4. Yordan Alvarez, DH
5. Josh Naylor, 1B
6. Alex Bregman, 3B
7. Riley Greene, LF
8. Yainer Diaz, C
9. Colton Cowser, CF

SP1. Tarik Skubal
SP2. Framber Valdez
SP3. Cole Ragans
SP4. Tanner Bibee
Closer: Cade Smith

National League draft coming Tuesday…

Deesha Thosar is an MLB writer for FOX Sports. She previously covered the Mets as a beat reporter for the New York Daily News. The daughter of Indian immigrants, Deesha grew up on Long Island and now lives in Queens. Follow her on Twitter at @DeeshaThosar.

Rowan Kavner is an MLB writer for FOX Sports. He previously covered the L.A. Dodgers, LA Clippers and Dallas Cowboys. An LSU grad, Rowan was born in California, grew up in Texas, then moved back to the West Coast in 2014. Follow him on Twitter at @RowanKavner.

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The MLB postseason picture is finally coming into focus. The six division races are all but decided, while only a few wild-card spots are unspoken for.

And with just over a week remaining in the regular season, playoff-bound teams are surely beginning to have internal discussions about how they’ll attack October. 

Accordingly, FOX Sports MLB experts Deesha Thosar and Rowan Kavner tackle these topics and more in this week’s roundtable.

1. Which of the current AL wild-card hopefuls (excluding the Orioles) would be the toughest out in a playoff series?

Thosar: The Twins. They just advanced to the ALDS last year, before getting bounced by the Astros, and have the most experience compared to the other AL wild-card hopefuls to hang in there and turn it on when it matters. Carlos Correa is back in the lineup for the first time since mid-July, and though it’s unclear if he’s at 100 percent following a prolonged absence due to plantar fasciitis, the shortstop being back in the mix is a huge boon for a Minnesota team that had been floundering without him. Even though Correa had been on the injured list since the All-Star break, he remains the team leader in fWAR (3.8), with returning center fielder Byron Buxton (3.4) right behind him. 

The pitching staff has its concerns, with Pablo Lopez and Bailey Ober not exactly representing the most lethal 1-2 punch. But Minnesota enters the final stretch of the regular season tied with Phillies for the eighth-best offense in baseball in terms of wRC+, and Correa loves the spotlight of October baseball. Royce Lewis hasn’t looked like himself the past couple of weeks, but he did crush four home runs in the postseason last year and figures to give opposing pitchers some headaches in a playoff series.

Kavner: Despite how this year has gone for them, I still would’ve taken the long-shot Mariners here considering the depth of their rotation and how Julio Rodriguez had finally found his groove … until last night’s debacle, which might have put the final dagger in Seattle’s disaster second half. So, given the M’s minuscule odds, I’ll go with the Royals for many of the same reasons — a deep rotation and a superstar player who might be able to make up for the team’s concerns. It’s worth noting, though, that those issues, particularly with Kansas City’s bullpen and lineup depth behind Bobby Witt Jr. and Salvador Perez, have become rather alarming amid a September skid. If a wild-card team does end up making a deep run, I’d expect it to come from the National League.

2. The Padres are the X-best team in the National League. Do you consider them the most dangerous wild-card club in all of baseball?

Kavner: Third, behind the Phillies and Dodgers. And, yes, they’re the most dangerous wild-card club in baseball. The youthful Orioles, the reigning NL champion Diamondbacks and the red-hot Mets certainly have arguments, but Baltimore’s steep second-half decline is concerning, and I don’t think there’s a scarier wild-card club than the Padres when you combine their additions in the bullpen with the way their rotation and top sluggers are rolling. Manny Machado, in particular, is on an absolute tear.

RELATED: How Shohei Ohtani, without half his powers, rewrote MLB history again and went 50/50

Thosar: This would be a tougher call between the Padres and the Mets if Francisco Lindor and his ailing back hadn’t forced the MVP candidate to miss games, with no certainty for how long he’ll be compromised, so San Diego has the edge as the most dangerous wild-card club right now. Fernando Tatis Jr. has completely turned it on since returning from a leg stress fracture and that’s given the Padres a nice, well-timed jolt. Tatis’ return, and the terrific results that have followed, have made the Padres one of the most complete teams in the playoff race. 

Their offense is top five in the majors, their bullpen is tied with Milwaukee for the best fWAR in baseball since the second half, thanks to their splashy relief additions, and the Dylan Cease-led rotation is stacked. Nobody wants to draw the short straw and play the Padres in a playoff series given how they’ve been excelling lately. They’re the NL’s third-best team behind the Phillies and the Dodgers.

3. At this point, how would you set the Dodgers’ playoff rotation for a seven-game series?

Thosar: Even though it’s unclear how stretched out Yoshinobu Yamamoto will be by the time the first week of October rolls around, I think they have to go with the $325 million dollar man as the Game 1 starter. After that, it’s right-hander Jack Flaherty, who got roughed up in his most recent start against Atlanta but had a 2.61 ERA over seven starts before that. Then, without Tyler Glasnow and Clayton Kershaw, it’s a crapshoot for Games 3 and 4 before the rotation turns around again to Yamamoto. 

Surprisingly, right-hander Walker Buehler pitched excellently in his last outing against the Braves, allowing one earned run and striking out five. Even though Buehler is still giving out too many free passes, he might be the Dodgers’ best option for a Game 3 start. If Game 4 is a competition between Landon Knack and Bobby Miller, the latter was just sent back to the minors after lasting two innings versus the offensively challenged Marlins. At this point, Game 4 could mean throwing Knack on the hill and hoping the Dodgers offense can do enough damage to overcome any uncertainty of his outing.

Kavner: Jack Flaherty, Yoshinobu Yamamoto and … woof. Given that Tyler Glasnow and Gavin Stone are probably out the rest of the way and Bobby Miller hasn’t figured things out, the rest depends a lot on the health of Clayton Kershaw, who is doing everything in his power to get back from a toe injury. For now, though, we can’t assume he will. Four starters are probably a necessity the way the NLDS is set up. 

Since it appears Yamamoto will continue to be given extra rest even in October, I would have Flaherty for Game 1 so he can be called upon again on short rest if needed. With the pieces currently available to them, that would leave Walker Buehler for Game 3 and Landon Knack for Game 4 with a cavalcade of bullpen arms ready to go quickly behind them.

4. What do you think about the Dodgers possibly having Shohei Ohtani pitch in the postseason?

Kavner: It’s a fun thought, but at this point nothing more than that. I recognize the awful situation the Dodgers’ pitching staff is in and that Ohtani could very well be a better option than what they have, but I still think it’s a major long shot not worth risking. It’d be different if he had already started facing hitters (he hasn’t) or if he would get a chance to build up with some regular-season starts first (he won’t). So, that means he’d be entering the highest-pressure environment in baseball having not pitched in a major-league game in more than a year. Just this week, he told reporters he’s not sure yet if he could physically do that and the team hadn’t talked to him about the possibility yet. For a club that has already felt the wrath of serious injuries plaguing the entire pitching staff, it just feels like too much of a gamble for a player the Dodgers will be counting on for the next decade.

Thosar: The surreal images of Ohtani getting the final out against Mike Trout in the World Baseball Classic in Miami come to mind. If that scene was any indication, Ohtani the closer in the playoffs would be thrilling on all accounts. The Dodgers’ vacant pitching staff could absolutely use an Ohtani-sized boost. But it doesn’t actually seem realistic, as far as his rehab, to do it. Ohtani would need to continue his pitching progression throughout the playoffs, and it’s unclear how feasible that will be once the Dodgers are in October. He’s throwing bullpens now, but he still needs to face hitters. And in order to keep up the intensity of his progression, Ohtani would likely have to complete his rehab work before and maybe even after playoff games. 

Everything will be kicked up a notch in the postseason, and it’s not out of the question for a unicorn like Ohtani to be able to handle such an aggressive work, game, travel, and media playoff schedule with ease, but it seems like too much stress and intensity just for a “maybe” possibility of pitching this soon since his elbow operation.

5. How would you set the Yankees’ playoff rotation for a seven-game series?

Thosar: The Yankees rotation is a solid unit with legitimate strengths, but a couple of arms will have to be excluded from starting-pitcher duties, and while that could be a good problem to have, it’s still a problem. Game 1 is a no-brainer with ace Gerrit Cole getting the ball. For Game 2, veteran Carlos Rodon has earned the nod and that’s what the Yankees had planned as their 1-2 playoff punch when they acquired the right-hander before last season. Then, it could get tricky. Clarke Schmidt has looked excellent since returning from injury, and he would make sense as a Game 3 starter who could quietly and efficiently shut down opposing offenses. 

For Game 4, it looks more and more likely that rookie Luis Gil will get the ball, with someone like Nestor Cortes or Marcus Stroman ready to piggyback him if necessary. It will be interesting to see if Gil’s increased workload, after blowing past his career high in innings pitched, will have an effect on his velocity and command issues overall. He’s earned the opportunity to at least get the nod, but then again, so has Cortes, who has completed a career-high 30 outings (one bullpen appearance) for the Yankees this year. But, since Gil has the best strikeout percentage on the pitching staff, he should get Game 4.

Kavner: Gerrit Cole and Carlos Rodón for the first two games. Then, the decisions get tougher. Unlike the NLDS, there’s a rest day between each of the first three games of the ALDS, meaning AL playoff teams really only need three starters, at least in a division series. That’s a luxury that’ll help other teams more than the Yankees, who have six capable starters for those three or four spots. Because of that, I’d consider piggybacking the right-handed Luis Gil and the left-handed Nestor Cortes in Game 3. If Gil is striking everyone out, let him go and save Cortes. If his free passes become an issue, Cortes can take over before things snowball on the rookie.

Deesha Thosar is an MLB writer for FOX Sports. She previously covered the Mets as a beat reporter for the New York Daily News. The daughter of Indian immigrants, Deesha grew up on Long Island and now lives in Queens. Follow her on Twitter at @DeeshaThosar.

Rowan Kavner is an MLB writer for FOX Sports. He previously covered the L.A. Dodgers, LA Clippers and Dallas Cowboys. An LSU grad, Rowan was born in California, grew up in Texas, then moved back to the West Coast in 2014. Follow him on Twitter at @RowanKavner.

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