MLB Playoffs: Who Has the Best Chance of Winning the World Series and Why

As the days of summer are fading quickly, the race for the playoffs is only heating up in Major League Baseball. Most teams are not happy with simply making it to the playoffs. They only have one goal; they want to win a World Series.

However, which playoff contenders really have a shot at winning the prize? What teams are going to fade once they hit the playoffs?

Let's check out the top 10 teams in baseball right now and what the chances are of them winning the World Series.

Let's check out the top 10 teams in baseball right now and their chances of winning the World Series.

10. Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim (4.5 games back in the American League West)

Although the Angels are slightly outside the playoff picture right now, they have three aces in Jered Weaver, Ervin Santana and Dan Haren. This could favor them in a playoff series because many teams do not have three starting pitchers that can match up with them.

They hold the rank of 11th out of 14 teams offensively in the American League in terms of runs scored. The offense has been stagnant.

If they can make the playoffs, which I doubt, they might be able to survive because of their three solid starting pitchers. However, they do not have enough offense to make it to the World Series.

Chance of winning the World Series: 1 percent

9. San Francisco Giants (one game back in the National League West)

If the Angels offense wasn't enough, then what more can I say about the San Francisco Giants offense. They have the second least runs scored in all of baseball ahead of only the Seattle Mariners.

Just like the Angels, they are going to survive with their starting pitching. They counter with the trio of Tim "The Freak" Lincecum, Matt Cain and the surprise Ryan Vogelsong. These three delivered the ball to what has been a very consistent bullpen led by Brian Wilson.

The Giants are higher than the Angels because they have a much better chance of making the playoffs with only a one-game deficit to overcome. However, just like the Angels, they do not have enough offense to be a favorite in this race.

Chance of winning the World Series: 2 percent

8. Arizona Diamondbacks (one game lead in the National League West)

Arizona is different than the previous two teams on this list. They will survive with their bats and only average pitching. Justin Upton has finally stepped into the role of star in the desert. He has also been supported by Ryan Roberts, Gerardo Parra and Chris Young. These four men all have an interesting combination of power and speed.

On the mound, Ian Kennedy has been the strongest link. Their bullpen has also been solid.

The Diamondbacks will probably make the playoffs because they do have a lead over the Giants and very well could hold them off. Once they're there, their bats will make some noise, but ultimately they do not have enough starting pitching to make them a favorite.

Chance of winning the World Series: 4 percent

7. Detroit Tigers (5.5 game lead in the American League Central)

Justin Verlander is the big ticket here. He is the obvious front-runner for the American League Cy Young and is currently sitting at 19-5 with a month left.

With the acquisition of Delmon Young, they reinforced what was already a great lineup. Miguel Cabrera is one of the best pure hitters in baseball. Alex Avila and Jhonny Peralta has been having amazing campaigns as well from two traditionally less productive positions in the field.

The Tigers have a better chance than the previous teams. Verlander will probably deliver a victory whenever he starts. Therefore, they only need the offense to score enough runs to win two or three more games. Starting pitching outside of Verlander might bring them down, but they do have a better chance than the previous teams.

Chance of winning the World Series: 6 percent

6. Atlanta Braves (8.5 Game Lead in National League Wild Card)

The Braves always seem to be around the playoffs. This season's version is no different. Dan Uggla ties for fifth in the National League for home runs and of course had his great hitting streak. Brian McCann has also been retaining his position as one of the best offensive catchers in baseball. With the addition of Michael Bourn, the Braves have a very well rounded lineup.

On the mound, they have a trio of starting pitchers who have done pretty well in Tim Hudson, Jair Jurrjens, and Tommy Hanson (although he is currently on the DL). Where their pitching really shines however is at the back end of the bullpen with Craig Kimbrel and Jonny Venters. These two have been virtually unhittable.

The Braves are going to be in the playoffs, and their pitching is what will carry them. With key contributions from key hitters, they very well could go deep into the playoffs. However, that offense is a big question.

Chance of winning the World Series: 8 percent

5. Texas Rangers (4.5 game lead in the American League West)

In terms of run scoring, the Rangers are great. They have scored the third most runs in baseball this season. Ian Kinsler, Josh Hamilton, Adrian Beltre, and Nelson Cruz have all eclipsed 20 home runs while Michael Young and Elvis Andrus have been scoring plenty of runs. Young in particular is batting .338 this season.

Four of the five starting pitchers for the Rangers have ERAs under four, which is solid in the American League. They bolstered their bullpen by adding Mike Adams at the trade deadline, but they were solid already.

The Rangers have the type of offense that can carry them deep into the playoffs even if they have pitching problems. However, they also have a relatively deep rotation that should have very few problems. When it is combined with a solid bullpen, the Rangers can be solid throughout every game. They are the first team on this list that has a very reasonable chance of winning the World Series.

Chance of winning the World Series: 13 percent

4. Milwaukee Brewers (nine game lead in the National League Central)

Milwaukee has been one of the hottest teams in baseball recently. Of course, a lot of this is due to the twin terrors of Ryan Braun and Prince Fielder. They have driven in 182 runs combined so far this year and hit 53 combined home runs. With these two in the middle of the lineup, the Brewers always have a chance to score many runs and simply outslug their opponents.

Their starting rotation has had a very good year overall, and if Zack Greinke is finally beginning to rise up (although it was a slight setback last night), the Brewers have pretty good depth. The bullpen has been great so far, and they have a nice mixture of veteran and the young arms.

Milwaukee will be like Texas. Even if the rotation has a bad day, they have the offensive potential to win every day. Milwaukee is the second best team in the National League right now in terms of record, but they will make some noise in the postseason if opposing pitchers are not careful.

Chance of winning the World Series: 15 percent

3. Boston Red Sox (7.5 game lead in the American League wild card)

Boston made a great trade when they went out and acquired Adrian Gonzalez. He is hitting .343 and has driven in 94 runs from the middle of their lineup. Jacoby Ellsbury and Dustin Pedroia have high averages have scored many runs after being driven in by Gonzalez as well as a resurgent David Ortiz. This combination along with the rest of the lineup has scored the second most runs in baseball this season.

The Red Sox rotation has been somewhat suspect this season, but in a playoff series, a rotation led by Josh Beckett and Jon Lester with Clay Buchholz now healthy looks pretty good. Jonathan Papelbon has also regained his form as one of the better closers in baseball to shore up what has been an effective bullpen.

Boston is definitely a good team. They are able to hit the ball with the best of them, and Adrian Gonzalez can be the difference in a game by himself. Beckett has a sharp 2.46 ERA so far this season, and he should be difficult to beat whenever he starts. Don't count out Boston as this season ends, they are a threat to all.

Chance of winning the World Series: 16 percent

2. New York Yankees (one game lead in the American League East)

I know. The Evil Empire shouldn't receive any love. All the fans in Boston are going to be mad that I put the Yankees ahead of them. They deserve it though.

CC Sabathia, who is 17-7 with a 2.96 ERA, leads the Yankees this season. His supporting cast has been interesting with solid performances from the aging Bartolo Colon and Freddy Garcia. Ivan Nova had also been a pleasant surprise during his first full season as a Yankee.

As always, the Yankees offense is literally top notch as they have outscored every team in baseball. Curtis Granderson is playing like an MVP and the combination of Robinson Cano and Mark Teixeira are great additions as well.

As the best team in the American League right now in terms of record, it does make sense that the Yankees should be the favorite in the World Series. The biggest question that they will face is whether their starting rotation will enjoy the remarkable success that it has been having this season so far.

Chance of making the World Series: 17 percent

1. Philadelphia Phillies (6.5 game lead in the National League East)

The Phillies are currently sitting with the best record in baseball. The offense has been coming together for the Phillies especially since the acquisition of Hunter Pence. They tie for fifth in the National League in terms of runs scored which is much higher than they were earlier this season.

However, the reason to write home about the Phillies is their starting rotation. Roy Halladay, Cliff Lee, and Cole Hamels will be the topic of a lot of conversation around the Cy Young Award. The rotation goes even deeper with the young gun Vance Worley contributing and 8-1 campaign so far. Roy Oswalt has been somewhat injury prone this season, but he has also shown at several points throughout this season that he is capable of looking like his old self. The bullpen has admittedly been shaky lately, but the rest of the year seems to indicate that this is an area of strength. They have the best team ERA in baseball and win consistently as a result.

The Phillies are the favorite right now to win the World Series. Quite simply, their pitching rotation is unmatched. The offense is beginning to come around, and when they score more than a few runs, the Phillies pitching normally protects that lead.

However, the offense is indeed the biggest question that the Phillies have. If they regress to the output from earlier this season, they could be in trouble. I think that it is unlikely to happen.

The Phillies were disappointed that they did not make the World Series last year, but they seem to be in a great position to arrive there this year.

Chance of winning the World Series: 18 percent