Following the conclusion of the 60-game season, 16 of MLB’s 30 teams — eight in each league — will have qualified for the postseason. Under the previous setup, of course, only five teams from each league made it to October. MORE: SN’s predictions for pennant winners, World Series champ And the final three rounds of this postseason will be played in neutral-site locations, to minimize travel and — MLB hopes — eliminate the chances of a COVID outbreak that could derail the entire lucrative postseason....

And even though fans of this franchise might have trouble accepting the reality that’s unfolding in front of them — and who can blame them, after watching the past 10 trips to the postseason end in excruciating fashion short of the Fall Classic? — this is happening. For the first time since 1988, a trip to the Series seems imminent. MORE: NLCS Game 3, as it happened With their 6-1 Game 3 win over the Cubs at Wrigley Field on Tuesday night, the Dodgers have a 3-0 lead in the best-of-seven NLCS....

Marcus Stroman cannot truly be called an ace yet, not with only 157 2/3 innings under his belt in the major leagues. The 2012 first-round draft pick does have the stuff of an ace, though, and after the right-hander was expected to miss the entire season with a torn ACL, he returned in September to go 4-0 with a 1.67 ERA, allowing only 20 hits and six walks while striking out 18 hitters in 27 innings....

Things got worse for the home team at Nationals Park when Marc Rzepczynski walked Yasmani Grandal and Blake Treinen gave up a single to pinch hitter Howie Kendrick. MORE: Each team’s worst postseason memory The loudest boos of the night, though, came after Treinen struck out pinch hitter Charlie Culberson, and Dusty Baker came out to the mound to make another pitching change, bringing in Sammy Solis. MORE: SN’s Dodgers-Nats Game Center...

The ALCS contestants, from Toronto and Cleveland, are both coming off highly impressive sweeps in the division round. Over in the NL, the Cubs finished off the even-year marvels from San Francisco with a dramatic Game 4 ninth-inning rally, and the Dodgers won an epic winner-take-all matchup in our nation’s capitol to snag the final spot in baseball’s final four. MORE: 12 players who own unfortunate postseason records So, naturally, it’s time to rank the four remaining teams by their chances of winning the World Series....

“Not really news breaking when it comes to those three,” Hinch said Wednesday, per MLB.com. “I’m sure everybody could have predicted how we were going to go, and I wasn’t going to commit to a Game 4 [starter] quite yet. All those guys are prepared and ready to go.” Hinch added the Astros will get a boost with the return of shortstop Carlos Correa, who is expected to play Friday after missing the final week of the regular season due to a sore back....

After the COVID pandemic led to an expanded playoff field and centralized bubbles last season, things will feel more familiar with teams are back in their own ballparks — and, more importantly, in front of their own fans — as they vie to be the one hoisting the commissioner’s trophy when the World Series ends. But how will it all play out? That what we’ll discuss here. MORE: How each AL team could win the World Series...

For this final regular-season power ranking, we’re looking at how teams stacked up in regular-season competition. Once the playoff field is set, we’ll rank teams by how likely they are to win the World Series. Don’t be surprised if that list has a much different order than this one. But for now, we’re looking at actual results, not projected finishes. Cool? Let’s go. MORE: MLB standings — Magic numbers, playoff odds and more...

Usually, the connotation is positive. Surprise parties! Surprise hugs! Surprise, Publisher’s Clearing House is at your door! But there’s also the, “Surprise, you spent way too much money on dollar margaritas at Chili’s this weekend.” MORE: Seven things I definitely didn’t expect in the 2019 MLB season Baseball is no different: There are awesome surprises and there are bad surprises over the course of a 162-game season. So, without further ado, here are the latest SN MLB Power Rankings, along with every team’s most surprising player in 2019....

The Reds first baseman long ago earned his reputation as one of baseball’s more cerebral players, so when he was sitting at his table at the All-Star Game media day in Miami a couple of months ago, of course he was asked about the sharp spike in home runs in 2017. The speculation of the day — and the season, really — was about the possibility of a juiced baseball, not juiced players....

However, it’s usually not easy to identify dynasty/keeper league targets at this position, as those tend to emerge later in a player’s career. Heading into this season, there are only handful of young names worth remembering, but one them could wind up making a real impact on fantasy leagues as early as opening day. DOMINATE YOUR DRAFT: Ultimate 2019 cheat sheet MLB Top Prospects: 1B An injury to Mets veteran Todd Frazier has opened the door for slugging Peter Alonso — the No....

The Nationals traded Juan Soto and Josh Bell to the Padres for a veritable Fountain of Youth, receiving MacKenzie Gore and C.J. Abrams along a slew of prospects. Meanwhile, the Yankees corrected their error in getting Joey Gallo by trading for Andrew Benintendi before Tuesday. Other big players to move included Luis Castillo, Frankie Montas, and Jose Quintana, not to mention Tyler Mahle and Noah Syndergaard. The Cubs, meanwhile, decided to sit on Willson Contreras and Ian Happ....

Finding that balance will not be easy. MORE: Marlins’ ask on Stanton said to “shockingly high” Baseball’s best and brightest have descended on the Waldorf Astoria for the annual GM meetings, and Stanton’s future is one of the primary topics of conversation — inside the closed-door meetings, in the media center and pretty much anywhere a cellphone conversation is happening. Everyone wants to know what will happen next, including the Marlins....

“They’re both special cases,” GM Rick Hahn said of Abreu and Garcia. “And there are very strong arguments for them playing roles in 2020 and beyond.” The recent rumblings of the Red Sox’s interest in Abreu seem to be less transparent than the rumors that became deals between these two teams last offseason. One team was looking for major-league ready talent, while the other was harvesting new young prospects....

"There is no deadline, no drop-dead date by which the Rays have to make a deal or tell Price he isn't being traded," according to the newspaper. "Reports that they are motivated to do so by Dec. 31 to hand off payment of $4 million in deferred money are incorrect: The payment isn't due until Oct. 1, and it is the Rays' obligation, so really a nonfactor, as including it would be the same as asking for cash in a deal and subject to MLB approval....

Cafardo doesn’t mention what players the O’s may target, but he says 3B Adrian Beltre of the Rangers “would be the perfect solution.” Beltre, 35, is an elite defender and impact hitter who’s having an excellent year for the last-place Rangers (.323/.377/.502 with 17 home runs and 65 RBIs). And, most important, the four-time All-Star has made it through waivers already. But Cafardo thinks trading for Beltre may prove “too rich for Orioles ownership....

During his first three seasons as Baltimore’s closer, the lefty with the devastating sinker compiled a 1.38 ERA in 204 appearances, allowing just eight home runs. In 2016, he had a microscopic 0.54 ERA and went a perfect 47-for-47 in save opportunities. But in 2017 he ruptured his Achilles tendon, and the resulting surgery knocked him out for six months. MORE: The MLB trade deadline through the eyes, minds of players...

This isn’t a surprise, of course. They’ve long known about these looming decisions concerning a crop of talented players they’ll try to extend, let walk as free agents or trade away to restock a farm system that ranks in the bottom third in baseball, in terms of talent. Truth is, if the Royals wanted to truly maximize the trade value of these players, they should have moved some of them last year....

Leading MLB in batting average, home runs or RBIs is no easy feat. To reach that sort of consistency over the course of 162 games, a ball player needs everything — a good batter’s eye, a powerful swing, composure when runners are on base… and some luck. When batters put a season together leading in just one of those categories, it’s a big deal. For the few that can lead in a pair of them?...

For players with a lot of experience and a good track record, that can be tough on a few different levels. It’s humbling, they can lose a sense of place, and it means returning to the minor leagues after years in the majors. MORE: Watch ‘ChangeUp,’ a new MLB live whiparound show on DAZN After playing for the Rockies from 2009 to last season, Carlos Gonzalez, 33, opted for free agency last October, and then found a free-agent market that was essentially closed off to guys like him....