MLB's Biggest World Series Dark Horse Should be Crystal Clear Now

It's going to be a fun few weeks across Major League Baseball, to say the least.

Sep 20, 2026; San Diego, California, USA; San Diego Padres right fielder Fernando Tatis Jr. (23) celebrates after hitting a solo home run during the seventh inning against the Miami Marlins at Petco Park. Mandatory Credit: Denis Poroy-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

When the postseason begins, everything that was done in the regular season goes away. Now, of course, wins in the regular season are important from a home-field advantage perspective and for seeding. But when the postseason begins, all of the stats out there and records are reset.

If you play in the Wild Card series, you need 13 wins to make history. If you're one of the top two seeds in either league, it takes 11 wins to hoist the World Series trophy. Baseball is intriguing. Even the clubs with the most talent on paper can lose on a given night. Think about the Los Angeles Dodgers, for example. The Dodgers are loaded with Hall of Fame-level players, and yet they have lost 60 games this season. In the postseason, anything can happen. Teams like the Dodgers, Milwaukee Brewers, Boston Red Sox, Tampa Bay Rays and maybe the New York Yankees — if Aaron Judge returns — will be considered the top contenders to win the World Series. But one team n body should forget about is the San Diego Padres.

The Padres Are Red-Hot

Sep 19, 2026; San Diego, California, USA; San Diego Padres second baseman Fernando Tatis Jr. (23) look skyward after hitting a solo home run during the fourth inning against the Miami Marlins at Petco Park. Mandatory Credit: Denis Poroy-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

San Diego is the epitome of getting hot at the right time.

The Padres were a .500 baseball team on July 26. At that point, San Diego had a 53-53 record and didn't look like a threat to go on a run. There was even chatter about a potential trade deadline sell-off. Mason Miller even was floated as a trade chip. Instead, the Padres loaded up and landed guys, including Robbie Ray and Casey Mize.

Since July 26, the Padres have gone 34-16. That record is impressive in itself, but it doesn't tell the entire story. San Diego has the best record in baseball since Sep. 1 at 14-4 and has specifically won 13 of its last 14 games. The Padres are firing on all cylinders right now and have an 87-69 record and would have the No. 2 National League Wild Card if the season were to end today and would face the struggling Chicago Cubs in a three-game Wild Card series on the road.

The playoffs are one big tournament and everything else gets washed away. You don't have to be the best team in baseball for six months to win the World Series. All you have to do is be the most dominant team in baseball for about a month when it really matters. The Padres have shown in September what they can do. If they play like this in the playoffs, they can beat anyone.