Rankings/List

The postseason isn't over, the World Series hasn't even started yet, but Major League Baseball's hot stove is heating up already.

Rumors have begun cropping up, so now is a good time to address them early on and play a little fact or fiction with the speculation that's out there.

Forecasting can be fun, even if there's plenty still left to play out before all the transaction action really starts picking up.

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As the postseason progresses, teams, players and results provide more and more answers along the way. Some are expected, but others? Not so much.

That doesn't mean, there still aren't plenty of questions to consider regarding how everything is shaping up and, ultimately, how it all will play out.

To determine that, or at least try, here's a batch of questions that need answering over the rest of October—and even a shot at some of the answers.

Let's imagine we're in a movie where the 2014 MLB postseason is a villain that must be stopped. Now, let's imagine that the only way to do so is by assembling a team with the right kind of experience.

Cue the montage of us putting in calls to grizzled veterans who have tangled with the postseason before and lived to tell about it. These are surely the only guys who can help, and their names are...

Well, we'll get to that.

Despite falling just short of making the postseason, the Seattle Mariners had an exciting 2014 season.

The Mariners were in contention for the AL Wild Card until Game 162 of the year and were relevant well into September for the first time in several seasons. The wild-card race provided several thrilling moments for a fanbase that hasn't had much to cheer for in quite some time.

The 2014 MLB regular season has been over for two days, meaning that the Wild Card Round is set to kick off and usher in the postseason for the 10 teams that earned the right to play October baseball.

What about the other 20 clubs that didn’t make the playoffs?

Well, there are certainly plans in place to improve the rosters on each of them with the idea that 2015 will be a better season. Some have longer to-do lists than others, but they all have the same goal—win it all next year.

There is certainly some truth to the idea that pitching wins championships, but a top-flight offense can go a long way in helping a team get that far. Without some offensive firepower, it's awfully hard to reach October to begin with.

With the 10-team postseason field set and things set to kick off Tuesday night with the American League Wild Card Game between the Oakland Athletics and Kansas City Royals, postseason baseball has officially arrived here in 2014.

Having a breakout season is a challenge for most players. Pulling it off in the postseason, when playing time is limited and every next play could potentially determine the season, is another story.

However, every year there are players who do just that, as they go from little-known prospects or under-appreciated veterans to playoff heroes and household names seemingly overnight.

With the playoff games set to begin Tuesday night, it’s time to preview some of the players who appear primed for a breakout performance this October.

With just two days of games remaining in the 2014 MLB regular season, the complete playoff picture has still not been sorted out, as one playoff spot and two division titles are still up for grabs at this point.

There are a number of teams that managed to stay in contention heading into the final month of the season, but three teams in particular stand out as having entered September with a real chance at making the playoffs, only to squander that opportunity.

With the regular season coming to an end in a matter of days and the postseason set to begin next week, every playoff team will soon be forced to make difficult decisions regarding its roster.

The number of players a team can roster will drop from the 40 previously allowed in September back to the standard 25 next month. As a result, teams will craft their postseason rosters based on their own strengths as well as the perceived weaknesses of their upcoming opponent.

From the historic dominance of Clayton Kershaw to the epic collapses of the Milwaukee Brewers and the Atlanta Braves, it's been a memorable 2014 MLB regular season.

Simply put, there have been major winners and serious losers from all around the league. Jon Lester falls onto the right side of that equation thanks to a brilliant second half, which has set him up for a winter payday.