The 2019 regular season is complete and the postseason is set to begin Tuesday night with the NL Wild Card Game. The AL Wild Card Game follows Tuesday, then the NLDS and ALDS begin Thursday and Friday, respectively. The long marathon is over and the sprint to the finish is about to begin.

Here is the 2019 MLB postseason bracket:

National League

American League

There will be a new World Series champion this year. The Red Sox did not qualify for the postseason, mostly because their starting pitching betrayed them, meaning the 1998-2000 Yankees are still baseball's most recent back-to-back(-to-back) World Series champions. The golden age of parity, this is.

Ten postseason teams means there are 25 possible World Series matchups and we're here to rank all of them. What are we ranking the matchups on, exactly? Team quality, historic rivalries, geographic rivalries, stuff like that. The rankings are highly subjective, but feel free to tell us we're wrong anyway.

After consulting with the other CBS Sports MLB scribes, I present to you our 100 percent accurate possible World Series matchup rankings for 2019. Come with me, won't you?

Good, but not great

Let me start by saying there is no such thing as a bad World Series matchup. All 10 postseason teams are great and fun to watch. It's just that some are more fun to watch than others. The bottom of our rankings:

25. Brewers vs. Rays
24. Athletics vs. Brewers
23. Athletics vs. Cardinals
22. Athletics vs. Braves
21. Nationals vs. Twins
20. Braves vs. Twins

There is some history here -- Hall of Famer Jack Morris and the Twins beat Hall of Famer John Smoltz and the Braves in Game 7 of the 1991 World Series, for example -- and I suspect I am underrating a possible Brewers vs. Rays series, but these matchups are generally short on big name star power, especially with Christian Yelich injured. Good teams and good matchups, all of 'em, but I reckon most would feel underwhelmed with these World Series.

Could be worse

If you're a fan of underdogs, this tier is for you. We have big markets vs. small markets, powerhouse contenders vs. up-and-comers, and young stars vs. big name veterans.

19. Cardinals vs. Rays
18. Cardinals vs. Twins
17. Dodgers vs. Twins
16. Athletics vs. Nationals
15. Brewers vs. Yankees
14. Astros vs. Brewers

Brewers vs. Yankees is the ultimate small market vs. big market World Series matchup this year. Pretty much everyone outside New York would be pulling for Milwaukee in that one. The Cardinals and Twins have some World Series history (1987), ditto the Dodgers and Twins (1965), otherwise this tier is short on big head-to-head storylines. MLB and the television networks love those. Tommy Pham returning to St. Louis with the Rays would be pretty neat though.

These will do

Now we're starting to get into the World Series matchups that would excite all baseball fans, not just the diehards or the locals. Let's get into the top half of our rankings.

13. Braves vs. Rays

Although these two teams don't play each other often, they're fairly close geographically, and they're both loaded with young stars. Ronald Acuna and Ozzie Albies! Blake Snell and Austin Meadows! Braves vs. Rays would showcase some of the game's top young talent and, uh, one of its newer ballparks.

12. Nationals vs. Yankees

A unique matchup, this is. The Nationals are loaded with big names but have a history of coming up short because the whole is less than the sum of the parts. The Yankees, especially this year, manage to pull value seemingly out of nowhere to remain a legitimate World Series threat. Anthony Rendon vs. Gio Urshela? Juan Soto vs. Cameron Maybin? Come on now.

11. Brewers vs. Twins

This would be a Grade-A regional matchup. Two teams built around their offense and defense sure do make for exciting baseball -- it's too bad Byron Buxton is injured and Lorenzo Cain is hobbled, those two can really go get it in center field -- especially in the juiced ball era. The Brewers and Twins play a fun brand of baseball and the cities are less than 500 miles apart.

10. Astros vs. Cardinals

The last time the Astros and Cardinals met in October, Albert Pujols silenced the Minute Maid Park crowd in Game 5 of the 2005 NLCS. Surely you remember this home run:

The Astros did win that series in six games, however. The year before St. Louis beat Houston in NLCS Game 7. The Cardinals and Astros had a heavyweight NL Central rivalry for a few years there. The 'Stros have since moved to the American League, so these two teams don't play often nowadays, making a potential World Series matchup that much more exciting. 

9. Astros vs. Braves

Once upon a time the Braves eliminated the Astros in the NLDS three times in a five-year span (1997, 1999, 2001). Those were powerhouse teams with multiple Hall of Famers on each side. These days the Astros are the club every team -- including the Braves -- strive to be. These two teams are built around young stars (Acuna, Albies, Alex Bregman, Yordan Alvarez, etc.) with a few quality veterans (Justin Verlander, Freddie Freeman) mixed in. 

8. Nationals vs. Rays

Good matchup for fans of pitching. The Nationals have a star-studded rotation while the Rays were one of baseball's best run prevention team during the regular season. Tampa Bay may not do it conventionally, but it is mighty successful. Add in some high-end position players and you have the makings of a sneaky good World Series matchup.

7. Braves vs. Yankees

The Yankees and Braves have some recent World Series history (1996 and 1999) -- fun fact: the Yankees won every World Series game ever played at Turner Field -- and they are in somewhat similar situations as teams built around young position players (Acuna, Albies, Gleyber Torres, Aaron Judge, etc.) with good enough pitching. The Yankees and Braves would make for some exciting, high energy baseball.

6. Athletics vs. Dodgers

There is some big time history with this rivalry. The A's beat the Dodgers in the 1974 World Series and, in Game 1 of the 1988 World Series, hobbled Dodgers slugger Kirk Gibson hit arguably the most famous home run in baseball history against Athletics Hall of Famer closer Dennis Eckersley:

The current Dodgers and Athletics couldn't be more opposite. Los Angeles is a juggernaut club with insane depth and near limitless financial resources. The A's are ... not that. They have good depth, for sure, but they perpetually work on a shoestring budget and still pump out winners. Marcus Semien, Matt Chapman, Cody Bellinger, and Corey Seager on one field would be fun.

5. Cardinals vs. Yankees

The race isn't particularly close (27 vs. 11), but this matchup represents the most World Series titles ever vs. the second most World Series titles ever, and five times the Yankees and Cardinals have met in the World Series. The Yankees won in 1928 and 1943, and the Cardinals won in 1926, 1942, and 1964. The current teams are very good -- bring me a Jack Flaherty vs. Luis Severino pitching duel, baseball gods -- and it's hard to top the history. I'm willing to hear arguments that this matchup should be in the top tier.

Dream matchups

Now we're talking. These final four matchups are the best baseball has to offer. Give the folks in the commissioner's office and at the television networks a truth serum, and I'm certain they'd tell you these are the World Series matchups they want to see.

4. Dodgers vs. Rays

The Andrew Friedman revenge series. Friedman left the Rays to join the Dodgers in Oct. 2014 and he's since combined his small market savvy with big market payrolls to build an NL West juggernaut with back-to-back National League pennant wins. The Rays have done well without Friedman, but surely they've love to beat his team for a championship.

On the field, the Dodgers and Rays were two of the best run prevention teams in baseball during the regular season, which means expect a series full of slugfests. In all seriousness, these series would combine a great off-field narrative (Friedman) with a classic David vs. Goliath storyline, and chances are the entire series will feature close games. What more could you want?

3. Astros vs. Nationals

There is no better possible 2019 World Series matchup when it comes to starting pitching. Just think:

Game 4 could be two Iron Mike pitching machines and I'd still take these starting pitching matchups over any other possible series. Add in Bregman and Rendon, Alvarez and Soto, Jose Altuve, Trea Turner, George Springer and Victor Robles, and you have yourself the makings of an exciting series. Sign me up.

2. Astros vs. Dodgers

The 2017 World Series featured seven thrilling games, including one of the wildest back-and-forth games in World Series history (Game 5), and a rematch in 2019 would be welcome. In fact, you could argue the 2019 Astros and Dodgers are even better than the 2017 Astros and Dodgers. Look:


W-LRuns ScoredRuns AllowedRun Differential

2017 Astros

101-61

896

700

+196

2019 Astros

107-55

920

640

+280


W-LRuns ScoredRuns AllowedRun Differential

2017 Dodgers

104-58

770

580

+190

2019 Dodgers

106-56

866

613

+273

Among the prominent 2019 Astros and Dodgers who were not part of the 2017 World Series are Yordan Alvarez, Michael Brantley, Walker Buehler, Gerrit Cole, Max Muncy, Roberto Osuna, Ryan Pressly, Hyun-Jin Ryu, Will Smith, and Julio Urias. Los Angeles left Ryu off their postseason roster in all three rounds in 2017. Does the World Series play out differently with him available? Maybe!

Another Astros vs. Dodgers matchup in World Series would pit the American League's best team against the National League's best team, as well as the two most successful modern franchises in the game. They're at the forefront of analytics, using them to not only unearth hidden gems (Muncy, Pressly, etc.), but make their own players better. Their success is remarkable.

Yeah, I know we saw the Astros and Dodgers in the World Series just two years ago, and I suppose some may feel that takes a little something away from a potential 2019 matchup, but not me. I am ready for Round 2.

1. Dodgers vs. Yankees

What, did you expect something else? With all due respect to the Astros and Cardinals and every other 2019 postseason team, the Yankees and Dodgers are baseball's two glamour franchises. They're in the game's largest markets and the Dodgers have a deep and dedicated fan base in New York thanks to their Brooklyn days. The Yankees? Their fans are everywhere.

Eleven times the Yankees and Dodgers have met in the World Series, the most World Series matchups between any two teams in baseball history. A rivalry recap:

  • 1941 World Series: Yankees win 4-1
  • 1947 World Series: Yankees win 4-3
  • 1949 World Series: Yankees win 4-1
  • 1952 World Series: Yankees win 4-3
  • 1953 World Series: Yankees win 4-1 (at 25, Vin Scully becomes youngest World Series broadcaster ever)
  • 1955 World Series: Dodgers in 4-3 (Jackie Robinson steals home in Game 1)
  • 1956 World Series: Yankees win 4-3 (Don Larsen throws a perfect game in Game 5)
  • 1963 World Series: Dodgers win 4-0
  • 1977 World Series: Yankees win 4-2 (Reggie Jackson hits three homers in Game 6)
  • 1978 World Series: Yankees win 4-2
  • 1981 World Series: Dodgers in 4-2

Aaron Judge and Cody Bellinger. Clayton Kershaw and James Paxton. Gleyber Torres and Corey Seager. Walker Buehler and Luis Severino. Aroldis Chapman and Kenley Jansen. On and on it goes. Another Yankees vs. Dodgers matchup in the World Series would have it all. Great teams, great players, historic significance, rabid fan bases, and bright lights.

I know many -- many -- baseball fans out there are sick of hearing about the big market goliaths each year. Believe me, I know, but we had a preview of this series in August (the Yankees won two of three in Los Angeles), and the atmosphere was electric. The Yankees and Dodgers are the best World Series matchup baseball has to offer this year.