The Brewers or Rays are going to take home the first World Series title in their franchise’s history to wrap up a thrilling 2026 postseason. But that means there are 10 other MLB teams that were good enough to make it beyond the regular season, yet not quite good enough to go all the way.

Here’s one big question each of the eliminated postseason teams must answer this offseason.

AMERICAN LEAGUE

Guardians: How will they build the lineup?

The Guardians leaned on excellent pitching to reach Game 6 of the American League Championship Series, but their bats went cold. Much of the pitching staff will be back in 2027, from Gavin Williams to Parker Messick and Cade Smith.

But can the Cleveland lineup take a necessary leap? The Guardians finished 26th in MLB with a .696 team OPS in the regular season. You’d expect José Ramírez (.688 OPS) to bounce back after an injury-riddled campaign, but it will be his age-34 season next year. Perhaps the emergence of Chase DeLauter and another year with Trade Deadline acquisition Jo Adell helps to spark a more powerful offense. But it’s clear the club needs more at the dish to reach the next level. It might have to get creative to do so, too, with star outfielder Steven Kwan a rumored trade candidate entering his final year before free agency.

Astros: Which direction will the club go, and who’s taking them there?

Houston won the AL West with an 81-81 record, reaching the playoffs for the 10th time in 12 years. But the stay was short-lived, and changes are on the horizon. General manager Dana Brown was removed midway through the year, and Joe Espada won’t be back as manager.

The new regime will also be tasked with determining whether the Astros continue to push around Yordan Alvarez after an MVP-caliber campaign, or if they’ll opt for a mini rebuild. Jose Altuve is only getting older, several core players (i.e. Jeremy Peña, Hunter Brown, Yainer Diaz) are trade candidates like Kyle Tucker was before them, pitching depth is thin and the Minor League system, while improving, lacks much MLB-ready talent. Simply put, one of the best franchises of the past decade is at a crossroads.

Yankees: Can they capitalize on Aaron Judge before it's too late?

Judge will be 35 next season after missing 100 games, including the playoffs, due to injury in 2026. As long as he’s healthy, there’s little doubt he can still be among the best hitters in baseball. But how much longer will we be able to say that? Judge seems to be aware of the situation, calling for the New York front office to go “all-in” this offseason.

What “all-in” looks like will certainly be a debate, too, with decisions to be made around the infield and in the bullpen. The Yankees must also be wondering what they can count on from Giancarlo Stanton after a year largely lost to injury. The DH platoon is already crowded between Ben Rice and Luis García Jr.

Red Sox: Can big stars key the next step?

Things looked bleak for the Red Sox before a historic winning streak completely shifted the vibes in 2026. While Boston was swept out of the Wild Card Series by the rival Yankees, there’s a clear core in place that can carry into the Red Sox the future. Seven of the top eight Red Sox producers in FanGraphs WAR are under contract for 2027.

Notably, none of those eight players were ace Garrett Crochet (0.3 fWAR), prodigy Roman Anthony (0.7) or blockbuster trade acquisition Adley Rutschman (0.7). Crochet’s and Anthony’s seasons were marred by injury, and Rutschman never really found his swing after the Trade Deadline. If those three perform to their standards next season, this Red Sox club could be dangerous.

White Sox: What’s next?

The White Sox weren’t supposed to be here, at least not this year. They became the first team to reach the postseason after suffering back-to-back 100-loss seasons (and they actually endured three of them). Credit is due across the board for the improvement, from the front office to coaching staff to players. Chicago was on the brink of an ALCS berth, too, before the Guardians got hot for an ALDS reverse sweep.

So the question is simple: How does this young roster improve? There might not be a move out there as morale-boosting as the Munetaka Murakami signing this past year, but the 2026 White Sox proved they’re worth further investment. The club clearly needs more pitching and must sort through a logjam of top position player prospects. There are many paths general manager Chris Getz could take.

NATIONAL LEAGUE

Dodgers: How does De Paula fit in?

It’s no secret that the Dodgers’ star-studded roster is aging. It showed as the Brewers swept them out of the NLCS, with the Los Angeles offense producing just 2.75 runs per game in the pennant battle. One ready-made jolt of youth could be top prospect Josue De Paula, who earned a spot on the postseason roster but only saw three plate appearances. De Paula’s plate approach looks more than MLB-ready, and the upside in his bat is immense.

But fitting De Paula into the 2027 lineup won’t be easy. De Paula has a questionable defensive profile as an outfielder, but even still, the Dodgers’ outfield spots are entrenched with Teoscar Hernández, Andy Pages and Kyle Tucker. Presumably, De Paula also won’t be taking too many designated hitter opportunities away from Shohei Ohtani. Thus, Los Angeles may need to get creative with MLB Pipeline’s No. 4 overall prospect.

Braves: Who is Acuña moving forward?

The Braves enter the offseason with myriad questions on the mound, but pitching was a driving factor in an NL Wild Card Series win, and Atlanta held the Dodgers to just 3.5 runs per game in the NLDS. The offense, however, sputtered. And as the lineup’s biggest star, Ronald Acuña Jr. shouldered much of the blame -- fair or not. He went just 3-for-18 and did not record an extra-base hit.

So, who is Acuña as he enters his age-29 season? He likely won’t reach the peaks of his 2023 MVP season when he hit 41 home runs and stole 73 bases, but he showed flashes that he can still be a superstar, logging a .949 OPS in September. However, Acuña hit the IL again this season twice for a strained hamstring. What the Braves are expecting from Acuña moving forward may help determine their offseason plans and their ceiling as a club.

Padres: How will they keep this window open?

As long as Fernando Tatis Jr., Manny Machado and Jackson Merrill are powering the offense, and Mason Miller continues to lock down games, the Padres should remain competitive. And president of baseball operations A.J. Preller will assuredly -- as always -- be aggressive in rebuilding his club. Perhaps free-agent reunions with Ty France and Adrian Morejon are on the table, and a breakout from top prospect Ethan Salas would help.

But the Padres still need to take the next step after falling short in a hotly contested NLDS with the World Series-bound Brewers. San Diego does have one glaring hole on the projected 2027 roster: the rotation. The Padres have just one certainty for next year, Randy Vásquez. The others are facing free agency (Walker Buehler, Robbie Ray, Casey Mize); contract options (Michael King, Nick Pivetta); role questions (Joe Musgrove); or potential retirement (Yu Darvish).

Cubs: Who pitches?

Led by MVP favorite Pete Crow-Armstrong, the Cubs boasted MLB’s best offense and defense throughout the 2026 regular season. But they recorded the third-least fWAR from their pitching staff. The North Siders dealt with a rash of injuries all year and scrapped their way to the postseason, though the Padres swept them handily in the first round.

Now, the Cubs enter 2027 with even fewer certainties on the mound. Each member of the end-of-year rotation -- Clay Holmes, Kevin Gausman, Matthew Boyd, Shota Imanaga and David Peterson -- can become a free agent. Returning starters Justin Steele, Cade Horton, Ben Brown and Edward Cabrera all have various questions about their health and performance. The front office has already made clear pitching will be the top focus moving forward, and that might be an understatement.

Phillies: How will they improve the offense?

Father Time is catching up to the long-standing core of this successful Phillies era, including Bryce Harper, Kyle Schwarber and Trea Turner. Only Harper, Schwarber and Bryson Stott were above-average contributors in terms of wRC+ in 2026.

The positive news is that the Philadelphia rotation remains one of the best in baseball, with Cristopher Sánchez, Jesús Luzardo and Zack Wheeler still cruising. Jhoan Duran should still be a dominant closer, too. But the Phillies need more from their lineup -- much more -- if they’re going to keep this competitive window open. There are obvious openings in the outfield and infield that Dave Dombrowski and Co. will have to fill.