With the MLB playoffs down to only four teams, it is time for fans to choose which team they want to support for in the final games of the season. With some surprising teams in the mix for the World Series this year, there are a variety of different reasons to select each team to root for.

Royals: It is hard to not root for a team who has not made the playoffs in almost thirty years. The last time that the Royals were in the playoffs, the Berlin Wall was still a thing. Besides the painful history of the team in the last three decades, they have been quite a fun team to watch this year. With abundant young talent, this team is full of energy and well worth cheering for. They appear to be this year’s Cinderella story, as each win is more impressive and improbable than the last.

Orioles: Like the Royals, this team has not had much success in recent years. They have only made one trip to the playoffs once since the new millennium. After defeating teams such as the Yankees and Red Sox from their divisional race, they certainly scored some brownie points in my book.   Baltimore also features its fair share of power hitters, which is very fun to watch. However, The Baltimore lineup does feature Nelson Cruz, a known user of illegal performance enhancing drugs, which is a turn-off.

St. Louis: The Cardinals are a model of consistency, making it to the National League Championship for the last four seasons. Even though they aren’t a large market team like LA or New York, they still excel each year. They don’t have too many big name players but they are centered on strong pitching. Furthermore, this team is known for their famous “Rally Squirrel”, which certainly adds the element of humor to their playoff run.

San Francisco: Another team with recent success, the Giants are looking to win their third World Series in the last five seasons. With so much recent success, many casual fans might want to see another team win instead of San Fran. Nevertheless, the Giants have built their team the right way, drafting talent and coaching them into a winning team. While the Giants may not be the Cinderella story like other teams in the playoffs, they still are fun to watch and a solid choice.