The 2023 MLB postseason is finally here after what was a long and eventful past six months. This year’s regular season was a historic one and not just because we saw the introduction of 18-inch bases and a new pitch clock – though those two rule changes made an epic and much-needed difference in gameplay.
The larger bases (along with the new pickoff rule) made stealing a lot easier in certain scenarios. We saw 22 teams eclipse 100 stolen bases in the 2023 season – compared to just eight teams last year. As for the pitch clock, games finished 24 minutes earlier than in the past and were more enjoyable to watch.
It made for an exciting season full of surprises, disappointments, twists, turns, and everything in between. Matt Olsonhit 54 home runs, Ronald Acuna Jr. became the first player in MLB history to hit 40+ home runs and steal 70+ bases in a season, and the Atlanta Braves emerged as the regular season champion.
The Atlanta Braves might’ve won the regular season championship, but the 2023 MLB postseason is a completely different story – the postseason is when the real season begins. Unfortunately for most of the MLB, only 12 teams are given an opportunity to fight for a World Series title in the 2023 MLB postseason.
The Atlanta Braves and Baltimore Orioles had the best records in each league, so they’re in. The Los Angeles Dodgers, Milwaukee Brewers, Houston Astros, and Minnesota Twins won their respective divisions, so they’re all in. Of course, that leaves us with the Wild Card – where things got interesting.
The Mariners ended up 1.0 game back of an AL Wild Card spot – where the Rays, Rangers, and Blue Jays earned their berth. The Cubs, Padres, and Reds were each within 2.0 games of an NL Wild Card spot, but it was the Phillies, Marlins, and Diamondbacks who made it into the 2023 MLB postseason.
The Toronto Blue Jays, led by manager John Schneider, finished the 2023 regular season with an 89-73 record – good enough for third place in the AL East and earning them a spot in the Wild Card Series of the 2023 MLB postseason. They’ve now made the playoffs in back-to-back seasons and 3 of the past 4.
Unfortunately, they failed to make it out of the Wild Card Series and got swept by the Minnesota Twins in a best-of-three series. It’s a similar outcome as in 2022, when they got swept by the Seattle Mariners in the Wild Card Series, and in 2020, when they got swept by the Tampa Bay Rays in the Wild Card Series.
The Blue Jays didn’t pose much of a threat, losing to the Minnesota Twins 1-3 on October 3 and 0-2 on October 4. They had six hits in Game 1 and nine hits in Game 2, but struggled to turn those hits into runs – they left 18 men on base and were just 3 for 14 with runners in scoring position throughout both games.
The Miami Marlins, led by manager Skip Schumaker, finished the 2023 regular season with an 84-78 record – good enough for third place in the NL East and earning them a spot in the Wild Card Series of the 2023 MLB postseason. It’s their first playoff appearance since 2020 – when they lost in the NLDS.
In 2020, the Marlins ended up sweeping the Chicago Cubs 2-0 in the Wild Card Series before getting swept by the Atlanta Braves 0-3 in the NLDS. Unfortunately for the Marlins, they failed to make it out of the Wild Card Series and ended up getting swept by the Philadelphia Phillies in a best-of-three series.
The Marlins were outscored 2-11 in Games 1 and 2 of the 2023 Wild Card Series on October 3 and 4, respectively. They had 12 hits across both games, but left eight men on base and were 3 for 10 with runners in scoring position. Nothing was going right for the Marlins and their season is now over.
The Tampa Bay Rays, led by manager Kevin Cash, finished the 2023 regular season with a 99-63 record – good enough for second place in the AL East and earning them a spot in the Wild Card Series of the 2023 MLB postseason. They’ve now made the playoffs in five straight years – which is a franchise record.
The Rays made it all to the World Series in 2020, but lost to the Los Angeles Dodgers in six games (2-4) and haven’t won a playoff series since – they lost to the Boston Red Sox 1-3 in the ALDS in 2021, the Cleveland Guardians 0-2 in the ALWC in 2022, and the Texas Rangers 0-2 in the ALWC in 2023.
They didn’t pose much of a threat against the Texas Rangers. Despite having home-field advantage, the Rays got shutout 0-4 in Game 1 and were outmatched 1-7 in Game 2. They left 13 men on base between both games and were just 2 for 11 with runners in scoring position. They’ll have to try again next season.
The Milwaukee Brewers, led by manager Craig Counsell, finished the 2023 regular season with a 92-70 record – good enough for first place in the NL Central and earning them a spot in the Wild Card Series of the 2023 MLB Postseason as a No. 3 seed. They’ve made the playoffs in five of the past six seasons.
The Brewers made it to the playoffs in four straight seasons between 2018 and 2021, but finished the 2022 season with an 86-76 record – just 1.0 game back of a Wild Card spot. They turned things around in 2023 and won the NL Central Division for the fourth time in Brewers’ history – doing so by 9.0 games.
Their exciting season came to an unfortunate end in the Wild Card Series, where they were blindsided by the Arizona Diamondbacks 3-6 in Game 1 and 2-5 in Game 2. The Brewers had a 3-0 lead in Game 1 and a 2-0 lead in Game 2, but the bats went cold and the Diamondbacks took over as the game went on.
The Arizona Diamondbacks, led by manager Torey Lovullo, finished the 2023 regular season with an 84-78 record – good enough for second place in the NL West and earning them a spot in the Wild Card Series as a No. 6 seed. It was Arizona’s first time making it to the postseason since the 2017 season.
In 2017, the Diamondbacks beat the Rockies in the NL Wild Card Game before getting swept by the Dodgers 0-3 in the NL Divisional Series. They’ve missed the playoffs in each of the past five seasons, but made their return in 2023 – sweeping the Brewers in the Wild Card Series and advancing to the NLDS.
Arizona stunned the Brewers 6-3 in Game 1 on October 3 and kept their Cinderella story alive with a 5-2 win over Milwaukee in Game 2 on October 4. They’re currently playing in a best-of-five series against the Dodgers and have already stunned them with an 11-2 win in Game – will they keep the dream alive?
The Texas Rangers, led by manager Bruce Bochy, finished the 2023 regular season with a 90-72 record – good enough for second place in the AL West and earning them a spot in the Wild Card Series as a No. 5 seed. It was their first time clinching a playoff berth since 2016, putting a six-year playoff drought to rest.
The Rangers made it to the postseason in 2015, but lost to the Blue Jays 2-3 in the ALDS. They returned to the postseason in 2016, but got swept by the Blue Jays 0-3 in the ALDS. That heartbreak was followed by six years without a playoff berth, but they’ve made their return in 2023 and they’re ready to compete!
The Rangers stunned the Rays 4-0 in Game 1 on October 3 and continued their takeover with a 7-1 win in Game 2 the following day. They’ve now advanced to the AL Division Series against the Baltimore Orioles and have already stunned them 3-2 in Game 1 on October 7 and 11-8 in Game 2 on October 8.
The Philadelphia Phillies, led by manager Rob Thomson, finished the 2023 regular season with a 90-72 record – good enough for second place in the NL East and earning them a spot in the Wild Card Series as a No. 4 seed. They have now clinched a playoff berth in back-to-back seasons after a 10-year drought.
That playoff drought started in 2012 (just four years removed from their last World Series win and three years removed from their last World Series appearance) and came to an end last season – when the Phillies marched their way to the World Series before losing to the Houston Astros in six games (2-4).
The Phillies did what they needed to do against the Marlins in the 2023 NL Wild Card Series – beating them 4-1 in Game 1 on Oct. 3 and 7-1 in Game 2 on Oct. 4. They advanced to the NL Division Series against the Atlanta Braves and stunned them 3-0 in Game 1, but still need two more wins to advance.
The Minnesota Twins, led by manager Rocco Baldelli, finished the 2023 regular season with an 87-75 record – good enough for first place in the AL Central and earning themselves a spot in the AL Wild Card Series as a No. 3 seed. They have now clinched a postseason berth in four of the past seven seasons.
Entering the 2023 MLB postseason, the Twins hadn’t won a playoff series since 2002 – when they beat the Oakland Athletics in the AL Division Series. They lost to the Angels in the ALCS that year and had lost eight straight playoff series before matching up with the Toronto Blue Jays in the 2023 Wild Card Series.
Things went much better for the Twins this time around – beating the Blue Jays 3-1 in Game 1 on Oct. 3 and shutting them out 2-0 in Game 2 on Oct. 4. They advanced to the ALDS and dropped Game 1 to the Houston Astros 4-6 on Oct. 7, but tied the series up after an impressive 6-2 win in Game 2 on Oct. 8.
4. Houston Astros (No. 2 seed)
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The Houston Astros, led by manager Dusty Baker, finished the 2023 regular season with a 90-72 record – good enough for first place in the AL West and earning them a spot in the AL Division Series as a No. 2 seed. They’ve now clinched a postseason birth in seven consecutive seasons – dating back to 2017.
The Astros have made it to the World Series in 4 of those 7 seasons and won the World Series twice – first in 2017 and again last year (2022). They also made it to the World Series in 2019 (when they lost 3-4 to the Nationals) and in 2021 (when they lost 2-4 to the Braves). Can they find their way back in 2023?
The Astros came out swinging with a 6-4 win in Game 1 of the ALDS on October 7, but couldn’t duplicate that success in Game 2 – losing to the Minnesota Twins 2-6 on October 8. If they want to make it to the World Series, they’ll have to win two more vs. Houston and beat the winner of the Rangers-Orioles series.
The Los Angeles Dodgers, led by manager Dave Roberts, finished the 2023 regular season with a 100-62 record – good enough for first place in the NL West and earning them a spot in the NL Division Series as a No. 2 seed. They’ve now clinched a postseason berth in each of the past 11 seasons.
The Dodgers have gone 12-9 in playoff series during that span and have made it to the World Series three times in 2017, 2018, and 2020 – they won it all in 2020. They’re coming off a season that saw them ousted by the San Diego Padres in the NLDS, so they’re hoping for a better outcome this time around.
If they want to advance to the NLCS, they’ll have to fight their way through the Arizona Diamondbacks – one of the hottest teams in baseball. They were stunned in Game 1 of the NLDS, losing 11-2 with their ace, Clayton Kershaw, only lasting 0.1 innings. The Dodgers will be looking to bounce back in Game 2.
The Baltimore Orioles, led by manager Brandon Hyde, finished the 2023 regular season with a 101-61 record – good enough for first place in the AL East and earning them a spot in the AL Division Series as a No. 1 seed. They’re now in a best-of-five series against the Rangers, who beat the Rays in the ALWC.
The Orioles shocked the league by being just one of three teams to eclipse the 100-win mark – snapping a six-year playoff drought that began in 2017. Their last playoff appearance came in 2016, when they lost to the Blue Jays in the AL Wild Card. Now, they’re the No. 1 seed in the AL with a lot more to prove.
Unfortunately for the Orioles, they’ve met some resistance in the AL Division Series with the Rangers taking a quick 2-0 series lead – beating Baltimore 3-2 in Game 1 on October 7 and beating them 11-8 in Game 2 on October 8. The Orioles are capable of mounting a comeback, but they have no room for error.
The Atlanta Braves, led by manager Brian Snitker, finished the 2023 regular season with a 104-58 record – good enough for first place in the NL East and earning a spot in the NL Division Series as a No. 1 seed. They’re now playing a best-of-five series against the Phillies, who beat the Marlins in the NLWC.
The Braves have now clinched a postseason berth in six consecutive seasons – a streak that began in 2018 following a four-year playoff drought. They’ve made it to the NL Championship Series twice (2020 and 2021) and made it to the World Series once – they beat the Astros to win the World Series in 2021.
Unfortunately for the Braves, they’re meeting some resistance in the NL Division Series with the Phillies taking a quick 1-0 series lead – shutting the Braves out 3-0 in Game 1 on October 7. They’ve been the best team in baseball all season and are expected to bounce back, but this series won’t be a gimmie.
Which Team Will Win the 2023 MLB Postseason?
The 2023 World Series is currently scheduled to begin on Friday, October 27 – which means we’re just a few weeks away from learning who will come out of the 2023 MLB postseason as world champions. With the Blue Jays, Rays, Brewers, and Marlins being eliminated already, we can confirm it’s not any of them.
According to BetMGM, the Atlanta Braves are favored to win the 2023 World Series at +300 (as of October 7), but the Los Angeles Dodgers and Houston Astros are sitting close behind at +450. The Baltimore Orioles are staying relevant at +650 after a regular season no one expected out of them.
The Philadelphia Phillies, Minnesota Twins, and Texas Rangers are each sitting at +800, while the Arizona Diamondbacks are the underdog at +1500. Personally, I wouldn’t count the Diamondbacks out, but I have a feeling this season might come down to the Braves or Dodgers – sorry American League.
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