The 2023 MLB Playoffs are underway as the Wild Card round finished with all four series’ ending in sweeps. The Diamondbacks shocked the Brewers in a 2-0 sweep after taking game 1 6-3, and game 2 5-2. In both games, the Diamondbacks came back from 2+ runs as the Brewers’ pitching let down their fans. In the other National League Wild Card Series, the Phillies swept the Marlins as the Fightins won 4-1 and 7-1. The highlight of the series was Bryson Stott’s grand slam to seal the series for the Phillies as Citizens Bank Park went bezerk.
In the American League, the Twins swept the Blue Jays as the Twins won 2-0 and 3-1. The big storyline of the series was Blue Jay’s manager John Schneider pulling former Twin Josè Berrios just 3+ innings into his start even though Berrios didn’t give up a single run. The last Wild Card series was the Rangers sweeping the Rays by the scores of 7-1 and 4-0. The biggest talk of the series wasn’t on the field, but the concerning amount of empty seats at Tropicana Field for a playoff game.
With the Division Series matchups now set, it’s now time to give predictions for the rest of the playoffs. Junior Drew Ziegler gave his thoughts on how the rest of the postseason would shape out on the Final Whistle, “I have the Astros and the Braves in the World Series and I’ve got the Braves winning in 7 in a rematch of the 2017 World Series.”
Phillies Vs. Braves NLDS
In a rematch of last year’s division series where the Phillies came out on top, I see this year’s series to be similar. With the Phillies just sweeping the Marlins in commanding fashion, the Phillies are riding on a hot streak winning 10 of their last 13 games. As for the Braves, it would be 5 days between their last regular season game and game 1 of this series. Atlanta Braves pitcher Spencer Strider also doesn’t have good postseason stats as the Phillies rocked Strider when the Phillies put up 5 runs in only 2.1 innings. Even though it would be a big shocker, I got the Phillies winning the series in 4 games.
Dodgers Vs. Diamondbacks NLDS
This matchup is between 2 very opposite teams. For the Dodgers, this is their 11th straight postseason experience and their roster has an average age of 30.2: the oldest in the league. This is the Diamondback’s 1st playoff appearance since 2017 and only their 5th appearance in the last 22 years. Their roster’s average age is only 28.2. With the Dodgers’ abundance of playoff experience and the Diamondbacks’ limited time playing in October, I believe that this series will be too much for the Diamondbacks to win and the Dodgers will win in 4 games.
Astros Vs. Twins ALDS
This will be the first series where Carlos Correa will face his former team. He had historic numbers on the Astros, especially in the postseason and I expect him to play a big role for the Twins in this series. However, the Astros are one of the hottest teams in baseball. They stole the AL West Divison title from the Texas Rangers on the last day and have won 6 straight games. With the Twins finally winning their first playoff series since 2002, they look to advance to their first ALCS in 21 years. But with the Astros’ high-powered offense and dominant pitching, I see the Astros holding off the Twins in 5 games.
Rangers Vs. Orioles ALDS
When the Rangers defeated the Rays in the Wild Card, what stood out to me was the Rangers pitching against the Rays’ offense. They only allowed 1 run in the 2 games and kept a very good Rays offense at bay. I believe that this will play a big role in this series. This is the Orioles’ first playoff appearance in 7 years and their team has very little playoff experience. The Rangers’ elite offense who was 3rd in the league in OPS and 4th in the league in wRC+ will help the Rangers win the series in 4 games.
Dodgers Vs. Phillies NLCS
In the postseason, the Phillies have won 3 of the 5 series against the Dodgers including the last 3 in 2009, 2008, and 1983. However, I believe that this streak is going to end. The Dodgers’ offense is stacked with Mookie Betts having an MVP-caliber season and Freddie Freeman having a quiet, but elite season as well. I think the Dodgers will do enough to hit the Phillies’ starters that Philidelphia will have to go to their bullpen early which often blows games. My prediction is that Freddie Freeman will be the NLCS MVP and the Dodgers will win the series in 6 games.
Astros Vs. Rangers ALCS
This would be the first time these 2 teams would ever face off in the postseason. The Rangers would look to seek revenge after the Astros stole the AL West from the Rangers and there wouldn’t be a better way to do it than to knock the Astros out in the playoffs. I think the Rangers offense will give the Astros pitching staff fits but the one thing that the Rangers’ lineup lacks is playoff experience, especially in their batting lineup. On the other hand, the Astros have Altuve, Bregman, and Tucker who’ve combined to play in 233 postseason games. I think Altuve will win ALCS MVP and the Astros to win the series in 7 games
Dodgers Vs. Astros World Series
In a rematch between the 2017 World Series, I think the story will end differently. I think that the Dodgers’ starting pitchers will shut down this mighty Astros offense this series. Rookie Bobby Miller has been very impressive for LA and I think he’ll take the next step in this series. The Dodgers offense will also be relentless in the series and will be too much to handle for the Astros’ pitching staff. I think Mookie Betts will win World Series MVP and the Dodgers win in 6 games.
We’ve seen some magical runs by teams in the postseason in the last few years. Most notably the Phillies from last year, the Nationals in 2019, and the Cubs in 2016. But with the playoff dominance of the Dodgers and Astros for the past 6 years, I don’t see any other team making a Cinderella Run.
