MLB Playoff Predictions
It's finally October, and for baseball fans who have waited all spring and summer, that means it’s finally time for playoff baseball. All 162 games have concluded and the long wait is over. The 12 teams remaining will battle for baseball's ultimate prize: a World Series Championship.
This year's field of teams has a mix of veteran clubs that have a plethora of postseason experience and teams that are new to the pressures that October baseball brings. Before the series begins, though, we have to predict the various outcomes of the Wild Card round.
American League Wild Card: Tampa Bay Rays vs. Texas Rangers
Prediction: Rays in three games
This is an interesting matchup between two solid teams that have a legitimate shot at making deep runs in the postseason. Both of these squads possess solid lineups filled with All-Stars. Infielders Corey Seager and Marcus Semien headline an impressive Rangers lineup that can score runs with ease. While the Rays don’t have many big-name stars, they have a well-rounded lineup with solid veterans. Third-baseman Yandy Díaz leads this underrated group with his .932 on-base plus slugging (OPS).
Both teams have solid starting pitching, but the Rangers' inconsistent bullpen is what cost them the division title and could potentially cost them this series as well. By comparison, the Rays’ bullpen earned run average (ERA) was 3.83 in the regular season, while the Rangers bullpen ERA put up a whopping 4.77.
American League Wild Card: Minnesota Twins vs. Toronto Blue Jays
Prediction: Twins in three games
The Minnesota Twins are coming off a division title in the historically bad American League (AL) Central, while the Blue Jays finished third in a highly competitive AL East.
Despite the poor performance in the rest of the division, the Twins are going to expand on their successes mainly due to their fantastic starting pitching and solid lineup. Catcher Ryan Jeffers and second baseman Eduoard Julien were the two best hitters for the Twins this season. The real strengths of this Twins team, though, are their two legitimate aces in starters Pablo López and Sonny Gray coupled with a flamethrower of a closer in Jhoan Durán.
The Blue Jays are a highly talented team with stars such as first baseman Vladimir Guerrero and outfielder George Springer throughout their lineup. However, the Jays limped into the playoffs with many of those star players severely underperforming. If they don’t turn it around quickly, it might lead to another early exit in October.
National League Wild Card: Milwaukee Brewers vs. Arizona Diamondbacks
Prediction: Diamondbacks in three games
The Brewers are the consensus favorites going into this series after having captured the NL Central division. The issue, however, is that many fans are overlooking the Diamondbacks.
Arizona just slipped into the playoffs with only 84 wins but feature an impressive array of talented hitters. Along with the likely National League (NL) Rookie of the Year, outfielder Corbin Carroll, the Diamondbacks have second baseman Ketel Marte and slugging first baseman Christian Walker.
The Brewers do have former NL MVP Christian Yelich and an impressive starting rotation, but star pitcher Brandon Woodruff has been declared unavailable for the series due to a shoulder injury. This is a big blow to the depth of the Brewers' mighty pitching staff and puts more pressure on former Cy Young winner Corbin Burnes and fellow starting pitcher Freddy Peralta to have numerous quality starts.
National League Wild Card: Philadelphia Phillies vs. Miami Marlins
Prediction: Phillies in two games
The Phillies are an incredibly well-rounded team that will be too much for an inexperienced Marlins squad to handle. The Phillies’ lineup is hard to beat when healthy with superstars such as infielder Trea Turner and outfielder Bryce Harper at the forefront. They have two proven postseason pitchers, as well, in Aaron Nola and Zach Wheeler along with reliable bullpen arms such as Craig Kimbrel, José Alvarado, and Seranthony Domínguez.
The Marlins, on the other hand, have been a great story in baseball this season, with rookie manager Skip Schumacher leading Miami to their first playoff berth since 2020. Their three best hitters are batting champion infielder Luis Arráez, power hitter outfielder Jorge Soler, and third baseman Jake Burger. If the Marlins want any chance to win this series, they will need stellar pitching performances from starters Jesús Luzardo and Braxton Garrett.
The 2023 MLB playoffs should be another exciting conclusion to a great season for baseball fans. This year's playoffs are hard to predict because there are several young teams that don’t have a multitude of playoff experience. This is a positive change for the sport, though, as it allows casual fans to see players that will be in the league for years to come.