Playoff Time! 2023 MLB Postseason Picks & Predictions
Playoff Baseball Is Here!
It is the most wonderful time of year…
The leaves are forming an attractive collage on the ground and their is a chill crisp in the air. It must mean October has arrived.
And, oh yes, Playoff Baseball is here too!
The long-awaited arrival of fall also brings about the start of the 2023 MLB Postseason.
Twelve teams are effectively starting afresh in a bid to be the last team standing in early November, with the World Series a more than worthy prize for a grueling war of attrition.
We have a slate of four games to get us started on Tuesday with the Wild Card Series commencing. The Texas Rangers and the Tampa Bay Rays will officially lift the curtain on the postseason (3 P.M. ET), followed by the Toronto Blue Jays at the Minnesota Twins (4:30 P.M. ET), the Arizona Diamondbacks at the Milwaukee Brewers (7 P.M. ET), and then the Miami Marlins at the Philadelphia Phillies (8 P.M. ET).
For the Baltimore Orioles and the Houston Astros in the American League, and the LA Dodgers and the Atlanta Braves in the National League, they won’t get their respective postseason campaigns underway until Saturday when the Division Series begins.
Now, before we go any further, I think it is probably wise to quickly recap how the Wild Card Series works.
The current Best-of-Three format is in its second year, and it was a smart move by baseball. The old sudden death one-game format that was in place since 2012 - with the exception of the COVID-19 shortened 2020 season - was great for drama, but the three-game format ensures the better team will advance. After all, any team can win a one-game lottery.
There were six teams each from the AL and the NL that qualified for the Playoffs in total, including the three division winners in each league. For the top two division winners, who finished the regular season with the best records in the AL and the NL, they get the luxury of a bye. For those teams that failed to win their division, they will now have to win two games in order to advance out of the Wild Card Series. However, the teams with the higher seed in the Wild Card at least get the advantage of hosting all three games.
In terms of the path ahead, the winner of the Rangers-Ray matchup will face a tough test against the upstart Orioles in the Division Series, which begins on Saturday, the winner of Twins-Blue Jays will take on the battle-hardened Astros, who have won two World Series since 2017, the winner of Phillies-Marlins face the daunting task of taking on the juggernaut Braves, and the winner of Brewers-Diamondbacks will have to face the Dodgers, who were an absolute wagon throughout the regular season.
Got all of that?
Great, let’s get on with business…
The Field
Here’s a quick reminder of the teams that make up the 2023 MLB Postseason bracket…
American League:
Baltimore Orioles (No. 1 seed)
Houston Astros (No. 2 seed)
Minnesota Twins (No. 3 seed)
Tampa Bay Rays (No. 4 seed)
Texas Rangers (No. 5 seed)
Toronto Blue Jays (No. 6 seed)
National League:
Atlanta Braves (No. 1 seed)
LA Dodgers (No. 2 seed)
Milwaukee Brewers (No. 3 seed)
Philadelphia Phillies (No. 4 seed)
Miami Marlins (No. 5 seed)
Arizona Diamondbacks (No. 6 seed)
Wild Card Schedule
As a reminder, the Wild Card Series is a Best-of-Three format, and the higher seed in each Series will have the advantage of playing all three games at their home field.
There is value to the regular season, after all.
Here’s the full Wild Card Series schedule for your convenience:
American League
Blue Jays (6) At Twins (3)
Game 1: Tues, 4:38 P.M. ET (ESPN)
Game 2: Wed, 4:38 P.M. ET (ESPN)
Game 3 (if necessary): Thur, 4:38 P.M. ET (ESPN)
Rangers (5) At Rays (4)
Game 1: Tues, 3:08 P.M. ET (ABC)
Game 2: Wed, 3:08 P.M. ET (ABC)
Game 3 (if necessary): Thur, 3:08 P.M. ET (ABC)
National League
D-Backs (6) At Brewers (3)
Game 1: Tues, 7:08 P.M. ET (ESPN2)
Game 2: Wed, 7:08 P.M. ET (ESPN2)
Game 3 (if necessary): Thur, 7:08 P.M. ET (ESPN2)
Marlins (4) At Phillies (3)
Game 1: Tues, 8:08 P.M. ET (ESPN)
Game 2: Wed, 8:08 P.M. ET (ESPN)
Game 3 (if necessary): Thur, 8:08 P.M. (ESPN)
Postseason Format Rest Of The Way
I’ll dive more into the later rounds as we get there but, once the Wild Card Series is done, here’s what to expect:
AL Division Series
Starts Saturday (Best-of-Five Format)
Rays / Rangers at Orioles
Twins / Blue Jays at Astros
NL Division Series
Starts Saturday (Best-of-Five Format)
Phillies / Marlins at Braves
Brewers / D-Backs at Marlins
AL Championship Series
Begins Oct. 15
Best-of-Seven Format
NL Championship Series
Begins Oct. 16
Best-of-Seven Format
2023 World Series
Begins Oct. 27
Best-of-Seven Format
Our Coverage
Before I get into my picks, I just want to outline what you can expect from Blogs Of Steele when it comes to our coverage of the 2023 MLB Postseason.
In short; a lot.
But, to expand on that answer, we will be bringing you Playoff-related content every single day.
Each day I’ll recap the action from the night before, while looking ahead to the games later that day. Then, before the start of the Division Series, the Championship Series and the World Series, I’ll do deep dives into each matchup and cover all the bases.
I’ll also have something more in-depth on each Wild Card Series on Wednesday, in addition to breaking down what happened across all four Game 1’s.
In addition to the above, there will be features, columns, breakdowns and I’ll even look to interview people a lot smarter than me in order to take you into the heart of the Postseason every single step of the way.
There will also be a lot of Playoff content on The Andrew Steele Podcast with a myriad of different guests each with skin in the game.
Overall, I’m going to make sure I am all over every single aspect of the 2023 MLB Postseason to make sure you don’t need to go anywhere else for your coverage.
Blogs Of Steele is truly the place to be throughout the Playoffs.
2023 MLB Postseason Predictions / Picks
It is prediction time!
Without further ado, let’s dive right into my predictions and picks for the 2023 MLB Playoffs…
American League Wild Card Series
Blue Jays Over Twins
Rangers Over Rays
I’m rolling with the fact that high-powered offenses will prevail in the Postseason. The Blue Jays boast a formidable lineup that will be too much for the Twins, while the Rangers also got here because of a potent offense. While I really like the Rays and they are just a tough out, Texas hired Bruce Bochy for his vast experience during this time of year and that will payoff in this series.
National League Wild Card Series
Brewers Over Diamondbacks
Phillies Over Marlins
I think the Brewers have been slept on a hell of a lot all year long, I really, really do. Milwaukee boasts an elite pitching staff, even with the injury to Brandon Woodruff, and that should be enough to carry them through. The Marlins are young and athletic but they won’t be able to cope with the Phillies. This is a team that made it to the World Series in 2022, and they added Trea Turner who got hot down the stretch. Plus, there are few things more dangerous than Playoff Bryce Harper.
American League Division Series
Orioles Over Rangers
Astros Over Blue Jays
Every year we see a team of destiny make an improbable, incredible run and the Baltimore Orioles are my pick to be that team this year. They are truly special and their slew of young talent will help them secure a first World Series appearance since 1983. As for the Astros, they are like the girl you just can’t get over, no matter how hard you try. They have tons of postseason experience and they’ll beat a potent Blue Jays lineup in five.
National League Division Series
Dodgers Over Brewers
Braves Over Phillies
The Dodgers have been the gold standard in baseball for a substantial amount of time now, and they have all the weapons and all the tools needed to make a deep run. There is no doubt that the Braves were the best team in baseball in 2023, and this group is really something special. This year could mark the start of a long period of dominance for Atlanta, and it will start with a Division Series win over the Phillies.
American League Championship Series
Orioles Over Astros
As much as I think experience counts for a ton in the Playoffs - and the Astros have that by the bucketload - I just can’t see anyone stopping the Orioles from making a magical run all the way. Baltimore’s young talent will stage their coming out party by dismantling the old guard in Houston.
National League Championship Series
Braves Over Dodgers
Like the Astros, it is hard to bet against LA but this Atlanta lineup is absolutely stacked from top to bottom. Ronald Acũna Jr., Matt Olson, Ozzie Albies, Austin Riley, Michael Harris II, the list goes on. The Braves were an unstoppable juggernaut throughout the regular season, and they will bash their way to the World Series.
2023 World Series
Braves Over Orioles
The Orioles may be my pick for this year’s team of destiny, but they will eventually meet their maker in the World Series. This Braves team is just too loaded and they don’t have a weak spot in the lineup. That is absolutely key in a seven-game series. They have the greatest slugging offense in both NL and AL history, and despite some injuries in the starting rotation, it will be their offense that clinches a championship. Baltimore, however, will play its part in this series going the full seven and being an absolute breathtaking spectacle that will prove to be a fitting finale for an awesome 2023 season.
2023 World Series MVP
Matt Olson
Ronald Acũna Jr. will likely win the National League MVP after an incredible 41 homers - 73 stolen base season. However, his teammate Matt Olson was the catalyst for this explosive, potent Braves lineup. Olson slugged 54 home runs while driving in 139 RBIs with a .283/.389/.604/.993 slash line during the regular season. Capable of providing stellar defense at first base, Olson will use his beautiful, explosive swing to spearhead the Braves’ run all the way to winning the World Series.
So, those are my 2023 MLB Postseason picks.
I would love to hear yours.
Comment in the space below, Tweet me or email me at andrewsteeledavis22@gmail.com.
I’ll be back on Wednesday with a recap of the first bunch of games from the Wild Card Series.
Here’s to a fun ride ahead - Happy Postseason Baseball, everyone!
Enjoy!
