The Mild Card Series have concluded and the Division Series (or as some would like to call it, and I'm not naming names, the “real” start to the playoffs) are beginning tomorrow! Hello, everyone, and welcome to this preview post for the 2023 ALDS and NLDS here on Baseball with Matt, where I hope to bring some historical perspective on the four best-of-five matchups that will whittle down the competition from the Elite Eight to the Final Four. If you’re looking for predictions as to who will win each series from me, well, you’re going to have to read the meat of this post before getting to that. Or you’ll just skip to the end. You have free will. You can do what you want. Yes, I just watched The Creator and no, I was not pleased by its lack of a gripping plot. Anyway, historical perspective time!
Rangers vs. Orioles: The Nelson Cruz Derby
With the Rays and Brewers each getting knocked out in their respective two-game sweeps, the Texas Rangers are the only remaining team that can take itself out of the dubious category of teams that have never won a World Series. Texas last had a chance of erasing their name from this list of teams in 2011, when they were twice, count’em, twice a strike away from defeating the Cardinals in the Fall Classic, only to fall in seven games. The Orioles, meanwhile, can take themselves off another World Series drought list, this one of the appearance variety. Of the teams that have made the World Series (so, not counting the Mariners here), only the Brewers (1982) and Pirates (1979) have longer periods of never appearing in the World Series than the O’s, who last won the AL pennant in 1983 before defeating the “Wheeze Kids” Phillies in the ’83 Series. By all accounts, this matchup is pretty even. If not for a late-season slump job by the Rangers bullpen, both teams would’ve been division winners. The Orioles have an all-around solid team with a so-so starting pitching staff, while the Rangers can crush the seams off of any baseball they see, but we’ll see if they can survive in the later innings with that shaky arm barn.
Twins vs. Astros: The Mark Portugal Derby
There’s really no need to discuss the recent success of the Houston Astros, who are looking to make their seventh straight American League Championship Series, that is, if they can get past the pesky Minnesota Twins. The Twins won the AL Mid with only 87 wins in 2023, but snapped an 18-game playoff losing streak and a 21-year playoff sit-on-the-couch-without-advancing streak after taking care of the Blue Jays in the Wild Card Series. By team names alone, this matchup seems all Astros, but a depleted pitching staff and a weaker lineup than in previous years could be fatal for Space City. This is not to say that the Twins have any more of a shot than you think, but rather that it’ll be close. I honestly see both ALDS matchups as being toss-ups, but this is definitely the more Jason Marquis matchup (what a pun), solely because of the reputation the Astros have created for themselves. These teams have faced off in the playoffs once before, a 2020 COVID matchup (context clues should tell you what happened in that series: an Astros sweep-eroonie). Hopefully this matchup yields more excitement than the one with no fans, and I think it will.
Phillies vs. Braves: The Cole Hamels Derby
Ah, yes, the rematch we were all waiting for! If the Padres hadn’t also upset their divisional foe in the Dodgers in last year’s NLDS, I would say that this matchup from 2022 was the biggest upset of the playoffs. But where are the Padres now, huh? With Slam Diego getting the playoff door slammed in front of them at the finish line, it’s the Philadelphians who can back up their previous David vs. Goliath triumph versus their division winner. This is easily the better of the two divisional matchups of the 2023 NLDS because of the equity in talent and recency of the Phillies upsetting the Braves en route to their 2022 NL crown. This will be the third time these two rivals will be facing off in the playoffs, the first time being in 1993 when the Phillies took down the Bravos in the NLCS only to lose to Joe Carter and the Blue Jays. That ’93 pennant for the Keystone State interrupted a string of what could’ve been five straight NL pennants for the Braves, but even “The Team of the ‘90s” can’t win them all. I won’t go ahead and say the 2023 edition of this rivalry features baseball’s best lineups, but I will say that you could argue that they’re the most fun.
Diamondbacks vs. Dodgers: The Zack Greinke Derby
By default, this is definitely the worst of the four Division Series, but it’s still cool! The Diamondbacks, like the Rangers and Orioles, came out of nowhere to make the playoffs this season and seem to have a bright future ahead of them. The Dodgers, meanwhile, are a juggernaut beyond belief, with the exception of perhaps only their pitching staff. Still, Mookie Betts and Freddie Freeman are otherworldly with the bat, but can they take care of Corbin Carroll and the Snakes? Eh, probably, but you’ll have to watch the series to find out for sure. The D-Backs and Bridegrooms (or Superbas or Robins, whatever you want to call them) last faced off in the playoffs in a three-game sweep by LA in the 2017 NLDS. An upset by the desert dwellers is possible, but we’ll see what happens.
Your AL/NL Division Series winners (in my opinion):
AL: Twins vs. Orioles
NL: Braves vs. Dodgers
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