2023 MLB Postseason

Unlike last year's playoff field that was one of the more predictable in recent memory, the 2023 season featured a flurry of twists and unlikely stories.  The top 3 payrolls in baseball - Yankees, Padres, and Mets - not only missed the playoffs, but were largely embarrassing for a good chunk of the year.  The Yankees were ravaged by injuries and really started to show their age, and Aaron Boone is probably cussing out an umpire somewhere as I write this.  The Padres were in the top 6 in just about every NL pitching and hitting category and still somehow needed until the final inning of the final game to even make it above .500.  And the Mets were, well, the Mets.  The Houston Astros swept the Arizona Diamondbacks over the weekend and the Texas Rangers lost 3 of 4 to the Seattle Mariners, which propelled Houston to its 6th division title in the last 7 years.  Despite getting swept, the D-Backs still snuck in as the #6 seed due to the Chicago Cubs' complete collapse over the final week.  The Miami Marlins made the playoffs for the first time in a full season since they won it all in 2003.  The Orioles went from losing 110 games just two years ago to winning 101 games as the best team in the American League (with the 3rd lowest payroll).  The Atlanta Braves shattered all sorts of offensive records on route to a 103-win season, including Ronald Acuna's 40-70 feat that might have all but cemented his MVP award.  And against all odds and seemingly every baseball pundit's preseason pick, the Brewers won the NL Central and will be in their 5th postseason in the last 6 years, which was only made sweeter by the Cardinals coming in dead last.

I picked the Yankees and Padres to go to the World Series, so that's about all you need to know on how well I predicted the postseason this year.  I'm super excited to go to a Twins playoff game on Wednesday in my first year as a Minnesota resident, and I hope to witness history as they have not won a single postseason game since 2004 (and yes I mean GAME not series).

PLAYOFFS START 10/3/23
NL Wild Card Round - #3 Brewers host #6 Diamondbacks, #4 Phillies host #5 Marlins
NLDS - #1 Braves v. 4/5 Winner, #2 Dodgers v. 3/6 Winner

AL Wild Card Round - #3 Twins host #6 Blue Jays, #4 Rays host #5 Rangers
ALDS - #1 Orioles v. 4/5 Winner, #2 Astros v. 3/6 Winner

World Series Prediction: Brewers defeat Astros in 6
Rooting for: Brewers v. Twins

Preseason Predictions:
#1 Braves
#2 Dodgers
#3 Brewers
#4 Mets
#5 Phillies
#6 Padres

#1 Yankees
#2 Astros
#3 Guardians
#4 Blue Jays
#5 Rays
#6 Mariners

Preseason World Series Prediction: Yankees defeat Padres

FINAL STANDINGS AND SERIES:

Brewers 92-70, +9.0, 1st NL Central; NL WC v. Diamondbacks

Twins 87-75, +9.0, 1st AL Central; AL WC v. Blue Jays

2023 GAMES ATTENDED:

Erik - 4

Peter - 21