Although I have scarcely watched an inning of the 2023 MLB season, I have kept my eye on the standings. While the Miami Marlins and New York Mets do meet for a makeup game tomorrow, the 2023 MLB post-season is all set.
American League
AL East - Baltimore Orioles
AL Central - Minnesota Twins
AL West - Houston Astros
AL Wild Cards - Tampa Bay Rays, Texas Rangers and Toronto Blue Jays
I am happiest for the Baltimore Orioles. Two years removed from losing 110 games, they won 101 games, had the best record in the AL and have a chance to win their first World Series title in 40 years. Of course, their ownership leaves much to be desired with the way they treat their announcers or hint the team might be broken up before they've had a chance to win a championship. In which case, there is a certain urgency facing the Orioles not facing other teams.
I also wouldn't object to triumphs from the Twins, Tampa, Texas and Toronto. The Twins and Blue Jays haven't won the World Series since 1991 and 1993, respectively while the Rays and Rangers have never won a World Series in their franchise histories.
Which leaves us with the defending World Series champion Houston Astros who have also won back-to-back AL pennants. Should the Astros win it all this year they will become the first team to repeat since the New York Yankees from 1998 through 2000.
I didn't like the way they won the AL West. The Astros and Rangers have identical records of 90-72. But because the Astros won the season series, they get a bye in the Wild Card round while the Rangers must face the Rays with the winner facing the Orioles in the ALDS. Meanwhile, the Astros will get to face the winner of the Blue Jays-Twins Wild Card matchup.
National League
NL East - Atlanta Braves
NL Central - Milwaukee Brewers
NL West - Los Angeles Dodgers
NL Wild Cards - Philadelphia Phillies, Arizona Diamondbacks, Miami Marlins
The Braves, Brewers and Dodgers are familiar post-season faces. The Dodgers have won 10 NL West titles in 11 years, the Braves have won six straight NL East titles while the Brew Crew have reached the post-season for the fifth time in six years.
The defending NL champion Phillies are back in the Wild Card hunt joined by the D'Backs and Marlins. Like the Orioles, the D'Backs are also two years removed from losing 110 games. Although the Marlins did make the post-season during the COVID shortened 2020 season, it is only the fourth time in the past 30 years they've played October baseball. Should the Marlins win it all or least get to the World Series, it will be quite a feather in the cap for Kim Ng, who is MLB's first female GM.
The Phillies haven't won the World Series in 15 years while the Marlins last won it 20 years ago with the D'Backs winning their only World Series title in 2001. The Brewers, like the Rays and Rangers, have never won a World Series. While I was happy when the Braves won it all in 2021 after a 26-year drought and being only a few months removed from living there. But that was then. The Dodgers are also only three years removed from winning a World Series albeit during COVID conditions.
The Braves and Dodgers have earned byes. Atlanta faces the winner of the Marlins-Phillies Wild Card matchup leading to an NL East showdown in the NLDS while the Dodgers will face the winner of the Brewers-D'Backs contest.
World Series Possibilities
Should there be a Houston Astros-Philadelphia Phillies rematch it will mark the first time two teams have faced each other in back-to-back to World Series since the New York Yankees and Los Angeles Dodgers did so in 1977 and 1978. Astros manager Dusty Baker was on the losing end of both of those World Series as the L.A.'s left-fielder.
Should the Milwaukee Brewers face either the Texas Rangers or Tampa Bay Rays, it will mark the first Fall Classic in which neither team had previously won a World Series title since 1980 when the Phillies prevailed over the Kansas City Royals.
We could be treated the following World Series rematches.
Houston Astros vs. Philadelphia Phillies (2022)
Houston Astros vs. Atlanta Braves (2021)
Tampa Bay Rays vs. Los Angeles Dodgers (2020)
Houston Astros vs. Los Angeles Dodgers (2017)
Tampa Bay Rays vs. Philadelphia Phillies (2008)
Toronto Blue Jays vs. Philadelphia Phillies (1993)
Toronto Blue Jays vs. Atlanta Braves (1992)
Minnesota Twins vs. Atlanta Braves (1991)
Baltimore Orioles vs. Philadelphia Phillies (1983)
Baltimore Orioles vs. Los Angeles Dodgers (1966)
Minnesota Twins vs. Los Angeles Dodgers (1965)
Or perhaps we'll see new a World Series matchup such as the Rangers vs. D'Backs or an all-Florida World Series between the Rays and Marlins.
I'm not sure how much of it I'll actually watch if any of it at all. But I will keep my eye on the ball.
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