The 2023 MLB playoffs are reduced to four teams after a surprising split series saw three of the four seeded teams eliminated.
Now that the Texas Rangers-Houston Astros and Arizona Diamondbacks-Philadelphia Phillies matchups are set, it’s time to make some predictions! We asked our MLB experts to tell us who will move on to the World Series, which players will take home LCS MVP honors and the themes we’ll all be talking about next week. They’ll also explain why their original MLB playoff predictions still stand – or went terribly wrong.
American League Championship Series
Houston Astros (6 votes), Texas Rangers (4)
Tristan Cockcroft: Rangers in 6
MVP: Corey Seager
The one thing we’ll all be talking about: Seager solidifies his position as one of the most dominant forces of this generation in October.
Bradford Doolittle: Astros in 6
MVP: Yordan Alvarez
The one thing we’ll all talk about: how this series sets the tone for big league baseball in Texas for years to come. Baseball is better for its best rivalries, and Astros-Rangers is already a good one with plenty of kindling in place for a roaring fire.
Alden Gonzalez: Rangers in 6
MVP: Marcus Semien
The one thing we’ll all talk about: Max Scherzer’s heroic return and how his presence created the domino effect that helped the Rangers catch up with a leaky bullpen.
Eric Karabell: Astros in 6
MVP: Yordan Alvarez
The one thing we’ll all be talking about: the disappointing New York Mets when Justin Verlander faces Scherzer twice.
Tim Kurkjian: Astros in 7
MVP: Yordan Alvarez
The one thing we’ll all talk about: The Astros trying to become the first team since the 1998-2000 New York Yankees to repeat as World Series champions, and Alvarez’s devastation in the middle of the order.
Paul Hembekides: Astros in 7
MVP: Yordan Alvarez
The one thing we’ll all talk about: We’ll talk about Houston’s late-game heroics against a Texas bullpen that proved to be its undoing.
Kiley McDaniel: Astros in 7
MVP: Alex Bregman
The one thing we’ll all talk about: The Battle for Texas might not seem like a sexy or historic matchup, but these teams will be facing each other in this division for years, so this could kick things off.
Jeff Passan: Astros in 7
MVP: Yordan Alvarez
The one thing we’ll all talk about: how the Rangers’ bullpen, which has vastly outperformed expectations, is finally regressing toward the mean. As relentless as the Texas lineup is, the Astros’ October tradition of chewing up opposing pitchers continues.
Jesse Rogers: Rangers in 6
MVP: Adolis Garcia
The only thing we’ll talk about: It’s hard to repeat, and the Astros will eventually run out of steam because the Rangers train just won’t be stopped now that it’s back on track. Garcia will step out of the national shadow of veterans like Seager and Semien and make an even bigger name for himself.
David Schoenfield: Rangers in 7
MVP: Nathan Eovaldi
The one thing we’ll all talk about: the impressive depth of the Rangers’ roster (although Eovaldi will take home MVP honors with two superlative starts). And Texas’ much-maligned bullpen might miss a game, but will pitch just well enough to secure the series in seven games.
National League Championship Series
Philadelphia Phillies (9 votes), Arizona Diamondbacks (1)
Cockcroft: Phillies in 5
MVP: Bryce Harper
The one thing we’ll all be talking about: Like Seager, Harper solidifies her position as one of the most dominant forces of this generation this October.
Doolittle: Phillies in 5
MVP: Bryce Harper
The one thing we’ll all talk about: All the things that got Arizona to this point — the lights-out bullpen, the timely surges at the plate, the star players doing star things — are things the Phillies have on your mind. place also. And Philly has the edge in experience and overall after coming so close to winning it all last season.
Gonzalez: Phillies in 5
MVP: Bryce Harper
The one thing we’ll all be talking about: Bryce Harper: The new Mr. October.
Karabell: Phillies in 5
MVP: Zack Wheeler
The one thing we’ll all talk about: Harper, of course, but also the impressive group of young players the Phillies call Day Care – Bryson Stott, Alec Bohm and Brandon Marsh.
Kurkjian: Phillies in 7
MVP: Bryce Harper
The one thing we’ll all talk about: the power and passion of the Phillies, and their remarkable home crowd. Bryce Harper will lead the way.
Hembekides: Phillies in 6
MVP: Kyle Schwarber
The one thing we’ll all be talking about: the Phillies’ historic second-straight playoff series.
McDaniel: Phillies in 6
MVP: Bryce Harper
The one thing we’ll all talk about: Are the Phillies the ultimate playoff mojo team, is Dave Dombrowski the playoff team-building whisperer, or have they objectively cracked the code for how build a playoff winner?
Passan: Phillies in 6
MVP: Bryce Harper
The one thing we’ll all be talking about: the first World Series rematch in almost half a century. In 1977 and 1978, the Yankees and Los Angeles Dodgers faced off, with the Yankees winning both series and cementing Reggie Jackson as Mr. October. This will be a grudge match for the ages.
Rogers: Phillies in 6
MVP: Trea Turner
The only thing we’ll talk about: it’s simple. Philadelphia fans won’t be turned away. They are inevitable.
Schoenfield: Diamondbacks in 7
MVP: Corbin Carroll
The one thing we’ll all talk about: No one will pick the Diamondbacks, who underestimate that OF COURSE Arizona has a chance to win even though Philly is having all these vibes right now. Advice to Diamondbacks players: Don’t say anything about Bryce Harper that might cause the Phillies to wear T-shirts to a champagne celebration that would make fun of you.
The World Series Predictions We’re Right About — So Far
Hembekides: I predicted a Phillies-Astros rematch, but I wouldn’t be surprised if Houston stumbles in the ALCS. Texas has the most comprehensive schedule in sports – it’s a sweepstakes series.
Karabell: Originally I had the Phillies versus the Rays. Phillies-Astros will be a cool World Series rematch – the first since 1978 (Yankees-Dodgers) – but the Phillies are much improved from last season, especially in the bullpen and defensively. Maybe they’ll be more careful with Alvarez this time around. The Phillies dance to the title.
Doolittle: Phillies vs. Rays. I feel really good about half of this selection. Not just because the Phillies are still playing, but because they came together in precisely the way I thought they would. The most reinforcing aspect of the Phillies’ run thus far is the way manager Rob Thomson deployed his bullpen in the deciding game against Atlanta, favoring matchups over pre-programmed roles and even with Craig Kimbrel. As for the Rays, well, picking the playoffs is tough, except when you’re right.
World Series predictions gone wrong
Schoenfield: The Orioles vs. the Phillies. Well, I guess I won’t go to that parade in Baltimore. I watched too much of the Rangers in that last series against the Mariners, when the bats went cold, and underestimated their ability to flip the switch. I saw the Phillies beat the Braves (and then the Dodgers), so why turn on them now? But hey, Zac Gallen and Merrill Kelly are really good.
Cockcroft: Brave against the Orioles. What can I say ? This year’s Braves were certainly a better team than last year’s model, as were this year’s Phillies. Should have taken more into account the rotational injuries the Braves suffered late in the season, I guess.
I don’t have a big problem with the five-day layoff for the top seeds, but the rest of the playoffs should be a seven-game series, period. On the one hand, the play-in teams should have a tougher obstacle in the second round, with their rotation potentially being really unbalanced, and on the other hand, isn’t the idea to see these season dynamos regular play more matches. ? Don’t let them bounce in three – though, to be honest, I’m not sure these Orioles or Braves teams would have won if it was a seven game series.
McDaniel: Braves vs. Astros. I feel good about the Astros prediction and it was a pretty common refrain before the NLDS that the winner of Philly/Atlanta would win the NL. We knew the Braves rotation would be an issue, that the Phillies bullpen had been improved and that their rotation was good. But a combination of luck and game planning took all of these observations to the extreme, when the best offense of our lives only looked like this for a handful of innings.
Rogers: Braves vs. Astros. Home runs win playoff games, so great teams hitting home runs should be a lock for a few rounds of the playoffs. But the Braves stopped hitting them while the Phillies went deep early and often. The mystery of the best home run hitting team in MLB history being knocked out in the first round they played will last long into the winter.
Passan: Braves vs. Rays. Tampa Bay hesitated. Atlanta has been attacked. The baseball playoffs are the closest thing in professional sports to the NCAA basketball tournament. And even though the upsets ruined my bracket, the remaining matchups are intriguing enough for me to be content with them.
Gonzalez: I chose the Braves over the Blue Jays, so… yeah. I felt like these were the most complete teams in every league – and, for the record, I still think that’s the case. But as Nick Castellanos said, the playoffs are a completely different beast. And neither team hit as much as they should have.
