October 7, 2023

ALDS / NLDS Begin Today
Also: Predictions From MLB.com and The Athletic

Eight teams remain.

The Dodgers are the first team in major league history to win 100+ games in four consecutive complete seasons (i.e., disregarding strike- or plague-shortened seasons, such as 2020 (though LA was on pace for 116 wins that year)). A majority of around 100 MLB players predict Shohei Ohtani will wear a Dodgers' uniform in 2024: LA 57.2%, Angels 11.4%, Padres/Mets 7.2%, Yankees 6.3%.

The Astros are trying to play in their seventh consecutive ALCS (they have not missed it since 2016).

Eleven mlb.com writers predict the rest of the postseason. You can find each writer's picks are at the link. I added them all together:

ALDS

Orioles over Texas 9-2
Orioles in 3 games (1 vote), 4 games (4), 5 games (4)
Texas in 4 games (1), 5 games (1)

Twins over Astros 6-5
Twins in 4 games (3), 5 games (3)
Astros in 4 games (2), 5 games (3)

NLDS

Phillies over Atlanta 6-5
Phillies in 4 games (2), 5 games (4)
Atlanta in 4 games (1), 5 games (4)

Dodgers over Diamondbacks 11-0
Dodgers in 3 games (1), 4 games (9), 5 games (1)

ALCS

Twins in 6 games: 4
Orioles in 6 games: 4
Astros in 6 games: 3

NLCS

Phillies 6, Atlanta 3, Dodgers 1
Phillies in 6 games (3), 7 games (3)
Atlanta in 6 games (2), 7 games (1)
Dodgers in 6 games (1), 7 games (1)

WORLD SERIES

Phillies 6, Atlanta 3, Dodgers 1, Astros 1
Phillies in 5 games (1), 6 games (3), 7 games (2)
Atlanta in 5 games (1), 6 games (1), 7 games (1)
Dodgers in 5 games (1)
Astros in 6 games (1)

MVP

Bryce Harper, Phillies – 3
Trea Turner, Phillies – 3
Ronald Acuña, Atlanta – 2
Freddie Freedman, Dodgers – 1
Kyle Tucker, Astros – 1
Matt Olson, Orioles – 1

Eighteen writers at The Athletic weighed in with their DS picks:
ALDS

Orioles (12 votes), Rangers (6)
Astros (9), Twins (8)

NLDS

Atlanta (12), Phillies (6)
Dodgers (14), Diamondbacks (2)
Seriously? People Are Still Arguing About This Nonsense In Late 2023?

2 comments:

FenFan said...

Ohtani to Boston would be great, but is it realistic? The Sox need arms more than bats right now, and there's a strong chance that he may never pitch again.

The Astro's streak is amazing, to say the least. You have to remember, too, that they had TrashGate in the middle of this run, and they have remained contenders in spite of that. Ten years ago, Houston was an embarrassment; they lost over 100 games each season between 2011 and 2013.

Bartman said...

Betts and Martinez sure didn't pull their weight against the DBs