2023 MLB Playoff Preview
Aug 20, 2023 20:26:55 GMT -5
sickwidit336 - Expos co-GM, Cubs, and 1 more like this
Post by Dodgers GM on Aug 20, 2023 20:26:55 GMT -5
Another year, another set of predictions. Put your guesses in the thread below!
Quarterfinals
1. Dodgers vs 8. Expos
A first time for me as a 1 seed vs an Expos team that is way too talented to be an 8 seed. Arguably the two best pitching staffs facing off in the first round – Cole, Gallen, Gausman, Wheeler, Castillo vs Scherzer, Strider, Snell, Glasnow, Burnes. Thanks Jon for giving these guys Burnes by the way.
Did you all know that the 8 seed has beaten the 1 seed in 2022 and 2021? I do, because I looked it up. Does that mean I’m terrified? You bet your ass – this Expos team is good.
However…I am still picking myself as the 1 seed to get through. I don’t have anyone as talented as the possible NL MVP, but I think that I have just enough more depth to squeak by in a two week matchup. Going to be a close one though!
Pick: Dodgers
2. Orioles vs 7. A's
The O’s upset the Cubs in the first round last year as the 8 seed but they more than proved that wasn’t a fluke by holding onto the 1 seed for most of the year – only dropping down to 2 by losing to the Expos in the last week of the year (Cut to me: *Shrieking in terror at having to face the Expos in round 1*). The Orioles have been a model of consistency all year, especially impressive with the young talent they’ve added throughout the year.
The A’s have been completely snakebitten by injury all year – McClanahan, Lodolo, Mahle, Mize, McKenzie, Eovaldi, etc. etc. etc. – so rough. It’s a shame because early in the year I was sure they would wind up much higher in the standings than the 7 seed. A bounceback year next year once everyone gets healthy, maybe. Unfortunately for them, I don’t see them having enough to upset this O’s team.
Oh and the less said about Wander Franco the better.
Pick: Orioles
3. Cubs vs. 6. tWins
Really looking forward to this matchup – the Cubs vs. the tWins, the battle of our last two champions in round one. Both teams had nice years and have great pitching staffs, with the Cubs getting a healthy Brandon Woodruff back for the stretch run to battle with Framber, Urias, Sandy, Verlander, et al.
The tWins will love this as I picked against them all of last year’s preview – I am going with the Cubs in this one. I think the Cubs have just enough pitching for the monster hitters – Soto, Julio, Seager, Alonso, and J-Ram – to pull through. Another very close matchup that I could see going either way. Will be interesting to see if pitching trumps hitting, or vice versa. Or – could Corbin Carroll and half the Astros lineup do enough to support those pitchers? Going to be a fascinating one!
Pick: Cubs
4. Giants vs. 5. Astros
A repeat of a matchup that we saw in the last week of the regular season, it’s Giants vs Astros. The Giants got out to an incredibly hot start behind Adolis Garcia, Lane Thomas, Logan Webb, and many others, but have been on a bit of a slide of late. The Astros on the other hand have only gotten stronger as the season has progressed. Yusei Kikuchi is on a heck of a streak since the All Star break, Whit Merrifield has turned back the clock, and young guys like Braxton Garrett and Jordan Walker give young and cheap depth.
In the end I will go with the Astros in a repeat of last week’s end result – I just think they have a little more of late than the Giants do.
Pick: Astros
Semifinals
1. Dodgers vs. 5. Astros
Another matchup from a few weeks ago, this time during the playoffs. I think that the Astros loss of Joe Ryan may loom large here – if he’s back, there’s more of a chance but if not I don’t know if they have the pitching to knock me off over a two week span. Can’t underestimate that offence though – there may not be huge star names but solid consistent performers make for a very consistent point output week over week. In the end I call for a repeat of a few weeks ago again, and move onto the finals.
Pick: Dodgers
2. Orioles vs. 3. Cubs
A matchup of 1 vs 8 a year ago, the Cubs will be out for revenge here. I think this is a really interesting matchup; the Orioles have been the model of consistency all year, putting up 300+ points a week. However, they don’t necessarily have the same ceiling as this Cubs team might have. The Cubs have been on a tear for weeks after finally getting some more healthy pitching and the hitting has never dropped off all year. I’ll be most interested to see if Shohei Ohtani can carry the O’s to another victory over the Cubs this time, or if Soto and Julio make this year’s matchup a different one. In the end, I’m calling a Cubs revenge win and a rematch of the 2021 finals.
Pick: Cubs
Finals
1. Dodgers vs. 3. Cubs
A 2021 finals rematch here, one I hope will have a different outcome. That year, I called for a Cubs win and was right – so maybe I should just call my own shot here and try to be right again? Would be pretty nice if so. Haven’t faced the Cubs since a matchup super early on in the year so no indications of how things may go this time. I do think that again this will be an interesting call of pitching vs hitting. I have the pitching – on paper at least – while Cubs has the hitting to win.
Would be nice if Vladdy could rediscover his power stroke to match a hitter or two. I may really, really regret not trading for Jose Ramirez (as I had the opportunity to do so, more than once). If J-Ram makes me pay that’ll haunt me for another year or two, but this time I think will be different. I’m calling a 1 seed win – the first since 2018 – and another first time champion.
Pick: Dodgers
Past Predictions:
2022: 3/7, a bad year last year. Hope to be better in 2023!
2021: 7/7! Wish I had picked myself to win the finals and gotten that right too
2020: 4/4 for the quarters, 2/2 in the semis, but got the finals wrong - Cubs 3 peat! 6/7
2019: 3/4 for the quarters, picked myself and lost in the semis, but got the finals right! 5/7
2018: Not so good this year...got all quarterfinals right but wrong on the rest. 4/7
2017: Got all picks right! 7/7
2016: Got all quarterfinal and semifinal picks right, got the final wrong. 6/7 in predictions
Quarterfinals
1. Dodgers vs 8. Expos
A first time for me as a 1 seed vs an Expos team that is way too talented to be an 8 seed. Arguably the two best pitching staffs facing off in the first round – Cole, Gallen, Gausman, Wheeler, Castillo vs Scherzer, Strider, Snell, Glasnow, Burnes. Thanks Jon for giving these guys Burnes by the way.
Did you all know that the 8 seed has beaten the 1 seed in 2022 and 2021? I do, because I looked it up. Does that mean I’m terrified? You bet your ass – this Expos team is good.
However…I am still picking myself as the 1 seed to get through. I don’t have anyone as talented as the possible NL MVP, but I think that I have just enough more depth to squeak by in a two week matchup. Going to be a close one though!
Pick: Dodgers
2. Orioles vs 7. A's
The O’s upset the Cubs in the first round last year as the 8 seed but they more than proved that wasn’t a fluke by holding onto the 1 seed for most of the year – only dropping down to 2 by losing to the Expos in the last week of the year (Cut to me: *Shrieking in terror at having to face the Expos in round 1*). The Orioles have been a model of consistency all year, especially impressive with the young talent they’ve added throughout the year.
The A’s have been completely snakebitten by injury all year – McClanahan, Lodolo, Mahle, Mize, McKenzie, Eovaldi, etc. etc. etc. – so rough. It’s a shame because early in the year I was sure they would wind up much higher in the standings than the 7 seed. A bounceback year next year once everyone gets healthy, maybe. Unfortunately for them, I don’t see them having enough to upset this O’s team.
Oh and the less said about Wander Franco the better.
Pick: Orioles
3. Cubs vs. 6. tWins
Really looking forward to this matchup – the Cubs vs. the tWins, the battle of our last two champions in round one. Both teams had nice years and have great pitching staffs, with the Cubs getting a healthy Brandon Woodruff back for the stretch run to battle with Framber, Urias, Sandy, Verlander, et al.
The tWins will love this as I picked against them all of last year’s preview – I am going with the Cubs in this one. I think the Cubs have just enough pitching for the monster hitters – Soto, Julio, Seager, Alonso, and J-Ram – to pull through. Another very close matchup that I could see going either way. Will be interesting to see if pitching trumps hitting, or vice versa. Or – could Corbin Carroll and half the Astros lineup do enough to support those pitchers? Going to be a fascinating one!
Pick: Cubs
4. Giants vs. 5. Astros
A repeat of a matchup that we saw in the last week of the regular season, it’s Giants vs Astros. The Giants got out to an incredibly hot start behind Adolis Garcia, Lane Thomas, Logan Webb, and many others, but have been on a bit of a slide of late. The Astros on the other hand have only gotten stronger as the season has progressed. Yusei Kikuchi is on a heck of a streak since the All Star break, Whit Merrifield has turned back the clock, and young guys like Braxton Garrett and Jordan Walker give young and cheap depth.
In the end I will go with the Astros in a repeat of last week’s end result – I just think they have a little more of late than the Giants do.
Pick: Astros
Semifinals
1. Dodgers vs. 5. Astros
Another matchup from a few weeks ago, this time during the playoffs. I think that the Astros loss of Joe Ryan may loom large here – if he’s back, there’s more of a chance but if not I don’t know if they have the pitching to knock me off over a two week span. Can’t underestimate that offence though – there may not be huge star names but solid consistent performers make for a very consistent point output week over week. In the end I call for a repeat of a few weeks ago again, and move onto the finals.
Pick: Dodgers
2. Orioles vs. 3. Cubs
A matchup of 1 vs 8 a year ago, the Cubs will be out for revenge here. I think this is a really interesting matchup; the Orioles have been the model of consistency all year, putting up 300+ points a week. However, they don’t necessarily have the same ceiling as this Cubs team might have. The Cubs have been on a tear for weeks after finally getting some more healthy pitching and the hitting has never dropped off all year. I’ll be most interested to see if Shohei Ohtani can carry the O’s to another victory over the Cubs this time, or if Soto and Julio make this year’s matchup a different one. In the end, I’m calling a Cubs revenge win and a rematch of the 2021 finals.
Pick: Cubs
Finals
1. Dodgers vs. 3. Cubs
A 2021 finals rematch here, one I hope will have a different outcome. That year, I called for a Cubs win and was right – so maybe I should just call my own shot here and try to be right again? Would be pretty nice if so. Haven’t faced the Cubs since a matchup super early on in the year so no indications of how things may go this time. I do think that again this will be an interesting call of pitching vs hitting. I have the pitching – on paper at least – while Cubs has the hitting to win.
Would be nice if Vladdy could rediscover his power stroke to match a hitter or two. I may really, really regret not trading for Jose Ramirez (as I had the opportunity to do so, more than once). If J-Ram makes me pay that’ll haunt me for another year or two, but this time I think will be different. I’m calling a 1 seed win – the first since 2018 – and another first time champion.
Pick: Dodgers
Past Predictions:
2022: 3/7, a bad year last year. Hope to be better in 2023!
2021: 7/7! Wish I had picked myself to win the finals and gotten that right too
2020: 4/4 for the quarters, 2/2 in the semis, but got the finals wrong - Cubs 3 peat! 6/7
2019: 3/4 for the quarters, picked myself and lost in the semis, but got the finals right! 5/7
2018: Not so good this year...got all quarterfinals right but wrong on the rest. 4/7
2017: Got all picks right! 7/7
2016: Got all quarterfinal and semifinal picks right, got the final wrong. 6/7 in predictions