LL 2023 Playoffs Predictions

We’re all hoping to soothe the pain of the end of the Seattle Mariners season. For some of you (and us) that means a thorough baseball break, letting the gunk of the season’s ultimate conclusion shake loose from our muscles and spirits like disappointing dandruff. For others, and many of us, the sport still delights even if our primary club is unrepresented. Please let the record show that these predictions were made (predominantly) prior to the start of yesterday’s games, but I (John) dragged my heels in starting this doc, whoops!

Below we have our collective predictions, as well as a bit of commentary.

AL Wild Card

Bee: Texas has more than shown cracks, the dam is all but broken. I expect Tampa Bay to roll over them, and I am more than happy with that result. I expect the Twins will have more fight in them than the usual discourse about the Central division allows, but still think it is a coin flip between them and the Jays and just went with my preference here.

Eric: The Twins are absolute imposters. Deeply unserious playoff roster. The AL Central is a joke.

Lou: I expect Texas will win one, but their pitching will lose them two.

Isabelle: If the Rangers have managed to heave the limp carcasses of their starting pitchers up to the top of the next proverbial hill, that offense has enough momentum to wreck shop

NL Wild Card

Bee: If rooting interests alone decided it I would want Arizona to advance and get beloved forever-Mariner Paul Sewald and Seattle kid Corbin Carroll to the Series, and with Woodruff’s injury I think their chances of advancing past this round are improved, but maybe not enough. Both the Phillies and Miami are very fun teams and I will be happy to see either advance, but the Phillies are the better constructed team overall.

Eric: Phillies are super fun to root for and will likely make short work of Miami, but I don’t see them beating Atlanta. Go Sneks and go Sewald.

ALDS

Bee: To paraphrase a quote from the worst Star Wars movie ever made: “I don’t need the Twins to win, I just need the Astros to lose.” Unfortunately I think the defending champions still have fight in them, even if they have obviously regressed versus last year. I expect the Orioles and Rays to be a slugfest, but I give the advantage to the Orioles. Maybe it’s the Baseball Bar-B-Cast listener in me, but the Orioles have quietly become my second favorite AL team, in no small part because of how they reflect the Mariners in recent years.

Eric: I am sorry to say that I think the Orioles’ magic pixie dust runs out real quick in the playoffs. That roster makes no god damn sense at all, but good for them. There’s always one magical team every season it seems that gets all the breaks and makes no sense on paper. Baltimore fans deserve something nice though, so I hope I’m wrong.

NLDS

Bee: It is hard not to automatically go with Atlanta and Los Angeles in this round, as both teams are incredibly well constructed. The Dodgers were 5-1 against the Brewers in the regular season, who I have advancing to this round. Smart money is on the Dodgers, but I think the Brewers upset them with something to prove (IF Woodruff is able to make a return after the Wild Card series… as of now there are nor updates or timelines). Atlanta and Philadelphia look to be a fun matchup in which I am happy to see either team advance.

Eric: Atlanta gonna steam roll, Dodgers will do Dodgers things (somehow have a bench of 10 previously completely washed players who come through dramatically in the clutch, enraging their previous team’s fanbase).

ALCS

Bee: As scrappy as Houston has been to return to the playoffs, the fact is they barely fought their way in after some regression from last year’s championship roster. The return of Verlander certainly makes them more formidable than their first half form, but I don’t think they will be able to overcome a Baltimore team on the rise and with much more to prove (and also, just a better team overall). Go Birds!

Eric: If we really end up with a Rangers/Astros ALCS, I may never watch baseball again.

John: I’ll say this: if the Rays get bounced quickly here in the Wild Card round, the Birds of Chaos will take their place and handle the Astros. The Dodgers, however, are another measure of beast.

NLCS

Bee: If Baltimore has been on the rise, Atlanta feels like it is skyrocketing. They have a dizzying bevy of young talent, locked in for years, on both sides of the ball. They also just have a ton of really fun players, so if this is the start of a dynasty, it is not hard for me to root for them in the National League where they will never directly threaten the Mariners’ success.

Eric: Barves gonna barve.

WS

Bee: I have this matchup as Baltimore and Atlanta, and even though my heart of hearts would possibly pick a different NL team, I am extremely okay with this matchup. I’m team “Go Birds” in this one, but I think this is where the loss of Félix Bautista in particular will favor Atlanta, who I think wins it in either six or seven games.

Eric: I want nothing more at this point than to see the Astros crushed, demolished, and embarrassed in a 4-game sweep by the Atlanta Braves.

Lou: I, like Eric, want the Astros demolished. However, I think the WS comes down to the wire and Houston wins… for the last time ever.

Tell us your predictions in the comments and bookmark this to remind us what fools we mortals be!