2023 MLB All-Star Teams

For the 93rd year of the Midsummer Classic, baseball goes to T-Mobile Park in Seattle, Washington. The last time the mid-summer classic was played in Seattle was in 2001. Now every year there is always a lot of discussion and some of it a little dated about how the teams are put together. No system will ever be perfect. Fans don’t always get it right and managers won’t either, nor the commissioner’s office. The fact that the players are able to vote for participants was a great choice and they know who is deserving. Regardless of who should or shouldn’t be in the game lets just accept that the best players will always be involved one way or another. Here are my all-stars keeping with the rules that every team be represented and a total of 32 players for each league.

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2023 MLB World Series & Awards Predictions

MLB Awards

NL MVP – SS Trea Turner – Philadelphia Phillies

AL MVP – 3B Jose Ramirez – Cleveland Guardians

NL Cy Young – Corbin Burnes – Milwaukee Brewers

AL Cy Young – Shohei Ohtani – Los Angeles Angels

NL Rookie of the Year – OF Corbin Carroll – Arizona Diamondbacks

AL Rookie of the Year – P Grayson Rodriguez – Baltimore Orioles

NL Manager of the Year – Brian Snitker – Atlanta Braves

AL Manager of the Year – Terry Francona – Cleveland Guardians

Postseason Projections

NL Division Winners – Braves, Padres, Brewers

NL Wild Card Winners – Phillies, Dodgers, Cardinals

AL Division Winners – Astros, Guardians, Yankees

AL Wild Card Winners – Blue Jays, Rays, Mariners

NLCS – Padres over Phillies

ALCS – Yankees over Astros

World Series – Padres over Yankees

National League East

* – indicates new to team

+ – indicates injury

1. Atlanta Braves

A stellar lineup that gets bolstered with the addition of Sean Murphy and a deep pitching staff bodes well for them in October.

2. Philadelphia Phillies

Losing Rhys Hoskins for the season will be noticeable, but adding Trea Turner should help offset that injury.

3. New York Mets

If their closer Edwin Diaz did not have a season ending injury in the World Baseball Classic, they would be a contender for the division. A Wild Card spot is still within reach with this group they’ve assembled.

4. Miami Marlins

Outside of Sandy Alcantara, Jazz Chisholm Jr. and Luis Arraez, there ins’t much here in terms of being contenders.

5. Washington Nationals

Yes, the return they got for Juan Soto at last years trade deadline was good, but this is going to be a rough year for this franchise.

Player to Watch: P Sandy Alcantara – Miami Marlins

Best Acquisition: SS Trea Turner – Philadelphia Phillies

New Kid on the Block: C Francisco Alvarez – New York Mets

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2022 World Series Preview

Two narratives are forming from the 2022 Postseason. One argument has formed that argues the top teams are at a disadvantage because of the layoff i.e, the Los Angeles Dodgers and Atlanta Braves getting ousted in the Division Series with relative ease. The other argument is to never discount the Wild Card team in any given Postseason. The latter argument still holds water while the other I would retort with if you don’t handle your business when it’s your turn, why should anyone try to defend your poor play? Either way with this World Series matchup we have a Wild Card team in the Philadelphia Phillies. Their last appearance was in 2009. They won the World Series in 2008, but have been in rebuild mode for over a decade. Now they’ve returned and will go up against the Houston Astros who are making their fourth appearance in the Fall Classic in the last six seasons. So far the Astros haven’t lost a game this Postseason, but that could change with the Phillies vaunted offense and solid bullpen. Houston boasts a stacked lineup and a near shutdown bullpen, but their rotation could be the x-factor in this series. Lets hope for a good series that doesn’t involve a one-sided affair.

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2022 MLB Championship Series Preview

New York Yankees vs. Houston Astros

They were on the brink of being eliminated in 4 games by the Cleveland Guardians in the Division Series. Thanks in large part to Gerrit Cole who pitched 7 innings for the Yankees in Game 4 that was avoided. Cole struck out 16 batters in his two starts for the series with a 2.03 ERA thus earning his salary. Nestor Cortes in his two starts had a 2.70 ERA and Clay Holmes didn’t allow a run out of the bullpen in his 4 appearances. The bats were alive and well with Giancarlo Stanton leading the way with 6 RBI and half of those coming from a 3-run HR in Game 5. Anthony Rizzo batted .294 with 4 RBI and Harrison Bader had 3 home runs and batted a respectable .267. Aaron Judge didn’t have a great series, but his presence was felt with him getting 2 home runs. If New York wants to return to the World Series, their pitching staff will need to be near perfect the rest of the way.

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