With the MLB season concluding, certain divisions look stronger than others, with teams like the Braves, Orioles, Dodgers, and Rays already having reached at least 95 wins. With the last-second changes and eliminations, there’s lots to talk about.
First up is the American League (AL) . The strongest and most consistent division in the AL, has been the AL East. Every team in the division has a winning record, with the exception of the Red Sox who finished (78-84) in their underwhelming season. On the other hand, the Orioles (101-61) won the division over the Rays (99-63), who have been on a downward trajectory after losing shortstop Wander Franco to a personal conduct investigation. The third place team in the division, the Blue Jays, captured a wild card spot at (89-73) while the 4th place team, the Yankees (82-80) have been eliminated.
Next, the AL Central only had one team with a winning record, the Twins (87-75). Every other team in the division has been eliminated, and are moving towards rebuilding for the future.
Finally, the AL west had been a tight division all year, but in a tiebreaker, the Astros (90-72) took the division over the Rangers (90-72). The Mariners (88-74) had the “most successful month in club history,” in August according to ESPN, but were still eliminated by one game. Meanwhile, the division champion Astros have been consistent all year and have gotten key players second baseman Jose Altuve and outfielder Michael Brantley back from injury.
In a tight playoff race, ESPN’s Bradford Doolittle says the Astros have a good chance at making a run. “The Astros have been in the ALCS six straight seasons, which is a truly remarkable accomplishment. Obviously that streak will end eventually, perhaps even a few weeks from now. But at this point, it would be foolish to pick against them unless they have obviously deteriorated into a lesser team,” Doolittle said.
On the other hand, the Angels (73-89) and the A’s (50-112) are eliminated and done for the year. But even with 3 unsuccessful teams, the top 2 in the division seem to have the ability to make a run in the playoffs.
In the National League (NL), the NL East has been the most consistent division since the All-Star break. The Braves are currently the unanimous number one on MLB.com’s power rankings with a record of (104-58), and were the first team to reach 100 wins in the MLB.
ESPN baseball analyst Jesse Rogers believes the Braves are the best team in the league. “The Braves’ bats lead MLB in batting average, on-base percentage, home runs and OPS. On the mound, they’re first in the National League in overall ERA — and in bullpen ERA, too,” Rogers said.
The Phillies (90-72) experienced a 6 game winning streak at the end of August behind a hot streak from first baseman Bryce Harper where he hit 5 home runs in 6 games. Returning from Tommy John surgery this year, Harper started slow but has led Philadelphia in hits and home runs in the past few weeks, helping them retain the number one Wild Card spot. Trailing behind are the Marlins (84-77) who clinched a wild card spot. While the Mets (74-87), and Nationals, (71-91) have been eliminated.
Next, the Brewers (92-70) have clinched the division title. Behind star left fielder Christian Yelich, they could cause some chaos in the National League playoffs. The Cubs (83-79) and the Reds (81-78) were each close to a wild spot but were eliminated during the last few days of the season. Also eliminated were the Pirates (76-86) and the Cardinals (71-91).
Finally, the Dodgers (100-62) clinched the NL West with a 16 game lead over the Diamondbacks. They have secured the division title and look primed for yet another deep playoff run. The second place Diamondbacks (84-78) captured a wild card spot. The Padres (79-83) have had a disappointing season, while the Rockies (59-103) seem to be going through a rebuild.
The 2023 MLB regular season officially ended on October 1, with an exciting playoff being formed. These teams will have to continue to handle their business down the road if they want to hold the Commissioner’s Trophy.
