2023 MLB Playoffs: Good or Bad for Baseball?

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On November 1, 2023, the Texas Rangers would take home the franchises first ever World Series Championship. They would defeat the Arizona Diamondbacks in 5 games, in what was a pretty one-sided series. Even though the Diamondbacks couldn’t get it done, they still had an incredible season. The last team from the National League to get into the playoffs, they pulled off 3 straight upsets. Both teams defied all odds, as both lost over 100 games just 2 years prior. It begs the question however, are these upsets good for the game and for fans?

For some, this is fantastic for the game. Two teams who looked as though they wouldn’t even sniff the playoffs for many years to come, turned around with magical runs this year. Fans are now given hope, as they see anything can happen when the playoffs come around, but for other fans it leaves a major question mark. The three best teams in the regular season, the Atlanta Braves, Los Angeles Dodgers, and Baltimore Orioles, won a combined 1 game throughout the playoffs.

All three times earned a bye from the first round, which resulted in them not playing for a week and half. When they finally did play in the divisional round, they seemed sluggish and rusty. The Braves, who had statistically the greatest offensive season in MLB history, could barely produce any runs against the Philadelphia Phillies, who they did not struggle with at all during the regular season. 3 teams, who all won over 100 games in the regular season, win a combined 1 game. Why?

Philly fans enjoyed the upset over the 2021 WS champion Braves, especially Bryce Harper’s multiple home runs after a costly error led to a loss earlier in the series. The “Atta Boy Harper” statement in the Braves clubhouse by Arcia led to a storyline fueling the upset.

Many fans of the teams will point to the first round bye. Baseball is a game of streaks, and when you take away that period of time from a team, they can get cold. On top of that, their opponent can get hot as they had to play in the Wild Card round. It’s tough to point the finger directly at that, as the Houston Astros also had a bye, and advanced all the way to being one game away from the World Series, but would lose to the eventual champion Rangers.

For some fans, the playoff format is perfect, and for others a change needs to be made. Whether there is reason for a change, baseball will most likely remain the same, and it will be up to the teams to find a way to compete.