Dodgers: 2023 Postseason
The L.A. Dodgers hope to capture another title in the 2020s.
A date with the Diamondbacks in the first round shouldn’t rattle Dodger fans.
The Dodgers are once again in the playoffs, and they were spared the energy and stress of surviving through the Wild Card round. A few months ago, prior to the start of the season, I wrote that I didn’t think the Dodgers would win the NL West this season because of you know who from you know where. I put it in writing that I figured the Dodgers would be good enough to get in as a Wild Card team, which is all you really need to do. Just ask the D-Backs, Phillies, and Astros. If two of those three teams (the Astros and Phillies) won the World Series, no one would be shocked. The other team in that group might be getting hot at the right time, and this was all I was hoping for with my Dodgers from the beginning of the season: Get in, get hot, and win.
In 2023, the Boys in Blue outdid themselves with a gutty regular season performance that resulted with an 10th division title in the past 11 seasons. That was not what most baseball fans—most Dodgers fans—expected, but it happened, and this happened to be my favorite season of Dodgers baseball. It was a season in which the team was supposed to have taken a step back because we lost Trea Turner and the beloved Cody Bellinger. The Padres added and “improved” when the Dodgers subtracted and seemed less of a sure thing with all the rookies they would have to start. Their rotation was already without ace Walker Beuhler. Then things got worse for the starting pitching as the season unfolded. A slow start, more injuries, and a heavier workload being shouldered by rookie pitchers would seem to spell the demise of any team. But the 2023 Dodgers aren’t just any team.
They are resilient, and they are cohesive. You can see how much they like each other every time a TV camera cuts to their dugout. They may not have the talent (on paper) to go the distance, especially when compared to the Atlanta Braves’ historic offense.
What the Dodgers do have, though, is the juice.
Hats off to Dave Roberts for navigating the squad through so much adversity. He never gets enough credit from most Dodgers fans, who blame all of the Dodgers postseason blunders in the last 7 seasons on him (in some of these seasons, the Dodgers set and broke franchise records for wins). He will go down as one of the all-time great Dodgers managers, right next to Tommy Lasorda. Of course, this statement would be less controversial if he wins one more World Series as the Dodgers manager, but even without that second title, Dave Roberts managed a gem of a season.
NLDS Picks
Dodgers in 4.
Here we are on the eve of the Dodgers NLDS against their division rival Arizona Diamondbacks, and the memories of a remarkable regular season will soon fade into what I hope is the memory of the Dodgers hoisting their seventh World Series trophy above the heads of all the lesser MLB teams. The path to this title is uncertain and indeed treacherous. think the Dodgers will pull off a series win, but divisional matchups can be wacky, and Arizona has a couple of monster starting pitchers to throw at the Dodgers, along with some great young talent. They are dangerous, but so are the Dodgers. I’m rolling with the Blue Crew.
Braves over Phillies in 5
The mighty Brave have looked like World Series champs since the start of the season. They had their historic offense and the (likely) NL MVP, but this is some more of that wacky divisional rival stuff right here. These two teams are familiar with each other, so I expect some close games, but I’m giving the Braves the edge in a hard-fought series between two strong contenders.
ALDS Picks
Orioles over Rangers in 4
The Orioles are in the playoffs?
Yes! They won the AL East. I know; it’s crazy. They’re good, and I love their logo. I rolling with them on the strength of that because I don;t know much about either team. Each team has a couple of All-Stars on their rosters, but I think the Orioles step up and win their first playoff series since 2014.
Astros over Twins in 5
I used to like the Twins. I mean, I didn’t mind rooting for them. Since dickhead Correa signed with them, I’d prefer they lose, but I also hate the Astros. The Twins are the lesser of two evils, but they’re not the better team in this series.
