![]() ![]() And finally, in September, it really started to translate. When we say a lot of home runs, we mean the most in the AL, 233, and when we say a lot of strikeouts, we mean the most of any pitching staff, 1,543 in 1,441 innings. The Twins do two things imperative to playoff success: hit a lot of home runs and strike out a lot of hitters. Said one evaluator: "You'll look smart if you pick them to win the pennant." Which is a hell of a thing to say about an organization with 18 consecutive postseason losses. Why the Minnesota Twins can win the World Series:įor a team with the worst record among AL playoff participants, the Twins genuinely scare potential opponents. The Marlins might be a Cinderella - but the glass slipper is within reach. And all of this is before we mention Miami's incredible 33-13 record in one-run games. 500 since coming over from the White Sox at the trade deadline, Jazz Chisholm and Josh Bell raking and Jon Berti catching on fire, there's more to this lineup than you might realize. He's expected to return for the postseason, and with Jake Burger slugging. And before you suggest the offense is putrid, Miami found enough toward the end of the season - and did so for the final week without Luis Arraez. And sure, maybe that something runs headlong into a brick wall when the schedule is stuffed with the best of the best, but Miami has the momentum vibe that has jet-fueled Octobers past.Įven without their ace and ace-in-waiting, the Marlins can really pitch 2023 breakout Jesus Luzardo, Braxton Garrett and Edward Cabrera are all different kinds of nasty. Why the Miami Marlins can win the World Series:Ĭlaiming that the Marlins can win the World Series when Sandy Alcantara and Eury Perez, the reigning NL Cy Young winner and the uber-talented rookie who helped guide them to the postseason, are out for the season with arm injuries? You bet. This is a good team, and if it can go on a heater, it can be great. The D-backs' pitching staff allowed the fewest home runs of any playoff team in the final month of the season. And no, that is not snark: The much-maligned Arizona relief corps had the second-best ERA in baseball during September. Before those two get their chance to pitch, highly touted rookie Brandon Pfaadt - who had three scoreless outings among his final eight starts - will start Game 1 of the NL Wild Card Series, with the Diamondbacks' bullpen waiting to shove. The two-headed starting-pitching monster of Zac Gallen and Merrill Kelly kept the D-backs afloat during an up-and-down season, and if they can survive the wild-card round, Gallen will be lined up to go twice in the division series. Thanks to Corbin Carroll, Christian Walker, Ketel Marte and Lourdes Gurriel Jr., they feature enough power to score in a homer-heavy October. They're the best base-stealing team among the postseason field. Lest you think an 84-win team couldn't possibly run through a National League filled with powerhouses built to succeed in October, consider all of the things that Arizona does well. Why the Arizona Diamondbacks can win the World Series: This is Why Your Team Can Win the World Series, In 200 Words or Less - followed by my round-by-round predictions of the entire 2023 MLB playoff bracket to prognosticate which of the dozen actually will win it. And in that spirit, we've made that case for all 12 teams, listed in ascending order of regular-season wins. Louis Cardinals, championship winners at 83-78.Įvery team can proffer a good argument on why it's going to win this season. They want to believe they can be the next 2006 St. Over the 54 seasons since MLB went to divisions, only 14 times has the team with the top record won the World Series.īaseball is egalitarian enough that World Series winners from the wild-card round are no longer an anomaly, and the knowledge of this gives hope to each of the dozen teams that earned a playoff berth. In baseball, the best team doesn't always win the championship. MLB, Arizona Diamondbacks, Atlanta Braves, Baltimore Orioles, Houston Astros, Los Angeles Dodgers, Minnesota Twins, Milwaukee Brewers, Philadelphia Phillies, Tampa Bay Rays, Toronto Blue Jays, Texas Rangers, Miami Marlins ![]() MLB playoffs 2023: Passan's team breakdowns, World Series pick You have reached a degraded version of because you're using an unsupported version of Internet Explorer.įor a complete experience, please upgrade or use a supported browser
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