The 2023 MLB postseason is near. Only a day remains on the regular season schedule. By now, it's clear who the true contenders are on each league.
There are still a few races that have yet to be decided. The AL West is no longer up for grabs. The AL and NL Wild Card spots were decided on Saturday.
In the National League, the Wild Card race is now over, with the Cubs and Reds on the outside looking in. But in just a few days, the postseason landscape will be clear, and it will be time for October baseball.
There will be just 12 teams remaining, while the other 18 teams go home for the winter and ponder what they need to do for 2024. But for the teams remaining, it's going to be a fun battle.
It's still anybody's guess as to who will come out on top at the end and emerge as World Series champions. It could be a team that everybody is predicting to win it all, such as the Atlanta Braves.
However, baseball is rarely that simple. Sometimes, a team that flew under the radar during the regular season can do the same in the postseason and go on a magical run to win it all.
For now, here are the three teams most likely to win it all this October
The Atlanta Braves are World Series favorites
The Atlanta Braves are the obvious favorites to win it all as of now. The Braves won it all in 2021, flying under the radar to capture the NL East title and then taking care of the Milwaukee Brewers, Los Angeles Dodgers, and Houston Astros in the postseason to win their first title since 1995.
This year, the Braves are a strong contender to win it all. They have a powerful lineup that features stars such as Ronald Acuna Jr, Matt Olson, Austin Riley, Ozzie Albies, Sean Murphy, and reigning Rookie of the Year Michael Harris II.
On the pitching side, Atlanta has Max Fried, Spencer Strider, Charlie Morton (if he returns from injury), and Bryce Elder in their rotation. Their bullpen is also strong, featuring pitchers such as Brad Hand, Pierce Johnson, Raisel Iglesias, Joe Jimenez, A.J. Minter, and others.
The Braves have already captured their sixth straight NL East title and are also guaranteed home-field advantage through at least the NLCS. Fried and Morton are both on the injured list as of now, but are expected to be back by the time the Braves have their opponent set for the NLDS.
Atlanta is a team that nobody should want to face this postseason, as they will be very dangerous given the depth of their roster and their recent track record in postseason play. They've been to the NLCS in two of the last three years and look prepared to do more damage.
The Philadelphia Phillies are a threat to return to the World Series
It was the Philadelphia Phillies who got to the World Series last year in the National League. They clinched an expansion postseason spot, the third NL Wild Card in the first year of the 12-team format.
All they did was completely dismantle the St. Louis Cardinals, the Braves, and the San Diego Padres. They lost only twice leading up to the World Series. They went up against the Houston Astros and led 2-1 after three games before losing the final three and watching the Astros celebrate a title.
This season, they are even deeper than they were in 2022. They added Trea Turner in the offseason and beefed up their bullpen with the additions of Craig Kimbrel and Gregory Soto. Their starting rotation features Zack Wheeler, Aaron Nola, Ranger Suarez, Michael Lorenzen, and Taijuan Walker.
Their lineup also can't be slept on, as even without Rhys Hoskins, they have Turner, Bryce Harper, Nick Castellanos, J.T. Realmuto, Bryson Stott, Kyle Schwarber, and Alec Bohm. The Phillies are dangerous entering this postseason and will be out for vengeance after losing the World Series last year.
The Houston Astros are looking to repeat
The defending World Series champions secured their spot in the postseason, and they are going to be a serious threat to win another title.
Last year, they had a rotation that featured Justin Verlander, Framber Valdez, Lance McCullers Jr. and Cristian Javier. They lost Verlander to the New York Mets over the winter and are currently without McCullers.
But General Manager Dana Brown made a key trade at the deadline to re-acquire Verlander from the Mets, making the Astros rotation that much stronger. The starting lineup of the Astros is very dangerous as well.
They have Jose Altuve, Alex Bregman, Jeremy Pena, Kyle Tucker, Chas McCormick, Yordan Alvarez, and others. The Astros are currently in second place in the AL West and are trying to lock down a Wild Card spot and possibly even chase down the Texas Rangers, who lead the division.
The Astros remain a strong World Series contender and could very well find themselves back in the Fall Classic this October. It would be their fifth trip in the last seven years and third consecutive trip dating back to 2021.
They certainly won't be an easy opponent to face this coming postseason. The Astros have quickly become a model franchise and are a threat to continue their trend of dominance. They've been the best team in baseball for the past several years for a reason.
They may have to do it as a Wild Card this year, but even so, they are a very dangerous ballclub.