Predictions for the World Series

While there are a few games left before the regular MLB season comes to a close, there are a number of teams already looking ahead to the playoffs. Waiting at the end of the campaign is the World Series, where the two best franchises will battle it out for the right to be crowned champions.

As the postseason approaches, it’s a good time to look at the strongest teams of the current MLB campaign and see if we can pick out the likely World Series winners.

Dates for the Diary

The regular season will come to a conclusion on October 1st. Following on are the playoffs which are scheduled to run from October 3rd with the initial Wild Card series.

Those playoffs will be decided by October 24th, assuming the final game of the Championship Series goes to a decider. Finally, the World Series takes over from October 27th, with the seventh game set for November 4th if it is necessary.

Fox Sports is the main broadcaster for those looking to tune in, while a host of world series odds will be available from around the sportsbooks. Baseball fans are all set, but which teams are likely to make it through those playoffs?

The Team at the Top

As we head into the final stages of the regular MLB season, the Atlanta Braves are the team with the best overall record. Braves have won 78 of their opening 120 games and they are the favorites to win the World Series in 2023.

Atlanta also seems to be peaking at just the right time. Heading into the All-Star break, the team won no fewer than 27 of their 32 matches. The MLB stats for the current season show that the Braves have some seriously influential players who are at the top of their disciplines.

The key man for Atlanta is outfielder Ronald Ancuna Jr. He’s the favorite to win the MLB Most Valuable Player award and has already hit 27 home runs this season.

The Chasing Pack

Behind the Atlanta Braves, the team’s most likely to make a challenge are the Los Angeles Dodgers, the Houston Astros and the Texas Rangers.

The Astros go into the postseason as the reigning World Series champions. Their 4-2 win over the Phillies is still fresh in the memory, and many of that successful roster were retained for 2023.

In the regular season, Houston have won 70 of their first 122 games in the AL West. They’ve suffered with injuries this season and have lost key players at times in this campaign. Meanwhile, first baseman Jose Abreu has struggled with form and fitness at the beginning of the season.

Considering those issues, it’s impressive to see the Astros with such a solid record. With a fit roster they could make a challenge, but history is not on their side. The last team to successfully defend their World Series title was the New York Yankees in 2000.

Houston’s record puts them behind the Texas Rangers in the AL West. The Rangers have won 72 of their first 121 games, and they top the standings in that section.

When they began the season, there were some serious questions about Texas’ starting pitchers, but a series of trades addressed fans’ concerns. The Rangers acquired Max Scherzer from the New York Mets, along with the left-handed Jordan Montgomery from the St Louis Cardinals.

The trades have helped Texas through to the playoffs, but there are concerns over the fitness of key men over a grueling campaign. The starting pitchers are reaching the ends of their careers, but they’ll need to keep on top of their game for the Rangers to succeed.

The other team in the chasing pack is the LA Dodgers. Their record stands at 73-46 in the NL West, and they have been consistent across the regular season.

Other teams will feel that they are still in with a chance, but the World Series is most likely to go to one of the four franchises that we’ve already mentioned.

The Verdict

While upsets will often occur during the playoff series, the Atlanta Braves appear to be a complete package. With the best record in the League and the strongest players available, the 2023 World Series is theirs to lose.

The closest challenge could come from the Houston Astros. We’ve seen that only one team has successfully defended their title this century, but records are there to be broken. The fact that Houston remains in second place in the AL West, after a catalog of injuries is a remarkable feat.

Challenges will come from other teams too, but they are all looking to overcome a strong Atlanta team. If they can stay fit and in form, the Braves should be bringing home the World Series trophy at the start of November

Arturo Pardavila III from Hoboken, NJ, USA, CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons

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