Photo: @ronaldacunajr13
Regular Season
The World Series which concluded on Nov. 1 marked the end of a new era of baseball. Rule changes implemented at the start of the year led to a record setting season. Following the first year that the size of the bases were increased, the MLB saw its first 40 steals and 70 home run season by an individual in a single season. Ronald Acuña Jr. of the Atlanta Braves became the first player to have a 40/70 season and he broke the franchise record with 73 steals in a season. The Atlanta Braves finished the regular season with 104 wins, the best record in baseball. However, regular season success did not translate to postseason success. All three teams that finished the regular season with over 100 wins did not make it to the divisional round of the playoffs.
Playoffs
The Wild Card round of the playoffs saw all four series be non-competitive. Every team that won their wildcard matchups swept their opponents two games to none in a best of three series. The Philadelphia Phillies, led by two time National League MVP Bryce Harper, took on the Atlanta Braves in the divisional round. Despite their historic regular season, Ronald Acuña Jr. and the Atlanta Braves were unable to find success in the postseason losing to the Phillies three games to one. Perhaps the biggest upset of the season occurred when the Arizona Diamondbacks swept the Los Angeles Dodgers three games to none. The Dodgers, who won 16 more regular season games than the Diamondbacks, were heavy favorites. However, like the Braves, the Dodgers regular season success did not translate to the postseason. The Phillies postseason run came to an end when they lost two straight games at home to the Diamondbacks in the National League Championship Series. Similar to the Texas Rangers, the Diamondbacks caught fire and had a magical postseason run which led them to the World Series. The Rangers, who were the five seed entering the playoffs, made it to the American League Championship Series without losing a game. The Rangers then won the Championship Series against the Houston Astros four games to three, winning the final two games in Houston.
World Series
The 2023 World Series between the Diamondbacks and Rangers lasted only five games with the Rangers winning the series. The Rangers who were led by Adolis Garcia and Corey Seager got hot at the exact right time. Corey Seager won his second World Series MVP. The Diamondbacks led by Gabriel Moreno and Corbin Carrol found their postseason success through their starting rotation. But, they allowed on average over five runs per game in the World Series. Despite the exciting and high scoring games, like the 11 to seven game three that the Rangers won, the series saw a decrease in TV ratings.