A pattern has emerged in the 2023 MLB postseason: the best regular season teams have been eliminated early. The remaining four teams – Arizona Diamondbacks, Houston Astros, Philadelphia Phillies, Texas Rangers – all won 90 games or fewer. This is the first time in a non-strike or non-pandemic season that none of the final four teams won at least 91 games.
During the regular season, the top five teams with the best records went 1-13 in the postseason. Let’s see how these teams performed:
- Atlanta Braves: 104-58 (lost NLDS 3-1)
- Baltimore Orioles: 101-61 (swept in ALDS)
- Los Angeles Dodgers: 100-62 (swept in NLDS)
- Tampa Bay Rays: 99-63 (swept in Wild Card Series)
- Milwaukee Brewers: 92-70 (swept in Wild Card Series)
While there have been complaints about the new postseason format, players have not used it as an excuse. The bye week is only one day longer than the All-Star break, and if the top teams found it disruptive, they could have chosen to play in the Wild Card Series instead.
So why have the best teams been eliminated? There isn’t one specific reason for a team’s loss in a postseason series. However, here are a few factors that may have contributed to the early exits of these top teams:
1. Star players didn’t perform at their best
In order to succeed in the postseason, star players need to step up their game. However, some of the best players on the eliminated teams had poor performances in their respective series. This could be due to various reasons, such as the bye affecting their rhythm, undisclosed injuries, or just a string of bad games at the wrong time.
2. Flaws in team composition
Some of the top teams had weaknesses that were exposed in the postseason. For example, the Dodgers and Orioles had compromised rotations, while the Brewers lacked power hitter and the Rays struggled with hitting. These shortcomings likely played a role in their elimination.
3. Regular season performance doesn’t guarantee success in the postseason
Regular season records and run differentials may not accurately reflect a team’s performance in the postseason. The dynamics of the playoffs are different from the regular season, and what happened earlier in the year may not have much bearing in October. Teams can have late-season improvements or weaknesses that are magnified in the playoffs.
4. Upsets happen and sometimes teams just lose
Baseball is known for its unpredictability, and upsets are part of the game. Sometimes, even very good teams have stretches where things don’t go according to plan, and they get beat. In the postseason, only one team can win more than it loses in a given series, and sometimes that team is not the regular season favorite.
