World Series 2023 Predictions: Full Schedule and Picks for Fall Classic
The American and National League Championship Series are well underway in Major League Baseball and, after three in the former and two in the latter, fans are getting a clearer picture of the teams that will ultimately represent each league in the World Series.
Philadelphia looks like a runaway train in the NL against Arizona while the AL is more up for grabs, thanks to a competitive series between division foes Texas and Houston.
Who will ultimately emerge from each series victoriously, one step away from hoisting the Commissioner's Trophy as the winners of the World Series and what is the schedule for this year's Fall Classic?
Find out with these predictions and preview.
Game 1: Friday, October 27
Game 2: Saturday, October 28
Game 3: Monday, October 30
Game 4: Tuesday, October 31
Game 5: Wednesday, November 1*
Game 6: Friday, November 3*
Game 7: Saturday, November 4*
* -If necessary
All times TBD
The Philadelphia Phillies are a juggernaut running full steam downhill.
They are unstoppable, thanks to both a drive to get back to (and win) the World Series and a confidence that they can do so by beating any team put in front of them.
Bryce Harper is the heart and soul of the team, fueling it in each game's biggest moments.
Add to that the consistency he has brought to first base, selflessly, and his impact on the team and its locker room as its unquestioned leader in undeniable.
"It was kind of a revolving door over there at the time. We were trying to figure out what was going to happen and how I was going to come back and if I was going to come back at any capacity in the outfield or just DH. Knowing that we have so many options for DH and outfield, I just thought, 'Hey, why not?'" he said, speaking after Tuesday's 10-0 shutout of Arizona in which he tallied a run.
Nick Castellanos has already made history as the first player in MLB to ever have back-to-back multi-HR games in the postseason, pitchers are showing out, the lineup is proving to be nine deep, and the home crowd experience inside Citizen's Bank Park is unlike any that the other remaining teams can boast.
They are already up 2-0 on the Arizona Diamondbacks entering game three and, despite that potentially defining game taking place on the road, there is still nothing suggesting the young NL West team can hang with a squad that looks to be as unstoppable as Harper and crew are.
Throwing up 15 runs in two games, and shutting out the D'backs in Game 2, only further accentuated the dominance.
Predictions: Phillies in five
Over in the American League, the Houston Astros found themselves down 2-0 in the championship series extremely quickly, thanks to a powerful Texas Rangers offense that carried over momentum from their divisional series victory over Baltimore.
It would have been easy for the Astros to fold, let the Rangers take a 3-0 lead, and end their dynastic run in pitiful fashion. Instead, they fought back, fueled by an even-keeled locker room that never once considered panicking.
"I said before we left home that when other teams face us, something that characterizes this team is that there is no panic. You see it on everybody's face; there's no panic, there's some confidence there," Yordan Alvarez told reporters.
In Game 3, the Astros looked like the defending world champions, roughing up Max Scherzer to the tune of five earned runs and ultimately putting eight total on the board.
Jose Altuve, a leader in the Houston clubhouse, was a huge part of the team's runaway win.
After a quiet start to the postseason run, Altuve blasted a home run and added a single later, leaving his mark on the game at a time when he needed it.
"You see him look bad on one at-bat and he'll pop you the next at-bat. This guy is one of the best playoff players of all time. We love him. The fans in Houston love him. He's a fan favorite. You enjoy watching him play every day," Astros skipper told the media after the victory.
The Rangers have the bats to hit with Houston all day, but there is something to be said about championship experience, having been in these situations before and thrived. Houston has been here, done this before and the last thing they needed in a series this significant was a glimmer of hope.
They got it and look like a team that can very easily take a second, consecutive game from Texas in the Rangers' stadium.
The Astros, even down 2-0, feel like they have shifted the momentum in their favor. A win in Game 4 and they may very well be a runaway locomotive, setting up a rematch of last year's Fall Classic.
Prediction: Astros in seven
