All four Division Series get going tomorrow. The Wild Card series were mostly uncompetitive, with all four ending in a two-game sweep. Were now on to best-of-five sets that can run through next Friday. Rangers vs. Orioles The second round begins in the afternoon when the Rangers head to Baltimore. Texas used and to dispatch the Rays, so theyll go with left-hander in Game 1. Hell be opposed by Baltimores breakout staff ace, righty . Texas won 90 games behind a star-studded lineup. Anchored by , , , and , the Rangers finished third in the majors in runs. The pitching staff is more questionable, especially with availability for the postseason still uncertain. Montgomery and Eovaldi make for a strong top two, but the bullpen has been a concern all season. Baltimore lost its elite closer to Tommy John surgery on the eve of the postseason. All-Star steps into the ninth inning. The Os sprinted to 101 wins this year, holding off the Rays to lock down an AL East title and the leagues top seed. , Rookie of the Year favorite , and headline a lineup that ranked seventh in run scoring. Bradish and rookie lead the rotation. Its the first playoff appearance for most of a young but ultra-talented Baltimore group. ( ) Who Will Win This ALDS? Orioles 61.76% (3,124votes) Rangers 38.24% (1,934votes) Total Votes: 5,058 Twins vs. Astros The second ALDS sends the AL Central winning Twins to Houston. Minnesota used and in their opening set. Theyll go with in Game 1 opposite . Minnesota held the Blue Jays to one run in their opening series. Theyve had arguably the sports best starting rotation, ranking fourth in innings and trailing only the Padres in ERA. Their bullpen isnt quite as deep, although flamethrowing is tough to handle in the ninth inning. While the lineup is built a little more on strong depth than star talent at John Olerud Jersey the top, former first overall pick raked at a .309/.372/.548 clip in 58 regular season games before launching homers in each of his first two career playoff at-bats against Toronto. The Astros never quite clicked the way they had during their 106-win regular season last year. Yet even without ever fully running on all cylinders, the defending World Series champions won 90 games and swept Arizona in the final weekend to grab another AL West title. Theyll comfortably turn the ball to Verlander and for the first two games to support a lineup with , , and firing on all cylinders and backed by , and rookie catcher/DH . ( ) Who Will Win This ALDS? Astros 59.70% (3,096votes) Twins 40.30% (2,090votes) Total Votes: 5,186 Phillies vs. Braves Arguably the most compelling of the Division Series pits the defending NL pennant winners against the best regular season team of 2023. Philadelphia began what they hope to be a second straight run from Wild Card to the Fall Cla sic by breezing past the Marlins in Round One. They needed and to do so, so southpaw starts tomorrow. Atlanta counters with strikeout king . The Phils lean heavily on their excellent top three starters and a star-studded lineup. has been characteristically stellar, while and have gotten rolling following slow starts to the season. While the bullpen has been a concern for Philadelphia in prior Octobers, it has held up very well this year. Even though they never threatened Atlanta for a run at the top of the division, the Phils look like one of the most complete teams remaining. Their pitching staff needs to be up for a challenge. The Braves counter with the best lineup in baseball, a group that runs nine deep and handily outslugged the rest of the league. Atlanta was the only team to reach the 250-homer plateau this year. They hit 307. led the league with 54 longballs and 139 RBI, went 40-70, and everyone else in the starting lineup hit at least 17 homers. To the extent theres a concern with this team, its the rotation beyond Strider. battled a blister at the end of the regular season, leaving a little uncertainty headed into his Game 2 start, while will mi s the series due to finger inflammation. ( ) Who Will Win This NLDS? Braves 66.11% (3,583votes) Phillies 33.89% (1,837votes) Total Votes: 5,420 D-Backs vs. Dodgers The Diamondbacks were the NLs final playoff qualifier. Arizona knocked off Milwaukee in round one, with the sweep keeping them using #2 starter (whod pitched in the regular seasons final weekend and was lined up for a potential Game 3). Instead, Kelly gets the nod tomorrow against . With NL Rookie of the Year lock leading off, Arizona has gotten strong work from and underrated slugger . carries a hot streak into the postseason, while young catcher had a great second half. Moreno left Game 2 against Milwaukee after being hit on the head with a backswing, but hes expected to be full-go for this series ( ). The one-two of Kelly and and a bullpen anchored by and gives the pitching staff strong talent at the top. The question is the depth both at the bottom of the lineup and the back half of the starting rotation. The Dodgers are legitimate World Series contenders yet again. They won 100 games for the fourth consecutive full season. and are going to finish in the top five in MVP balloting. is having his best season in a few years, while and rookie are significant power threats. The Dodgers have an elite collection of late-game arms, leading the majors with a 2.26 relief ERA in the second half behind and . Its a relatively weak rotation for L.A., however. Kershaws velocity has been down as he pitches through shoulder discomfort, perhaps leaving rookie as their most reliable starter. Dave Roberts figures to get to the bullpen early and often. ( ) Who Will Win This NLDS? Dodgers 68.05% (3,453votes) Diamondbacks 31.95% (1,621votes) Total Votes: 5,074 Evan White Jersey