After a Wild Card round that saw four sweeps, there were two more in the League Division Series, and no series went beyond four games. Now, we have our League Championship Series set, with Texas taking on the Astros in the ALCS and the Phillies battling the upstart Diamondbacks in the NLCS.
Here’s what to look for in each series with a prediction for who will meet in the World Series, which begins Oct. 27.
Houston Astros vs. Texas Rangers, ALCS
Betting Odds: Astros - 140, Rangers +120 (DraftKings)
Regular season results: Astros 9, Rangers 4
How the Astros got here: AL West champions, 3-1 series win over Minnesota in the American League Division Series.
How the Rangers got here: 2-0 series win over Tampa Bay in the Wild Card Series; 3-0 series win over Baltimore in the American League Division Series.
Lineups: The Astros have loads of playoff experience and a red-hot Yordan Alvarez, who has pulverized postseason pitching throughout his career, to go with October stalwarts like Jose Altuve (outside of his dreadful 2022 run) and Alex Bregman to go with a resurgent Jose Abreu, among others. The Rangers, meanwhile, have one of the most complete groups in baseball, led by MVP candidate Corey Seager but also Marcus Semien, rookie wunderkind Evan Carter and a host of other players capable of taking the ball out of the park.
Advantage: Rangers
Rotation: This should be an advantage for the Astros, but how big of one depends on whether or not Max Scherzer (shoulder) returns. Nathan Eovaldi has been phenomenal in the postseason throughout his career and Jordan Montgomery was a massive get for the injury-riddled Texas rotation at the deadline. There are significant questions behind those two, questions that become less emphasized if Scherzer makes the roster, while the Astros will have Justin Verlander, Framber Valdez, Cristian Javier and likely Jose Urquidy.
Advantage: Astros, but again, depends on whether Scherzer can go.
Bullpen: An easy one, on paper, anyway. The Rangers’ bullpen was awful down the stretch even after the acquisition of Aroldis Chapman, and while Jose LeClerc and Josh Sborz have been able to get the job done, it’s fair to say Texas fans will have unease in the late innings. Meanwhile, the Astros have a reliable closer in Ryan Pressly, two set-up relievers that were lights out in Bryan Abreu and Hector Neris, and the ability to use talented rookie Hunter Brown -- or Urquidy -- as a multi-inning option. This one’s not close. Advantage: Astros.
Prediction: The Astros are clearly the better pitching team, but Texas has been streaky all year, and they appear to be on another hot streak. I’ll predict them to stay hot in what should be a very fun series. Rangers in 7.
Philadelphia Phillies vs. Arizona Diamondbacks, NLCS
Betting Odds: Phillies - 170, Diamondbacks +170 (DraftKings)
Regular season results: Phillies 4, Diamondbacks 3
How the Phillies got here: 2-0 series win over Miami in the NL Wild Card Series, 3-1 win over Atlanta in the National League Division Series.
How the Rangers got here: 2-0 series win over Milwaukee in the NL Wild Card Series, 3-0 series win over Los Angeles in the National League Division Series.
Lineups: The Diamondbacks were a middle-of-the-road lineup in 2023, ranking 14th in runs scored, batting average and on-base percentage. In the postseason, however, Arizona has looked the part, led by superstar rookie Corbin Carroll but also getting significant contributions from Ketel Marte, Christian Walker, Gabriel Moreno and Tommy Pham. The Phillies’ lineup seems a tad more reliable with superstars Bryce Harper and Trea Turner and a host of other quality options.
Advantage: Phillies.
Rotation: This one’s close. Arizona and Philadelphia have excellent options at the top in Zac Gallen and Zack Wheeler, respectively, and a quality No. 2 with Aaron Nola for the Phillies and Merrill Kelly for the Diamondbacks. Brandon Pfaadt will be the third starter for Arizona and has pitched well in the postseason after a (very) inconsistent rookie campaign, and it’ll likely be Ryne Nelson in Game 4. That’s where the edge goes to the Phillies, as Ranger Suarez and either Taijuan Walker or Cristopher Sanchez getting the ball in the fourth game.
Advantage: Phillies.
Bullpen: The Diamondbacks were a bit of a mess for most of the season, but the trade for Paul Sewald helped solidify the backend of the relief corps, and arms like Kevin Ginkel, Joe Mantiply and Andrew Saalfrank were fantastic in the first two postseason series. Philadelphia had bullpen issues over the previous two seasons, but the return of Jose Alvarado gives them a legit relief “ace,” and a resurgent Craig Kimbrel along with impressive rookie Orion Kerkering gives the Phils their best postseason bullpen in quite some time.
Advantage: Gotta go Phillies, just based on the track record.
Prediction: I’ve predicted the Diamondbacks to flame out in each of the previous series, and it hasn’t worked out (note: it has nothing to do with disdain towards Arizona, they’re truly one of my favorite postseason stories in years.) I won’t do that this time, but I am going to pick a Philadelphia team that just seems built for October and will have the home field advantage. Phillies in 6.
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