As we wrap up the month of May, I am reminded at how intense and exciting the NHL’s Stanley
Cup Playoffs are! So, in that vein if the 2023 MLB season was a hockey game, the first period is
already in the history books. So, let’s take a quick “intermission” and look at some of the
highlights as well as some of the lowlights of the first 54 +/- games.
As for the early surprises, the Baltimore Orioles (35-20), Texas Rangers (35-19), and the
Arizona Diamondbacks (36-23) all are exceeding expectations, but no team had a better start to
the 2023 season than the Tampa Bay Rays!
Three of the top storylines. Max Scherzer was suspended, Fernando Tatis Jr returned from
suspension, and Jacob DeGrom landed on the IL, shocker!
Our Frozen Rope Players of the first period of the 2023 season are the Atlanta Braves five tool
superstar Ronald Acuna Jr in the National League and in the American League the best two-way
player since I guess Babe Ruth the Los Angeles Angels Shohei Ohtani. Honorable mentions go
to Miami Marlins hit machine Luis Arraez (.376 average) and Tampa Bay’s Ace Shane
McClanahan (8-0).
Here are my predictions after the first period of the 2023 season:
AL East Champ Tampa Bay Rays (39-18)
AL Central Champ Minnesota Twins (28-26)
AL West Champ Houston Astros (31-22)
AL Wildcard 1 New York Yankees (33-23)
AL Wildcard 2 Toronto Blue Jays (29-26)
AL Wildcard 3 Texas Rangers (35-19)
NL East Champ New York Mets (28-26)
NL Central Champ Milwaukee Brewers (28-26)
NL West Champ Los Angeles Dodgers (33-22)
NL Wildcard 1 Atlanta Braves (32-22)
NL Wildcard 2 San Diego Padres (25-29)
NL Wildcard 3 Philadelphia Phillies (25-29)
I am sticking (for now) with my pre-season 2023 World Series match-up prediction of a Subway
Series featuring the New York Yankees vs New York Mets.
The first intermission is over, and I can’t wait to see what the second period has in store.