Power Ranking The Very Last 2 Teams Of The 2023 MLB Season
We're 2 games into the World Series and it couldn't be any more different than what anyone could have anticipated just 5 weeks ago in the last stretch of the regular season. So many teams had earned more respect and 3rd-party esteem when the playoffs began.
The Braves recorded one of the most dominant seasons ever.
The Orioles were closer and hotter than any young team I can remember.
The Dodgers, Brewers, Astros and Rays all had elite position groups from Middle of the Order to Starting Pitching and Infield Play and Bullpen usage. So many dominant facets. And that's without considering probably the most balanced 1-9 lineup outside the top seeds with the Blue Jays.
And then there were the Reds, Cubs, and Mariners all looking on the inside. In fact the Padres missing the playoffs was notably more interesting than the Diamondbacks squeaking in or the Rangers finding their stride late. Only local, positive fans could argue otherwise and turns out they would be right.
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Somehow, someway, we find ourselves with a Diamondbacks-Rangers World Series tied at 1 game a piece.
Somehow, someway, the 2023 playoffs have rebounded from 6 sweeps in the first 8 series.
Somehow, someway, both championship series end in 7 games, and under the most improbable circumstances, we can start calling the 2023 playoffs Good.
Today's show is our 11th in 3 weeks. We've ramped up as much playoff banter as I can publish and I hope at least one person has found our narrative building useful. On that front, I can't thank Klemmer, Castellani and Hubbs enough for being into every game, series and storyline. Some of us more positive than others. Some takes we'd obviously like back. But the overall body of work has made the last two weeks of playoff baseball very special.
In that spirit, we convened the Power Ranking Panel one more time this season to break down the last 2 teams standing. It's not as argumentative as I anticipated, but that's more a reflection of the Diamondbacks than our appetite for needless conflict. If someone wanted to pump the Rangers extra hard, we'd consider the arguments. But again - credit to the panel for not leaning into gimmicks for the sake of gimmicks. For better or worse, we take these decisions pretty seriously.
Here's some of the best takeaways from the group:
The Dbacks have an advantage in games 3, 4, 5 and 7. That's from Klemmer and it's spot on. Brandon Pfaadt at home is nice in game 3, but Scherzer on the road for the Rangers is also much worse. Advantage Dbacks as they are scorching hot off game 2. Then next matchup in game 4 is a test of bullpens. The Dbacks are deeper, better, and don't have any black holes. Opposite that, the Rangers have Martin Perez, Andrew Heaney, an unrested Dane Dunning, and Cody Bradford. Without being disrespectful, the Diamondbacks have a significant advantage to the Rangers after the 2 starting pitchers. And even then, advantage still Diamondbacks.
Game 5 is Zac Gallen at home and common logic says he won't go a full month without a dominant start. He was fine in the WC round against Milwaukee and has slowly gotten worse along the way. My baseball guy instinct says he's got a lower back injury/tightness based on his lack of rotational extension. I'll explain that later, but for now I'll lean into Gallen being one of the best in the world, and him demonstrating that in game 5 at home.
After that, we're willing to say Merill Kelly comes back to earth against Jordan Montgomery in game 6 if it happens. Which honestly might be the dumbest thing we say all show, but it's rooted in realism: Monty is better than his game 2. Kelly pitched his balls off. The leveling here is realistic even if recent history says we're morons for thinking that.
And after that come game 7 - Max Scherzer vs. Brandon Pfaadt with both bullpens on full alert. That has to be a substantial advantage to the Diamondbacks.
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So as it stands right now Monday at lunch, the Diamondbacks have a bulk of the advantages. As such I'll spend some time later on why that could be wrong. But let's talk about two key players 1st.
Zac Gallen is much better. Is he hurt? Here's a start from April. The big thing here is his left hip. His glove hip. The transition of weight to his front side is explosive. You see the recoil on the nike swoosh above his left butt cheek.
World Series start. Small potatoes but the nike logo isn't recoiling. He's not ripping into his front side like early in the season and I think he's losing a bit because of it. That's purely a physical wear and tear aspect, and I could be completely wrong in my assessment. It could be shoulder, back, ankle. Whatever.
But it's clear that he's not ripping and driving like normal.
This would be the best argument against a Gallen bounce back. We still have two more games to get there, but this is by far the most important consideration as the series progresses.
Couple other small things:
Corbin Carroll is worth $1 Billion according to Klemmer and I don't disagree. That's over 15 years and worth $66M per year. I think he's the best young player in baseball and you're not going to tell me otherwise.
*A billion is probably too much.
Kevin Ginkel is the best reliever in baseball that's still playing and you guys should be paying attention to him. He's got the nastiest slider and a great last name. Ginkel. That guy rocks and I hope he gets another big moment this postseason for you to sink into.
Corey Seager is the best player on the field and that includes Corbin Carroll. The dramatics. The presence. The humility and grace despite the overwhelming dominance. It's such a rare combination and it's actually insane more teams didn't mortgage their future on his talent because he's so much better than any shortstop in the American League. Probably any shortstop in the National League. Definitely a top 10 player and the only question we have is how much do you credit the shift? He hits in the 2-hole, frequently with a runner on 1st base and the 2nd baseman in double play depth. He has the biggest hole to play with for a guy that MLB shifted on 99% of the time when you could do that. Rule change advantage only goes so far though. Seager could still hit .300 with 5 infielders and 4 outfielders. I believe that.
The Baseball Gods Have Been Good To Us and I think that's because Klemmer doesn't believe. He thinks it's silly, which is fine. I get it. But since we published a show a week ago saying these playoffs suck, they've been nothing but fantastic. The moment we challenged the divine presence of baseball balance, we've been inundated with close games and 7-game series. It's been awesome. And while some can say coincidence, I know better than to extend gratitude to any power but the baseball gods. They giveth and they taketh and do so without hesitation.
And right now they're giving us a good World Series with the potential to be great. For that, I am forever in their service.
You can join me or maybe just check out the playoff coverage.
Thank you