The 2023 AL Postseason is now officially set. Although the seeding is not official yet, all 6 teams coming out of the American League are ready to make some noise. We will see the Baltimore Orioles, Tampa Bay Rays, Minnesota Twins, Texas Rangers, Toronto Blue Jays, and the Houston Astros all in October this year. Here's how it all went down to figure out the Postseason spots last night.
Texas Rangers (Clinched) -
The Texas Rangers are back in the postseason for the first time since 2016. Coming off a 94 loss season, this is a remarkable look for a Rangers team. The front office went out and seemingly made all the right moves. This lineup has the capability of scoring 10 runs per night and the pitching staff has been just as good. The only question mark surrounding this team has to be the bullpen.
However, having looked like the team as a whole is starting to get back into the swing of things, this is an extremely dangerous team when right. The Rangers will look to make sure they are known in October.
Toronto Blue Jays (Clinched) -
The Blue Jays become the third AL East team to clinch a playoff spot, joining the Rays and Orioles. The Blue Jays have seemingly been coasting along all season long. Nothing special, but the club just does what they need to do. The hype surrounding them has been down recently and they've become a "sneaky team".
Many are not as high on the Blue Jays, but that might just light a fire underneath them. This lineup is capable and the pitching staff has proved just as much. The Blue Jays will look to play "spoiler" come October.
Houston Astros (Clinched) -
The defending World Series champions are officially back in October, just a bit later than many expected. With their 1-0 win last night against Arizona, they clinched their spot in the Postseason for the seventh consecutive season.
As mentioned, this came a bit later than expected. This Astros club has seemingly underperformed all season long. With the Texas Rangers holding the AL West for so long, many forgot about the team coming off a World Series win.
The Astros lineup is fully capable of beating anybody in October. However, their are some question marks surrounding the pitching. The Astros are heading into October looking for a repeat and a clean slate.
Seattle Mariners (Eliminated) -
The Seattle Mariners made it interesting, but in the end, they couldn't get it done. This Mariners team was expected to make a huge leap in the AL West this season. However, with a new upcoming foe in the Rangers, and the forever naggy Astros, it was quite the hurdle.
The Mariners are still a young team who needs to smooth out the edges. They have a great club with lots of potential that they will most certainly address come the offseason. Although 2023 wasn't in their favor, look for the Mariners to be in the rumor mill all offseason.
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