2023 MLB Division Series preview

The GIST: There’s no dust left on the diamond after all four best-of-three Wild Card (WC) series ended in sweeps — including the elimination of the ever-frustrating Toronto Blue Jays.

• Next up, tomorrow’s best-of-five Division Series Game 1s, where the top two teams in each league — American League (AL) and National League (NL) — will make their postseason debuts after enjoying a WC bye. More starpower, incoming.

(AL) No. 5 Texas Rangers: vs. No. 1 Baltimore Orioles, 1:03 p.m. ET: If you like pitching, this is the matchup for you. The Rangers staff dominated their way to the team’s first playoff series win in 12 years, but they’re rewarded with a date against the 101-win Os, who boast a top-10 team ERA. Adding to the excitement, these squads split their regular-season meetings. Spicy.

(AL) No. 3 Minnesota Twins vs. No. 2 Houston Astros, 4:45 p.m. ET: Fresh off their first playoff series dub in the iPhone era (aka 2002), this one’s giving David vs. Goliath, with the Twins set to take on the defending champ and power-hitting Astros. That said, Minnesota did win the regular-season series 4-2.

(NL) No. 4 Philadelphia Phillies vs. No. 1 Atlanta Braves, 6:07 p.m. ET: It’ll be a bad day to be a baseball when these two explosive offenses meet for an electric NL East battle, a rematch of last year’s NLDS. The Phillies and their lockdown pitching staff danced their way through the WC, but can they tame an Atlanta squad that tied the MLB record for home runs in a season?

(NL) No. 6 Arizona Diamondbacks vs. No. 2 LA Dodgers, 9:20 p.m. ET: Call ’em the comeback kids — the DBacks slithered back from deficits in their WC Games 1 and 2 to reach their first NLDS since 2017. Their opponent? The juggernaut Dodgers, who are making their 11th straight postseason appearance and boast the second best offense in baseball. *gulps*