2023 ALDS Series Preview: Baltimore Orioles vs. Texas Rangers
The Wild Card round has come and gone, it gave us some great games, questionable decisions and surprising outcomes. A common trio within the world of playoff baseball. But now we move on to the Divisional series, starting in the American LEague with the Baltimore Orioles set to face the hot Texas Rangers. Who has the slight edge that will allow them to come out on top? Let’s find out.
| Game | Date | Probable Starter | Time (ET) | T.V |
| 1 | 10/7 | Dane Dunning vs Kyle Bradish | 1:03 | FS1 |
| 2 | 10/8 | TBD vs Grayson Rodriguez | 4:07 | FS1 |
| 3 | 10/10 | TBD vs John Means | 8:03 | Fox |
| 4* | 10/11 | TBD vs TBD | TBD | Fox/FS1 |
| 5* | 10/13 | Dane Dunning vs Kyle Bradish | TBD | Fox/FS1 |
Baltimore Orioles
Overview:
The Baltimore Orioles were consistently one of the best teams in the MLB all year. Allowing them to finish first in the AL with a record of 101-61. Giving them their first playoff berth since 2016. It was a lot of losing since then but now the Orioles are primed to make a deep playoff run. They have the pitching and that lineup is more than capable of scoring enough to secure wins. The question becomes, will it be enough?
The Good:
For the Baltimore Orioles, the thing they most have going for them is their consistency. They got hot at times, but it never really seemed like they ever got too cold. Now being streaky can be good, take the Phillies last year, but it can also end your season if you start to go cold. For Baltimore, it probably does not need to worry about that.
Their pitching ranked slightly higher than their hitting as a team (7th vs 13th) and I think that will play a big role if the Orioles want to win. The Rangers have a dangerous lineup but I do think this Orioles rotation/bullpen can greatly limit it.
Kyle Bradish and Grayson Rodriguez should be a great one-two punch with John Means serving as a great third option. If those three can pitch as advertised, and this lineup stays as consistent as it’s been all year, I don’t see how the Orioles lose this series.
The Bad:
Well for the Orioles there in my mind are two concerns: The loss of Felix Bautista and the amount of time off they have had. Bautista’s absence is one that I think the Orioles will really feel come this postseason. All year Bautista was as close to a guarantee as you could get in terms of saving a game.
If the Orioles were winning going into the ninth, they very likely were winning the game. He was practically unhittable and would have been a huge piece for the Orioles this run. The Orioles still have a good bullpen outside of Bautista, but there just isn’t any way to fully make up the value he brought to the team.
It’s also been nearly a week since the Orioles have played. which can definitely hurt the consistency the Orioles have shown all year. We’ve seen in years past it’s not always the better team that wins, but the hotter team.
Right now the Orioles don’t really have any momentum, at least not like the Rangers do who are fresh off a sweep vs the Rays. If the Orioles aren’t careful the Rangers could quickly come out and steal a couple of games before the Orioles even realize it. Now this wouldn’t worry me too much as a fan, but it’s definitely something worth noting.
Texas Rangers
Overview:
It was a very up-and-down season for the Texas Rangers, who battled with the Astros all year to secure that AL West Crown. It was a battle that seemingly lasted the entire year with neither team being able to pull away. The mix of talent both in the lineup and rotation gave the Rangers multiple different ways to win. It worked out seeing as they finished 90-72 and they are also hot coming off an easy sweep against the Rays–hoping to carry that momentum into the ALDS.
The Good:
When talking about the good for this Rangers team, you have to mention this lineup. The Rangers spent big money to put together a playoff-caliber lineup and it’s safe to say they have done just that. Superstars like Corey Seager and Marcus Semien played as advertised while Jonah Heim and Josh Jung emerged out of nowhere to have All-Star-type seasons.
Adolis Garcia also hopped on that train having the best year of his career as a starter. It overall allowed the Rangers to have a more balanced lineup. Not having to solely rely on the bigger-name guys to give them runs. Evan Carter is also a name we should start getting familiar with. He seems like he could be that postseason hero that every team needs when making a deep run.
I mentioned how good the Orioles starting pitching is, but if there is a lineup that could give them trouble, it would be this one right here, especially throughout a five-game series. Can you keep an offense like this down for that long?
The Bad:
Unfortunately for the Rangers, their good has also been their bad, at times: The consistency of the offense. When it’s on, it’s arguably the best lineup in MLB. There is no denying that. But during the regular season, there were times when this offense was just flat-out bad, causing them to lose games.
They did still finish third as a team in total offense, but that’s more a testament to the star power this lineup holds. Hot streaks are great, and the Rangers are hoping to keep that momentum from the Rays series going. But if they suddenly get cold like we’ve seen in the past, I’m not sure this pitching will be able to handle it.
Nathan Eovaldi and Jordan Montgomery are likely unable to pitch the first two games since they both pitched against the Rays. If those two guys aren’t on the mound, you’re suddenly placing a lot more pressure on that lineup, which is great if everyone is hitting. But if that lineup gets cold it’s game over for the Rangers.
Prediction
Well If my prediction on the Blue Jays-Twins series should tell you anything (check that out here) it’s that you shouldn’t listen to anything I write in these next few sentences. I think this will be a great series that the Rangers will win in five games. I know and acknowledge that the Orioles are likely the better team top to bottom, but I just feel like the Rangers are going to get hot. They have the momentum and I think will catch the Orioles off guard early. Allowing guys like Eovaldi and Montgomery to close out the series should it go past the three games. Of course, now I say this which means the Orioles will win in three by a total of 42 runs. Rangers in 5
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