The 2023 Major League Baseball postseason was the playoff tournament of Major League Baseball (MLB) for the 2023 season. The winners of the Wild Card Series faced the two best division winners (seeds) in each league in the Division Series, and the victors advanced to the League Championship Series to determine the pennant winners who played each other in the World Series.
In the American League, the Baltimore Orioles and Texas Rangers returned to the postseason for the first time since 2016. The Houston Astros made their seventh straight postseason appearance and the eighth in the past nine seasons, marking the first time since 2015 that both Texas teams made the postseason. The Minnesota Twins made their fourth postseason appearance in the past seven seasons. The Toronto Blue Jays returned to the postseason for the third time in the past four seasons, and the Tampa Bay Rays returned for the fifth consecutive season.
In the National League, the Los Angeles Dodgers clinched their eleventh straight postseason berth, which is currently the longest active streak in the majors and in professional sports. The Atlanta Braves clinched the best record in the majors and made their sixth straight postseason appearance. The Milwaukee Brewers returned to the postseason for the fifth time in the past six seasons. The Miami Marlins returned to the postseason for the second time in the past four seasons. The Philadelphia Phillies made their second straight postseason appearance, and the Arizona Diamondbacks returned for the first time since 2017.
All five of the teams with artificial turf in the major leagues reached the postseason: Miami, Arizona, Toronto, Tampa Bay, and Texas.
This was the first edition of the postseason in which the last four remaining teams in the LCS had 90 or fewer regular-season wins.
The postseason began on October 3 and ended on November 1, with the Rangers defeating the Diamondbacks in the 2023 World Series to clinch their first title in franchise history. The total postseason attendance was 1,775,625 across 41 games, averaging 43,308 per game.
Teams The three division winners in each league and the top three non-division winners in each league qualified for the playoffs. The top two division winners receive byes to the American League Division Series (ALDS) or National League Division Series (NLDS) while the other teams who qualify for the playoffs play in the wild card series.
The following teams qualified for the postseason: American League Baltimore Orioles – 101–61, AL East champions Houston Astros – 90–72, AL West champions (9–4 head-to-head vs. TEX) Minnesota Twins – 87–75, AL Central champions Tampa Bay Rays – 99–63 Texas Rangers – 90–72 (4–9 head-to-head vs. HOU) Toronto Blue Jays – 89–73
National League Atlanta Braves – 104–58, NL East champions Los Angeles Dodgers – 100–62, NL West champions Milwaukee Brewers – 92–70, NL Central champions Philadelphia Phillies – 90–72 Miami Marlins – 84–78 (4–2 head-to-head vs. AZ) Arizona Diamondbacks – 84–78 (2–4 head-to-head vs. MIA)
Playoff bracket
American League Wild Card Series
(3) Minnesota Twins vs. (6) Toronto Blue Jays
This was the second postseason meeting between the Blue Jays and Twins. They last met in the ALCS in 1991, which was won by the Twins in five games en route to a World Series title. Minnesota ended 21 years of futility, sweeping Toronto to win their first playoff series since 2002. It also marked the end of their long streak of playoff game losses, which stood at 18 consecutive losses, the longest in North American sports history.
The Twins' streak of 18 consecutive playoff game losses was ended in Game 1, as Royce Lewis hit two home runs in his first two at-bats to lead the Twins to a 3–1 victory. It was the Twins' first playoff game win since Game 1 of the ALDS in 2004 against the New York Yankees. In Game 2, Sonny Gray out-dueled the Blue Jays' José Berríos and Yusei Kikuchi as the Twins won in a 2–0 shutout to win their first playoff series in 21 years.
While the Blue Jays were the sixth seed, the series result was considered an upset as the Blue Jays (89–73) finished with a better record than the Twins (87–75). Toronto was awarded the sixth seed under the new playoff format, which guarantees division winners a top-3 seed.
(4) Tampa Bay Rays vs. (5) Texas Rangers
This was the third postseason meeting between the Rays and Rangers. The previous two meetings (2010 and 2011) were won by the Rangers. The Rangers swept the Rays to advance to the ALDS for the first time since 2016.
The Rangers held the Rays to one run scored in the series. Jordan Montgomery pitched seven shutout innings as the Rangers took Game 1 by a 4–0 score. Game 1 was notable for several stats – the Rays committed four errors, setting a single-game playoff franchise record and the most in a postseason game since the New York Yankees committed four errors in Game 4 of the 2019 ALCS. It was also notable for the record low attendance at Tropicana Field, as there was only 19,704 in attendance – the lowest attended postseason game (non-COVID-19 year) since Game 7 of the 1919 World Series. Nathan Eovaldi pitched a solid 6 innings in Game 2 as the Rangers blew out the Rays to complete the sweep and advance.
With the win, the Rangers improved their postseason record against the Rays to 3–0. This was the first playoff series won by the Rangers since they won the American League pennant in 2011.
National League Wild Card Series
(3) Milwaukee Brewers vs. (6) Arizona Diamondbacks
This was the second postseason meeting between the Brewers and Diamondbacks. They previously met in the NLDS in 2011, which was won by the Brewers in five games. The Diamondbacks upset the Brewers in a sweep, returning to the NLDS for the first time since 2017.
The Diamondbacks stunned the Brewers with a come-from-behind victory in Game 1 – the Brewers led 3–0 after the first two innings, until Arizona's Corbin Carroll, Ketel Marte, and Gabriel Moreno all hit home runs across the top of the third and fourth innings to put the Diamondbacks in the lead for good. In Game 2, the Brewers again jumped out to an early lead and had a no-hit bid going into the top of the fifth, until Arizona's Alek Thomas hit a solo home run to end it. Then the Diamondbacks rallied to win again, as Carroll doubled and Marte hit a two-RBI single to put Arizona in the lead, and then a wild pitch and then a blooper scored the next two runs.
(4) Philadelphia Phillies vs. (5) Miami Marlins
The Phillies swept the Marlins to advance to the NLDS for the second year in a row.
The Phillies’ pitching staff held the Marlins’ offense to one run scored in both games. Zack Wheeler gave up one run and struck out eight Marlins over 6 strong innings as the Phillies won 4–1 in Game 1. Aaron Nola pitched seven strong innings in Game 2 as the Phillies blew out the Marlins, capped off by Bryson Stott's grand slam in the bottom of the sixth.
American League Division Series
(1) Baltimore Orioles vs. (5) Texas Rangers
This was the second postseason meeting between the Orioles and Rangers. They last met in the inaugural AL Wild Card game in 2012, which was won by the Orioles. The Rangers upset the heavily favored Orioles in a sweep, returning to the ALCS for the first time since 2011.
The Rangers held off a late push by the Orioles to take Game 1 on the road, capped off by Josh Jung's solo home run in the top of the sixth. Game 2 was an offensive slugfest which the Rangers won 11–8, in part thanks to a third-inning grand slam hit by Mitch Garver. Nathan Eovaldi pitched seven solid innings in Game 3 as the Rangers blew out the Orioles by a 7–1 score to complete the sweep.
(2) Houston Astros vs. (3) Minnesota Twins
This was the second postseason meeting between the Astros and Twins. They last met in the Wild Card round in 2020, which was won by the Astros in a two-game sweep. The Astros once again defeated the Twins, this time in four games, to return to the ALCS for the seventh year in a row.
The Astros held on to win as their bullpen held off a late rally by the Twins. Game 1 was notable for Justin Verlander's six shutout innings pitched for the sixth scoreless start of his postseason career, tying Madison Bumgarner and Tom Glavine for most all-time. In Game 2, Pablo López pitched seven solid innings for the Twins, as they jumped out to a big lead early and didn't relinquish it, evening the series headed to Minneapolis. Game 2 marked the end of the Astros' 12-game home winning streak in the ALDS, and it was also their first loss in Game 2 of the LDS since the second game of the 2015 ALDS against the Kansas City Royals. Cristian Javier pitched five scoreless innings in Game 3 as the Astros blew out the Twins to regain the series lead. In Game 4, the Astros held off a late rally by the Twins to win by a 3–2 score and return to the ALCS.
This marked the seventh consecutive loss for the Twins in the ALDS, as they previously lost in 2003, 2004, 2006, 2009, 2010, and 2019. Their most recent (and only) ALDS series win came in 2002, where they defeated the Oakland Athletics in five games before falling in the ALCS to the eventual World Series champion Anaheim Angels.
National League Division Series
(1) Atlanta Braves vs. (4) Philadelphia Phillies
This was the third postseason meeting between the Braves and Phillies. They previously met in the NLCS in 1993 and the NLDS in the previous year, both of which were won by the Phillies. Like last year’s matchup, the Phillies again defeated the Braves in four games to return to the NLCS for the second consecutive season.
The outcome of this series was nearly identical to the previous year's match. The Phillies stole Game 1 on the road in a 3–0 shutout. In Game 2, the Braves overcame a late deficit in the seventh and eighth innings to even the series, thanks to a pair of two-run home runs from Travis d'Arnaud and Austin Riley. However, when the series shifted to Philadelphia, things again got ugly for the Braves. The Phillies blew out the Braves in Game 3, thanks to multiple home runs from Nick Castellanos, Bryce Harper, Trea Turner, and Brandon Marsh. Castellanos and Turner both homered again for the Phillies in Game 4 as they held on to win by a 3–1 score.
With the win, the Phillies improved their postseason record against the Braves to 3–0.
(2) Los Angeles Dodgers vs. (6) Arizona Diamondbacks
This was the second postseason meeting in the history of the Diamondbacks–Dodgers rivalry, also known as the I-10 rivalry. They previously met in the NLDS in 2017, which was won by the Dodgers in a sweep before falling in the World Series. In a significant upset given their regular season win differential, the 84-win Diamondbacks swept the 100-win Dodgers, reaching the NLCS for the first time since 2007. This series was a reverse of the NLDS in 2017, where the Dodgers swept the Diamondbacks.
In Game 1, the Diamondbacks’ offense chased Clayton Kershaw from the mound early in a blowout win. Game 1 was the shortest start of Kershaw's career, as he recorded just one out. In Game 2, the Diamondbacks again jumped out to a big early lead and held off a late rally by the Dodgers to win 4–2, capped off by an insurance home run by Lourdes Gurriel Jr. in the top of the sixth. When the series shifted to Phoenix, the Diamondbacks once again jumped out to a 4–0 lead early, thanks to four solo home runs from Moreno, Geraldo Perdomo, Ketel Marte, and Christian Walker respectively. The 2023 Diamondbacks became the first team in postseason history to hit four home runs in a single inning. The Diamondbacks would hold on to win by a 4–2 score, completing an improbable upset.
MLB.com ranked the Diamondbacks’ sweep of the Dodgers as the sixth biggest upset in postseason history. The Dodgers became the eleventh 100+ win team to be swept in the postseason, just a day after the Orioles became the tenth.
American League Championship Series