On Wednesday, the MLB unveiled a groundbreaking schedule adjustment for the 2023 season. For the first time ever, all 30 teams in the Major League will play each other at least once during the same season. Each team will play on the opening day, Jack Robinson day, the Fourth of July, Lou Gehrig day, Game 162, and Roberto Clemente day.
According to the new collective bargaining agreement, each team will only play 52 games against other teams in their division and 64 against other clubs in their league. Each team's interleague schedule will have 46 games, more than double what it currently has (20 games).
Schedules in Major League Baseball have favoured games against division opponents for quite some time. Although the MLB revenue in 2022 almost hit $11 billion, many believe that the thrill of the game is dying. The 2023 format will offer variety; fans can’t wait to see it play out. Let’s explore why this season will be action-packed and what to look forward to from MLB clubs in the 2023 season.
Sports experts deem MLB 2023 will be action-packed
In the previous MLB schedule arrangement, every 30 teams would face off against their division opponents 19 times. Then, they would face another team in their league at least twice and a division from a different league just once. This 2023 season comes with a different schedule.
The league declared that each of the 30 teams would face the other 29 at least once during the season. This adjustment reduces the number of times teams in the same division face each other from 19 to 13. Each team will either host or travel for a three-game series against every other team in the opposing league under the new format for the 2023 season.
As a result, there will be fewer contests against teams in the same division, but the matches would be excellent. For one, fans will see the best players play against each other. There'll be matches of Pete Alonso against Julio Rodriguez, Paul Goldschmidt against Shohei Ohtani, and Vladimir Guerrero Jr. against Juan Soto—basically, every match-up that anyone can imagine.
Teams must also buckle up, pick up their training pace, and put their players in the best possible shape if they want victories this season. To that effect, there have been trading rumours, particularly about Zack Britton. According to a report from Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic, the left-hander, who’s still one of the finest relief alternatives available on the open market, did a pitching session in Florida on Wednesday. The Giants, Dodgers, Cubs, Angels, Mets, and Rangers attended it.
Can Houston Astros defend their 2022 title?
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Houston Astros is among the clubs with the best chances of successfully replacing their lost ace and league leader in earned run average (ERA) during the offseason. It will be difficult for them to make up for the loss of Justin Verlander. However, their new top three of Cristian Javier (135 ERA+), Framber Valdez (124 ERA+ in ‘22), and Lance McCullers (118 ERA+) is more than sufficient.
The rotation will be completed by Luis Garcia and Jose Urquidy, though it’s possible Hunter Brown will get some innings if Houston uses a sixth pitcher. With Ryan Pressly, Rafael Montero, Bryan Abreu, and Hector Neris as their primary late-inning cogs, expect a similar gameplay that led the league in ERA (2.80) last season.
Although they’re not among the top teams in the MLB farm ranking system, they beat the Philadelphia Phillies in six games to win the 2022 World Series. Framber Valdez was nearly perfect for Houston until he gave up a solo home run to Kyle Schwarber in the sixth inning, which gave the Phillies a 1-0 lead.
Fortunately, the loss was only temporary. Yordan Alvarez, an Astros slugger, hit a three-run home ball in the sixth inning off Philadelphia Phillies José Alvarado, giving Houston a 3-1 lead that the bullpen would not let slip.
Along with Valdez and Alvarez's accomplishments, rookie shortstop Jeremy Peña also recorded two hits and was in scoring position during the Alvarez home run. This marked the second time that the Astros have won the World Series.
Predictions for the 2023 winner will be challenging
During the demonstration at TD Ballpark, MLB vice president of on-field strategy Joe Martinez noted that fans want shorter games and more action. He added that more doubles, triples, stolen base attempts, and great defensive plays are what fans want to see.
Baseball is implementing its most significant rule changes in decades to address fan concerns about things like pickoff attempts, pitching changes, and walks. Beginning with the first spring training games, Major League Baseball will implement a pitch timer, ban the shift, and use larger bases.
Even though 2023 is just starting, baseball experts have already made bold predictions about what will happen in the Major Leagues in the coming months. One of these is that the Texas Rangers will win the AL West. The Astros, who defeated MLB Philadelphia Phillies, despite the club signing deal with Trea Turner, are clear favourites in the American League West. However, Houston's fierce rivals, the Texas Rangers, have made the most improvements this offseason.
The Rangers have improved their starting rotation by acquiring Jacob deGrom, one of the best pitchers in baseball history. They brought in Andrew Heaney, who, when in form, brings better gameplay to the table. Furthermore, they kept Martin Pérez, brought in Nathan Eovaldi, and acquired Jake Odorizzi in a trade.
Another is the Toronto Blue Jays winning the World Series. Although they last won a postseason game in 2016, the Blue Jays have been a top contender during the past three seasons. They made the playoffs in 2020 and 2022 but missed the postseason by a single game in 2021. Of course, these are all predictions, and there’s no surefire way to know how this remarkable season will play out.