MLB Playoffs 2023: Divisional Round Picks and Predictions For Every Series | News, Scores, Highlights, Stats, and Rumors
Michael King There are no awards given out for the division series. In fact, the only postseason awards are the ALCS MVP, the NLCS MVP and the World Series MVP. But let's pretend we live in a world with more trophies and make some predictions here.
Division Series Round MVP: Freddie Freeman, Los Angeles Dodgers
Freeman, who hit .331 for the year with 59 doubles and 29 home runs, put a hurting on a lot of opponents. But he had 21 hits against Arizona in 13 games, batting .389 with a 1.098 OPS.
Although the Dodgers lost in the NLDS last year, he hit .357 with four extra-base hits against the Padres, doing his part to carry an offense that otherwise didn't show up.
Mookie Betts was the brighter star during the regular season, but Freeman's career postseason OPS (.947) is more than 200 points greater than Betts' (.741).
Division Series Round Cy Young: Spencer Strider, Atlanta Braves
With an honorable mention to Baltimore's Kyle Bradish, we have to go with Strider as he looks to exact some personal revenge against the Phillies for last October.
Strider missed the end of the 2022 regular season with an oblique injury, but he battled back to make the NLDS roster, only to get shelled for five earned runs in 2.1 innings in the blowout loss in Game 3.
But this year, he's healthy.
He won 20 games. He struck out 44 more batters than his closest challenger. And he owned the Phillies during the regular season.
He'll spin a gem in Game 1 and would even be able to start Game 4 on normal rest if Atlanta decides to go that route.
Rookie of the Division Series Round: Gunnar Henderson, Baltimore Orioles
Corbin Carroll. Royce Lewis. Bobby Miller. Evan Carter. Orion Kerkering. Hunter Brown. Every team still standing has at least one rookie who could play a pivotal role in the ALDS/NLDS. Even the Atlanta Braves, who didn't have a single rookie make more than 15 plate appearances this season, might need 20-year-old AJ Smith-Shawver to do some pitching in light of all their injuries.
But it's hard to bet against Henderson here after he played so well over the final four months of the regular season.
If Baltimore-Texas does go the distance, the O's rookie who hit .340 with a 1.256 OPS when batting with two outs and runners in scoring position will deliver at least one massive hit, perhaps even one in walk-off fashion.
Reliever of the Division Series Round: Evan Phillips, Los Angeles Dodgers
Phillips has quietly been incredibly dominant over the past two seasons. In 124.1 innings of work since the start of 2022, he has a 1.59 ERA and a 0.80 WHIP. The only pitcher to log at least 80 innings during that time with a better mark in either category is Jacob deGrom with a 0.75 WHIP. And in his postseason career, Phillips has a line of 6.1 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 3 BB, 12 K.
All odds courtesy of DraftKings.
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