- The 2023 regular season runs from Thursday, Mar. 30 to Sunday, Oct. 1.
- The postseason will start on Tuesday, Oct. 3, with a potential World Series Game 7 on Nov. 4.
- 2023 is the first season to feature MLB’s new balanced schedule.
The 2023 regular season is the first to feature MLB’s new balanced schedule.
Under the new format, all teams play each other for at least one series during the regular season, with 52 divisional games (previously 76), 64 intraleague games (previously 66), and 46 interleague games (previously 20) creating new matchups across the league.
How Are World Series Teams Chosen?
As was introduced as the postseason format in 2022, the 2023 season will see 12 teams advance to the playoffs — three division winners and three Wild Card teams from each league. Based on their regular-season records, the teams will be assigned seeds 1-6 in their league.
The first round of the playoffs, the Wild Card Series, will see the top two seeds from each league (i.e., the two division-winning teams with the best regular-season records) receive a bye. The third division-winning team (Seed 3) will host the third Wild Card team (Seed 6) for a best-of-three series, with Seed 4 doing the same with Seed 5.
As was seen in 2022 with the New York Mets being eliminated in this round, securing a bye can be a huge advantage, so just getting into the postseason isn’t enough anymore — ranking is crucial.
The winning teams from the Wild Card Series will advance to the best-of-five Division Series. Seed 1 will return to host the winner of Seed 3 vs. Seed 6, and Seed 2 will welcome the winner of Seed 4 vs. Seed 5. The winners of those series will then advance to a seven-game Championship Series, with the final two teams moving forward to the World Series.
World Series Odds 2023
| TEAM | OPENING ODDS | CURRENT ODDS |
|---|---|---|
| Braves | +800 | +500 |
| Dodgers | +500 | +500 |
| Astros | +700 | +650 |
| Rays | +2200 | +650 |
| Yankees | +900 | +1200 |
| Mets | +1100 | +1600 |
| Padres | +1400 | +1800 |
| Blue Jays | +900 | +1800 |
| Twins | +4000 | +2000 |
| Rangers | +5000 | +2000 |
| Brewers | +2200 | +2500 |
| Phillies | +1300 | +2500 |
| Cardinals | +1700 | +3000 |
| Orioles | +3500 | +3500 |
| Angels | +2500 | +3500 |
| Mariners | +1800 | +3500 |
| Giants | +3500 | +5000 |
| Diamondbacks | +6600 | +6000 |
| Red Sox | +3000 | +6000 |
| Guardians | +3500 | +6600 |
| Cubs | +8000 | +10000 |
| Marlins | +5000 | +12500 |
| Pirates | +15000 | +15000 |
| White Sox | +1400 | +20000 |
| Reds | +10000 | +50000 |
| Tigers | +5000 | +50000 |
| Rockies | +8000 | +100000 |
| Royals | +8000 | +100000 |
| Athletics | +15000 | +100000 |
| Nationals | +15000 | +100000 |
Atlanta Braves
In 2022, the Braves won the NL East with a record of 101-61, only bettering the New York Mets (also 101-61) through a tie-breaker. They were eliminated by the Philadelphia Phillies in the Division Series, but coming into 2023, Atlanta are contenders to go all the way.
The Braves weren’t particularly active during the offseason, but they didn’t really need to be — their core team is already very good. Ronald Acuna Jr., Michael Harris II, Austin Riley, Ozzie Albies, and Spencer Strider are all back, and recent acquisition Sean Murphy just signed an extension that will keep him in Atlanta through 2029.
As of May 30, the Braves have a strong lead in the NL East with a record of 32-22. In an extremely competitive division, I expect Atlanta to be a team to watch in 2023.
The tie…@austinriley1308 pic.twitter.com/DuHR9VleKr
— Atlanta Braves (@Braves) September 30, 2022
Los Angeles Dodgers
The Dodgers lost star shortstop Trea Turner to free agency during the offseason, but with a roster boasting Freddie Freeman, Mookie Betts, Clayton Kershaw, Julio Urías, and a slew of other stars, fans’ expectations are still very high.
In 2022, Los Angeles finished the regular season with an incredible 111-51 record to become the only organization in MLB history to win at least 106 games in three consecutive full seasons. The Dodgers suffered an abrupt elimination from the playoffs by their rival, the San Diego Padres, in the division series, so going into 2023, they had a lot to prove.
As of May 30, the Dodgers are 33-22, which is a very strong comeback from their slower-than-usual start to the season. They’ve pushed ahead of the Diamondbacks to lead the NL West, so even in a long season, I don’t expect Los Angeles to fade away any time soon.
Houston Astros
The reigning-champion Houston Astros are the tired second-favorites to take home the 2023 World Series title, but do they really have enough to repeat?
Having lost Justin Verlander to free agency, the Astros extended Cristian Javier on a five-year, $63 million contract, and signed José Abreu to a three-year, $58.5 million deal. Off the field, the Astros replaced their general manager with Dana Brown from the Atlanta Braves.
As of May 30, the Astros are 31-22, which is a nice comeback from their initially slow start to the year. Only time will tell if they can hold on.
Tampa Bay Rays
The Rays started 2023 by tying the MLB record for longest winning streak to start a season (13 games), so they came in very hot from the get go. As of May 30, Tampa Bay is leading the famously-competitive AL East with a record of 39-17, and they’re showing absolutely no signs of slowing down.
In 2022, the Rays advanced to the playoffs with a regular-season record of 86-76, but were eliminated in the Wild Card Series by the Cleveland Guardians. They’ve clearly come in very hot after that upset, even potentially contending to be the best team in franchise history, so going all the way this season definitely isn’t out of the question.
MLB Betting at BetMGM
At the sportsbook, you can bet on baseball throughout the year. From run lines and live sports betting to World Series odds and player props, the best MLB betting experience is at BetMGM.
