What are the expectations for the 2023 MLB season?

With the new rule changes and the year with the Harshad number (2 + 0 + 2 + 3 = 7; 2023/7 = 289. As for Harshad, it’s a Sanskrit term meaning “giver of joy”), everything points to this being the New MLB the season will be very exciting and promising. Several teams are preparing to win the championship in their divisions, while the new regulations will give more rhythm to the matches.

What is expected for this new MLB season 2023? Let’s analyze some contexts.

Baseball returns on March 30 for Opening Day 2023. Here’s a look at the full MLB calendar for this year. https://t.co/XhEy0AyXK2 — NBC New York (@NBCNewYork) March 22, 2023

The Houston Astros look like the favorites, but don’t count on them

The defending champions are the favorites to retain the title for two main reasons: They have reached the World Series three times in the last four years and they have kept the core of their roster intact. Because of these facts, many consider Houston to be one of the best teams in the MLB right now.

However, practice tells us that we should not blindly bet on the Astros. Sure, he’s favored for being the current champion, but historically the Houston native doesn’t do very well retaining titles or chasing them. In fact, the last team that managed to retain the title was the New York Yankees in the 1998-2000 seasons.

Another fact to keep in mind is the departure of Justin Verlander to the Mets which affected the team’s rotation. Also, several of their stars are already older (José Altuve, José Abreu, Michael Brantley) while other players have endurance issues (Yordan Álvarez, Alex Bregman, Brantley). Therefore, one should be careful when betting on the favorite.

Favorites of the National League

Atlanta Braves

After securing their roster with contract extensions early in their careers, the acquisition of All-Star Sean Murphy and the dynamic that Michael Harris II, Ozzie Albies and Ronald Acuña Jr. will bring. safe release by taking advantage of the new steal rules, suggests the Braves will have an enviable lineup. Let’s recall that the Atlanta Braves were the champions of the 2021 World Series in a very exciting and amazing way.

New York Mets

The Mets have key players in their lineup such as Brandon Nimmo, Jeff McNeil and Mark Canha, who provide a solid offensive base for this 2023 season. Also notable is their revamped pitching staff starting with Cy Young, Justin Verlander and Max Scherzer who will undoubtedly give the team at least 25 starts each.

We can’t go unnoticed with reliever Edwin Díaz and the return of Adam Ottavino, who along with David Robertson and Brooks Raley will make the Mets’ bullpen one of the most formidable.

Philadelphia Phillies

⚾ It’s almost time to play baseball — for real. https://t.co/vvFWdty8eE— NBC10 Philadelphia (@NBCPhiladelphia) March 22, 2023

After losing in six games to the Houston Astros in the last World Series, David Dombrowski set to work on improving the Phillies’ lineup to win a championship this year. To do that, they acquired shortstop Treo Turner to shore up the defense, Taijuan Walker to make the rotation more robust, and Craig Kimbrel and Matt Strahm to optimize the bullpen.

This season, the Phillies enter again as the dark horses to win the National League. However, this position is very comfortable for them and they even enjoy it.

American League Favorites

The Houston Astros not only have serious rivals in the National League, but also in their own American League. These are the favorite American League teams to challenge the defending champions.

toronto blue jays

The BlueJays currently have one of the strongest lineups in the MLB that they could go far with. The offense is led by Vladimir Guerrero Jr, Bo Bichette, George Springer, Matt Chapman and Alejandro Kirk. In defense, the players Daulton Varsho and Kevin Kiermaier stand out, who will undoubtedly support the starting rotation.

For this season, Toronto should have an outstanding defense and exceptional pitching.

New York Yankees

The team with the most championship titles in the history of the World Cup has not seen the light of day since 2009, when they won their last championship. That’s why this season the Yankees strengthened their pitching staff to such an extent that it became one of the strongest in baseball. To accomplish this, they brought in star pitcher and Cy Young candidate Carlos Rondón, who along with Gerrit Cole, Luis Severino and Néstor Cortés will form a formidable American League rotation.

Offensively, the Yankees continue to rely on their star outfielder Aaron Judge, although if doubts about his health persist, the team has young local talent, such as Oswald Peraza and Anthony Volpe. For this reason, many believe that the Yankees have a good team for this season.

Chicago White Sox

The White Sox have a strong core in their lineup that is mainly represented by Tim Anderson, Eloy Jiménez, Andrew Vaughn, Andrew Benintendi and Luis Robert. Because of this, he is considered one of the most dangerous in the American League. If, in addition, Lucas Gioltio manages to fully recover from the problems that plagued him last season and opens up a front with Dylan Cease and Lance Lynn, surely those from Chicago will go far.

Various baseball bookmakers already manage their projections, as well as various sports media and analysts. However, with recent rule changes and the ambition of several stars to shine this year, predictions for the 2023 season could vary.

What is expected after the new rules?

MLB rules change: League to adjust pitch clock, but 15- and 20-second limits remain for 2023 season, according to report https://t.co/T0z8jeJOJl — CBS Sports MLB (@CBSSportsMLB) March 22, 2023

– By reducing pitching time by 14 seconds with no men on base and 19 with runners, average game time will decrease by 20 minutes.

-Base stealing will increase.

– Batting average will increase to .254.