Rangers rotation, Padres future and the other major MLB storylines heading into October

MLB has the longest regular season of any major sport, and the marathon will soon be coming to an end. Postseason baseball in October is known for its electric atmosphere, and 12 cities will experience the thrill. Everyone else will take the temperature of the recently completed campaign, and wonder how they will move forward.

Texas has been in a dogfight for the better part of two months in the American League West, but have gotten hot enough to build a little cushion for themselves. It’s going to be interesting to see how the Rangers fare in the postseason, as the front office envisioned having Jacob DeGrom and Max Scherzer at the top of their rotation. It looks like neither will be available to the team.

The Los Angeles Angels will not qualify for the postseason, and the attention turns to what Ohtani will do this offseason. There will be a lot of speculative reports next month about what the Japanese star is looking for from a compensation perspective, and guesses as to where he might want to play.

The Orioles have enjoyed a resurgent season that has reignited life into the fan base. The team figures to be competitive for many years thanks to their young core. However, since many of their most important players have never experienced playoff baseball, it’s anyone’s guess as to how they will fare when the spotlight gets brighter in October.

The Blue Jays are hoping to lock in a playoff spot in the next few days. Even though the beginning of their postseason run would presumably take place on the road, it’s hard not to envision what Rogers Centre would look like if they hosted a postseason game. Toronto fans delivered a raucous experience the last time their team made the playoffs.

Very few believed that the Phillies would be the team to come out of the National League last year, but they made it all the way to the World Series. Philadelphia still probably wouldn’t be a popular selection to make another deep postseason run, but underestimating them has proven to be a futile exercise.

San Diego was projected to be in the thick of the playoff race in 2023, as their front office has invested significant capital into some of the game’s best players. The Padres will likely not make the postseason, which will open up questions about whether they might trade some of their high priced stars.

The end of the regular season also signals the end of the line for certain MLB managers. Skippers are either fired or mutually part ways with their clubs, and we can expect a few changes in early October. Look toward the bottom of the standings to understand which teams are considering a change, and also to older managers who may want to step down.  

Los Angeles has been one of the best teams in baseball for the last decade, but only has one World Series title to show for it. That championship took place during the pandemic shortened season in 2020, which many baseball fans believe was an asterisked title. The Dodgers are hopeful they can win it again in 2023 to silence the critics.