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The 2023 MLB playoffs are down to four teams after surprising division series saw three of the four top-seeded teams get knocked out.

Now that the Texas RangersHouston Astros and Arizona DiamondbacksPhiladelphia Phillies matchups are set, it’s time for some predictions! We asked our MLB experts to weigh in on who will move on to the World Series, which players will earn LCS MVP honors and the themes we’ll all be talking about in the next week. They’ll also explain why their initial MLB postseason predictions are still in play — or went very wrong.


American League Championship Series

Houston Astros (6 votes), Texas Rangers (4)

Tristan Cockcroft: Rangers in 6

MVP: Corey Seager

The one thing we’ll all be talking about: Seager strengthening his case as one of this generation’s most dominant forces in October.

Bradford Doolittle: Astros in 6

MVP: Yordan Alvarez

The one thing we’ll all be talking about: How this series sets the tone for big league baseball in Texas for years to come. Baseball is better for its best rivalries, and Astros-Rangers is already a good one with plenty of kindling in place for a roaring fire.

Alden Gonzalez: Rangers in 6

MVP: Marcus Semien

The one thing we’ll all be talking about: Max Scherzer‘s heroic return, and how his presence created the domino effect that helped the Rangers make up for a leaky bullpen.

Eric Karabell: Astros in 6

MVP: Yordan Alvarez

The one thing we’ll all be talking about: The disappointing New York Mets when Justin Verlander faces off twice against Scherzer.

Tim Kurkjian: Astros in 7

MVP: Yordan Alvarez

The one thing we’ll all be talking about: The Astros trying to become the first team since the 1998-2000 New York Yankees to repeat as World Series champions, and the devastation of Alvarez in the middle of the order.

Paul Hembekides: Astros in 7

MVP: Yordan Alvarez

The one thing we’ll all be talking about: We’ll be talking about Houston’s late-game heroics against a Texas bullpen that proved to be its undoing.

Kiley McDaniel: Astros in 7

MVP: Alex Bregman

The one thing we’ll all be talking about: The battle for Texas might not seem like a sexy or historic matchup, but these teams will be going head-to-head in this division for years, so this may kick it off.

Jeff Passan: Astros in 7

MVP: Yordan Alvarez

The one thing we’ll all be talking about: How the Rangers’ bullpen, which has significantly outperformed expectations, finally regresses to the mean. As relentless as Texas’ lineup is, the Astros’ October tradition of chewing up opposing pitchers continues on.

Jesse Rogers: Rangers in 6

MVP: Adolis Garcia

The one thing we’ll be talking about: It’s hard to repeat, and the Astros will finally run out of steam as the Rangers train just won’t be stopped now that it’s back on track. Garcia will step outside the national shadow of veterans like Seager and Semien and make an even bigger name for himself.

David Schoenfield: Rangers in 7

MVP: Nathan Eovaldi

The one thing we’ll all be talking about: The impressive depth of the Rangers’ lineup (although Eovaldi will win MVP honors with two superlative starts). And the much-maligned Texas bullpen might blow a game but will pitch just well enough to secure the series in seven games.


National League Championship Series

Philadelphia Phillies (9 votes), Arizona Diamondbacks (1)

Cockcroft: Phillies in 5

MVP: Bryce Harper

The one thing we’ll all be talking about: Like Seager, Harper strengthening his case as one of this generation’s most dominant forces in October.

Doolittle: Phillies in 5

MVP: Bryce Harper

The one thing we’ll all be talking about: All of the things that have gotten Arizona to this point — lights-out bullpen, timely power surges at the plate, star players doing star things — are things that the Phillies have in place as well. And Philly has the edge in experience and in general after coming so close to winning it all last season.

Gonzalez: Phillies in 5

MVP: Bryce Harper

The one thing we’ll all be talking about: Bryce Harper: The new Mr. October.

Karabell: Phillies in 5

MVP: Zack Wheeler

The one thing we’ll all be talking about: Harper, sure, but also the impressive group of young players the Phillies call the Day Care — Bryson Stott, Alec Bohm and Brandon Marsh.

Kurkjian: Phillies in 7

MVP: Bryce Harper

The one thing we’ll all be talking about: The power and passion of the Phillies, as well as their remarkable home crowd. Bryce Harper will be leading the way.

Hembekides: Phillies in 6

MVP: Kyle Schwarber

The one thing we’ll all be talking about: The Phillies’ historic home run barrage for the second consecutive series.

McDaniel: Phillies in 6

MVP: Bryce Harper

The one thing we’ll all be talking about: Are the Phillies the ultimate playoff mojo team, is Dave Dombrowski the team-building playoff whisperer, or have they objectively cracked the code in terms of how to build a playoff winner?

Passan: Phillies in 6

MVP: Bryce Harper

The one thing we’ll all be talking about: The first World Series rematch in almost half a century. In 1977 and 1978, the Yankees and Los Angeles Dodgers faced off, with the Yankees winning both Series and cementing Reggie Jackson as Mr. October. This will be a grudge match for the ages.

Rogers: Phillies in 6

MVP: Trea Turner

The one thing we’ll be talking about: It’s simple. Philly fans won’t be denied. They’re inevitable.

Schoenfield: Diamondbacks in 7

MVP: Corbin Carroll

The one thing we’ll all be talking about: Nobody is going to pick the Diamondbacks, which underestimates that OF COURSE Arizona has a chance to win even if Philly has all those vibes going right now. Advice to Diamondbacks players: Don’t say anything about Bryce Harper that could lead to the Phillies wearing T-shirts in a champagne celebration that mock you.


World Series predictions we’re right about — so far

Hembekides: I predicted a Phillies-Astros rematch, but I would not be surprised if Houston stumbles in the ALCS. Texas boasts the deepest lineup in the sport — that is a coin-flip series.

Karabell: I originally had the Phillies over the Rays. Phillies-Astros is going to be a cool World Series rematch — the first since 1978 (Yankees-Dodgers) — but the Phillies are much improved from last season, notably in the bullpen and defensively. Perhaps they will be more careful with Alvarez this time. Phillies dance to the title.

Doolittle: Phillies over Rays. I feel really good about half of this pick. Not just because the Phillies are still going, but because they’ve come together in the precise way I thought they might. The most reinforcing aspect of the Phillies’ run so far is the way manager Rob Thomson deployed his bullpen in the clincher against Atlanta, favoring matchups over pre-programmed roles and even doing so with Craig Kimbrel. As for the Rays, well, picking the playoffs is hard, except when you’re right.


World Series predictions gone wrong

Schoenfield: Orioles over Phillies. Well, I guess I won’t be going to that parade in Baltimore. I watched too much of the Rangers that final series against the Mariners, when the bats went cold, and underestimated their ability to flip the switch. I had the Phillies beating the Braves (and then the Dodgers), so why turn on them now? But hey, Zac Gallen and Merrill Kelly are really good.

Cockcroft: Braves over Orioles. What can I say? This year’s Braves were certainly a better team than last year’s model, but so were this year’s Phillies. I should’ve taken more into account the rotational injuries the Braves absorbed late in the season, I suppose.

I don’t have a big issue with the five-day layoff for top seeds, but the remainder of the postseason should be seven-game series, period. For one, the play-in teams should have a tougher hurdle in Round 2, with their rotation potentially really being out of whack, and for another, isn’t the whole idea that we want to see these regular-season dynamos play more games? Don’t let them get bounced in three — though, to be honest, I’m not sure either of these Orioles or Braves teams would have won had it been a seven-game series.

McDaniel: Braves over Astros. I feel fine about the Astros prediction and it was a pretty common refrain before the NLDS that the Philly/Atlanta winner would win the NL. We knew the Braves’ rotation would be an issue and that the Phillies’ bullpen was improved and their rotation was good. But some combination of luck and game-planning caused all of those observations to the extreme, while the best offense in our lifetime looked that way for only a handful of innings.

Rogers: Braves over Astros. Home runs win playoff games, so great home run-hitting teams should be a lock for a couple of rounds of the postseason. But the Braves stopped hitting them while the Phillies went deep early and often. The mystery of the best home run-hitting team in MLB history getting knocked out in the first round it played in will last long into the winter.

Passan: Braves over Rays. Tampa Bay faltered. Atlanta got attaboyed. The baseball playoffs are the closest thing we have in professional sports to the NCAA basketball tournament. And even though the upsets ruined my bracket, the remaining matchups are intriguing enough that I’m just fine with it.

Gonzalez: I picked the Braves over the Blue Jays, so … yeah. I felt as if those were the most well-rounded teams in each league — and, for the record, I still think they are. But as Nick Castellanos said, the postseason is a completely different beast. And neither of those two teams hit anywhere near as much as they should have.

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Penn State RBs Allen, Singleton returning for ’25

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Penn State RBs Allen, Singleton returning for '25

Penn State junior standout running backs Kaytron Allen and Nicholas Singleton both announced Monday that they will be returning to the Nittany Lions for the 2025 season.

“We still have goals we want to reach as a team, and I want to be alongside my teammates as we reach those goals,” Singleton wrote in his announcement.

Allen, meanwhile, said that “it’s clear that we still have a lot more to accomplish.”

ESPN’s Mel Kiper Jr. had ranked Allen and Singleton as the Nos. 5 and 6 running backs available in the upcoming NFL draft.

This past season, the two teamed up to give Penn State one of college football’s top rushing duos — Allen rushed for 1,108 yards and eight touchdowns while averaging 5.0 yards per carry; Singleton rushed for 1,099 yards with 12 touchdowns and ranked fourth in the Big Ten with 6.4 yards per carry.

Singleton also led Big Ten running backs with 375 receiving yards on 41 receptions.

Singleton ran for three touchdowns in Penn State’s 27-24 loss to Notre Dame in the College Football Playoff semifinals Thursday. Allen rushed for 134 yards in the Nittany Lions’ quarterfinal victory over Boise State on Dec. 31.

Penn State quarterback Drew Allar previously announced he was coming back. With Allen and Singleton joining him, the Nittany Lions will enter next season with one of the country’s most prolific and experienced backfields.

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Carson Beck in the portal: How he fits at Miami, what happened to the NFL and more

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Carson Beck in the portal: How he fits at Miami, what happened to the NFL and more

Quarterback Carson Beck‘s college career might not be over yet.

The Georgia starter came into this past season as one of the top-rated passers available for the 2025 NFL draft, and an early favorite to go No. 1 overall. But after a season in which he threw nine interceptions during a four-game stretch (and three more in a 41-34 loss at Alabama) and struggled mightily in other games, his draft stock fell sharply.

Making matters worse, Beck was injured on the final play of the first half in Georgia’s 22-19 overtime victory against Texas in the Dec. 7 SEC championship game. Beck had season-ending surgery to repair the ulnar collateral ligament in his right, throwing elbow on Dec. 23. Five days later, he announced he was entering the NFL draft.

Then on Thursday, Beck entered the transfer portal. On Friday, Beck committed to Miami, where he’ll replace record-setting QB Cam Ward. Due to his injury, Beck, however, isn’t expected to resume throwing until sometime this spring. — Mark Schlabach

Why is he heading to Miami?

There were lots of rumors linking Beck to Miami back in December, which he briefly put to rest when he declared for the draft. But just as they did last year with Cam Ward, Mario Cristobal and the Hurricanes stayed patient and eventually won out for one of the top quarterbacks in the portal.

Ward was worth every penny with the remarkable season he put together in 2024 and the leadership he brought to the program. He seriously boosted his NFL draft stock as a result of his 2024 season and could end up being the No. 1 overall pick. If you’re Beck, that’s the goal in coming back for an extra season. Miami won’t have the same supporting cast of playmakers back for 2025, but they had a lot to sell as Beck’s ideal destination.

Beck won a lot of games with the Bulldogs but never got an opportunity to start in a College Football Playoff game. Two November losses knocked Miami out of the ACC title game and the 12-team CFP this season. Both sides are highly motivated to make the most of 2025, and Beck’s arrival will once again mean big preseason expectations for this program. It’s fair to call this another playoff-or-bust season for Cristobal and the Canes. — Max Olson


What’s next for Georgia?

Beck’s replacement, third-year sophomore Gunner Stockton, played well enough in the second half of the SEC championship game and in a 23-10 loss to Notre Dame in a College Football Playoff quarterfinal game at the Allstate Sugar Bowl that he’ll likely go into spring practice as the favorite to replace Beck.

Stockton, one of the most productive quarterbacks in Georgia high school history, led the Bulldogs back from a 6-3 deficit in the second half to defeat Texas in Atlanta. In his first college start, he completed 20 of 32 passes for 234 yards with one touchdown and no interceptions against a very good Notre Dame defense.

Stockton should improve with a full offseason to prepare as the starter. He’ll have to hold off freshman Ryan Puglisi, the No. 9 pocket passer in the class of 2024, according to ESPN. The Bulldogs signed two quarterbacks in their most recent recruiting class: Ryan Montgomery of Findlay, Ohio, and Hezekiah Millender of Athens, Georgia.

The Bulldogs might still bring in another experienced quarterback from the portal. They were linked to former Alabama backup Dylan Lonergan and Cal starter Fernando Mendoza before those two signed with Boston College and Indiana, respectively. — Schlabach


Did Beck fall out of favor with NFL scouts?

After entering the season as a candidate to be the No. 1 pick in 2025, Beck didn’t live up to expectations, finishing with solid statistics — 28 touchdown passes, 12 interceptions and 3,485 yards — but up-and-down performances. He had three games at midseason in which he threw a combined eight picks, which raised eyebrows among NFL scouts. I dropped him in my rankings to the No. 5 quarterback in the 2025 class.

Speaking to evaluators in the league, Beck’s draft grades were all over the place, as some thought he would go in Round 2, while others thought he could go as low as Round 5. After his announcement that he was declaring for the draft, one scout said: “I was surprised.”

At Miami, Beck should have an opportunity to recapture his 2023 form, when he threw just six interceptions. Drew Allar (Penn State) is the early headliner of the 2026 class, and Beck needs a big season to get back into the Round 1 discussion. — Jordan Reid


What’s the latest with Beck’s injury?

On the day of Beck’s surgery, a Georgia statement indicated the procedure was successful, and he was expected to begin throwing again in the spring. Not much else — about the severity of the injury or his recovery time — is publicly known.

According to the Mayo Clinic’s website, UCL injuries are common among gymnasts, wrestlers, football players and baseball pitchers. The length of Beck’s recovery would depend on whether he partially or completely tore the ligament and where it was torn (proximal, distal or mid-substance).

“For patients who have full thickness tears and need to return to high demand throwing type activities, surgery may be considered,” the Mayo Clinic website says. “Surgery typically entails either a repair (fixing your current ligament by sewing and anchoring it back down to the bone) or reconstruction (replacing your injured ligament) of the UCL.”

Beck wouldn’t be the first quarterback to come back from UCL surgery. San Francisco 49ers quarterback Brock Purdy injured the UCL in his right, throwing elbow against the Philadelphia Eagles in the NFC Championship Game on Jan. 29, 2023. He had surgery to repair his UCL on March 10, 2023, and returned to throwing less than three months later. He started the 49ers’ opener on Sept. 10, 2023.

The Mayo Clinic website said athletes who experience UCL injuries have a 95-100% return rate to athletics for non-throwers and 85-95% for throwers. — Schlabach


What are the rules about entering the portal after declaring for the draft?

Beck announced his intentions of entering the NFL draft, but he has until Feb. 7 to remove his name from the draft by sending an opt-out letter to the league office.

College football players whose teams’ seasons had already ended had until Jan. 6 to declare for the draft. Players on teams that are still competing in the CFP (Notre Dame, Ohio State, Penn State and Texas) have until Jan. 27 to decide whether to leave their names in the draft. — Schlabach

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Ex-LSU WR Lacy turns himself in, released on bail

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Ex-LSU WR Lacy turns himself in, released on bail

Former LSU wide receiver Kyren Lacy, accused of causing a crash that killed a 78-year-old man on Dec. 17 and then fleeing the scene without rendering aid or calling authorities, turned himself in to authorities Sunday night, was jailed and then released on $151,000 bail, according to police records.

Lafourche (Louisiana) Parish Sheriff’s Office records indicate that Lacy was charged with negligent homicide, felony hit-and-run with death and reckless operation of a vehicle.

A warrant had been issued for Lacy’s arrest, and police on Friday said they had been in contact with Lacy and his attorney to turn himself in.

According to a news release from Louisiana State Police on Friday, Lacy was allegedly driving a 2023 Dodge Charger on Louisiana Highway 20 and “recklessly passed multiple vehicles at a high rate of speed by crossing the centerline and entering the northbound lane while in a designated no-passing zone.”

“As Lacy was illegally passing the other vehicles, the driver of a northbound pickup truck abruptly braked and swerved to the right to avoid a head-on collision with the approaching Dodge,” a Louisiana State Police news release said.

“Traveling behind the pickup was a 2017 Kia Cadenza whose driver swerved left to avoid the oncoming Dodge Charger. As the Kia Cadenza took evasive action to avoid impact with the Dodge, it crossed the centerline and collided head-on with a southbound 2017 Kia Sorento.”

Police alleged that Lacy, 24, drove around the crash scene and fled “without stopping to render aid, call emergency services, or report his involvement in the crash.”

Herman Hall, of Thibodaux, Louisiana, who was a passenger in the Kia Sorento, later died from injuries suffered in the crash, according to state police. Hall was 78.

The drivers of the Cadenza and Sorento also sustained moderate injuries, according to police.

Lacy’s agent, Rocky Arceneaux, said in a statement that his client is “fully cooperating with the authorities.”

Lacy played two seasons at Louisiana before transferring to LSU in 2022. This past season, he had 58 catches for 866 yards with nine touchdowns and declared for the NFL draft on Dec. 19, two days after the crash.

ESPN’s Mark Schlabach contributed to this report.

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