Baltimore Orioles Playoff Chances December 2023: Can Orioles Win the World Series?

What are the Current AL East Standings

As of the start of play on Monday, September 25, the Orioles had a 2.5-game lead on the Tampa Bay Rays for the American League East. Baltimore's remaining schedule has them on the road at Cleveland Guardians and at home to face Washington Nationals and Boston Red Sox to end the regular season.

The Rays, on the other hand, wrap up their home schedule against the LA Angels and Toronto Blue Jays and finish the year on the road at Boston and Toronto.

Orioles (97-59)

Rays (95-62)

Blue Jays (87-69)

Yankees (78-77)

Red Sox (76-80)

Looking Ahead: Baltimore Orioles Playoff Picture

The Orioles know that they will face either the Blue Jays or the Rays in their first playoff series. If Baltimore doesn't win the AL East, they will be the 4th seed in the bracket. They would host Toronto for a 3-game series. If they do with the division, they would play either Toronto or Tampa in a best-of-5 series.

A bet on the Orioles to win the American League at +300 is a strong position to take heading into the playoffs because of Baltimore's path. The Orioles first-round bye will allow them to set up their pitching and they will have the home-field advantage throughout the American League playoffs.

Most likely, the race for the pennant will come down to the Rays, Astros, and Orioles. As of September 21st, the Rays and Orioles are on the same side of the bracket. That means they would face each other in the 2nd round in Tampa advances past Toronto. It will be challenging to beat both Tampa and Houston in the playoffs but Baltimore went 8-5 against the Rays and 2-1 against Astros this season.

Orioles World Series Chances

DraftKings Sportsbook lists the Orioles at 7-to-1 to win the World Series. That's the 4th option on the odds board behind the Astros, Dodgers, and Braves.

The two toughest tests for Baltimore will come against the Rays and then potentially the Astros before having to play most likely Atlanta. The Braves have spent most of the year atop the odds boards to win it all, and for good reason. The Braves feature one of the most destructive 1 to 9 line-ups in MLB history.

Baltimore went 1-2 this year vs. Atlanta and would be considerable underdogs in a 7-game series.

MLB World Series Odds

The Orioles lineup entered play on September 21st 5th in batting average, 6th in runs, 6th in RBIs, and 15th in home runs. Their offense, led by star catcher Adley Rutschman, is the strength of this team and will need to perform well in the postseason if Baltimore has any hopes of winning it all.

However, the biggest concern will be their starting pitching and bullpen. Both must over-perform this fall. The Orioles are second overall in wins with 95, but they are 10th in team ERA, 11th in team WHIP and 14th in strikeouts.

The good news is that closer Felix Bautista is getting close to returning from a UCL strain. The Orioles closer had a 1.48 ERA and 110 strikeouts in 56 appearances this season before being shut down. His 33 saves made him an All-Star this season and having him back for the playoffs would be a massive addition.

List the odds for each team to win the World Series

Braves (+310)

Dodgers (+400)

Orioles (+650)

Rangers (+700)

Rays (+950)

MLB Playoffs New Format

Major League Baseball is now using a 12-team bracket instead of a 10 to determine the World Series Champion. Three division winners will be battling it out with 3 wild card teams in each league.

The top 2 division winners from each league will receive a bye to the second round. The other remaining teams will play a best-of-3 series at the higher seed's park.

After the 1st round, a best-of-5 series will begin at the 1 and 2 seed's home stadium with the winners facing off in a best-of-7 championship series for the right to play in the World Series.

Key Contributors for the Baltimore Orioles Playoff Odds

The biggest questions for this young Orioles roster is their pitching and overall lack of playoff experience.

The strength of Baltimore all season has been their offense. In 2023, the Orioles have seen explosive growth of young stars like catcher Adley Rutschman and rookie 3rd baseman Gunner Henderson. However, we do not know how they will handle the pressure of playoff baseball until we see them in pressure-packed situations.

Pitchers Kyle Gibson, Dean Kremer, and Kyle Bradish all have ERAs over 3 and the bullpen does not feature names that will make opposing hitters nervous when they enter the game.

If he can return to form, getting an arm like Felix Bautista to close playoff games would be a massive addition to this team.

Sportsbook Promos for the MLB Postseason

DraftKings Sportsbook is offering new customers $200 in bonus bets instantly for a $5 wager. You could be the Orioles to win the World Series at 7 to 1 to claim this promotion.

When Was the Last Time the Orioles Won a Division Title?

It has been nine years since the Orioles last won the division. Baltimore has won the AL East nine times - 1969, 1970, 1971, 1973, 1974, 1979, 1983, 1997 and 2014. 

Have the Orioles Ever Won the World Series?

You have to go back all the way to 1983 to find the last World Series title for the Baltimore Orioles. That year, the O's beat the Phillies 4 games to 1 to claim their 3rd championship. Previously, Baltimore won it all in 1970 and 1966.

It's been a long 40 years for fans of the Orioles.

MLB Wild Card Race

As of September 21st, three teams were competing for the last 2 American Wild Card spots.

With either Tampa or Baltimore taking the top slot, 3 other teams were battling to get into the tournament. The Toronto Blue Jays held a 1 game lead over the Texas Rangers and Seattle Mariners at the start of play on Thursday. Only 2 of those teams will ultimately make the playoffs.

Orioles Remaining Schedule

Baltimore's remaining schedule puts them on the road at Cleveland Guardians and at home to face Washington Nationals and Boston Red Sox. As their magic number decreases, the odds for them to win the AL East will get shorter.

Baltimore Orioles Postseason Outlook and Predictions

The biggest question for the Orioles as they head toward the playoffs is how their young talent will perform on the biggest stage. The roster doesn't have many veterans with playoff experience. If their young stars can perform like they did during the regular season, the Orioles have as good of a shot as anyone in the American League.

Additionally, offensive baseball generally struggles in the postseason. Baltimore would love to get Felix Bautista back to close games and sure up the backend of the bullpen for the playoffs.