The 2023 American League Wild Card Series were the two best-of-three playoff series in Major League Baseball (MLB) that determined the participating teams of the 2023 American League Division Series (ALDS). Both Wild Card Series began on October 3, with Game 2s scheduled for October 4. ESPN broadcast both Wild Card Series in the United States together with ESPN Radio while Sportsnet broadcast the Minnesota Twins vs. Toronto Blue Jays series in Canada.
These matchups are:
(3) Minnesota Twins (AL Central champions) vs. (6) Toronto Blue Jays (third wild card): Twins win series 2–0. (4) Tampa Bay Rays (first wild card) vs. (5) Texas Rangers (second wild card): Rangers win series 2–0.
Background
Under the current playoff structure, there are two Wild Card Series in both the American League (AL) and National League (NL). The lowest-seeded division winner and three wild card teams in each league play in a best-of-three series after the end of the regular season. The winners of each league's wild card rounds advance to face the two best division winners in that league's Division Series.
The Minnesota Twins (87–75) clinched the postseason for the first time since 2020 by winning the AL Central on September 23. Due to being the worst division winner in the American League in terms of record, they were locked into the third seed. The Twins, whose 18-game postseason losing streak is the longest in North American professional sports, are looking for their first postseason game win since 2004 and their first postseason series win since 2002. They hosted to the sixth-seeded Toronto Blue Jays (89–73), who clinched their second straight postseason appearance, and third since 2020 on September 30. The teams split their regular season series match-up, 3–3. Their only previous postseason meeting occurred in the 1991 American League Championship Series, which Minnesota won in five games.
The Tampa Bay Rays (99–63) clinched their fifth straight postseason appearance, extending the franchise record for consecutive postseason, on September 17, via a loss to the Baltimore Orioles, who also clinched a berth on this day after the Texas Rangers lost to Cleveland Guardians. As a result of holding the best non-division winning record in the American League, they were locked into the fourth seed. They hosted the fifth-seeded Texas Rangers (90–72), who clinched their first postseason appearance since 2016 on September 30, but they lost their AL West division lead on the last day of the season via a 1–0 shutout loss to the Seattle Mariners and the Houston Astros 8–1 win against the Arizona Diamondbacks. As a result, the Astros won the AL West and clinched a first-round bye by winning the season series 9–4 against the Rangers. Texas won the regular season series against Tampa Bay, 4–2. This is the third postseason match-up between the Rays and Rangers, with the Rangers having won the previous two matchups, the 2010 American League Division Series in five games and the 2011 American League Division Series in four games.
As the top two seeds, the Baltimore Orioles (101–61) and Houston Astros (90–72) earned a first-round bye and home-field advantage in the ALDS.
Matchups
Minnesota Twins vs. Toronto Blue Jays
Tampa Bay Rays vs. Texas Rangers
Minnesota vs. Toronto
This was the second postseason match-up between the Twins and Blue Jays, following the 1991 American League Championship Series, which Minnesota won in five games. Heading into the series, numerous observers commented on how evenly matched the two teams were.
Game 1
Kevin Gausman took the mound for the Blue Jays opposite Pablo López for the Twins, who were looking to end the longest playoff losing streak in North American sports history. Royce Lewis provided all of the offense the Twins would need, hitting two home runs in his first two playoff at-bats to put Minnesota up 3–0. Michael A. Taylor and Carlos Correa made strong defensive plays to keep the Blue Jays off of the board until the top of the sixth, when Toronto plated a run on a Kevin Kiermaier single. The Twins bullpen shut down the scoring from there with 3 scoreless innings to earn the Twins' first playoff victory since Game 1 of the 2004 ALDS and snap their 18-game playoff losing streak.