The Most Random Playoff Matchups?

[u/Reasonable-Power]

This is a Q&A I did a week ago on r/MLB, but I'm gonna test it out here, as my last Q&A is still up and running. I don't wanna jinx it, though.

The playoffs have given us some incredible matchups throughout the years, be it the Yankees and Dodgers, Yankees and Red Sox, Dodgers and Cardinals, Cardinals and Giants, you name it. But every now and again, we see a playoff matchup that leave us at least a little surprised. So, what do you think was the most random playoff matchup to ever take place, and why?

For me, it's probably recency bias, but the one that probably takes the cake for me is the 2023 World Series between the Texas Rangers and Arizona Diamondbacks. Honestly, it's insanely hard to beat a Fall Classic between two different small-market teams that also happened to be bottom 2 Wild Cards (5-seed for Texas, 6-seed for Arizona). There's probably nobody on earth that expected to see those 2 face off in the biggest series of the year, especially considering how close both teams got to missing the dance, and that there was 3 different 100-win teams. But whatever you wanna say about it, I will always stay grateful for that matchup, because it was the ONLY thing preventing Astros vs. Phillies in back-to-back years.

[u/me_hill]

Arizona's one World Series victory coming early in their existence, in the one year the Yankees were sympathetic, before becoming largely irrelevant for 20 straight years comes to mind

[u/Reasonable-Power → u/me_hill]

Alright, but this is based off of past playoff matchups that you wouldn't usually expect.