The time has come, and we are down to just two teams to settle the score. The Arizona Diamondbacks and the Texas Rangers will play in a best of 7 to find out who is the best team of 2023. Never did I ever think that these two teams would be in the World Series. The DBacks were 100/1 odds in spring training and the Rangers were 45/1. That is insane. Looking back at the season, people are going to be crying about a potentially new playoff format, but I enjoy it. I didn’t think I would at first, but I think it is good. Were these the two best regular season teams? No, they were not, but they have been in the postseason and that is all that counts.

I mentioned earlier that the DBacks entered the season with 100/1 odds to win the World Series. Well, they’re gonna get their shot to be the team of destiny. A lot of people would say that the Phillies were the better team and I would agree with that statement on paper, but this team doesn’t have any quit. They were the hungrier team and it showed. That is why they’re here and the Phillies aren't. The pitching, and most importantly, the bullpen is a big reason why they are in the World Series. I mentioned it in my NLCS Preview, but Paul Sewald was a game-changing acquisition at the deadline. They needed an anchor at the closer spot and they went out and got him. He hasn’t allowed a run in 8 innings of work and has only allowed 3 hits. Kevin Ginkel has also been fantastic in this postseason run. Like Sewald, he hasn’t allowed a run either, but he has pitched 9 innings and has struck out 13 batters. I think it goes without saying, but they haven’t lost a game when either pitcher makes an appearance.

Their 3-man rotation of Merrill Kelly, Zac Gallen, and Brandon Pfaadt has been solid. Gallen is the only one that has struggled though. I thought Pfaadt would struggle a bit, but the rookie has been fantastic. He looks like he will be a solid pitcher in the league for many years. Gallen is getting the call to start Game 1, so I guess we’ll see how he matches up with the Rangers potent offense. As for the hitting, The DBacks have done just enough to get by. Among the 4 teams that made the LCS rounds, they had the worst bats, but don’t take that as me saying that they can’t light up the box score. Ketel Marte has been hitting the seams off of the ball and has a .358 BA to prove it. Corbin Carroll cooled off a bit in the NLCS, but he put in a clutch 3-hit, 2RBI performance in Game 7 against the Phillies. Arizona is also a much more aggressive team on the base paths compared to the Rangers. They tied the Phillies in Stolen Bases and I think we will see that on full display in the World Series. Will they be the team to earn the everyone a free taco? I think so. Give me Corbin Carroll as the guy to do it in Game 1. The DBacks have to continue to be scrappy in this series to be the champs. They have no other option. Arizona will look to collect the 2nd World Series title in franchise history. The first and only being in 2001.

The Rangers are a team that nobody really expected to make it this far, but they weren’t nearly the level of underdog that Arizona was/is. It wasn’t too far-fetched to think that the Rangers could do it especially entering the season. They had just signed Jacob deGrom. They had the bats of Marcus Semien, Adolis Garcia, and Corey Seager. They’re a stout team on paper. deGrom only had 6 starts this season and the pitching was depleted all season long, but their bats kept them alive. The Rangers had the second-best offense, just behind the Braves, in the MLB. They were, for a stretch, the hottest team in baseball. Well, now they could be considered the hottest team in the postseason. I would give Arizona the pitching edge, but I wouldn’t say that the Rangers are lacking. Both Nathan Eovaldi and Jordan Montgomery have been reliable. Eovaldi has entered at least the 6th inning in each of his starts and that is very good considering how quickly they pull starting pitchers in postseason games. Montgomery really only had one bad outing so far in the postseason and other than that game in Baltimore, he has been great. They don’t have a prolific closer in this postseason, because frankly, they haven’t needed one too often. They are usually beating teams pretty good win they win. Josh Sborz and Aroldis Chapman have only allowed 1 run each in the postseason. Sborz is nearly up to 9 innings worked and Chapman is just over 6. Jose Leclerc really only had one bad outing. Other than that, he has been solid for the Rangers in their playoff run. They have relied upon him in closer situations this postseason. A big question mark will be Max Scherzer. In the regular season, Max Scherzer is one of the best pitchers in baseball. In the postseason, he hasn’t been. If he can figure things out, then the Rangers will have the clear edge.

Adolis Garcia has been the star of the postseason so far and he will look to continue his magic. He has 7 HRs so far in the Rangers’ 12 playoff games. Corey Seager touts a .333 BA and .483 OBP. They haven’t needed them thus far, but Nathaniel Lowe and Marcus Semien will look to wake those bats up in the World Series. Both players have struggled getting hits so far. Lowe has been slightly better, but both haven’t been in their normal forms. The Rangers will look to prove that they are the better team starting tonight. They’re the favorite to win the World Series and for good reason. If they win the World Series it will be their first in their franchise’s history.

So, the time has come to pick a winner. Well, this is a tough one. I haven’t exactly been on a good stretch lately picking in the postseason, so I’m going to shake things up for the World Series. I think both teams are definitely capable of closing out the series and champs, but I think the Rangers have the edge on paper. Yes, the Rangers have the edge, but I am going to go with Arizona. The DBacks feels like a destiny team. They made it into the postseason barely. They dominated all the way up to the NLCS and came out on top over the team with the most momentum in the postseason. It may feel like the Rangers will outmatch them and they very well could, but I feel like this postseason has been upside-down. I am going to go opposite of my instinct and pick the Diamondbacks to be your 2023 World Series Champions. I also think it will go the distance.

DIAMONDBACKS IN 7

Yacs

2023 MLB World Series Preview