Who saw that coming?
The Texas Rangers and Arizona Diamondbacks form the 2023 World Series matchup that will conclude a postseason full of unexpected twists and turns. But this might be the biggest one yet.
Arizona had to overcome a 3-2 deficit in the NLCS to the Philadelphia Phillies, needing consecutive road wins in a tough environment to have a shot at its first MLB championship since 2001. The team made magic happen.
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Texas started off strong in the ALCS vs. the Houston Astros by winning Games 1 and 2 on the road, but couldn't take advantage back at its own home ground. Also down 3-2 and in need of two straight road wins, the Rangers pulled it off.
Let's look into some more numbers from each team's respective turnarounds:
Low seeds leave a high note
The Rangers qualified for the playoffs as the No. 5 seed in the AL. They had the same 90-72 record as the Astros but had the inferior head-to-head tiebreaker. They then upset the No. 4 Tampa Bay Rays, No. 1 Baltimore Orioles and No. 2 Astros en route to reaching the World Series.
MLB
The Diamondbacks just barely snuck in as the No. 6 seed, posting an 84-78 record in the regular season. Should they win the World Series, they'd be the team with the second-worst record to win it all, trailing just the 2006 St. Louis Cardinals that went 83-78. Arizona toppled the No. 3 Milwaukee Brewers, No. 2 Los Angeles Dodgers and No. 4 Phillies.
It's the third all-wild-card meeting in the World Series, with the others in 2002 and 2014.
Combined regular-season wins
Building off the above, the Rangers' 90-72 record and the Diamondbacks' 84-78 mark equals a combined 174 regular season wins.
Not counting shortened seasons, that's the fewest combined regular season wins in a World Series matchup. You wouldn't think that's the case given how quality each team has proven to be, yet here they are. It's also another indicator that sometimes teams are just built for postseason success rather than judging them by their sheer regular-season record.
Overcoming identical LCS deficits
As aforementioned, both the Rangers and Diamondbacks trailed 3-2 in their respective LCS series. With their backs against the wall and a repeat bid looming for both the Astros and Phillies, each team showed what they're made of to win not one but both potential-elimination games.
It's the first time in MLB history both road teams won Games 6 and 7 on the road to clinch a World Series berth.
Turnarounds from 2021
Perhaps the biggest reason why no one expected a Rangers-Diamondbacks matchup is because of how poor each team was a mere two seasons ago.
Texas lost 102 games in 2021, including stretches going 3-19 and 9-32. Arizona accumulated 110 losses, with a horrid 5-40 stretch. Both are now competing for MLB's ultimate prize.
Plenty of trades and key free agent signings aided both teams in their respective ways until now, so other fanbases should be aware that a rebuild doesn't need to take forever if it's done properly.
Bringing something fresh
It may not be the big-market clash that a section of fans crave, but it's a true underdog tale that dates back to Opening Day. Arizona, for example, were plus-5500 to win the NL and plus-10000 to win the World Series, according to our betting partner, PointsBet.
Though Texas is the early favorite in the World Series, the Diamondbacks have +140 odds to flip the script and claim their second title.
It's also a matchup that doesn't involve the Astros or Dodgers for the first time since 2016. Baseball needed something fresh, and both teams are filled with a fusion of elite veterans and rising youngsters that should make this an enthralling watch, regardless of the team name.