For the first time since 2001, the Arizona Diamondbacks will play for the World Series starting on Friday night — and NLCS MVP Ketel Marte is a huge reason why.

The 30-year-old capped a record-setting night in Tuesday's 4-2 win over the Philadelphia Phillies in Game 7, ripping a seventh-inning double to extend his postseason hitting streak to 16 games. That's the longest streak for any player to start his postseason career in MLB history, according to MLB.com's Paul Casella.

“The whole idea is to give everything you’ve got,” Marte said through a translator after receiving his well-deserved MVP award. “So thankfully, things are working out.”

Marte was absolutely spectacular through seven games for Arizona; he went 12-for-31 in the Championship Series, smacking four doubles, a triple, three RBIs and a stolen base in the series. He was especially exceptional in the team's four wins, hitting .421 with four extra-base hits and all three of his runs batted in, per Casella.

“Ketel, [he’s] just a special player,” Diamondbacks teammate Corbin Carroll said, who was excellent himself with a 3-for-4 performance, including two RBIs and two swiped bags in Game 7. “There were times this year where it was like, ‘How do you even pitch this guy?' He is kind of back in that mode right now. It's special to watch.”

“He's got lightning-fast hands,” Phillies pitcher Aaron Nola echoed, after Marte torched him to the tune of 3-for-6 in Game 2 and 6. “You've really got to make your pitch against him. You've got to change speeds on him. He's swinging the bat really well right now.”

Marte's streak began six seasons ago

The streak began way back in 2017, when Marte went 3-for-5 against the Colorado Rockies in the NL Wild Card Game. He then secured a hit in each of the Diamondbacks' three losses to the LA Dodgers in that year's NLDS. He has recorded a hit in all 12 of Arizona's postseason contests in 2023.

“Not only is Marte’s 16-game hitting streak the longest to begin a postseason career, passing Marquis Grissom (1995-96), but it’s just one game shy of the overall record,” wrote Casella late Tuesday night. “Only three players — Manny Ramirez, Derek Jeter and Hank Bauer — have recorded a hit in 17 consecutive postseason games.”

But the Dominican Republic native has more than that on his mind with a chance to tie the record in Game 1 against the Texas Rangers on Friday night.

“Keep on winning,” Marte said ahead of the Diamondbacks' first World Series trip in over two decades. “Four more games.”