After over 200 grueling games from the first pitch of spring training to the last pitch of each championship series, the 2023 World Series has finally arrived. Major League Baseball's 119th edition of its championship series pins the hard-hitting Texas Rangers against everyone's favorite underdog, the Arizona Diamondbacks.
Friday's Game 1 is sure to bring plenty of fireworks between these two teams who reached the Fall Classic in similar ways. Both the D-backs and Rangers won consecutive games on the road to clinch their pennants and advance to the World Series, knocking off last year's championship participants, the Philadelphia Phillies and Houston Astros.
Not many people expected this to be the World Series matchup this season but if there's one thing the MLB playoffs have taught us, it's to expect the unexpected. The same goes for this series, with the Rangers coming in as slight favorites over the National League champions.
Texas will like its chances though, especially as the the team with home-field advantage. The hosting team has won 18 of the 27 World Series in the wild card era. The Diamondbacks were one of those hosting teams to win it all, doing so in 2001.
There's always a nervous energy for both franchises as the World Series kicks off and it's not guaranteed to get much better through the early portions of the series. A Friday night opener should bring more of a raucous atmosphere to Globe Life Field and the Rangers and Diamondbacks will be tasked with being the entertainment portion of the Texas-sized party.
Both teams score early
If there's one thing these both teams like to do, it's put runs on the board early in games. Both the D-backs and Rangers scored a run in the first two innings in consecutive games of their respective championship series. They won all four games. Something will have to give here, but runs should be scored pretty early in Game 1.
Pitching wins championships, but offenses have always provided the spark and that does not take a backseat in the World Series. A run was scored in the first two innings of Game 1 in 10 of the last 11 World Series. These teams are swinging hot bats right now and will be itching to make an impact sooner rather than later.
That adrenaline swings to the pitcher's mound as well, where the two starters could get a little antsy and overthrow in the first couple of innings. That is a recipe for making mistakes and these two lineups are built to make opponents pay for those mistakes.
The Rangers and Diamondbacks combined for 45 runs in the four games they played in the regular season. Don't be surprised if those zeros are erased before the game settles in.
Gallen and Eovaldi both deal
Speaking of the two starters, Zac Gallen and Nathan Eovaldi will match up for the first time in their careers in Game 1. Their postseason resumes could not be any different, with Eovaldi holding the significant upper hand over the MLB playoff rookie Gallen in both experience and statistics.
Gallen recorded a quality start in his MLB postseason debut earlier this month but allowed 11 runs across his next three starts. He lost both of his NLCS outings against the Phillies and has a 5.24 ERA in four starts this postseason.
Eovaldi has been nothing but sharp for the Rangers and his playoff prowess is the reason why he was handed the reins in Game 1. The seasoned right-hander will make his 11th postseason start and fourth World Series appearance on Friday, though it'll be Eovaldi's first start in the Fall Classic. He has a 1.13 ERA in eight innings of work, all of which came in the 2018 World Series with the Boston Red Sox.
Runs will be scored in this game, but Gallen and Eovaldi will both settle in after early speed bumps and cruise through six innings each. Both pitchers got optimal rest and will be looking to deal their teams into an early World Series lead. Fans of offense may get bored of this game in the middle innings.
Marte stays hot
Ketel Marte had his best season since 2019 and carried that into what has been one of the best postseasons in Diamondbacks history. Marte has a hit in every playoff game of his MLB career, including all 12 this month. He won NLCS MVP for his efforts after he had a .987 OPS and five extra-base hits in the series.
Sometimes teams are only as good as their hottest hitter and right now Arizona is cooking with gas as Marte leads the way. We've seen star players reach another level in the postseason before, i.e. Bryce Harper a year ago with the Phillies. Marte could be that standout player this October that everyone remembers and the Diamondbacks will ride his heat wave for as long as they can.
Ketel Marte is one of the few holdovers from the last postseason team for the Diamondbacks in 2017. He was hot then in a short playoff stint and he continues to be six years later as a veteran leader. As long as he goes, Arizona has a chance to win this series.
Marte is 7-for-19 with four doubles and three runs scored as a leadoff hitter this postseason. He's probably best suited at the top of the lineup, but he's a dangerous bat for the Rangers to face regardless of where he hits in the batting order.
Rangers hold home-field
Home sweet home hasn’t exactly been the case for teams this October and it certainly wasn’t the case in the ALCS. The road team won all seven games in the series and luckily for the Rangers, they didn’t have home-field advantage.
Texas does have that in the World Series though, for the first time this postseason, and would be wise to use it. The Rangers had the fourth-best home record in the MLB this season and scored more runs at home than any other team. That has to account for something in the playoffs, so why not make it count in the World Series?
Rangers fans have been longing for another shot at a title since losing consecutive Fall Classics in 2010 and 2011. Game 1 was not played in Texas in either of those series. The Rangers can’t win the championship in Game 1 but they sure can take a hold on the series and their fans will probably have something to do with that.
Of course, the players have to do something to get the fans into the game but the Rangers haven’t had a problem with that this season. Though 1-3 at home in the playoffs this year, the Rangers will feed off the energy of their home crowd and take the first game of the 2023 World Series.
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