2023 World Series Preview

I always enjoy the World Series, and there are so many reasons. For one, it's absolutely prestigious; there is a lot of history involved, as the Fall Classic's been around since 1903. Another reason is that the World Series marks the end of a very long season with so many games and few days off, but there's also another factor involved: it's the last championship of the sports calendar year. The Super Bowl's in February, the Stanley Cup and NBA Championship are awarded in June, and the World Series occurs in late October/early November.

This year is the 119th edition of the World Series, the annual championship series that pits the American League Champion against the National League Champion. In this go-around, it's the Texas Rangers and the Arizona Diamondbacks going at it for that Commissioner's Trophy. Let's take a look at the two teams, shall we?

Texas Rangers

Two years ago, the Texas Rangers finished 60-102, an absolutely disastrous season. After that, the team decided to buy, buy, buy, and after failing to convince Clayton Kershaw to leave Los Angeles, they decided to go after his teammate, Corey Seager. World Series MVP Corey Seager. They were successful in that regard. The Rangers also hired Bruce Bochy as their manager. Three time World Series winner Bruce Bochy. They didn't stop there. Nathan Eovaldi, Aroldis Chapman, Jordan Montgomery, and yes, Max Scherzer.

The Rangers were not messing around, and it definitely showed this season. After winning 68 games in 2022, they improved by 22 games this year, a 90-72 campaign, resulting in their first postseason since 2016. However, the Rangers ended up losing the American League West to the Houston Astros on the final day, resulting in the Rangers entering the postseason as a Wild Card. They swept their way through the Wild Card Series and the ALDS, defeating two teams (Rays and Orioles) with a combined 200 wins this season. The ALCS saw them face the defending champion Houston Astros, and while Texas did come up short in the division race, they came up big when it counted. A seven-game pennant win, which saw all four of the Rangers' wins take place in Houston.

This is the Rangers' third World Series appearance in their 53rd season of play. In 2010, they were defeated by the San Francisco Giants (who were managed by Bochy) in five games, and in 2011, they lost a seven-game Series to the St. Louis Cardinals.

Arizona Diamondbacks

2023 has been a year for Cinderella runs in sports. In the NHL, the Florida Panthers made an improbable run to the Stanley Cup Final despite being the worst team in that year's playoffs. In the NBA, the Miami Heat went from losing the first play-in game, to actually reaching the NBA Finals as the #8 seed. And now, in Major League Baseball, it's the Arizona Diamondbacks' turn to wear that glass slipper. No one had the Diamondbacks reaching the postseason. It was believed that they would be in fourth place in the National League West. Yet here they are, the last National League team standing.

The Diamondbacks have a two-headed monster in the form of Christian Walker and Ketel Marte, but it's been more than that. We've seen clutch hits from players such as Lourdes Gurriel, Jr., Corbin Carroll, Geraldo Perdomo, and even Evan Longoria, who has been to a World Series before with the Tampa Bay Rays. Arizona boasts quite the rotation as well, with Brandon Pfaadt as the team's ace. The Diamondbacks snagged the #6 spot in the National League, and similar to the Rangers, they swept through the first two rounds, ousting the Brewers and Dodgers. In the NLCS, the Diamondbacks ousted the defending pennant winners, the Philadelphia Phillies, in seven games--taking Games Six and Seven on the road.

This is the Diamondbacks' second World Series appearance in their 26th season of play. Their only other appearance came in 2001, which saw them win the Fall Classic in seven games over the New York Yankees.

For the first time in franchise history, the Rangers will have home-field advantage in the World Series, which has been determined via better record since 2017. For the 24th straight season, the World Series will air on Fox, with Joe Davis and John Smoltz on the call; this will be Joe Davis' second World Series since becoming the top play-by-play announcer for MLB on Fox--a position that had been occupied by Joe Buck for a quarter century until he left for ESPN. This year's World Series matchup is one literally no one saw coming, and because of that alone, this will be a Fall Classic for the ages.