World Series 2023: 5 things Arizona Diamondbacks fans should know about the Texas Rangers
ARLINGTON, Texas - The 2023 World Series matchup is set! The Texas Rangers are taking on the Arizona Diamondbacks in the Fall Classic.
The Diamondbacks won Game 7 of the NLCS in Philadelphia to advance to the World Series.
Arizona was 3-1 against the Rangers during the 2023 regular season, but the postseason is a whole different monster.
Here are 5 things Diamondback fans should know about the Texas Rangers.
1. You are going to hate Adolis Garcia
Get used to hearing about Texas Rangers right fielder Adolis Garcia.
Garcia was named to his second All-Star team this year after being signed off the scrap heap by the Rangers in 2020, then waived and signed again.
The 30-year-old Cuban plays solid defense, has a great arm and hits plenty of home runs.
So why would you hate a guy like this?
Well, he plays with a lot of fire. Just ask the Houston Astros.
ARLINGTON, TEXAS - OCTOBER 20: Adolis Garcia #53 of the Texas Rangers celebrates after hitting a three run home run against Justin Verlander #35 of the Houston Astros during the sixth inning in Game Five of the American League Championship Series at
Garcia mashed a huge three-run homer in Game 5 of the series to put the Rangers on top. He spent a long time watching the ball fly over the fence and then spiked his bat into the ground.
His next plate appearance, he was hit by a pitch and started a bench clearing shoving match.
Astros fans booed him the rest of the series.
He responded by setting an MLB record for the most RBI in a series, 15.
El Bombi is the kind of player who will crush a pitch and then let you know about.
He's the heart and soul of the Rangers and is more than happy to play the role of a villain for the World Series.
2. The Rangers bullpen is a problem
BALTIMORE, MARYLAND - OCTOBER 08: Jose Leclerc #25 of the Texas Rangers reacts after giving up a three-run home run to Aaron Hicks #34 of the Baltimore Orioles (not pictured) during the ninth inning in Game Two of the Division Series at Oriole Park a
The Texas Rangers bullpen was historically bad this season.
The bullpen posted a 4.77 ERA in the regular season and had the worst save percentage (47.6%) in the league.
The closer role was passed along from pitcher to pitcher before returning to the man who started the season with the role, Jose LeClerc.
In the playoffs things have been better (3.72 ERA), but it is still the eighth-worst bullpens of the teams who made the postseason.
Righty reliever Josh Sborz only given up two hits in 8.2 postseason innings.
Set-up man Aroldis Chapman has only allowed one run in 6.1 innings in the playoffs, but gives Rangers fans heart attacks every time he takes the mound.
LeClerc started off the playoffs with a near-perfect stretch where he finished the club's first seven games, the longest stretch in MLB history. He blew a save in Game 5 of the ALCS, but pitched a huge 8th inning in Game 6 and closed things out in Game 7.
Getting to the bullpen early and often is a key to beating the Rangers.
3. Evan Carter is a superstar in the making
If you haven't seen Rangers left fielder Evan Carter play it is probably because he hasn't played in that many big league games.
The 21-year-old prospect was called up to the majors in September when the Rangers were struggling and quickly earned the nickname "The Savior" among his veteran teammates.
His red-hot bat got him moved up to hitting third in the Rangers batting order.
Carter also made some key defensive plays in the series against the Astros.
The rookie has cooled down a bit after some great performances against Tampa Bay and Baltimore, but he is a patient hitter who will make pitchers work to get him out.
4. Texas' top starters are great, the rest are question marks
ST PETERSBURG, FLORIDA - OCTOBER 03: Jordan Montgomery #52 of the Texas Rangers reacts at the end of the seventh inning against the Tampa Bay Rays during Game One of the Wild Card Series at Tropicana Field on October 03, 2023 in St Petersburg, Florid
The Texas Rangers invested heavily in starting pitching this offseason, but got hit by the injury bug.
Top offseason signing Jacob deGrom had to get a second Tommy John surgery in June.
The Rangers traded for Max Scherzer at the trade deadline, but he went down with a shoulder injury in September.
Scherzer returned in the ALCS, but has not been sharp in his return.
Another trade deadline acquisition, Jordan Montgomery, has turned into a crucial member of the rotation.
Montgomery is 3-0 with a 2.16 ERA in the playoffs.
No. 2 starter Nathan Eovaldi has also been great with 4-0 record in the postseason.
Expect to see Montgomery in Game 1, Eovaldi in Game 2 and then some tough decisions in Games 3 and 4.
Scherzer will likely be on the mound in Game 3, but only went a combined 6.2 innings in his first two starts since his injury with a 9.45 ERA.
Game 4's likely starter Andrew Heaney started 2 games this postseason. In Game 4 against Houston, he didn't even make it out of the first inning.
5. The Rangers listen to a lot of Creed
When you are watching the games this postseason expect to hear a lot of Creed heading into commercial breaks.
The late-90s, early 2000s band has become the soundtrack to the Rangers postseason run.
The team starting playing Creed in the clubhouse during the second half of the season to stay loose. Then, things took off when pitcher Andrew Heaney asked fans to sing some songs to pump the Rangers up.
Rangers fans listened. Creed singalongs at Globe Life Field have become common.
Spotify says that streams of the band in North Texas increased by 175% from September.
Scott Stapp and the rest of the band even made a surprise appearance at Game 3.
The Rangers are still committed to the bit.
The players loudly broke out into a rendition of ‘Higher’ during the locker room celebration after clinching its trip to the playoffs.