Diamondbacks bandwagon guide: What to know as Arizona makes second trip to World Series
The Arizona Diamondbacks are in the World Series for the second time and face the Texas Rangers in a best-of-7 series for the chance to become the MLB champions for the first time since 2001.
But this team wasn't supposed to be here.
It was just 84-78 during the regular season, squeaking into the MLB Playoffs as the No. 6 and final seed in the National League postseason.
It faced the No. 3 seeded Milwaukee Brewers in a best-of-3 series in Milwaukee to open the playoffs, before taking on the No. 2 seeded Los Angeles Dodgers in a best-of-5 series and the No. 4 seeded Philadelphia Phillies in a best-of-7 series.
All Arizona did was go 9-3 in those games, including rallying from a 2-0 deficit in the NLCS to beat the Phillies to win the National League pennant.
The Diamondbacks have gained a lot of fans during their underdog run to the World Series, but there's room on the bandwagon for everyone.
Here's a guide of what to know about the Diamondbacks for new fans of the team entering the World Series against the Texas Rangers.
More: Arizona Diamondbacks vs. Texas Rangers World Series Game 1 schedule, TV, how to watch
Diamondbacks are underdogs against Rangers and that is fine with them
The Diamondbacks haven't been favored in any game this MLB postseason. That hasn't stopped them from winning nine games out of 12.
And Arizona's streak of being the underdog is continuing with Game 1 of the World Series, where the Rangers are favored to win at Globe Life Field (the Rangers are also favored to win the series).
The team has used all the naysayers and critics of the team's run as fuel in the playoffs, and it continues to motivate the team.
“We’ve embraced that underdog mentality," DBacks starter Merrill Kelly told reporters. “It’s like, keep counting us out. Please, please, keep counting us out."
More: Arizona Diamondbacks at Texas Rangers picks, predictions, odds for World Series Game 1
These Diamondbacks are road warriors
The team has played 12 postseason games and only four of them have been at home.
They are 9-3 in the postseason overall and 6-2 on the road. They are 3-1 at home.
The Diamondbacks were down 3-2 to the Phillies in the NCLS, but won both Game 6 and Game 7 on the road to advance to the Worlds Series (something a radio host thought was impossible).
They will have to win at least one game on the road to win the World Series, as the Rangers, due to their better regular season record (90-72), have home field advantage in the series.
Games 1, 2, 6 and 7 in the series are scheduled to be played at the Rangers' Globe Life Field in Arlington, Texas. Games 3, 4 and 5 are scheduled to be at the Diamondbacks' Chase Field in Phoenix.
World Series odds: Texas Rangers favored to top Arizona Diamondbacks in 2023 Fall Classic
The Diamondbacks are low-budget (especially compared to the Rangers)
USA TODAY Sports ranked every MLB team's payroll at the beginning of the season and the Diamondbacks came in ranked No. 21 among the 30 MLB teams with a payroll of $116,471,292.
The Rangers, the team the Diamondbacks will face in the World Series beginning on Friday, was ranked ninth with a payroll of $195,869,490.
That's a sizeable difference.
Ketel Marte is the Diamondbacks' highest-paid player right now with a salary of $11.6 million.
The Rangers had eight players with higher salaries on their Opening Day roster, including Corey Seager ($35.5 million), Marcus Semien ($26 million) and Nathan Eovaldi ($17 million).
They also have Max Scherzer, whom they traded for before the 2023 MLB trade deadline, who makes $43.3 million per season.
More: Diamondbacks vs. Rangers payrolls, player salaries show stark contrast for World Series
Diamondbacks don't have a lot of experience
Marte is the team's undisputed leader and a veteran, but the roster is full of inexperienced and young players.
Outfielder Corbin Carroll is a rookie. So is No. 3 starter Brandon Pfaadt.
Catcher Gabriel Moreno is just 23. Outfielder Alek Thomas is also 23.
Reliever Andrew Saalfrank has pitched in just 10 regular season games in his career, with the Diamondbacks this season.
A lot of key contributors for the team are seeing their first MLB postseason action during this run - and thriving in it.
Yes, the team still has veterans like Marte, Evan Longoria and Christian Walker, but a lot of them don't have much postseason experience.
That hasn't mattered.
More: World Series picks, predictions for Arizona Diamondbacks vs. Texas Rangers
The Diamondbacks are in a rare position to win the World Series
When the DBacks won the World Series with Randy Johnson and Curt Schilling in 2001, fans probably thought the team would be back sometime soon.
It took until now for the team to return.
This year's team is just the fifth Diamondbacks team to make the postseason since that magical 2001 run.
The team lost in the NLDS in 2002, the NLCS in 2007 and the NLDS in 2011 and 2017.
The franchise has only been to seven postseasons in its history, which started in 1998.
More: These key moves by the Diamondbacks since 2016 shaped a World Series roster
Ketel Marte is on a roll for the Diamondbacks
If the Diamondbacks are going to win the World Series, Marte is likely going to have to be a big reason why.
Marte went 12-for-31 with four doubles, one triple and 3 RBIs, and his double in Game 7 helped set up Arizona's fourth run, huge insurance for the light's-out Diamondbacks bullpen in the team's NLCS win against the Phillies.
He extended his postseason hitting streak to 16 games in the process, the second-longest streak to start a career and just one behind Manny Ramirez, Derek Jeter and Hank Bauer.
Marte has 19 hits in this postseason.
"He played like a true MVP in the series," Diamondbacks General Manager Mike Hazen said. "He killed it. He’s raking right now. The best players rise in those moments and he’s doing it."
More: Diamondbacks' Ketel Marte named MVP of 2023 NL Championship Series
Diamondbacks' starting pitching rotation is just 3-deep
A lot of teams that make deep playoff runs have deep starting rotations. That's not the case for the Diamondbacks, who have three starters in their postseason rotation.
The team has relied on the 1-2 punch of Zac Gallen and Merrill Kelly to lead them, with Pfaadt coming up clutch as the team's No. 3 starter.
In the World Series, Arizona will go with Gallen in Game 1, Kelly in Game 2 and Pfaadt in Game 3, like it did in the NLCS.
The starter for Game 4? Arizona will pitch a bullpen game, like it did in Game 4 of the NLCS, when reliever Joe Mantiply got the nod to start the game.
Gallen, Kelly and Pfaadt are then in place for Games 5, 6, and 7 of the Worlds Series, like they were in the NLCS.
Why change now? It got Arizona this far.
More: Diamondbacks aiming to get Zac Gallen, Christian Walker on track in World Series
The bullpen has been lights out for Arizona Diamondbacks
The Diamondbacks' bullpen has been incredible in the postseason, particularly when the team has had a lead.
The key names in the bullpen for Arizona?
The team has relied heavily on Mantiply, Saalfrank, Ryan Thompson, Kevin Ginkel and Paul Sewald.
The team likes to use Mantiply and Saalfrank depending on the situation and batter. Thompson has excelled in the sixth or seventh innings, with Ginkel shining as the set-up man in the eighth and Sewald closing things out in the ninth.
Ginkel and Sewald have a 0.00 ERA each in the postseason, having pitched in eight games.
Thompson has pitched 10.2 innings, only behind Arizona's starters, and has a 2.53 ERA.
Arizona acquired Sewald in a trade before the deadline and signed Thompson off waivers. The moves brought stability to the bullpen for Arizona, allowing the team to slot the relievers into positions and situations better suited for them for the stretch run of the season.
More: How are the Diamondbacks in the World Series? Look no further than their bullpen
These Diamondbacks have Arizona behind them entering World Series
Diamondbacks fever has taken over Arizona during the team's magical postseason run.
You can feel it everywhere you go. You see the people wearing Diamondbacks gear, you hear talk about the team.
Fans of the team, young and old, new and old, are engrossed in the DBacks.
The bandwagon is getting bigger.
Hop on board. There's room for everyone to enjoy the ride, which isn't over yet.
More: Arizona Diamondbacks vs. Texas Rangers World Series schedule, TV, how to watch, stream
Reach Jeremy Cluff at jeremy.cluff@arizonarepublic.com. Follow him on X, formerly Twitter @Jeremy_Cluff.
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This article originally appeared on Arizona Republic: Arizona Diamondbacks in World Series: What new fans should know
