Diamondbacks vs. Rangers: Who Has the Edge at Every Position in 2023 World Series?

Let's be honest to start. None of us predicted the Arizona Diamondbacks and Texas Rangers to face each other in the World Series.

Just two years ago, both franchises lost more than 100 games and finished last in their respective divisions.

But while the brands are the same, these are completely different teams from the Diamondbacks and Rangers we used to know.

No American League team had a higher OPS or hit more home runs this regular season than the Rangers, who limped into the postseason as a Wild Card after leading the AL West for most of the year.

The Diamondbacks had a middling offense, leaning more on a pitching staff with a top-three ERA in MLB. Even in defeat, the Philadelphia Phillies outslugged and scored more runs than Arizona in the NLCS.

Styles make fights, so this Fall Classic should be fun.

Let's go through each position and see who has the edge in this World Series.

Gabriel Moreno is a promising young catcher for Arizona. He's tied with J.T. Realmuto for the most home runs by a catcher this postseason with three, but in one fewer game played.

Moreno also has the highest OPS of any catcher who played more than three games this postseason. His RBI single in NLCS Game 7 gave Arizona a decisive, series-clinching lead over Philly.

But the Rangers' Jonah Heim established himself as one of the better players at the position this year. He was a first-time All-Star with 18 home runs and 95 RBI.

Heim ranked sixth in fWAR among catchers with at least 250 plate appearances and he is exceptional defensively. His numbers are down in the postseason, but he's still come up with clutch hits.

Heim's two-run homer against Framber Valdez in Game 6 of the ALCS put the Rangers ahead and was the beginning of a run-scoring avalanche by the visiting team at Minute Maid Park.

Both teams should feel really good about their catchers going into this series, but Heim has simply done more.

Advantage: Rangers

This one seems a lot easier to decide, but is it?

Arizona's Christian Walker was one of the best first basemen in baseball during the regular season.

Only Matt Olson and Pete Alonso hit more home runs at the position this year, and Walker was also top-five among first basemen in fWAR.

That's the regular season.

If you look at this postseason, Texas' Nathaniel Lowe is outperforming Walker, who was basically a no-show for the NLCS.

Lowe had a pair of home runs, four RBI, seven hits with an .829 OPS in the ALCS. Meanwhile, Walker slashed .091/.310/.136 and was the only first baseman not to hit a home run in either championship series.

Walker was much better in his three NLDS games played. The question is whether Walker can get out of the funk and, if so, how soon.

The better player is Walker, but Lowe is playing better at the moment.

Advantage: Rangers

Another strong head-to-head that's not easy to claim for either side, though Ketel Marte is the newly crowned NLCS MVP.

Marte was fifth in fWAR among qualified second basemen in the regular season. He ranked third in wRC+ behind only Mookie Betts and Luis Arraez.

In the postseason, he's certainly been at the top of his position, outperforming everyone except Jose Altuve.

Marte is slashing .358/.382/.604 over 12 postseason games. His slugging percentage leads all second basemen.

Marcus Semien, however, is one of the most valuable players in baseball. While he's struggled this postseason (.192/.276/.231 slash line), it's difficult to ignore that he was top-six in fWAR this season, one spot ahead of superstar teammate Corey Seager.

As hitters, Marte and Semien are comparable. It's defensively where Semien sets himself apart, ranking fourth in outs above average among second basemen, according to Baseball Savant.

Advantage: Rangers

This one is the biggest landslide of them all. No disrespect to Geraldo Perdomo, who's been a fine player for the Diamondbacks. He's slashing .278/.366/.444 with a pair of home runs this postseason.

But Perdomo is not in the same class as Seager, who ranked third in wRC+ behind only Shohei Ohtani and Ronald Acuna Jr.

Seager had the highest fWAR among shortstops. He also had the most home runs of any shortstop with 33.

Defensively, Perdomo was better with two outs above average, compared to Seager with -1. Yet Seager makes enough plays defensively and his bat is as dangerous as any.

In their respective championship series, both shortstops were excellent. Seager led the way with an .819 OPS, but Perdomo was right behind him with an .818 OPS. Seager was the only shortstop with multiple home runs (2).

Advantage: Rangers

There is no question who is the more accomplished of the third basemen in this series. Arizona's Evan Longoria is returning to the World Series 15 years after first appearing in it with the Tampa Bay Rays in 2008, when he was AL Rookie of the Year.

He's been a three-time All-Star, three-time Gold Glove Award winner and a Silver Slugger in 2009. Longoria has the pelts on the wall.

But the Rangers have another advantage here in Josh Jung, who had a pair of home runs in the ALCS with five RBI. His overall numbers were not great in that series, but he's been good overall through 12 games this postseason, slashing .289/.320/.600 for a .920 OPS with eight RBI.

Longoria is slashing .135/.214/.189 for a .403 OPS with three RBI through 12 games this postseason.

Jung ranked 14th in fWAR among third basemen with at least 230 plate appearances, while Longoria ranked 41st.

Advantage: Rangers

The upside is in Texas' favor once again, but let's show Lourdes Gurriel Jr. his proper respect.

After being traded from the Toronto Blue Jays in the offseason, Gurriel went on to have his best season in Arizona. He was a first-time All-Star, finishing the regular season ranked 15th among left fielders in fWAR, tied with Toronto's Daulton Varsho, the player for which he was traded.

Gurriel has also been a plus-defender for the Diamondbacks. Only seven players had higher outs above average than Gurriel in left field.

For Texas, rookie Evan Carter has a much smaller sample size to work with. But from what we've seen, he is a star in the making.

Carter, 21, is slashing .308/.449/.538 with a home run and six doubles in his first postseason.

Advantage: Rangers

Leody Taveras had the better regular season for Texas, but Alek Thomas is without question having the better postseason.

Thomas' .865 OPS is noticeably higher than Taveras' .744 OPS through the same number of games. Thomas is hitting just .212 in 33 at-bats, but four of his seven hits have been home runs—more than any other center fielder this postseason.

Credit Taveras for a superior regular season. He ranked 13th in fWAR among center fielders with at least 400 plate appearances, while Thomas ranked 24th. Taveras ranked 17th in wRC+, while Thomas ranked 24th in this category as well.

Defensively, 12 center fielders had more outs above average than Taveras, while Thomas ranked tied for 17th.

Neither player is electric enough to win this overwhelmingly, so the advantage goes to the one playing best at the moment.

That's Thomas.

Advantage: Diamondbacks

Here is perhaps the most fun head-to-head of them all. Both right fielders are All-Stars and have been tremendous this postseason.

Arizona's Corbin Carroll could win the competition with most other right fielders. But the guy on the other side is Texas' Adolis Garcia, the ALCS MVP who's played out of his mind.

Garcia's 2023 postseason OPS is 1.102 with seven home runs through 12 games played. He's slashing an astounding .327/.352/.750 with 20 RBI, five more than any other player this postseason.

He's been so dominant, it will be interesting to see how much of an appetite Diamondbacks skipper Torey Lovullo has for pitching to him.

Carroll's .295/.396/.455 slash line for an .851 OPS and a pair of home runs has been strong. But Garcia's act is a tough one to follow.

Advantage: Rangers

Mitch Garver has a pair of postseason home runs, including one in the ALCS, and his .897 OPS through nine games offers Texas a reliable option at DH. Garver has 11 RBI this postseason, behind only Yordan Álvarez among designated hitters.

Tommy Pham has not been nearly as solid for the Diamondbacks. His .214/.233/.357 postseason slash line is far less than ideal and Pham has only driven in two runs in 11 games played.

This is obviously the spot with the most flexibility in case either team wishes to go in a different direction and give a position player some rest in the field.

But if we're focusing on the primary DH for both teams, it's Garver who's made the biggest difference.

Advantage: Rangers

Considering the Diamondbacks' strength is built more on their pitching and the Rangers' with hitting, one would think this advantage goes to Arizona.

Not so fast. The Rangers made major moves last offseason and at the trade deadline to fortify their rotation. They signed Nathan Eovaldi in free agency, then they traded for Jordan Montgomery and Max Scherzer.

That's the three-headed monster guiding them through the first three games of the series, with Andrew Heaney and Dane Dunning ready to piggyback a bullpen game.

Zac Gallen and Merrill Kelley offer a solid rebuttal at the top of Arizona's rotation, but the Rangers' collection of starters are special.

The postseason numbers are comparable: 3.62 ERA, 3.61 FIP for the Rangers; 3.63 ERA, 4.94 FIP for the Diamondbacks.

This edge has to go to the team with a Hall of Famer and World Series champion as its third starter.

Advantage: Rangers

This is supposed to be where we rip the Rangers' bullpen for being the weakness of the team and praise the Diamondbacks' for being a strength.

Not so fast.

Neither bullpen was great in the regular season, but both have risen to the occasion in these final games leading up to the Fall Classic.

During the regular season, Arizona's bullpen ranked 18th with a 4.22 ERA. Texas relievers ranked 24th with a 4.77 ERA. The two bullpens were neck-and-neck in FIP, ranking 21st and 22nd, respectively.

In the postseason, Arizona relievers have a 2.94 ERA and 3.40 FIP. Their five wins and six saves are more than any other bullpen this postseason.

The Rangers' relievers have a 3.72 ERA and 5.28 FIP, though guys like Josh Sborz and Jose Leclerc were able to get big-time outs for them in the ALCS.

Advantage: Diamondbacks