World Series 2023: Early Storylines, Pitching Matchups and MVP Odds

The Arizona Diamondbacks and Texas Rangers will try to add to their short list of postseason accolades with a win in the 2023 World Series.

The two franchises entered the Major League Baseball postseason with three combined Fall Classic appearances. Arizona won on Luis Gonzalez's walk-off hit in 2001, while Texas lost two straight World Series in 2010 and 2011.

Arizona and Texas should take a similar approach to starting out the World Series, which begins on Friday in Arlington, Texas, with a victory.

Each team has strong top-end starters. The Game 1 pitching matchup between Zac Gallen and Nathan Eovaldi is already set.

Arizona will use Merrill Kelly and Brandon Pfaadt after that, while Max Scherzer and Jordan Montgomery should follow Eovaldi.

Whichever lineup solves the pitchers first may end up as the champion. Texas holds the lineup advantage, and because of that, it is not a surprise to see Corey Seager and Adolis Garcia at the top of the Most Valuable Player odds board.

Arizona and Texas do not have a lengthy World Series history.

The D-Backs are after their second Fall Classic title in two appearances, while Texas is 0-2 as a franchise from its defeats at the start of the 2010s.

Texas appears to be in better shape to win the World Series because of its home-field advantage and hot bats that can thrive inside the favorable ballpark for hitters.

All nine members of the Texas lineup recorded at least five hits in the ALCS triumph over the Houston Astros.

Garcia and Seager headlined that stat sheet with 18 combined hits, seven of which were home runs. Garcia knocked in 15 runs, while four other Rangers at least four RBI.

Texas must take advantage of its power inside Globe Life Field before the series shifts to Chase Field, which is a bottom-five ballpark for home runs.

Arizona just needs to get all of its bats going in the Fall Classic. Corbin Carroll was not productive in the NLCS until Game 7 and Christian Walker went 2-for-22 against the Philadelphia Phillies.

The D-Backs need a more consistent batting order to keep up with the Rangers in a series that could be decided in the first five innings.

Both bullpens were difficult to hit in their respective LCS, and if that carries over into the World Series, a lead in the fifth inning may last until the game's conclusion.

The Game 1 pitching matchup between Gallen and Eovaldi is the only one confirmed for the World Series.

Arizona will likely follow its pattern from the NLCS and throw Kelly in Game 2 and Pfaadt in Game 3. A bullpen game likely lies ahead in Game 4.

Texas has to choose between Scherzer and Montgomery for Games 2 and 3. It will use either Andrew Heaney or Dane Dunning as an opener in Game 4 based on usage in previous series.

Eovaldi and Montgomery may be Texas' best pairing at the moment. Scherzer allowed seven earned runs on nine hits over 6.2 innings in two ALCS starts.

Scherzer could look better in the World Series after shaking off the rust from a month-long injury layoff, but he does not, Texas could max out its bullpen.

Arizona will try to use the same strategy it utilized in the NLCS. It needs the starters to go at least five innings and then for the high-leverage bullpen arms to take over.

Kevin Ginkel and Paul Sewald were perfect in the NLCS, and if they continue to pitch well, any Arizona lead entering the seventh inning could be secure.

Arizona holds a slight edge over Texas' bullpen because of its Ginkel-Sewald duo that gave up three hits in 8.2 innings against the Phillies.

Texas must hit well against Arizona's starters to stretch out the D-Backs' other bullpen arms and to avoid facing Ginkel and Sewald in come-from-behind situations.

Adolis Garcia (+500; bet $100 to win $500)

Corey Seager (+550)

Ketel Marte (+1000)

Corbin Carroll (+1000)

Marcus Semien (+1500)

Nathan Eovaldi (+1600)

Josh Jung (+2000)

Mitch Garver (+2000)

Gabriel Moreno (+2000)

Evan Carter (+2000)

Christian Walker (+2000)

Zac Gallen (+2000)

Garcia and Seager, who was the 2020 World Series MVP, are understandably the favorites to win the World Series MVP.

Texas' two most notable hitters are coming off a dominant ALCS and they have a chance to carry that form over into the World Series at home in Games 1 and 2.

Ketel Marte is Arizona's clear front-runner for MVP. He has a hit in each of the 16 postseason games he has played in. The infielder went 12-for-31 to win NLCS MVP.

However, the World Series does have some unknown MVPs in its history. Steve Pearce, Ben Zobrist and Jorge Soler all had fantastic series in the last decade to surprisingly win MVP. Jeremy Pena won MVP last year for the Houston Astros after an incredible postseason. Some of the other unlikely winners came alive only in the Fall Classic.

Walker may be the best long shot option at +2000. Arizona's cleanup hitter struggled mightily in the NLCS and he could be due for a bounce-back performance.

A hitter will likely be the MVP. A pitcher has not won the award since Madison Bumgarner in 2014. Bumgarner, Cole Hamels and Josh Beckett are the only pitchers to win MVP since Randy Johnson and Curt Schilling shared the award in 2001.

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