Arizona Diamondbacks World Series lineup by the book for Game 1 vs. Rangers
Oct 27, 2023, 3:18 PM | Updated: 4:26 pm
The Arizona Diamondbacks’ lineup for Game 1 of the World Series against the Texas Rangers is by the books, as expected.
Arizona Diamondbacks World Series Game 1 lineup
Our first #WorldSeries lineup since Nov. 4, 2001. 🥹 pic.twitter.com/SrOBXuVYeM
— Arizona Diamondbacks (@Dbacks) October 27, 2023
With right-hander Nathan Eovaldi getting the start for Texas, it is the default approach we’ve seen for Arizona. Corbin Carroll goes to right field and hits leadoff, a spot he flips with second baseman Ketel Marte against lefties. It also puts center fielder Alek Thomas back in center field where he hits seventh.
D-backs manager Torey Lovullo continues to stick with his mid-series flip in the NLCS of catcher Gabriel Moreno going from fifth to third in the order, swapping with designated hitter Tommy Pham. Moreno this postseason is hitting .279 with two home runs and six RBIs while Pham is at a .214 batting average with two home runs and two RBIs.
The Rangers bring their usual star power to the heart of the order.
#WorldSeries Game 1. pic.twitter.com/xIicyq86KL
— Texas Rangers (@Rangers) October 27, 2023
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Second baseman Marcus Semien was an All-Star this year with an .826 OPS and led the league with 185 hits but has struggled immensely this postseason, at a 10-for-52 (.192) mark. He still holds his leadoff spot. Four-time All-Star shortstop Corey Seager has been a stud, following up his 1.013 OPS in the regular season with a 1.127 number for the playoffs in the two-hole.
Twenty-one-year-old rookie left fielder Evan Carter only had 62 at-bats in the regular season but has earned that spot as the third hitter this postseason with a .987 OPS while the frontrunner for World Series MVP is Adolis Garcia in the cleanup position thanks to his 20 RBIs, which is one away from tying the record for the most in a single postseason.
Beyond those four names, third baseman Josh Jung has a .920 OPS in 12 games while designated hitter Mitch Garver is at an .898 OPS. For reference, that’s four of the top five OPS’ entering the series, with Marte’s .986 mark making up the lone bit of D-backs representation.
