Thanks to the magic of interleague play, the Texas Rangers and Arizona Diamondbacks will play a World Series rematch at Globe Life Field this week. The quick two-game series begins Tuesday. The Rangers of course beat the D-backs in five games last fall to capture the franchise's first World Series championship.
Every team plays every other team every year with the new more balanced schedule, though the Rangers and D-backs are designated interleague rivals, so they will meet again later this year at Chase Field. That two-game series is scheduled for Sept. 10-11. The D-backs took three of four from the Rangers last regular season before the two teams met in October.
Here are the details for this week's Rangers vs. D-backs series in Arlington. Select games can be streamed on fuboTV (try for free).
| Date | Start time | Starting pitchers | TV |
|---|---|---|---|
Tues., May 28 | 8:05 p.m. ET | RHP Brandon Pfaadt (2-3, 4.05 ERA) vs. TBA | Bally Sports Southwest, D-backs TV |
Weds., May 29 | 2:35 p.m. ET | RHP Ryne Nelson (3-3, 6.03 ERA) vs. TBA | Bally Sports Southwest, D-backs TV |
The Rangers have not yet announced their starters for this week's series, though righty Dane Dunning (3-3, 4.43 ERA) and lefty Andrew Heaney (0-6, 4.69 ERA) line up to start Tuesday and Wednesday, respectively. Monday's off-day would allow Texas to start righty José Ureña (1-4, 3.53 ERA) on Wednesday instead, though it's more likely they'll remain on turn.
Left-hander Jordan Montgomery started this past Saturday and will not face his former team this week. Montgomery was a key figure in the Rangers beating the D-backs and winning the World Series last season, then he signed a free agent deal with Arizona in March. Texas will present Montgomery with his extremely cool World Series ring during this week's series.
"That's what you work for," Montgomery told MLB.com last month. "I got over there with a bunch of great guys and they were running on all cylinders. It was fun and I'm glad that I could be that push to get them through it. (Nathan Eovaldi) and Heaney, I talk to a lot of the team over there still. My mom sent me a video of what the ring looks like with a rundown of it all, and it's going to be sick."
The D-backs and Rangers both had an off-day Monday, so they'll head into Tuesday's series opener with fresh legs and fresh relievers. Here now are four things to know heading into this week's World Series rematch, with a prediction thrown in at the end because why not?
1. Both teams are off to slow starts
Neither the Rangers nor D-backs are having the follow-up to 2023 that they envisioned. The Rangers enter play Tuesday with a 25-29 record and minus-6 run differential. They've lost 12 of their last 15 games and really nothing about the team stands out. They are middle of the pack offensively, pitching-wise, defensively, you name it. The middle of the bullpen in particular is a big issue.
The D-backs, meanwhile, are 25-28 with a plus-3 run differential that suggests they've played better than their record indicates. Not that much better, but better. Arizona has won 11 of their last 19 games, so perhaps they are beginning to trend up. Point is, the D-backs and Rangers are not where they hoped they'd find themselves two months into 2024. It's been a slog thus far.
2. The recent history of World Series rematches
Now that every team plays the other 29 teams every year with the new schedule, we'll get a World Series rematch every season. Last year was the first year with the new schedule and the Philadelphia Phillies took two of three from the Houston Astros in 2023 after losing the 2022 World Series to Houston in six games.
In the final 10 years with the old rotating interleague schedule, there were only four World Series rematches during the regular season and only one in the final four years. The Astros and Washington Nationals were originally scheduled to meet in 2020, however, before the shortened 60-game pandemic season led to regional play. Here are the last 10 years under the old schedule:
| Previous year's World Series | Rematch | |
|---|---|---|
2022 | Braves 4, Astros 2 | Braves 2, Astros 1 |
2021 | Did not play | |
2020 | Nationals 4, Astros 3 | Did not play |
2019 | Red Sox 4, Dodgers 1 | Did not play |
2018 | Astros 4, Dodgers 3 | Astros 2, Dodgers 1 |
2017 | Cubs 4, Cleveland 3 | Did not play |
2016 | Mets 3, Royals 1 | |
2015 | Giants 4, Royals 3 | Did not play |
2014 | Red Sox 4, Cardinals 2 | Cardinals 2, Red Sox 1 |
2013 | Giants 4, Tigers 0 | Did not play |
Before interleague play, a World Series rematch only happened in the World Series. With interleague play, it happened once every few years during the regular season. With the new schedule, it will happen every year. Does that water it down? Nah, I don't think so. If anything, it enhances the experience, at least if your team won the World Series. You get to relive the thrill of victory and all that.
3. Carroll is having a brutal season
Is Corbin Carroll playing through an injury? That would at least explain his wretched season to date, because if this Carroll at full healthy, hoo boy is that worrisome. The reigning NL Rookie of the Year has been one of the worst hitters in baseball this season. Here's where he ranks among the 155 hitters with enough plate appearances to qualify for the batting title:
| Carroll | MLB rank | |
|---|---|---|
AVG | .188 | 152nd |
OBP | .274 | 141st |
SLG | .284 | 150th |
OPS+ | 62 | 148th |
The D-backs dropped Carroll to eighth in the lineup late last month, he had a little 8 for 27 (.296) hot streak from April 29 to May 7, the D-backs moved him back up to the leadoff spot, and he has gone 9 for 64 (.141) in 17 games since. For what it's worth, a non-Diamondbacks person recently told the Arizona Republic that Carroll's swing path is all out of whack.
"There is significant changes in his vertical angle of attack from 2023 to 2024," the person told the Arizona Republic. "Last year he was below average. Now he's well below average."
Over the winter, Carroll worked to level out his swing so he could more easily barrel up fastballs, and it seems those adjustments have fouled him up. He went from very good against heaters and great against breaking balls last season to bad against every kind of pitch this year. Whatever the reason, Carroll is having a dreadful year, and the D-backs need him to right the ship and fast.
4. Who's hot, who's not
Baseball is a sport of hot and cold streaks. Day-to-day and week-to-week consistency is a myth. As such, several players head into this week's series swinging the bat better than others. Here are the hottest D-backs hitters over the last 15 days:
| PA | AVG/OBP/SLG | HR | RBI | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
43 | .359/.405/.462 | 0 | 3 | |
30 | .333/.333/.600 | 2 | 8 | |
49 | .250/.286/.500 | 3 | 6 |
Not many D-backs qualify as "hot" right now. They've averaged 3.09 runs in their last 11 games and that's with Newman, who is filling in for the injured Geraldo Perdomo (and Jordan Lawlar) having the best stretch of his career. Pederson rarely faces lefties (only seven plate appearances vs. southpaws) and presumably won't be in Wednesday's lineup against Heaney.
Over the last 15 days the D-backs haven't gotten much from Lourdes Gurriel Jr. (.214/.267/.333), Ketel Marte (.213/.245/.319), Gabriel Moreno (.179/.324/.286), and Eugenio Suárez (.205/.244/.31). Add in Carroll and that's an awful lot of underperforming hitters heading into the World Series rematch with the Rangers. Arizona's offense needs a breakout game in the worst way.
Here now are three Rangers hitters who have swung the bat well over the last 15 days:
| PA | AVG/OBP/SLG | HR | RBI | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
42 | .200/.238/.550 | 4 | 6 | |
50 | .325/.460/.850 | 7 | 9 | |
49 | .273/.347/.318 | 0 | 3 |
Like the D-backs, not many Rangers are swinging the bat well right now. Seager looks fully back up to speed following his sports hernia surgery in January, though García's production has been tied up entirely in his power lately, and Smith isn't doing much more than spraying singles and taking walks. And that's OK. Singles and walks win games too, but one of the team's hottest hitters in recent weeks sporting a sub-.700 OPS isn't good.
Stalwarts Jonah Heim (.095/.174/.190), Nathaniel Lowe (.159/.255/.227), and Marcus Semien (.140/.218/.320) have been quiet at the plate the last 15 days. Evan Carter, who was so impressive last September and in the postseason, enters the World Series rematch in an 0 for 20 skid. He is 2 for his last 38 and his season batting line is down to .188/.272/.361. It's fair to wonder if Carter could use some time in Triple-A to reset. For now, he remains with Texas.
Prediction
This is a two-game series and I could take the easy way out and say it'll be a split, but nah. That's lame. I'll say the D-backs sweep the two games, specifically with comebacks against the Rangers' bullpen in the middle innings. I'll also say Carroll, despite his awful season, gets The Big Hit in one of the two games. It has been foretold.
