World Series Foes Rangers and Diamondbacks Have Striking Similarities

Both teams are struggling below .500 and have dealt with injuries. The similarities to their seasons don't stop there however.

Oct 28, 2023; Arlington, Texas, USA; A view of the US flag and the Texas state flag during the playing of the national anthem / Jerome Miron-USA TODAY Sports

NOTE: This article has been updated with the change to Nathan Eovaldi's injury status.

The Diamondbacks play their World Series foe the Texas Rangers the next two days at Globe Life Field in Arlington Texas. Tuesday night's game starts at 5:05 P.M. Arizona Time. Wednesday is a day game with an 11:35 A.M. first pitch.

It's remarkable how similar the two teams have been in both their results and how they've gotten there in 2024. The overriding theme for both teams has been struggle however.

Records and Standings

Texas has a 25-29 record and the Diamondbacks are 25-28. The standings implications for the two teams are quite different however. Texas is in second place, only 3.5 games back of the 29-26 Mariners in the Al West. The Rangers are actually further back in the Wild Card, trailing the Twins by 4.5 games for the 3rd spot.

The D-backs meanwhile languish in fourth place in the NL West, 7.0 games back of the Dodgers despite LA's six game losing streak. Arizona's path to the postseason will likely be through the Wild Card, where they trail the Padres by 2.0 games for the third spot. The Cubs and Cardinals are slightly ahead of Arizona too though.

Injuries

Diamondbacks fans lamenting the state of the team's health would do well to look at the Rangers situation. They have 13 players and nearly 40% of their payroll on the current injured list. Nine of those players on the 60-day IL. 11 of them are pitchers.

Texas went into the season knowing that they would be missing Jacob deGrom, Max Scherzer, and Tyler Mahle for at least the first half of the season. But Nathan Eovaldi and Jon Gray have been both out with groin injuries. Eovaldi is being activated to start Tuesday night however.

The D-backs have seven players on the injured list, representing about 17% of their payroll. Eduardo Rodriguez (shoulder strain) has begun a throwing program, but the team is taking it slow as he already had one setback. Merrill Kelly has yet to begin a throwing program but recently had an MRI on his shoulder that showed significant healing.

Shortstop Geraldo Perdomo (knee) is getting very close to starting a rehab assignment and could return within the next week. When he returns he'll be the starting shortstop but could also see reps at third base. Centerfielder Alek Thomas (hamstring) is at least one week behind Perdomo.

Luis Frias, RHP (shoulder) has been on a throwing program for a couple of weeks now. Miguel Castro RHP (shoulder) has not begun throwing yet as he was still experiencing soreness. Drey Jameson (Tommy John surgery) and Kyle Nelson (Thoracic Outlet Surgery) are out for the year.

Offense

There is another striking similarity between Arizona and Texas this year. Both teams have gone through a feast or famine run scoring situation.

The D-backs rank 9th in MLB with 4.62 runs per game. 70 of their 245 runs were scored in just five games however. With those five games removed the team has averaged just 3.65 runs per game. that 0.98 gap is the largest in MLB.

The Rangers rank 13th in MLB scoring 4.43 R/G. Similarly however they have scored 65 runs in their top five scoring games. With those removed their average drops to 3.55. The 0.87 gap is the second highest in MLB, behind only the D-backs.

Arizona has a .243/.314/.385 slash line. Their .699 OPS ranks 14th and is exactly league average. Texas has a .242/.313/.384 slash line. Their .696 OPS ranks 16th in the league.

The D-backs OPS leaders are Joc Pederson, (.935), Ketel Marte (.815) and Christian Walker (.812.). 2023 NLROY Corbin Carroll continues to struggle, especially with fastballs, and is batting .188 with a .558 OPS.

The Rangers output is a little more evenly distributed, with seven players over .700 OPS. Corey Seager (.796), Josh Smith (.786), and Adolis Garcia (.770) lead the team. Similar to Carroll, Rangers 2023 rookie sensation Evan Carter is struggling as well, batting .188 with a .633 OPS.

Pitching

Once again, the Rangers and Diamondbacks rank right next to each other in runs allowed per game. Texas has given up 4.54 R/G, 18th best in MLB. The D-backs have given up 4.57 R/G, or 19th best. It's when you break it out by starters and relievers ERA however that a large difference emerges.

The Rangers, despite all their rotation injuries, have a 3.65 starters' ERA, which is 12th best in MLB. Their bullpen ERA is 5.09, and ranks dead last among 30 MLB teams. The D-backs rank 19th in MLB with a 4.25 starters ERA and 21st with a 4.23 bullpen ERA.

Be sure to tune back in to Inside the Diamondbacks in the early afternoon as we take a closer look at the pitching matchups and lineups for tonight's game.