MLB analyst discredits Rangers & D-Backs' fairytale run to World Series: "This is the WS that no one wanted"

The 2023 World Series between the Texas Rangers and the Arizona Diamondbacks starts today. Texas defeated the defending champions emphatically to claim the AL pennant, while the Snakes gnawed the last two games of the series away from the Phillies and their beloved Citizens Bank Park's fans.

Brian T. Smith, an MLB analyst, gave his opinion on the World Series, claiming that it would be safe to say that no baseball intrigue, viewer, fan, or legend would have predicted this World Series clash before the start of the current season.

Further, he also said that dominant teams like the Dodgers, Padres, Braves, Astros, Yankees, and Red Sox were expected to claim the respective pennants and then the World Series. But the sport is far more complex than just throwing money around and expecting trophies out of wizardry.

"This is the World Series that no one wanted. Not Major League Baseball. Not commissioner Rob Manfred, who continues to drag down a once proud game. Diamondbacks-Rangers on TV? Zzzzzz" - BTSmithUK

In terms of club salary, Arizona was in the bottom third of the league, and Texas, who finished 2021–22 as one of the poorest teams in the league, was unable to win its division this year. The Rangers deserve praise for their rapid recovery and 2023 AL dominance.

MLB fans would have been backing high-flying ball players from huge asset-holding ballclubs, but the fact of the matter is that all three teams that registered 100 victories failed to reach the World Series.

Not only high payroll but magnanimous ballclubs like the New York Mets, the Yanks, the Padres, and the Cubs failed to make it through. Two unlikeliest teams made it to the ultimate showdown, showcasing their balance and effective strategy execution on the field.

A World Series for the ages

In 2021, the Texas Rangers and the Arizona Diamondbacks finished with a 100-loss record. After two seasons, they are already involved in one of baseball's most well-known underdog tales. This is the most implausible World Series matchup in history, with preseason odds of +175,000, or a 1 in 1,750 chance, for the Rangers vs. Diamondbacks.

It remains to be seen who comes out on top in the 2023 Fall Classic as two gritty and hard-hitting units go against each other for bragging rights in Game 1 of the World Series at 8:07 p.m. ET at Globe Life Field, TX, on October 27, 2023.