After stunning the Philadelphia Phillies, the Arizona Diamondbacks are in a good position to be this year's World Series champion. This will only be the second time in team history that the team has reached this stage, and one player who could make a difference is Ketel Marte.

The D-Backs hardly felt the NLCS MVP in their 4-2 win over the Phillies. However, the landscape is now entirely different, with Marte needing to lead by example since he is the longest-tenured player on the Arizona roster.

The 30-year-old All-Star was named the 2023 National League Championship Series Most Valuable Player earlier this week, CBS Sports reported. He becomes only the second player to win the award after Craig Counsell did it in 2001.

Although he was a non-factor, his performance throughout the series is worth noting. In the seven-game series, Marte batted .387/.406/.581 with 12 hits, four doubles, a triple, and a stolen base.

A long-shot World Series matchup

The D-Back's stunning win over the Phillies set the stage for an all-Wild Card World Series with the Texas Rangers. It is a matchup that not many expected. It had a 1,750 to 1 odds per the Associated Press.

Game 1 of the 2023 World Series is Friday, October 27. The Rangers are -166 favorites over the Diamondbacks per Sportsline. However, given how the two MLB teams got to this stage, there is no telling what further surprises may happen.