When the Arizona Diamondbacks began the MLB season on April 6, they were considered a long shot to win the World Series, with the eighth-worst odds in the MLB at +12500, let alone make the playoffs — they were given a 15.3% chance to make the postseason, per FanGraphs. Most oddsmakers set their over/under win totals below 75.5, and when it came to the World Series, the Diamondbacks were given a 0.5% chance to win it all.
At the time, perhaps it seemed justified since the team had made the playoffs just once since 2011 and placed last in the division two of the past three years.
Remarkably, though, the Diamondbacks stand just eight games away from accomplishing that World Series feat after their stunning sweep of the Los Angeles Dodgers.