The record is different. The teams in play are different. The Arizona Diamondbacks are different.

And yet, as the 2026 iteration of the Diamondbacks marches toward an improbable postseason appearances, manager Torey Lovullo can't help but see parallels between his current club and the club that shocked the baseball world with a National League pennant and a World Series appearance back in the 2023 season.

Arizona's playoff odds are slim. As opposed to 2023, they're on the outside looking in as the final weekend arrives. They need to see the Philadelphia Phillies lose at least two games to the Tampa Bay Rays to make October baseball a reality.

But that weight doesn't seem to be affecting the Diamondbacks players' minds. Arizona has won five straight games, winning two against the Yankees in comeback fashion before sweeping the Colorado Rockies at Coors Field for the first time since 2018.

The reason? Lovullo said this team has been able to tune out the noise and focus more on the outcomes within their own power.

Diamondbacks' 2026 team has 2023's mentality

When asked if the 2026 Diamondbacks reminded him of any other team his managed, regarding their ability to play one moment at a time, Lovullo did not waste any time giving his answer.

"Yeah. The 2023 team. There's no doubt about it," Lovullo said.

"Corbin Carroll in our hitters' meeting... said the exact same thing. It overlaps with things that were going on in '23. We were granular. We focused on what we could control. We had our backs against the wall several times, but it didn't affect this team. And that's what we are. We're a team that fights together."

As was made famous by Lovullo himself in that very 2023 postseason, a connected team is a dangerous one. The Diamondbacks, despite extended offensive slumps and a heavy flow of veterans and rookies entering and exiting the organization, look like a connected team again.

And that's what this team will have to be for the next three games — and potentially beyond. The Diamondbacks trailed the Phillies by two games coming into Friday. Even if Arizona were to sweep, that would not guarantee them a playoff berth.

But that's all Arizona can control right now: winning the games on their schedule. A sweep of the Padres would certainly raise their playoff chances. A series win might be enough, as well, if the Phillies were to be swept.

Regardless, the Diamondbacks have already surpassed their 2023 win total (84) with an 85-win 2026. Perhaps that turns into 88 wins, and another miracle charge.

Lovullo seems to think this team has the same quality as that 2023 club. Lightning may strike twice.