The Rangers just became one of the unlikeliest World Series champions in recent history.
On Opening Day, the Rangers sat at +5000 to win it all (BetMGM), which were the 17th-best odds in baseball.
Those are the longest preseason odds for an eventual World Series champion since the 2003 Florida Marlins, who were +7500, per SportsOddsHistory.com.
It’s tied with the 1987 Minnesota Twins for the third-longest odds since at least 1985.
It wasn’t until the ALCS that oddsmakers saw the Rangers as a real threat to be the champs.
At the outset of the wild card series, when the Rangers were set to play the Rays in a three-game set in Tampa Bay, Texas was +1800 to win the World Series.
After beating the Rays and moving on to face the Orioles in the Division Series, they sat at +800.
By the ALCS, the Rangers were +275 to win it, although they were still underdogs to the Astros.
Houston, the 2022 champions, opened the season as the favorite to repeat this season at +600, followed by the Braves (+750), Yankees (+800) and Dodgers (+800).
After offseason moves to bring in Jacob deGrom, Nathan Eovaldi and others, baseball experts predicted the Rangers to be improved, but did not foresee them being the last team standing.
FanGraphs’ ZiPS projection system pegged Texas at 80 wins and in fourth place in the American League West.
PECOTA, a Baseball Prospectus projection system, had the Rangers finishing at 78-84.
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The Diamondbacks, who also didn’t have the highest of expectations coming into the season, didn’t take home the World Series trophy, but their run was arguably even more impressive.
Arizona came into the season at +12500 to win it all, which would have made it the biggest World Series long shot ever if it could have taken Texas down.
Only the 2008 Tampa Bay Rays (+15000) and 1991 Atlanta Braves (+20000) had worse preseason odds among World Series participants since 1985, according to SOH.
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