We are in Spring Training and October seems like a lightyear, 162 games, and an entire postseason away. Last fall, the Texas Rangers defeated the Diamondbacks 4-1 in a best-of-seven series to win the organization’s first World Series. Ever since the Rangers won Game 5 on the first day of November, fans have been clamoring for the season to return so they can watch the Rangers try and win a second championship in as many years.

Generally speaking, it is really hard to repeat as a champion in any sport – particularly baseball.

NFL: The Kansas City Chiefs just won back-to-back Super Bowls, the first team to do so since the Patriots did it in 2004 and 2005.

NBA: Golden State Warriors last did it in 2017 and 2018.

NHL: Tampa Bay Lightning last did it in 2020 and 2021.

MLB: New York Yankees are the most recent baseball team, winning three straight from 1998-2000.

Baseball has a large gap when it comes to repeat champions, but why? We’ve still seen dominant runs by the likes of the Astros, the Dodgers, the Red Sox, and the Giants with deep playoff runs. But none of these teams in the 21st century have won back-to-back World Series.

Overall, there’s a lot more room for error. Baseball nearly doubles the NBA and NHL in regular season games (162-82). This means teams can still go 88-74 as the Mariners did in 2023 and miss the postseason.

There can be several contributing factors in missing the MLB postseason altogether, such as weaker head-to-head pitching matchups or a significant injury. But the numbers don’t lie, it’s much easier to repeat as world champions in any other sport. That’s undeniable.

The Rangers desire to be undeniable with their efforts this 2024 season. As of this writing, FanDuel has the Rangers at +1400 odds to win the World Series this year, 5th-best in the MLB.

Win Total: 89.5 (tied 5th)

Odds to Make the Playoffs: -180 (7th)

Odds to win the AL West: +200 (2nd)

Odds to reach the ALCS: +310 (3rd)

Odds to reach the World Series from the AL: +650 (3rd)

~ all odds from FanDuel Sportsbook on February 29th.

The Dodgers, Astros, Braves, and Yankees all have better odds to win the World Series than the defending champions. And for the Rangers to not be 1st in any of the odds-makers, you could make the case the 2023 World Series Champions enter 2024 as underdogs. Some critics don’t believe they’ll be the first team since the three-peat Yankees to win consecutive titles.

With that said, let’s look at the championship team the Texas Rangers are bringing back.

It starts with the coaching staff. The Rangers are bringing back their entire staff this season, including well-renowned manager Bruce Bochy. Bochy turns 69 in April and is going for his 5th World Series Championship as a manager. Bochy’s never won back-to-back, but he did win three titles in five years back in 2010, 2012, and 2014.

Bringing Bochy in last year was an “all-in” move and it paid off in just one year. Bochy is hungry for more and sees the roster’s potential for another title.

The Rangers return their “Big 3” with Corey Seager, Marcus Semien, and Adolis Garcia leading the charge. Seager was the World Series MVP but Garcia was well on his way to challenging his teammate for that crowning achievement before suffering a strained oblique in the World Series. Those three alone accounted for 95 of the team’s 233 home runs (40.8%) last year.

Add to those three the youth to emerge for the Rangers during their playoff run. Evan Carter and Josh Jung played in all 17 postseason games last year, both posted above .300 batting average, combining for 4 home runs and 14 RBIs. They will have a full season with the Rangers and should be welcoming top prospect Wyatt Langford to the fold, who breezed past the minor league teams in 2023 and is turning heads this year at Spring Training.

You have three proven vets along with three promising young prospects. You have a solid base, especially after winning a World Series last year.

Pitching is the only concern for Texas right now. Jordan Montgomery remains a free agent while their top two pitchers Jacob deGrom and Max Scherzer are struggling to stay healthy and likely start the season on the IL.

In my opinion, the Rangers should look to re-sign Jordan Montgomery. He pitched 31 innings (second-most) in the postseason last year and had a team-best 2.90 ERA. Even at 31 years old, Montgomery can return to the ballclub and still perform at a high level to help compensate for the injuries to Scherzer and deGrom.

If not Montgomery, Blake Snell remains a free agent. The former Padre had a league-best 2.25 ERA last season and compiled 234 strikeouts (tied 3rd in MLB). Even as a one-year rental, Snell would instantly give the Rangers one of the best pitchers in all of baseball.

History says it can’t repeat itself. The odds say other teams win it all next fall. While near the top, nobody considers the Texas Rangers favorites to do it again. But with Bochy leading this ball club that retained much of their championship roster, it is possible and other MLB teams should feel uncomfortable.