Why Rangers will repeat as 2024 World Series champions
The biggest area the Rangers got improvement in could help them repeat as World Series champions in 2024.
As the 2024 MLB season begins, one team stands out as a strong contender to not only win but become repeat winners as World Series champions: the Texas Rangers. If they were to do so, they’d be the first team to win back-to-back World Series titles since the New York Yankees from 1998-2000.
Doing something that hadn’t been done in almost a quarter of a century isn’t easy. But neither was winning their first championship, which took 63 years to accomplish But to do that, they’re going to face what looks to be a highly competitive AL West with the seemingly always good Houston Astros (last year’s division champions), Seattle Mariners and even the Los Angeles Angels to some degree. The Oakland Athletics… well, enough said. Luckily for the Rangers, they are poised to defend their title with a roster that boasts the talent to do it all over again.
The Rangers offense returns in 2024.
One of the key factors behind the Rangers’ success in 2023 was their potent offense. Led by sluggers like Corey Seager, Marcus Semien, and Adolis Garcia, the Rangers ranked among the top teams in the league in hits, runs scored, home runs, batting average, on-base percentage, and slugging percentage. With the core of their lineup returning intact, including others from last season like Josh Jung, Jonah Helm, and Evan Carter, the Rangers’ offense looks poised to continue its dominance in 2024.
The concerning part for the Rangers is that this daunting lineup to opposing pitchers will hopefully be fully healed with Seager coming off a hernia surgery in January and designated hitter Ezequiel Duran injuring his calf during spring training. The injuries don’t stop there, though, as the pitching staff has their own (we’ll get there). But the Rangers could be getting even better with the addition of their rookie outfielder Wyatt Langford, who made the Opening Day roster.
The former No. 4 overall pick for the Rangers last season almost got called up to the postseason roster last year when Garcia went down with an oblique injury. In spring training, he slashed .365/.423/.714 with an OPS of 1.137.
The Rangers now have a good mix of youth, experience, and depth that is good enough to win them a second consecutive World Series title.
