SURPRISE, Ariz. (KFDX/KJTL) — Is it realistic for Texas Rangers fans to expect a return to the World Series in 2025? After all, they only won 78 games last season. But, this season, it is, indeed, a realistic possibility.
The Los Angeles Dodgers are overwhelming favorites to repeat as World Champions, but oddsmakers have the Texas Rangers as the best in the American League.
The Texas Rangers are the favorite to win more games than any other team in the American League.
The highly respected Baseball Prospectus projects the Rangers to win 90.5 games this season, which is up from a month ago when they were tabbed to win 89. And the early favorites, the New York Yankees, slid from 89.7 wins to 85 after losing ace Gerrit Cole to injury for the season.
Texas Rangers Manager Bruce Bochy said Tuesday he welcomes the raised expectations.
“The bar’s been raised here with us, you know, after last year, and we expect to have a much better year than what we had the previous year, especially with our new additions,” Bochy said. “We welcome that. I agree with them, and I think we should be in the running.”
Players in the Rangers Clubhouse, including left fielder Evan Carter, appreciate that management has constructed a team expected to win.
“All of us want to win and do the best that we can do,” Carter said. “But if you’re in an organization that doesn’t reciprocate that and doesn’t really put their best foot forward in trying to provide those opportunities, then it makes it a lot harder. So, we’re thankful in an organization that’s doing just that.”
Bochy, who is entering his 28th year as a manager in the big leagues, is quick to point out that games are won on the field, not on paper.
“We got to go out and play good baseball. I don’t know how else to tell you, but, yeah, I think we’re a much-improved ball club, but we can talk about it all we want. We got to go out and do it,” Bochy said.
It all begins on March 27 against the Boston Red Sox.
