How Max Scherzer impacts Texas Rangers World Series odds

Grant Mitchell | For FrontPageBets

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The Texas Rangers have proven to be all in on 2023, culminating with the acquisition of future Hall of Fame pitcher Max Scherzer from the New York Mets as one of the MLB trade deadline's biggest moves.

Scherzer’s acquisition has had an impact on the Rangers’ odds to win the World Series, along with the betting lines of other teams.

As Mad Max sets to pitch in Arlington as a Ranger for the first time, we’re looking at updated MLB World Series odds.

MLB World Series odds: How have Rangers’ World Series odds shifted after Max Scherzer trade?

The Rangers shortened from about a +1100 World Series contender to +900 following the addition of Scherzer, a three-time Cy Young winner and 2019 World Series champion.

They sit fifth behind the Atlanta Braves (+300), Los Angeles Dodgers (+450), Tampa Bay Rays (+650), and Houston Astros (+800).

The Braves undoubtedly put together the best stretch of baseball of any team leading into the All-Star break. They not only have the best record in MLB but also rank third in scoring and fifth in ERA, which justifies their position as the World Series favorites.

The Rays have been the best team in the AL for most of the year but have fallen on hard times recently, winning just six of their last 22 games.

The Dodgers have been much the opposite and are surging towards the postseason as they regularly do.

Other top contenders for the World Series, per the oddsmakers, include the Toronto Blue Jays (+1500), Orioles (+1500), Philadelphia Phillies (+2500), Minnesota Twins (+2500) and New York Yankees (+3000).

AL Pennant odds: How do the Rangers stack up with Scherzer?

The Rangers (+370) trail only the Rays (+290) in odds to win the AL. They are also immediately ahead of the Astros (+450) despite trailing them in odds to win the World Series.

Essentially, the oddsmakers believe that the Rangers are a better regular-season prospect than a postseason one. That could be attributed to seemingly everything going right for the Rangers thus far and the oddsmakers expecting a level of regression in the future.

Another explanation is that Vegas is favoring the Astros’ championship experience—they have made it to four of the last six World Series and won two of them.

AL West West odds: Who is favored to take the division?

The Rangers leaped past the Astros in odds to win the AL West thanks to the Scherzer trade.

Although the lead is far from decisive, they are -130 favorites to top the division, while the Astros—who have won the AL West in five of the last six seasons—are +100.

That means there’s value for bettors that still believe in the defending champs, but also viable odds for Rangers bettors.

The Rangers hold a 1.5-game lead over the Astros but trail the season series 4-6 with a three-game series still to come in early September. A tiebreaker will be settled by the head-to-head record, and a divisional tiebreaker will not be necessary.

Behind the two powerhouses are the Seattle Mariners (+1800), Los Angeles Angels (+3200) and Oakland Athletics (+25000). Both the Mariners and Angels are five games out of the Wild Card and 6.5 behind the Rangers.

Max Scherzer trade: Max Max puts Rangers among World Series favorites

The Texas Rangers acquired veteran ace Max Scherzer from the New York Mets in exchange for Luisangel Acuña, a 21-year-old infielder and the third-ranked prospect in Texas’ farm system.

Scherzer was in the second year of a three-year, $130 million deal with the Mets and waived his no-trade clause to make the move to the Lone Star state.

He is 9-4 with a 4.01 ERA and 1.14 WHIP this season. Notably, that ERA is the third-worst of his 16-year career and the worst since 2011.

As of July 29, the day of the trade, the Rangers have the third-best record in the American League and the fourth-best record in MLB, behind the Braves, Baltimore Orioles, and Rays.

Scherzer will slot nicely into a rotation of starting pitchers that have the sixth-best combined ERA in baseball.

When it comes to 2023 World Series odds and specifically Texas Rangers odds, the boys from Arlington are major players thanks to the Max Scherzer trade from the Mets before the trade deadline. 

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Grant Mitchell is a sports and sports betting journalist for Catena Media. A member of Virginia Tech's 2021 graduating class and former NCAA Track & Field athlete, he specializes in basketball, football and soccer coverage.