Rangers had longest preseason odds of World Series winner in 20 years

The Texas Rangers clinched their first World Series title in franchise history Wednesday, and it was just as improbable as it sounds. They were not supposed to be in that position.

Final preseason odds before the season started on March 30 had Texas at +5000 to win it all, according to SportsOddsHistory, which was tied for 17th. And while we know the favorites don’t always win the World Series, long-shots like this almost never win it. The Rangers are actually the longest favorites to win the title since the 2003 Florida Marlins won with +7500 preseason odds.

If you had a bet on the Rangers before the season started, congratulations. You just made a massive profit on your money.

The runners-up Arizona Diamondbacks had even longer odds than Texas at +6600, which were tied for 7th-worst. To put into context how improbable this matchup and champion was, last year’s champion, the Houston Astros had the third-best odds at +1000. Before them, the Braves had the fifth-best odds at +1000, and the Dodgers had the second-best odds in 2020 at +410.

After Florida and Texas, the team with the next longest odds to win it all in the last 20 years was the Kansas City Royals at +3300 odds in 2015.