Why not? is a feature on The Touchback exploring bets with longer odds that could plausibly happen. This doesn’t mean these wagers are locks. They are simply ones where you can justify the risk. Today, we look at why you should bet on the Texas Rangers to win the American League at +2500.
Baseball is a funny old game. The best teams rarely win the World Series. We have also seen plenty of middling sides sneak into the MLB playoffs and find themselves winning the pennant. Now this isn’t the only reason to bet on the Texas Rangers to win the American League at +2500, but it doesn’t hurt either (Odds via Bet MGM).
Last year, the Chicago White Sox were heavy favorites to win the AL Central and the Philadelphia Phillies were chalk to not make the playoffs. We are also all well aware of the 2019 Washington Nationals. There are plenty of reasons to think a dark horse can sneak into the Fall Classic.
Of course, picking the right one is no easy task. We were riding high last May with our bet on the Anaheim Angels only to see them implode in spectacular fashion. Despite this, we are dipping back into the AL West.
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The Texas Rangers may not be the best team in baseball and finishing 38 games behind the Houston Astros for the division crown in 2022 isn’t a great look. But there are reasons for optimism. Obviously signing Jacob deGrom, Nathan Eovaldi, Andrew Heaney and Jake Odorizzi while keeping Martin Perez is a good start. They were on nearly every list of MLB offseason winners.
Texas’ offense last season wasn’t terrible either. In the AL, they were fifth in runs scored and fourth in home runs. However, the team was also struck out the second most times in 2022 and had an awful on-base percentage. The negatives don’t totally drown out the positives.
Should you bet on the Texas Rangers to win the American League at +2500
Last year, the Seattle Mariners qualified for the postseason due to the fact their starters only missed one start and they got an unbelievable effort from a bullpen that did not look all that special on Opening Day. Now, it would be crazy to expect something similar taking place at Globe Life Field.
But it is not crazy to think Texas is able to make enough improvements in areas they were bad at last season to get into the playoffs. And that is all that matters in the fall. As we have seen time and again, anything can happen once you’re in. There are enough reasons to bet on the Texas Rangers to win the American League at +2500, although it may just end up being a waste of $10.
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