Texas Rangers open as clear World Series favorites over Arizona Diamondbacks
Corey Seager and Adolis Garcia are the two favorites to win World Series MVP
The Texas Rangers are the favorites to win their first World Series in franchise history.
The Rangers enter Friday’s Game 1 of the World Series against the Arizona Diamondbacks at -175 to win the title. The Rangers took down the Houston Astros in seven games in the American League Championship Series as the road team won every game of the series.
The Diamondbacks took down the Philadelphia Phillies on Tuesday in Game 7 of the NLCS to get to the franchise’s first World Series since 2001. Like Texas, Arizona won Games 6 and 7 on the road to win the pennant.
Arizona is +145 to win an improbable World Series matchup. Both teams lost at least 100 games in 2021 before making the playoffs as wild cards in 2023. The Rangers took down the Tampa Bay Rays and the Baltimore Orioles before beating the Astros, while the Diamondbacks beat the Milwaukee Brewers and the Los Angeles Dodgers before the Phillies.
Even though the Rangers are significant favorites, oddsmakers are leaning toward a six- or seven-game series. Each possibility is at +200, while a five-game series is at +275. A sweep by either team has odds of +550.
Both teams enter the World Series with two very good starting pitchers and questions behind them. The Rangers have been very successful in starts by Jordan Montgomery and Nathan Eovaldi this postseason, and the Diamondbacks have gotten good outings from Zac Gallen and Merrill Kelly. The key to the series might come down to who can take advantage of the other starters and if the Rangers’ Max Scherzer can do better than he did in his two ALCS starts.
Who will win World Series MVP?
The top two favorites for World Series MVP are members of the Texas Rangers.
Shortstop Corey Seager is the favorite at +500, and outfielder Adolis Garcia is +600. Garcia was unstoppable in the ALCS, as he knocked in 15 runs and hit a home run in the last four games of the series. The ALCS MVP finished the series with 10 hits across seven games and has at least one hit in all but one of the Rangers’ 12 playoff games so far.
Arizona’s Ketel Marie and Corbin Carroll are each at +950. Marte has an OPS of .986 through Arizona’s 12 playoff games and has at least one hit in each of those games. Carroll had just one hit through the first four games of the NLCS but was 3-for-4 with two runs, two RBI and two steals in the Diamondbacks’ 4-2 win in Game 7.
World Series MVP favorites
Rangers SS Corey Seager (+500)
Rangers OF Adolis Garcia (+600)
Diamondbacks 2B Ketel Marte (+950)
Diamondbacks OF Corbin Carroll (+950)
Rangers 2B Marcus Semien (+1400)
Diamondbacks 1B Christian Walker (+1600)
Rangers OF Evan Carter (+1600)
