The Texas Rangers have done it! After 52 years of calling Arlington home and 63 years in existence, they finally won a World Series title. They did it on a historic 11-0 postseason road record, capped off by their title-clinching victory at Chase Field in Arizona.
The Rangers survived the lights-out pitching of Zac Gallen, who had a no-hit bid going until the seventh inning. From there, the floodgates opened for the Rangers, scoring five runs in the last three innings. Celebration ensued when Josh Sborz struck out Ketel Marte to seal the game.
The Rangers are a team of heroes
It was a collective effort from everyone that manager Bruce Bochy fielded throughout the postseason, starting with World Series MVP Corey Seager. He became the fourth player in MLB history to win two World Series MVP trophies, joining Sandy Koufax, Bob Gibson, and Reggie Jackson.
He and Jackson are the only players to win the achievement for two different teams. Seager is the only player to win World Series MVP for a National League and an American League club. He finished the postseason with 21 hits, six home runs, 12 RBIs, and a .318 batting average.
Then there’s Adolis Garcia, who was removed from the roster due to an injury. However, he has done damage during the American League Championship Series, wherein he was named MVP. He also scored the walk-off home run that sealed Game 1 for Texas.
How about Marcus Semien, who had home runs in Games 4 and 5, including the blast that extended the Rangers’ lead to 5-0. His homer in Game 4 established a 10-0 cushion that proved to be a massive deficit to overhaul for the Arizona Diamondbacks.
It’s not that the Diamondbacks didn’t go down without a fight. But while they placed runners in scoring position, Nathan Eovaldi found ways to escape the mess. Eventually, Arizona went 0-for-9 with runners within reach of home plate. Eovaldi got his fifth win of the 2023 postseason without a loss.
The rest of their pitching staff also had their brilliant moments. Jon Gray entered Game 3 for Max Scherzer and had solid innings. Andrew Heaney won Game 4, and Jose Leclerc earned the victory in Game 1.
The Rangers also got significant contributions from Josh Jung, who had 20 hits throughout the playoffs. Evan Carter connected on nine doubles. Nathaniel Lowe had 14 hits. Mitch Garver also drove Seager home in the seventh inning, while Jonah Heim's ground ball allowed Jung and Lowe to round the bases.
What’s next for the Rangers?
The Rangers will enjoy this victory because the team and their fanbase haven’t experienced it. The question left to answer is when the victory parade will be.
Luckily for the Rangers, they will have most of their key players returning next season. But they must decide if they’ll re-sign Will Smith, a player who has won three consecutive World Series titles with the Atlanta Braves (2021), Houston Astros (2022), and the Rangers (2023).
But until the following Spring Training comes, the Texas Rangers will enjoy this victory. After being the Washington Senators for 11 years and the Rangers for 52, they finally got a Commissioner’s Trophy after 63 years.
-Lance Fernandez