Nov. 1, 2023 marks a date to remember for Texas Rangers fans as the team clinched their first World Series title in franchise history over the Arizona Diamondbacks. Led by manager Bruce Bochy, the Rangers eventually came out on top after 62 years of waiting.

“A lot of people didn’t expect them to make it,” said sophomore Nicholas Tepper. “But, if you look at the grand scheme of things, it wasn’t too big of a surprise.”  

A strong rebuild off-season was crucial to the success of the Rangers this season; they hired Bruce Bochy out of retirement to manage and turn the team around from their previous six losing seasons. The Rangers also signed shortstop Corey Seager to a franchise record ten year, $325 million contract and second baseman Marcus Semien on a seven year, $175 million contract. The 2022 off-season changes left most Rangers fans looking optimistically toward the season ahead.

Despite a shaky finish to the regular season that saw the team in second in the AL West, the Rangers swept the Rays 2-0 in the wildcard round to advance to the ALDS and defeated the Orioles 3-0 to advance to the ALCS. The Rangers faced tough opposition from the Houston Astros in the ALCS, but they ultimately took the 4-3 victory, advancing to their first World Series since 2011. 

In game one of the World Series, the Rangers tied up the game with a two-run home run from Corey Seager, in the bottom of the ninth inning, to send the game into extras. The game went all the way to the bottom of the 11th inning when Rangers outfielder Adolis García hit a walk-off home run to seal the 6-5 victory for the Rangers. In game two, the Diamondbacks leveled the series with a 9-1 victory in Texas thanks to a strong performance from Diamondbacks pitcher Merrill Kelly. Showing a strong-will, the Rangers responded by winning games three and four, 3-1 and 11-7 respectively, setting the stage for them to win it all at game 5 in Phoenix. 

“It was absurd to see one team have a five-run inning immediately followed by a four-run inning,” said Braves fan Mr. Bryant in reference to the Rangers’ strong offensive performance in game four. “It shows how dominant the Rangers were this season.”

On  November 1, game 5 of the world series, the Rangers dominated the Diamondbacks with a strong 5-0 win to secure their first World Series title in franchise history and were the eighth wildcard team to ever do it. An RBI from center-fielder Evan Carter in the top of the 7th inning opened up the scoring for the Rangers, and there was no turning back from there. Runs scored by Josh Jung and Nathaniel Lowe, followed by a huge 408-foot home run from Marcus Semien, sealed the deal for the Rangers in Phoenix. Through these collective efforts, the team set an MLB record of 11 wins and zero losses on the road during the postseason, a testament to their success this season. 

Just two days after the big win, an estimated 400,000 to 700,000 fans packed the streets of Arlington to celebrate the franchise’s historic victory. Six local school districts and many local businesses took the day off, allowing students, faculty, and families to celebrate. Fans were packed together, up to a dozen deep at some points, along the two-mile route just to catch a glimpse of the Commissioner’s Trophy and their baseball heroes. 

“This was truly special; we appreciate all of your support,” said World Series MVP Corey Seager to the massive crowd. 

The Rangers are looking to carry their good form into the next season with a strong off-season and are rumored to be in the running to gain free agent and baseball super-star Shohei Ohtani. Many fans are wondering if this could be the start of a new era of domination from the Rangers.

Edited by Eva Bevington