Could the Texas Rangers win the 2023 World Series coming off a losing 2022?

The 2014 San Francisco Giants

2013 Record – 76-86, 4th in NL West

2014 Record – 88-74, 2nd NL Wildcard

What changed? The Giants signed free-agent pitcher Tim Hudson to a two-year deal and free-agent outfielder Michael Morse to a one-year deal.

How did they get there? The Giants went on the road to defeat Pittsburgh in the Wild Card game before beating the Nationals in four games in the division series. They only needed five games to get past the Cardinals in the NLCS, but took all seven games to outlast the Royals in the World Series

What could they have in common with the Texas Rangers? Perhaps the San Francisco Giants are an odd fit on this list. After all, the team won the World Series in 2012 against the Tigers, and in 2010 in a series that Rangers fans remember all too well. Both of these teams were managed by new Rangers manager Bruce Bochy, along well as the 2014 Giants team that improved by twelve games over their record in the prior year and became the first team to win the World Series after playing in the one-game Wild Card round.

Also like the 2022 Rangers, the 2013 Giants struggled late into the season after showing some potential in the first few months. The 2013 Giants were 39-42 at the end of May, while the 2022 Rangers were 36-38. From there, the teams both finished the season in a slump. The 2013 Giants were done in by a 8-17 July and a 13-16 August. The 2022 Rangers suffered through a 10-17 July and a 12-16 August. While the 2014 Giants still finished with a sub-.500 record in June and July during the 2014 season, they got off to a 36-20 start that helped them weather the storm. Let’s hope the Texas Rangers show similar potential at the beginning of the 2023 season and get off to a hot start.