Rangers enter winter as overlooked long shots with slim 2026 World Series odds

It's never too early for bettors and pundits to start forecasting who will try to prevent a Los Angeles Dodgers three-peat and win the 2026 World Series.

Ranger fans might be surprised at where their squad has ben slotted to be the last team standing next November.

They might be inclined to believe it is way too low, considering that the team will be returning four of five starting pitchers who combined to the league in ERA this past season.

Rangers odds land them in the middle of the pack to win the 2026 World Series

According to ESPN BET, the Rangers are listed at 25-1 to win it all next year. That puts them squarely in the middle of the pack of the 30 MLB teams, with the Dodgers odds-on favorite to make it three in a row at +375, followed by the Yankees at +700.

The Rangers are one of three teams at 25-1, the other two being the Detroit Tiges and Cleveland Guardians.

The longest odds are shared by the lowly Chicago White Sox and Colorado Rockies at 500-1.

The Rangers should have better odds based on one factor alone

Bettors don't appear to put much value on the Rangers returning their top for starting pitchers in Jacob deGrom, Nathan Eovaldi, Tyler Mahle, and Jack Leiter. The only spot that appears up for grabs heading into the season is the fifth and final one.

This is essentially the same group that posted a league leading ERA in 2025 and was easily the best in the regular season.

There is going to be a bullpen shakeup for sure, considering so much of the '25 bullpen is headed for free agency this winter, but it's hard to believe that Chris Young and the club can't find a group that is more consistent moving forward.

There will also be a focus on improving the lineup

The Rangers were a miserable hitting team last season, and they were particularly bad with runners in scoring position.

One key name heading into 2026 will be DH/1B Joc Pederson. He will most certainly be better than he was in '25, or he will not be in Arlington for long, as he is on the last year of a two-year deal.

It's also reasonable to expect significant improvements from promising young players like Alejandro Osuna and Cody Freeman who will be entering the spring looking to solidify their spot on the 25-man roster.

The Rangers should be among the top 10 favorites to win it all in 2026.