Rangers return to Texas with club’s FIRST World Series trophy after defeating Arizona Diamondbacks, as championship celebrations continue

The Texas Rangers have returned home with the World Series trophy after their victory over the Arizona Diamondbacks.

With a 5-0 victory on Wednesday night, the Rangers clinched their first MLB championship as they defeated their opponents in five games.

And two days later, the celebrations are still going as the champions were pictured holding the Commissioner’s Trophy as they stepped off a plane in Texas.

Short stop Marcus Semien hoisted the trophy above his head on Friday while Jose Leclerc flashed a broad smile.

Semien hit two home runs and had eight RBIs in the World Series as the Rangers capped a wildly improbable run.

The Rangers, their half-billion-dollar middle infield and their almost certain Hall of Fame manager Bruce Bochy, who just won his fourth title after retiring, should be ready to compete again next season .

Their long-term plan may have resulted in a title sooner than anyone expected, but it was never about a one-and-done run for the franchise that waited 63 seasons — the last 52 in Texas — to hoist the World Series trophy. .

“A lot of trust from them to me and I to them, and a lot of trust for Marcus coming, a lot of trust for Jon (Gray) – all these guys that came here and had the same vision,” Seager said. “It’s kind of cool to see it through.”

Seager is just two seasons into the 10-year, $325 million deal the now two-time World Series MVP signed in free agency two winters ago, with Texas coming off a 102-loss season while Semien got $175 million for seven years and right-hander Gray $56 million for four years.

Last offseason, after another 94 losses, Bochy was hired and the rotation was bolstered with two-time Cy Young Award winner Jacob deGrom, right-hander and Texas native Nathan Eovaldi and Andrew Heaney on multi-year deals.

Texas will attempt to re-sign left-hander Jordan Montgomery, the trade deadline acquisition from the St. Louis Cardinals who is eligible for free agency, this offseason. He was 4-2 with a 2.79 ERA in 11 regular-season starts before winning two AL Championship Series games, including the Game 7 clincher.

Three-time Cy Young winner Max Scherzer, the Mets’ other deadline acquisition, opted out of the 2024 season as part of that trade.

ALCS MVP Adolis García is eligible for salary arbitration for the first time, but the slugger who set a postseason record with 22 RBIs before missing the last two World Series games with an oblique issue is still under team control for next season . The same goes for switch-hitting All-Star starting catcher Jonah Heim, center fielder Leody Taveras, starter reliever Dane Dunning and reliever Josh Sborz after getting the last seven outs of the season.

First baseman Nathaniel Lowe is again eligible for arbitration, while All-Star third baseman Josh Jung is coming off his rookie season and 21-year-old outfielder Evan Carter made his big league debut in September. The Rangers have a $6.25 million club option on closer Jose Leclerc.

Oddsmakers already expect Texas to be a World Series title contender again next fall.

FanDuel Sportsbook on Thursday listed the Rangers and Houston, the AL West nemesis they defeated in the ALCS, with the same odds to win it all. The only teams with better odds were Atlanta and the Los Angeles Dodgers – both 100-win teams that didn’t make the NL divisional round.

Bochy said general manager Chris Young, one of his former pitchers, and owner Ray Davis did everything they said they would do when they got him back in a big league dugout after three seasons. Bochy signed a three-year contract.

“We are committed to bringing winning baseball back to the Texas Rangers,” Bochy said. “They went out and started pitching, improved the club. There was young talent on the way. I knew this was a good ball club.”