Back-to-back titles? North Texas history shows odds are against Rangers to repeat

Can the Texas Rangers repeat as World Series champions?

The oddsmakers give them a decent chance. History, however, is not on their side. No Major League team has won back-to-back titles since the New York Yankees won three in a row, 1998-2000.

In the past 30 years, North Texas professional sports teams have also not fared well in the postseason after winning championships.

The Rangers begin their championship defense on Thursday against the Chicago Cubs at Globe Life Field. FanDuel gives the Rangers the fifth-highest odds to win the 2024 World Series.

The Rangers have brought back much of the roster from last year’s world championship team, but have lost several important pieces including designated hitter Mitch Garver and pitcher Jordan Montgomery. Will they miss those pieces?

Here’s a look at the last time each Dallas-Fort Worth team won a championship and how they performed the year after the title.

Dallas Mavericks

The champions: The Mavs (57-25) won the 2011 NBA championship in six games over LeBron James and the Miami Heat behind finals MVP Dirk Nowitzki, who averaged 26 points, 9.7 rebounds and two assists a game.

After winning the 2011 title: Similar to the Rangers, the Mavs’ 2011 title was the team’s first.

The Mavs lost six players from that championship team including JJ Barea and Tyson Chandler. Caron Butler also left in free agency though he did not play during the title run as he was recovering from a ruptured tendon in his right knee.

The 2011-12 season was notable for being a lockout-shortened season, which began on Christmas Day.

The Mavs went 36-30 during the season, securing the seventh seed in the Western Conference playoffs and a first-round matchup against the Oklahoma City Thunder then led by Kevin Durant, Russell Westbrook and James Harden.

The Thunder swept the Mavs in the Western Conference playoffs. Dallas didn’t win another playoff series until the 2021-22 NBA season with Luka Doncic.

Dallas Stars

The champions: The Stars (51-19) won the 1999 Stanley Cup Finals behind 21 points (11 Goals, 10 assists) from Hall of Famer Joe Nieuwendyk in their six-game series win over the Buffalo Sabres.

After winning the 1999 Stanley Cup: The Stars went 43-23 in the following regular season. As they had the year before, the Stars dominated the first two playoff rounds. They only lost two games in their first two playoff series. In the Western Conference finals, the Stars beat the Colorado Avalanche for the second year in a row, but they couldn’t pull off the repeat as they lost the Stanley Cup to the New Jersey Devils in six games.

Since their championship loss to the Devils, the Stars have been playoff mainstays and have made two more trips to the Stanley Cup, losses to the Detroit Red Wings (2007-08) and Tampa Bay Lightning (2019-20).

Dallas Cowboys

The champions: The Cowboys (12-4) won the 1995 Super Bowl when Larry Brown was named the Most Valuable Player for his two-interception performance in the 27-17 win over the Pittsburgh Steelers. It was the Cowboys’ third Super Bowl victory in four seasons.

After winning the 1996 Super Bowl: The Cowboys went 10-6 during the regular season, their first season in five years without at least 11 wins. The Cowboys won the NFC East and won their first-round playoff matchup against the Green Bay Packers before losing to the Carolina Panthers 26-17 in the NFL divisional round.

Since their 1996 Super Bowl victory the Cowboys have yet to appear in another Super Bowl or return to the NFC title game despite 13 trips to the playoffs.

The Rangers are in a position to buck recent history with most of their key players returning and could become the first DFW team since the Dallas Cowboys in the 1992-93 seasons to repeat as champions.