In Major League Baseball, we see underdogs win quite frequently. This happens in the playoffs, like in last year’s National League Division Series, when the San Diego Padres knocked off the Los Angeles Dodgers. The Dodgers had beaten the Padres 14 times in the regular season and outscored them, 109-47. The Dodgers had won 111 regular-season games, the most in team history. However, the Padres came alive in the postseason, knocking off the Mets (who had won 101 games during the regular season) in the wild-card round and then stopping the Dodgers before falling to another underdog, the Philadelphia Phillies, in the National League Championship Series. When we look at sports betting odds to win a division in this sport, we are wagering on a team’s stamina over a 162-game regular season. Obviously, injuries take a toll, but talent should prevail over such a long campaign. Let’s look at each MLB team’s odds to win their respective division.
MLB News: 2023 Betting Favorites for Each Division
AL East
AL Central
The
Yankees
got younger as a result of free-agency changes, and Anthony Volpe could be the Opening Day shortstop. Carlos Rodon came to the rotation via free agency but is having elbow problems. If those resolve, then he joins Gerrit Cole at the top of a terrific rotation. Aaron Judge hit .311, walked 111 times and still hit 62 home runs to set an American League record. It’s ahrd to see him hitting that many again, but his bat will still set the pace in the Bronx.The
Guardians
return mostly intact, with the addition of switch-hitter Josh Bell to bring power to the batting order. Jose Ramirez returns as one of the game’s most complete players, with elite hitting and defending, and he can also swipe bases. With a batting order that starts with Amed Rosario and Andres Gimenez and then has Ramirez third and Bell hitting cleanup, the Guardians would have two on-base guys at the top with some power to drive them in.The
Astros
are a prohibitive favorite here, to the point where you don’t get a lot of value even if you win with them. With the loss of Justin Verlander, the Astros’ rotation suddenly became very young. Framber Valdez and Cristian Javier have terrific stuff, and Hunter Brown could be a future ace. However, the lack of a veteran starter could become a problem. In the lineup, Yordan Alvarez had a 1.019 OPS with 37 home runs last year, and he might be the best hitter in the game today. The Astros have advanced to the ALCS six years in a row. The Angels still have Mike Trout and Shohei Ohtani, and the Rangers have actually invested in quality starting pitching. The Mariners also made the playoffs a year ago. I think there are other division winners that give you a lot more value than does Houston.NL East
NL Central
Atlanta
saw franchise shortstop Dansby Swanson go to the Cubs, but they also got a long-term solution at catcher with Sean Murphy. Utility man Orlando Arcia will start the season at shortstop. The Braves made the playoffs despite not having Ronald Acuna Jr at full strength, but he should return as a legitimate MVP candidate. The 2022 team was better than the one that won the World Series, but winning the division would have made their path through the playoffs even easier last season.The
Cardinals
have bid farewell to Yadier Molina and Albert Pujols. Willson Contreras came from Chicago to take over behind the place. Paul Goldschmidt and Nolan Arenado pounded the ball last year, and Goldschmidt helped slug the United States to the finals of the World Baseball Classic. Also importantly, none of the other teams in the Central have taken the sort of steps to make themselves stand out as potential division winners.The
Dodgers
don’t offer a lot of value here. In the off-season, they lost Cody Bellinger, Trea Turner and Justin Turner. They still have Freddie Freeman, Will Smith, Mookie Betts and J.D. Martinez. The rotation has Julio Urias, Dustin May, Noah Syndergaard and Clayton Kershaw (with Tony Gonsolin to return later. But are they really the overwhelming favorites? The Padres offer slightly more value, and once Fernando Tatis comes back to the lineup in late April or early May, the top of the order will have Xander Bogaerts, Juan Soto, Tatis and Manny Machado. Soto had terrific numbers at the World Baseball Classic and should thrive in a fresh environment. The Padres also have a stiff rotation on paper.Bet MLB Today
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