We’re on the verge of spring training games unfolding in Arizona and Florida, as the Cactus League and the Grapefruit League start preparing teams for the grind of the 2021 Major League Baseball season. We’ve read about the numerous acquisitions that the San Diego Padres have made in their attempt to catch the Los Angeles Dodgers in the National League West — and to try and bring a championship trophy home.
Let’s take a look at the last round of odds to win the World Series before spring games begin.
MLB News: Last-Minute World Series Odds before Spring Training
| Team | Odds |
| Los Angeles Dodgers | +330 |
| New York Yankees | +500 |
| San Diego Padres | +750 |
| Atlanta Braves, Chicago White Sox | +900 |
| New York Mets | +925 |
| Minnesota Twins | +1400 |
| Toronto Blue Jays | +1500 |
| Tampa Bay Rays | +1600 |
| Oakland A’s, Houston Astros | +1800 |
| St. Louis Cardinals | +2200 |
| Cincinnati Reds, Washington Nationals, Cleveland Indians | +3000 |
| Philadelphia Phillies | +3300 |
| Chicago Cubs, Milwaukee Brewers, Los Angeles Angels | +4000 |
| Boston Red Sox | +5000 |
| Miami Marlins | +10000 |
| Arizona Diamondbacks, San Francisco Giants, Seattle Mariners, Kansas City Royals, Texas Rangers | +15000 |
| Baltimore Orioles, Detroit Tigers | +20000 |
| Colorado Rockies | +25000 |
| Pittsburgh Pirates | +30000 |
The Dodgers already had a wealth of starting pitching, more starters than they had rotation slots, and then they indeed Trevor Bauer, who won the National League Cy Young Award last season. So even with the loss of Joc Pederson, the Dodgers remain the favorite for a reason. How dominant were the Dodgers last year? Their record last year (in just 60 games) translates out to 116 victories in a full 162-game slate, which would have tied them with the 2001 Seattle Mariners and the 1906 Chicago Cubs for most wins in a season.
Fans of the Padres are likely big fans of the addition of Blake Snell and Yu Darvish to the rotation — and they already know about the terrific arm of Dinelson Lamet. Lament got shut down in 2020 with arm troubles, but if it pays off with a healthy 2021 and beyond, then the decision will have paid off, and the Padres will have a rotation that can go toe to toe with the Dodgers.
The Yankees have an intriguing outfield, with Clint Frazier, Aaron Hicks and Aaron Judge, with Giancarlo Stanton as the DH. If Stanton and Judge can stay healthy this season, the Yankees should be able to roll through the American League East. Their big question is in the starting rotation, which has Gerrit Cole at the top — and could have the likes of Corey Kluber and Jameson Taillon between him and Luis Severino. However, both Kluber and Taillon represent big gambles, coming back from major injuries.
The Braves have won three NL East championships, and they added Charlie Morton and Drew Smyly to go to the back of the rotation. Atlanta also re-signed Marcell Ozuna despite his defensive issues because of his impressive bat. Freddie Freeman returns as the reigning NL MVP, and that play came after a tough case of COVID-19.
The Mets look ready to bring back Noah Syndergaard alongside Jacob deGrom in their rotation, and Carlos Carrasco is coming over from Cleveland. Adding that third quality arm to the rotation makes the Mets an interesting contender in the division. Whether they end up winning the division or taking a wild card, if those pitchers can stay healthy and the Mets’ offense continues to fire, it will make for a fun postseason.
Thinking about a sleeper? The Red Sox have four AL East titles in the last nine seasons — and they have also come in last four times. It will be interesting to see whether Eduardo Rodriguez and Chris Sale are ready to play after significant health issues. They need hitters besides Xander Bogaerts, Rafael Devers and Alex Verdugo to have a better 2021 if they are going to contend.
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