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As the calendar soon turns to September, the Major League Baseball season begins the home stretch. There are several playoff positions still up for grabs as teams jockey for position. But who are the favorites and which teams have started declining, losing hopes for a playoff run?
The Los Angeles Dodgers, despite being two-and-a half games behind the Giants in the NL West, are the favorites to repeat as World Series champions. At +250 the Dodgers are well ahead of the next closest contenders in terms of MLB odds. The top three teams in the American League in terms of odds, the Tampa Bay Rays, Houston Astros, and Chicago White Sox, are at +800.
In New York, the Yankees have been surging, winners of 11 straight games and are at +1000, their lowest since opening the season at +600. Despite the surge, the Rays are maintaining a four-game lead in the American League East. Despite the best record in the Major Leagues, the San Francisco Giants are only at +1000, tied with the Yankees and the Milwaukee Brewers, who lead the National League Central by 9.5 games.
After a very low period in which the Atlanta Braves were stumbling in the National League East at +6000 odds, they have steamrolled into the division lead. This has created their lowest odds of the season at +1200.
One team on a steep decline is the San Diego Padres, who were the cream of the crop in the National League West earlier in the season. After a 2-8 stretch over their last ten games, the Padres are a distant 15 games off the pace with odds at +2000, down from +1000 just four weeks ago. Also at +2000 are the Oakland A’s, who are five games out in the American League West, and the Cincinnati Reds, a distant second in the National League Central.
Offense isn’t everything. Just ask the Blue Jays, who have the third highest scoring team in the American League. Their deficiencies on the mound have created a 4-7 tailspin over their last 11 games, putting them 12 games out in the American League East. Their odds have also taken a severe hit, down from +2500 to +4000. Also at +4000 are the Philadelphia Phillies, who have hit rock-bottom after briefly taking over the lead in the National League East.
It’s not a surprise that the Dodgers are at the top. They have been hitting their stride, going 9-1 over their last ten games. Max Muncy, Justin Turner, and Wil Smith have each surpassed 20 home runs and the Dodgers as a team have 177 home runs and 657 runs scored. This has all been done without Mookie Betts, who the Dodgers are expecting back for the stretch run. On the mound, Walker Buehler, Clayton Kershaw, Juio Urais and others have been excellent and closer Kenley Jansen has been steady.
There is no doubt that the Dodgers are the team to beat. It’s just a matter of whether or not the Braves, Giants or other contender in the National League can take them down. If not, an American League power will have to try to prevent the Dodgers form repeating as World Series champions.
