So far we’ve gone almost two fiscal quarters with no baseball. It’s crazy. Coronavirus robbed us of the first part of the MLB season like Ricky Henderson stolen bases in the '80s.
But the delayed start to the 2020 MLB season is almost over. It looks like the league is planning on getting back up and running by mid-June. The logistics are still getting worked out. It seems that there will be a limited number of states where games will be played and of course, there'll be no live audience. But hey, televised baseball is better than nothing. In fact, it’s something that any American sports fan needs right about now.
Plus … fantasy baseball to kill some lockdown time.
So, who are the favorites to win the World Series if and when the season gets going? Let’s look at the world series odds from SportsbookReview and talk about the top contenders.
The exact odds vary depending on the sportsbook you’re looking at, but regardless, three teams stand on top of the boards as the favorites to win it all in 2020: The Los Angeles Dodgers, The New York Yankees, and the Houston Astros.
The Los Angeles Dodgers +325
The Dodgers just barely edge out the Yankees on the boards to win it all at Bovada. Basically, you can flip a coin. The Dodgers might just have the most insane batting order in the National League after picking up Mookie Betts. On top of this, they are going to be a dominant pitching team again. Their starting rotation is one that will strike fear into any team going into a full series with them. Clayton Kershaw is still the top ace, but they got David Price and Walker Buehler, Julio Urias, and Dustin May as well.
The New York Yankees +350
Ok. So the Yankees have the same thing going over in the American League. They have perhaps the most potent lineup in all of baseball. Their one weakness last season was holes in their starting rotation. But now they have Gerritt Cole to take over as star Ace in the Bronx. James Paxon is back and was one of the only really reliable guys last season. A gaping hole in
2019 was Luis Severino out because of injury. Well, Severino should be back and at 10 percent. Mashiro Tanaka was hit or miss, but he’s in the last year of his contract, thus, has a lot to prove. Of course, the Yankees still have the Cuban Missile as their main closer so the Yanks are going to be tough to beat in 2020.
The Houston Astros +800
Right now everyone hates the Astros – except for Astros fans. Cheating is unacceptable in any sport … but in baseball, it’s reprehensible. The Stros got a slap on the wrist and lost some picks… manager, etc … but it isn’t something that will affect this season too much. It might impact their near-future, but they are still a loaded team and their interim manager is ‘great’. So, don’t expect too much fall-off from Houston in 2020.
I would say that they are going to have a lot of beaned batters in 2020 … but now with all of the COVID stuff going on, and players just happy to get back on the diamond and play again, I’m not so sure. There were odds out on how many Astros batters would be hit by pitches and which 'Stros player would take the most of them. But, I think given the circumstances, we may see a
live and let live philosophy. However, in my heart of hearts, I would kind of like to see pitchers across the league send a message to the Astros players that were actively involved in their signal scam.
At this point, I’d have to lay my money on the Yankees. The Dodgers just seem to come up short each year and I have a feeling that the Yankees winning pedigree will come into play in 2020. That said, it would come as no surprise if the Dodgers finally took home the title. Nor would it be a surprise if the Astros snagged another.
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