2017 World Series Odds for Every Team at the Start of the Season
The first few days of the MLB season are all about optimism. No one has run away with anything, and no one is buried.
Still, some clubs enter the year with legitimate championship aspirations, others are scrappy long shots and some, well, let's say they're snowballs with the thermostat cranked up.
As we enjoy this initial week of action, let's lay down World Series odds for every team, adding the figures from OddsShark.com for context.
We'll lump the "so you're tellin' me there's a chance" contingent together, then run through each hopeful, from the fringe contenders to the heavyweight favorites.
Keep in mind, of course, that the baseball gods laugh at April prognostications, and a lot can change between here and October.
The Slim-to-None Crowd
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Not to be harsh, but the following teams have a better chance of being abducted by aliens while getting struck by lightning and winning the lottery than they do of winning the World Series.
OK, that's hyperbole. And, sure, you could quibble that some have better odds than others. The Arizona Diamondbacks and Tampa Bay Rays, for example, qualify as borderline sleeper picks.
But let's go ahead and call them the 99/1 bunch (OddsShark.com odds in parentheses):
- Arizona Diamondbacks (75/1)
- Atlanta Braves (75/1)
- Chicago White Sox (100/1)
- Cincinnati Reds (200/1)
- Milwaukee Brewers (200/1)
- Minnesota Twins (125/1)
- Oakland A's (150/1)
- Philadelphia Phillies (150/1)
- San Diego Padres (150/1)
- Tampa Bay Rays (100/1)
For these clubs, to varying degrees, it's more about building for the future and less about hoisting a trophy now.
Miami Marlins
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Odds: 70/1
The Miami Marlins could easily have been tossed on the slim-to-none heap.
The tragic loss of ace Jose Fernandez left their starting rotation in the hands of Edinson Volquez and Wei-Yin Chen, neither of whom posted a sub-4.00 ERA in 2016.
Then there's the potential sale of the team by polarizing owner Jeffrey Loria, which could ratchet up the dysfunction in South Beach.
Still, the Fish have an enviable offensive nucleus that includes uber-slugger Giancarlo Stanton and star-in-the-making Christian Yelich.
Miami is looking up at the New York Mets and Washington Nationals in the National League East. A wild-card push isn't out of the question, however, and after that, who knows?
OddsShark.com odds: 75/1
Los Angeles Angels
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Odds: 50/1
Any team with Mike Trout has a puncher's chance at least.
The Los Angeles Angels made a number of additions around the AL MVP, including outfielders Cameron Maybin and Ben Revere, infielders Danny Espinosa and Luis Valbuena and right-hander Jesse Chavez.
Add a return to health by ace Garrett Richards, and the Halos should improve on last season's 74-88 finish.
Whether it will be enough to get out of the competitive American League West, let alone make a deep playoff run, is another matter.
OddsShark.com odds: 40/1
Baltimore Orioles
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Odds: 45/1
The Baltimore Orioles will hit the ball out of the park after bringing back reigning MLB home run leader Mark Trumbo to join slugger Chris Davis and MVP candidate Manny Machado.
The bullpen is also strong, but the starting pitching could be the Orioles' undoing. Ostensible ace Chris Tillman is out with shoulder soreness, and after that it's a muddled group that sparks more questions than confidence.
The O's should hang around the edge of contention, but they seem like a candidate to get buried in the AL East.
OddsShark.com odds: 33/1
Colorado Rockies
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Odds: 40/1
The Colorado Rockies have a potent lineup anchored by third baseman Nolan Arenado and aided by the Mile High conditions. The question, as ever, is whether the pitching staff can do enough to mitigate the Coors Field effect.
There's hope in the starting rotation, where right-hander Jon Gray leads a stable of promising young arms that could benefit from the tutelage of manager Bud Black.
The bullpen is less of a sure thing, and Colorado has been bitten early by the injury bug.
Overall, though, the Rockies could pester the San Francisco Giants and Los Angeles Dodgers in the NL West and should at the least stay in the wild-card hunt.
OddsShark odds: 40/1
Pittsburgh Pirates
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Odds: 35/1
The Pittsburgh Pirates get a tough draw in the NL Central, where the Chicago Cubs are the class of baseball and the St. Louis Cardinals are perennial contenders.
Still, the Bucs have enough talent in the lineup to compete, especially if Andrew McCutchen can rediscover his mojo with a move from center to right field.
In the rotation, Pittsburgh is counting on a bounce-back from ace Gerrit Cole, a top-four Cy Young Award finisher in 2015 who battled injuries last season.
The Pirates are by no means a favorite, even in their own division, but a winning record and a shot at October are well within the realm of possibility.
OddsShark.com odds: 50/1
Kansas City Royals
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Odds: 35/1
The Kansas City Royals won the pennant in 2014 and the whole enchilada in 2015 but fell to 81-81 last season.
They had a ho-hum winter, adding designated hitter Brandon Moss and outfielder Jorge Soler but subtracting DH Kendrys Morales and closer Wade Davis. They also lost hard-throwing right-hander Yordano Ventura in an offseason car accident and attempted to patch the rotation with Jason Hammel and Travis Wood.
Still, K.C.'s offensive core is in place, with Lorenzo Cain, Eric Hosmer and Mike Moustakas all due to hit free agency after the season.
A little contract-year magic and some trade-deadline reinforcements could get the Royals back on the postseason throne.
OddsShark odds: 33/1
Detroit Tigers
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Odds: 30/1
The Detroit Tigers put off a rebuild this winter, opting to keep their veteran pieces and make another run.
Experienced bats such as Miguel Cabrera, Victor Martinez and Justin Upton make the offense potent while Justin Verlander flashed Cy Young form in 2016 alongside AL Rookie of the Year Michael Fulmer.
Many of Detroit's key pieces are getting long in the tooth, however, and the club is a serious injury or two away from fading into oblivion.
Add a dreadful bullpen and there's reason to worry about a blow-out in the Motor City.
OddsShark.com odds: 28/1
Texas Rangers
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Odds: 30/1
The Texas Rangers won 95 games last season and boast one of the top lefty-righty duos in the game in Cole Hamels and Yu Darvish.
On the other hand, their plus-eight run differential was easily the worst among playoff qualifiers, and they'll be doing battle in a tough division.
The Rangers should hang around the postseason picture, and they could ride the Hamels/Darvish two-headed monster if they get in.
There are enough red flags, however, to question whether Texas can capture a third straight AL West crown.
OddsShark.com odds: 28/1
New York Yankees
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Odds: 30/1
It's a new day in the Bronx, where the New York Yankees are suddenly flush with young talent and one of the game's top farm systems.
Catcher Gary Sanchez led the charge last season, and an array of burgeoning studs are set to follow.
The Yanks are also set in the bullpen, with Aroldis Chapman boomeranging back after a 2016 trade-deadline swap to the Cubs, and premium setup man Dellin Betances right behind him.
The biggest question mark for New York is the rotation. Masahiro Tanaka is coming off his best season on U.S. soil and had a terrific spring, but the rest of the starting corps is one big shrug.
If the Yankees' young talent continues to develop and the rotation holds up, New York could slip into the playoffs this year. More than anything, though, their future is glistening.
OddsShark.com odds: 25/1
Seattle Mariners
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Odds: 25/1
The Seattle Mariners made a flurry of trades this winter, adding shortstop Jean Segura, infielder Danny Valencia and outfielders Jarrod Dyson and Mitch Haniger, among others. They have a solid middle of the order, featuring Robinson Cano, Nelson Cruz and Kyle Seager.
Their fortunes, however, rest on the right arm of Felix Hernandez, who fell from his kingly perch in 2016, posting his highest ERA (3.82) and fewest innings pitched (153.1) since 2007.
Hernandez had a resurgent spring, so there's cause for optimism. The M's will have their work cut out for them in the AL West, but there is a path for Seattle to reach the postseason for the first time since 2001 and make some noise once it gets there.
OddsShark.com odds: 33/1
St. Louis Cardinals
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Odds: 20/1
The St. Louis Cardinals began the spring on a sour note, as top pitching prospect Alex Reyes underwent Tommy John surgery.
The Cards, however, still have a deep rotation and solid lineup, buoyed by the addition of outfielder Dexter Fowler.
Catching the rival Cubbies is unrealistic, but the Cardinals are a solid bet to snag a wild-card slot. Plus, you simply can't count out a team that contends on an annual basis and has won a pennant and a ring in the last six seasons.
OddsShark.com odds: 25/1
Toronto Blue Jays
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Odds: 20/1
The Toronto Blue Jays lost slugger Edwin Encarnacion to free agency, but they still have third baseman and perennial MVP candidate Josh Donaldson.
They also have right-hander Marcus Stroman, who broke out as MVP of the World Baseball Classic with Team USA, and one of the deeper rotations in the game.
If Jose Bautista can bounce back after a disappointing 2016, and newly acquired DH Kendrys Morales replaces some of Encarnacion's thump, the Jays should make the playoffs for a third straight year.
Getting over the championship series hump will be a taller order.
OddsShark.com odds: 22/1
New York Mets
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Odds: 17/1
The New York Mets won the pennant in 2015 but fell in the NL Wild Card Game in 2016.
The difference? The health of their vaunted rotation.
Matt Harvey, Jacob deGrom and Steven Matz all went down with injuries last season. If that repeats itself, it'll be sad times in Queens.
If they stay healthy, they'll bolster an offense that's again counting on Cuban slugger Yoenis Cespedes to shoulder the load.
"We've all been through a lot the last year, but we're back," said Harvey, per Kristie Ackert of the New York Daily News. "And I think we can still be one of the best, if not the best, rotation in baseball."
OddsShark.com odds: 14/1
Houston Astros
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Odds: 15/1
The Astros buttressed their offense this winter, adding catcher Brian McCann, outfielder Josh Reddick and outfielder/designated hitter Carlos Beltran to a core that includes second baseman Jose Altuve and shortstop Carlos Correa.
They did little to improve their rotation, which posted a 4.37 ERA, and are instead relying on a bounce back from 2015 American League Cy Young Award winner Dallas Keuchel.
Keuchel's ERA rose from 2.48 in 2015 to 4.55 in 2016 as he battled shoulder inflammation.
He looked better this spring, and the 'Stros could swing a trade at the deadline if needed, possibly rekindling those Jose Quintana rumors, per MLB.com's Phil Rogers.
For now, the Astros are nominal division favorites with a shot at challenging for Junior Circuit supremacy.
OddsShark.com odds: 14/1
San Francisco Giants
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Odds: 14/1
The San Francisco Giants' unbelievable run of even-year magic finally fizzled in 2016. So now, inevitably, talk of an odd-year rebirth will begin.
They've got the talent to make it happen, with a rotation fronted by Madison Bumgarner and Johnny Cueto, a bullpen strengthened by the addition of closer Mark Melancon and a balanced, largely homegrown lineup.
On the other hand, San Francisco is rolling the dice with unproven youngster Jarrett Parker in left field after blowing the offseason budget on Melancon. That's a position the Giants may need to upgrade in July if they want to catch the arch-rival Los Angeles Dodgers.
OddsShark.com odds: 11/1
Washington Nationals
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Odds: 10/1
Bryce Harper won NL MVP honors in 2015 before dipping back to earth last season. After a monster spring, he looks primed to silence the doubters and carry the Washington Nationals in the process.
He won't be alone. The Nats also boast NL Cy Young Award winner Max Scherzer and a lineup augmented by All-Star second baseman Daniel Murphy and speedy, sensational youngster Trea Turner.
The lack of a proven closer could be an issue for Washington, but overall Dusty Baker's club looks like the favorite in the NL East and a clear pennant contender.
OddsShark.com odds: 11/1
Los Angeles Dodgers
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Odds: 9/1
Clayton Kershaw remains the best pitcher on the planet until further notice. NL Rookie of the Year Corey Seager could pull a Kris Bryant and win an MVP in his sophomore season.
Key free agents such as closer Kenley Jansen, third baseman Justin Turner and lefty Rich Hill are back.
The Dodgers, in short, are the Dodgers—talented, deep, big-spending and on course to win a fifth straight division title.
The question now: Can they break through and win the franchise's first World Series since 1988?
If they avoid the litany of injuries that have hit the starting rotation the past two seasons and get contributions from X-factors such as mercurial outfielder Yasiel Puig, the answer could well be yes.
OddsShark.com odds: 9/1
Boston Red Sox
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Odds: 9/1
The Boston Red Sox offense is stout behind the new Killer B's, including MVP candidate Mookie Betts. The rotation is fronted by AL Cy Young Award winner Rick Porcello and offseason acquisition Chris Sale.
This Sox team is built to win now, and win they should.
Yet, the concerns over the health of left-hander David Price are real. And the AL East is a noisy division where Boston will face some robust competition.
A division title is within the Red Sox's grasp, but after last season's disappointing division series exit, they're looking to bring another trophy back to Beantown.
OddsShark.com odds: 9/2
Cleveland Indians
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Odds: 9/2
After winning the AL pennant and making it to Game 7 of the World Series last season, the Cleveland Indians are on the doorstep of destiny.
The return of starters Carlos Carrasco and Danny Salazar, each of whom missed significant time in the postseason, will fortify a rotation fronted by ace Corey Kluber.
Add a lineup featuring star shortstop Francisco Lindor and beefed up by the addition of Encarnacion, plus a bullpen anchored by the elite duo of Andrew Miller and Cody Allen, and you have a club that could bust Cleveland's 69-year title drought.
OddsShark.com odds: 9/1
Chicago Cubs
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Odds: 4/1
No points for guessing you'd find the Cubs in the top spot.
The defending champs are baseball's most complete team with rising stars all over the diamond, an excellent rotation and bullpen, and baseball's best defense.
Kris Bryant could repeat as MVP. Or, as my Bleacher Report colleague Danny Knobler offered, the award could go to his teammate and friend, Anthony Rizzo.
Either way, Chicago is a safe pick to go back-to-back, becoming just the third club since 1979 to accomplish that feat.
Cubs fans were forced to shed their lovable loser label. Soon, they may have to take on a new one: insufferable winners.
OddsShark.com odds: 9/2
All statistics current as of Monday and courtesy of Baseball Reference unless otherwise noted.
