Futures Odds to Win the NL Central
There’s been a ton of offseason buzz about the trajectory the Chicago Cubs are on, and with the Theo Epstein brain-trust humming along and the major acqusition of ace pitcher Jon Lester, why not?
There’s been a ton of offseason buzz about the trajectory the Chicago Cubs are on, and with the Theo Epstein brain-trust humming along and the major acqusition of ace pitcher Jon Lester, why not?
The trend in Cincinnati over the years has been a downward spiral. In 2012, the Reds won an astounding 97 games. It looked as if baseball was becoming relevant once again in Cinci. 2013 followed the same trend as they racked up 90 wins.
The Cubs, by far, made the biggest moves this off season and grabbed the attention of bettors. The question people are beginning to ask are whether or not the Cubs can live up to the big expectations people are giving them or is it just an overhype? Chicago will look to bring the World Series trophy to Wrigley for the first time since 1908.
After some very lean times the Pittsburgh Pirates have been to the playoffs in back to back seasons. They are in a very competitive division – the NL Central – but there is no reason they should not be in the mix again in 2015.
The St. Louis Cardinals are one of the most consistent franchises around. Since 2000 they have missed the playoffs only four times. Over that stretch they have won two World Series and played in two others. In short if you have been betting against these guys you have not been making money.
One of the most consistent franchises in the game (the Atlanta Braves) are looking like they might be headed for a serious down cycle. I am all for the pinning the future on promising pitching but they have gutted their lineup, making it older and less talented at the same time.
I bet you probably forgot that the Milwaukee Brewers had a winning record last season. The fact is they have have pretty good success over the past decade but never really broke through (two early playoff exits).
The 2014 MLB season is just about here Spring Training action is going on right now, which means Opening Day is right around the corner. We’re taking a division-by-division look at betting odds and team by team season win totals. Let’s take a look at the NL Central.
The Reds stumbled a bit on offense last season after having a great season at the plate the previous season and one of the issues was at the leadoff spot. They really addressed that need brining in Shin-Soo Choo, who batted .310 and had an on-base-percentage of .389 last season.
The Pirates looked great in the first half of last season, but they went through a major 2nd half collapse. At the beginning of August they were 16 games above .500, but then the bottom fell out and they ended up with yet another losing season.
The Cardinals played well last season and their offense did not miss a beat even with the departure of Albert Pujols. They made the playoffs, beat the Braves in the Wild Card round, and lost to the eventual champion Giants in the NL championship.
The Cubs ranked 28th in the league in runs scored last season and while they have young talent they need to be much better than last season to have any chance to contend this season. Soriano had a great season with over 30 HR and 100 RBI, but no other player had more than 15 HR.
The Brewers finished 83-79 in 2012 after a 96-66 record in 2011 and even though they lost Prince Fielder to the Tigers their offense was solid and they ranked 3rd in the Majors in runs scored.
The 2013 MLB season is drawing near. Spring Training action is going on right now, which means Opening Day is right around the corner. We’re taking a division-by-division look at betting odds and team by team season win totals.
The last time the Washington Nationals were .500 was their first year in the league after coming down from Montreal in 2005. That year’s team went 81-81 and last year’s ballclub went 80-81 with everything in-between the two seasons being completely forgettable.
The Milwaukee Brewers were in the headlines quite a bit this offseason, but for all the wrong reasons. First, their MVP left fielder Ryan Braun was hit with a 50-game suspension for failing a drug test and their All-Star first baseman Prince Fielder moved onto greener pastures in Detroit as a free agent.