MLB Betting – World Series Futures Update
Spring Training has begun! Can you feel the excitement in the air? Or is it just the winter nip that still grips most of our fine continent? It is time to look into the crystal ball and to predict who among the 32 MLB teams will be the last one standing in October.
Some teams made some enormous moves in the offseason that have helped their cause while others stood pat, hoping that the talent on their rosters will be enough to get it done.
Let’s examine the Contenders for the 2012 World Series and why/why not they should be considered favorites.
Phillies +500
Roy Halladay, Cole Hamels and Cliff Lee are the top three starters for the Phillies – that should be enough to make them favorites in any series. The addition of All-Star closer Jonathan Papelbon doesn’t hurt their cause either! This team won 102 games last season and there is no reason to think that there will be any significant drop-off, unless the recovery of Ryan Howard is slower than anyone imagined.
Last season, the Cardinals stood in their way of a World Series appearance and St. Louis won’t be nearly the same team as last year. With the pitching that Philadelphia possesses, it is hard to imagine them not being the class of the National League this season. And in a playoff series, it is hard to bet against the arms that are on the Phillies roster.
Yankees +650
The Yankees had one glaring need this offseason and they addressed it in spades. Michael Pineda and Hiroki Kuroda were added to a pitching rotation that was depending on Freddie Garcia and Bartolo Colon. The rotation will have CC Sabathia, uber-impressive youngster Ivan Nova, Pineda and Kuroda. In other words, the Yankees have gone from one of the least intimidating to one of the more formidable rotations in the American League. New York will still have Mariano Rivera anchoring a very good bullpen as well.
We all know about the Yankees offense – Jeter, Granderson, Cano, ARod, and Texiera and so on. It should be at or near the top of the Majors again this season. With the added pitching prowess, New York should be the odds on favorite to represent the American League in October.
Angels +550
With two offseason moves the Angels have made themselves into contenders for the World Series this year. Arguably the best player in baseball Albert Pujols was added to what has been a rather anemic offense over the past few years and CJ Wilson was added to a rotation that includes Jared Weaver and Dan Haren.
Both the additions are playoff proven and should give the Halos a leg up in the AL West over Texas. Once in the playoffs, the Angels pitching can match up with nearly every other team in the Bigs.
Red Sox +900
Turmoil ruled the Red Sox offseason after a monumental collapse at the end of last season. Gone are GM Theo Epstein and manager Terry Francona and in are Ben Cherington and Bobby Valentine. Also out is possibly the best closer in the American League – Jonathan Papelbon who left for Philadelphia. So why are the Sox still considered a front runner for the World Series crown? [dfads params=’groups=10&limit=1&return_javascript=0′]
The pitching rotation still has Jon Lester, Josh Beckett and Clay Buckholz to lean on with exciting youngster Daniel Bard ready to claim the fourth starter role. Former A’s closer Andrew Bailey was brought over as an OK replacement for Mr. Papelbon.
But it is the imposing batting order that keeps everyone talking about the Red Sox. Jacoby Ellsbury, Dustin Pedroia, Adrian Gonzalez, Kevin Youkilis, David Ortiz and Carl Crawford will have Boston at very least very competitive this season. If they reach the playoffs, their proven playoff rotation could take the Sox deep!
Tigers +800
Justin Verlander won 24 games last year – 24! He will anchor a strong rotation that includes Doug Fister and Max Scherzer. The pitching should be strong. But it is the addition of Prince Fielder that has most talking about this Detroit club. He certainly adds pop – something that Detroit will need with the news that Victor Martinez has been lost for the season.
Martinez hit .330 last year and knocked in 100 runs – Fielder won’t do that! Simply put, the Tigers look very much like the team that lost in the ALCS last year and with some other teams in the American League loading up during the offseason, Detroit just may have been left out in the cold.
Rangers +800
The Rangers will have to show some resiliency this season – to get over the fact that they were a strike away from the 2011 title on two different occasions but couldn’t get the job done last year, the fact that they lost their best pitcher CJ Wilson to their rival Angels and the fact that Josh Hamilton has relapsed and has already provided more than his share of distraction already this year. Is Yu Darvish the answer?
The Rangers offense should be potent again – Josh Hamilton, Adrian Beltre, Nelson Cruz and Mike Napoli provide a very formidable lineup. But pitching is an enormous question mark in an American League in which the Yankees, the Red Sox the Tigers and even the Angels have superb, proven rotations.
Texas is in tough this season!
