A way-too-early look at the 2023 World Series contenders
After a long, dark, and cold winter, the telltale sign of spring has arrived: Baseball is back. The 2023 MLB season started just a week ago, but already there are predictions as to who could be hoisting the World Series trophy in October. Here are some of the teams experts are picking to win it all during the Fall Classic:
Houston Astros
The Astros are the odds-on favorite to win the World Series, having the best odds in almost every betting book. FanDuel, MGM, DraftKings, and Fox Bet all have them at +600, easily the highest ranking of any ballclub heading into the season. The Astros won the World Series in 2022, and are looking to secure back-to-back championships.
However, despite the fact that the Astros "were clearly the best team in baseball [in 2022] and return mostly intact," writes Tyler Maher for Forbes, repeating is extremely difficult, and "no team has won consecutive World Series in the 21st Century, so you're better off betting on a different team to win the championship."
New York Yankees
The Bronx Bombers have not won a World Series since 2009, but will look to change that with a stacked team. FanDuel has them at +850 odds, and MGM at +900, so they will clearly also be in contention for a spot in the Fall Classic.
Part of their success will likely lie with star slugger Aaron Judge, and "the 2022 AL MVP is a force in the middle of the lineup like few other hitters in baseball," Anthony Riccobonno writes for ClutchPoints. The Yankees also have an improved infield, Riccobonno notes, and the offseason addition of ace Carlos Rodon makes their starting rotation among the best in baseball.
New York Mets
New York's other ballclub will also look to change their fortunes — but a recent devastating injury could make it tough for them.
The Mets are a +900 on FanDuel and MGM. The club had entered the season tied with the second-best odds to be World Series champions. The team has a deep offensive core with Fransisco Alvarez and Brett Baty, and the "roster is still well-equipped to make a deep run in October this year. The betting experts think so, too," writes Pat Ragazzo for Sports Illustrated. However, a season-ending injury to Edwin Díaz, widely considered the best closer in baseball, could severely harm the Mets' chances.
Los Angeles Dodgers
The Dodgers, like the Astros, have seen success in recent years, and will look to keep that pattern going. Los Angeles is a +750 on FanDuel and +800 on MGM, and look to be in a prime position to compete for the World Series.
MLB.com writer Will Leitch picked the Dodgers to win this year because they are "still arguably the class of the National League, and...the whole point of having a great team every year is that one of these days, you're going to get hot in the playoffs and win the whole thing." With a roster headlined by sluggers Mookie Betts and Freddie Freeman, and Noah Syndergaard and Clayton Kershaw leading a stacked pitching rotation, it wouldn't be impossible to see the Dodgers go far.
San Diego Padres
The Friars made it to the NLCS in 2022, and will likely make a push to go a step beyond that this year. The Padres are a +1000 on FanDuel and +900 on MGM. So while they don't have the same striking odds that some of the aforementioned teams have, they could still be still a force to be reckoned with.
The fact that the club signed star shortstop Xander Bogaerts to play alongside a slugging offense of Manny Machado, Juan Soto, and Fernando Tatis "signals that the Padres are not only going for it all this season, but they're planning on sticking around as a contender for many years to come," Kevin Erickson writes for USA Today.