Major league baseball is back in full swing, and there’s no sporting experience like it. Before the season got started, the Dodgers were runaway favorites. In fact, Dodgers manager Dave Roberts went so far as to guarantee a World Series win.
Now we are a few weeks into the regular season, and the Dodgers are still favorites, but they are not the shoe-ins that bookmakers, and indeed their manager, were talking up pre-season.
Dodgers the pre-season favorites
Before the season got underway, every MLB betting site weighed in with its predictions and there was consensus that the Dodgers were the team to beat. Most had them around 5-1 to win the World Series and the implied probability was almost twice that of any other team. Some had thee Bluejays at 9-1, but otherwise, no other team was shorter than 10-1.
However, there has always been that tinge of doubt. After all, the Dodgers have been preseason favorites the past four years, but only fulfilled that promise in 2020 – the season that was foreshortened due to wider world events.
To really silence the doubters, the Dodgers need to win a traditional and uninterrupted season, something they have not done since 1988 in the Tommy Lasorda era. The Dodgers have the same incredible depth of talent as last year and have bolstered it still further with the addition of first baseman Freddie Freeman.
Yankees off to a flying start
So far so good. The preseason confidence of both Dave Roberts and the nation’s bookmakers was justified on paper. By and large, the team has rewarded it in the Field of Dreams, too. A 62.3 percent win rate is the best in the National League, and that opening week wobble against the Rockies was soon forgotten.
But over in the American League, the Yankees are doing what can only be described as smoking it. 45 wins and 16 losses at the time of writing spells a 73.8 percent win rate and that places them on another level compared with the rest. Needless to say, their odds for World Series glory have shortened significantly since preseason, but they are still second favorites behind the Dodgers.
Most bookies are currently quoting around 9/2 and 5/1 respectively, so all of a sudden, there is not much between them. Crucially, the Yankees are in what should be one of the most competitive divisions, one where any one of four teams go into the season with reasonable hopes of making the playoffs. Yet they have blown each of these challenges out of the water with minimal fuss.
What about the Braves?
Ordinarily, the reigning World Series champions should at least be part of the conversation. However, last year everyone whose opinion mattered said there was no way The Braves could win the World Series, and this year, the same voices are saying the same things. The main reason they are saying so is Atlanta’s continuing determination to keep the squad young, raw and cheap – even to the extent of parting with last year’s hero Freeman as mentioned earlier.
Having said that, as Atlanta extended their winning run to 13 straight games with a victory over the Nationals last week, it was impossible not to wonder if lightning might strike twice. Those tempted to stake a couple of dollars should do so sooner than later, those 15-1 odds won’t last long at this rate.
A two horse race
Realistically, though, it’s a two-horse race. Statistically, the Yankees are simply the best unit in Major League baseball so far this season. In terms of pitching, hitting, and running, no other team comes close. Of course, the Yankees are traditionally strong starters and there is still a lot of baseball between now and the sharp end of the season. But if things continue as they have started, it’s only a matter of time before there will be new favorites for the Commissioner’s Trophy. Suddenly, Dave Robert’s words will seem more a personal imperative for his future career than anything else. One thing is certain, it’s shaping up to be a season for the ages, so strap yourself in and enjoy every moment.
