2019 World Series Odds at Start of Spring Training

Posted on February 14, 2019, by Bryan Zarpentine

While the MLB offseason has turned into a disappointment, it hasn’t stopped spring training from arriving on time. This is the magical time of year when all 30 teams have a chance to win the World Series. Well, except all the teams that are purposely tanking their chances while they rebuild. Nevertheless, this is the time to start thinking about what teams have a sincere chance to win it all. Here is a look at the teams with the best odds to win the 2019 World Series.

Yankees, 6-1

A year ago, the Yankees were pre-season favorites, and not much has changed in the past year. They still have crazy power in their lineup with Aaron Judge and Giancarlo Stanton and young players like Gleyber Torres who have not disappointed. The Yankees also have an elite bullpen and a rotation that could be even better than last year with James Paxton and JA Happ joining.

Astros, 7-1

Houston retains the core the won the World Series two seasons ago, so they are surely a threat to win it again. The losses of Dallas Keuchel and Lance McCullers Jr. could come back to hurt them. However, they added Michael Brantley to their outfield and still have plenty of young talent to either make an impact in the second half or be used as trade chips.

Red Sox, 7-1

No one should be counting out the Red Sox from repeating with the deep array of talent in both their lineup and starting rotation. However, Boston is yet to sign a proven closer this offseason. If that doesn’t change, the Red Sox may not have a strong enough bullpen to keep up with the other elite teams in baseball.

Dodgers, 9-1

It’s hard to find a deeper or more balanced roster than the one the Dodgers have. They lost some key pieces, including Yasmani Grandal, Yasiel Puig, and Alex Wood. But they also have incredible rotation depth, they’ll get Corey Seager back, and they added A.J. Pollock, so winning a 7th straight division title and returning to the World Series for the third straight year isn’t that farfetched.

Phillies, 10-1

Few teams have done more to improve this offseason than the Phillies. They’ve added J.T. Realmuto, Jean Segura, and Andrew McCutchen, among others. It’s also possible that the Phillies will end up with another big-time free agent, possibly Manny Machado or Bryce Harper. Whether it all comes together remains to be seen, but the Phillies are going for it in 2019.

Cubs, 12-1

It’s been a quiet winter on the north side of Chicago. However, it’s not like the Cubs needed to make massive upgrades. A little bad luck last year kept them from making another deep playoff run. But a lot of the players that helped them win the World Series in 2016 are still around, and they’ll be eager to make up for last year’s disappointment. In short, the Cubs could be an interesting sleeper, as they’re being overlooked just a little.

Cardinals, 14-1

St. Louis has been on the fringe of the playoff picture the past couple of seasons, but they’re eager to get back to October this year. Trading for Paul Goldschmidt is arguably the biggest addition any team has made to this point in the offseason. He completely changes their lineup. If the rotation stays healthy and the bullpen holds up, the Cardinals could be a surprise team this year.

Brewers, 14-1

The Brewers were painfully close to reaching the World Series last year, so they’ll be confident that they can take that next step in 2019. They added Yasmani Grandal to an already potent lineup that includes reigning MVP Christian Yelich. The Milwaukee bullpen is still elite and with a little better luck health-wise, the rotation has a chance to be better as well. Last year was no fluke, and this is still a dangerous team.

Braves, Indians, Mets, Nationals, 16-1

You would be foolish to think these teams aren’t capable of winning the World Series. The Indians, Mets, and Nationals all have deep and talented starting rotations. It’s just a matter of staying healthy and getting enough support from the other parts of the roster. For the Braves, it’s all about their young players taking another step forward while hoping Freddie Freeman, Nick Markakis, and Josh Donaldson can provide veteran leadership and step up when needed. While they have longer odds than some other teams, it wouldn’t be a shock to see any of these teams in the Fall Classic.