We are now about two weeks from Opening Day arriving for Major League Baseball fans, and it’s an incredibly exciting time of the year for so many people. After winning it all last season, what’s next for the Astros? Leading up to Game 1 of the new campaign, the Houston Astros are favored to win the American League in 2023, and understandably so.
This squad is loaded with an unreal amount of talent, with countless guys ready to put on a show this season after bringing home a World Series title in ’22. Looking ahead to this next campaign, the Astros, indeed currently hold the top MLB betting odds to win the American League and that’s not a surprise whatsoever. They’ve got loads of confidence, especially with guys looking sharp at spring training.
| AL odds |  |  |  |
|---|---|---|---|
| Astros to win | +300 | +300 | +300 |
| Yankees to win | +350 | +350 | +350 |
| Blue Jays to win | +750 | +750 | +750 |
| Mariners to win | +850 | +850 | +850 |
“I feel great,” Houston Astros star slugger Alex Bregman said recently after making his spring training debut for the club. “It’s great to play, great to be back out there. Felt awesome. I’m ready to get after it for another year, and I’m excited.”
Right now, not only do the Astros think that they’ll win the AL, but they also have the top World Series betting odds. With this, a lot of their fans are dreaming of the squad going back-to-back, which would be pretty darn impressive. However, there are several other teams who don’t care about the Astros’ confidence. With that said, we have a different team in mind for our AL champs.
As you might have guessed, the Yankees are our pick to win the AL This year. After the impressive offseason that the club from the Bronx was able to record, things sure are feeling great for them. Not only was the team able to get things done with Aaron Judge, but one of the biggest moves in the bigs during the winter was NY adding Carlos Rodon.
Rodon is one of the best left-handed pitchers out there, and he brings a different style to the pitching staff. He and Gerrit Cole leading the rotation is something that plenty of NY supporters are hyped up about. Because of the talent for pitching and hitting, manager Aaron Boone feels this team is in a great spot to be competitive. Boone is also a fan of shortstop Anthony Volpe.
“One of the things you get excited about is, in talking to Carlos Mendoza about it, he’s managing the game; it’s like the results were great, three balls on the screws,” Boone said of Volpe via the New York Post. “It’s like, that’s all fine and dandy, but it’s the energy, intensity, and effort — the little things he does that get your attention. You get excited about it.”
Per the best-rated sportsbooks, which includes the reliable Bovada review, the Yankees have +350 odds to win the American League, right behind the Astros at +300. From our chair, we think that the Bronx Bombers will be able to top Houston in the ALCS – if they meet in that series – and then move on to the World Series. It’s been a long time for the Yankees, but this could finally be their year to return to the Fall Classic. Agree?
While the focus right now is on the Yankees and Astros, other AL teams also have strong odds. One club that could be considered an ‘underdog’ would be the Seattle Mariners. Last season, the AL West squad reached the postseason for the first time since 2001, which was amazing. No one will forget the homer from Cal Raleigh to book the AL Wild Card spot.
Now, though, general manager Jerry Dipoto has other big moves in mind, and he wants this team to push for a trip to the World Series shortly. While we don’t think that will be the case in 2023, as we’re sticking strong with the Yankees as our pick, the Mariners will 100 percent be a team to watch moving forward. The fact that they could sign Luis Castillo to a monster new deal was great.
They also got things done with Julio Rodriguez, who took home AL Rookie of the Year honors last season. Rodriguez is one of the most exciting young players in the game, and he’ll be ready to have another big year for the Mariners. Both he and Castillo have high expectations for the team as they look to return to the playoffs.
In the end, we do think the Yankees will move on in the AL to play in the World Series. Judge, Rondon, Giancarlo Stanton, and others will be ready to be electric. However, plenty of eyes will be on the Astros, but you can’t forget about the Mariners either.
