We are officially less than a month away from the start of the new Major League Baseball season, and people can’t wait for Opening Day to arrive. There’s a lot of talent on the bump and dish, ready to make an impact. And leading up to things, the Houston Astros are still the favorites to win the 2023 World Series. Will Dusty Baker and Co. be able to repeat as the champions?
The Astros will hope to fend off the Yankees in the American League
Entering the new season, many people know that the Astros will hope to fend off the Yankees in the American League. These two teams have the best MLB betting odds to win the World Series, but Houston remains at the top of things. The Astros they’re still riding high after winning it all last season. Houston was a force throughout the regular season and the postseason.
Houston feels like a lock to win the AL West this year. No disrespect to the Mariners, Rangers, Athletics, and Angels, but the Astros have proven time and time again that they’re one of the best teams in the bigs, if not the best team. What makes Houston so special is their talent at the plate, with Jose Altuve, Alex Bregman, Yordan Alvarez, and others always ready to try and go yard.
The big question for the Astros will be their starting rotation. Many fans are still pretty bummed out that star hurler Justin Verlander left this offseason to sign with the New York Mets. When he’s healthy, Verlander is one of the best pitchers in the game. His leaving Houston provides a void for the pitching unit, but other guys will be ready to step up.
According to the top-rated MLB betting sites, which includes the reliable Bovada review, the Astros hold +600 odds to win the World Series. Many people are hoping this doesn’t happen, but there is a very strong chance that the AL powerhouse will be able to get the job done once again. However, we’re going in a different direction this time around, as we don’t think Houston will repeat.
The Yankees are our pick to win the World Series
This might be a bit of a surprise to some people, but the Yankees are our pick to win the World Series this season. Every season, New York has a ton of hype leading up to Opening Day, and they backed that up for most of the campaign last year. The Yankees were virtually unbeatable to start the season, which was great to see for Aaron Boone and his coaching staff.
However, the second half of the year was a bit of a nightmare for the club from the Bronx. The Yankees ended up punching their ticket to the ALCS, but unfortunately, they ran into the Astros in that Series. Houston had very little trouble taking down New York, disappointingly ending their season. Now, the Yankees are motivated to get some revenge.
This offseason sure has been a memorable one for the Bronx Bombers. The big news, of course, was re-signing Aaron Judge to his monster contract. Judge took home AL MVP honors last season after he belted 62 home runs. There were plenty of worries that he would sign with a new team this winter, with the San Francisco Giants showing major interest. In the end, though, Judge decided to stay put.
Currently, the Yankees hold +800 World Series betting odds, which is second only to the Astros. What helps NY here is that they also brought in starting pitcher Carlos Rodon, who has massive expectations for 2023 and beyond. It’s been a long time since the Yankees were able to lift the trophy high into the sky, but we think that will change next fall. We’re rocking with the Yankees to win it all.
While the Astros and Yankees might hold the top numbers here, several NL teams also have high World Series odds. The Mets, Braves, and Dodgers have all been set at +850 betting odds for the World Series, right behind the Yankees. The Mets splashed when they signed Verlander to his new deal. The Dodgers and Braves have an epic amount of talent too.
All three of those NL teams have what it takes to win the pennant this year and then make some noise in the Fall Classic. We might be sticking with the Yankees as our pick to win the World Series, but it wouldn’t be shocking if the Dodgers, Braves, or Mets could get the job done for the National League. This shows how competitive the upcoming season is going to be. We can’t wait for the games to get started.
With a background as a writer, Rodrigo has managed to bring together his hobbies and education writing sports content for various top-tier sites around the world.