Two 2021 World Series Favorites to Throw Out and Two to Back
On April 1, all thirty Major League Baseball teams will step onto diamonds throughout this country to play their first regular-season games in the 2021 MLB Season. Baseball fans are eager to start a regular baseball season.
The coronavirus pandemic affected 2020’s season so much that teams played just 60 regular-season games. The Los Angeles Dodgers World Series victory is still mostly legitimate.
But let’s be honest, if the Dodgers had won the Fall Classic after a 162-game regular season instead of a 60-game regular season, we’d give them more credit. As it stands, many baseball fans, especially those who don’t live in Los Angeles County, question whether the Dodgers can win a title after a full season of baseball.
The Dodgers aren’t overrated, but they don’t offer the best odds. They’re at 3-to-1 odds, but there are a couple of teams who provide better odds and have almost as good of a chance as Big Blue. Meanwhile, a couple of other teams are rated too highly based on World Series odds. Check out two teams that look solid to win the World Series and two that baseball handicappers should think twice before backing.
Yankees and Mets could bomb as World Series favorites
A subway series between the New York Mets and New York Yankees could happen, but both must get past some issues. See why both the Yankees and Mets could fail as World Series favorites.
New York Yankees
Those who offer free betting software have pegged the Yankees a second choice after the Dodgers to win the 2021 World Series. Individual bookies aren’t the only ones who believe the Yankees are the second choice.
Vegas oddsmakers are also all over the Yankees. By all over, we mean they’ve set low odds on NYY. Based on baseball betting action, nobody seems excited about the Yankees’ prospects to take the Series.
The batting lineup looks like one of the most feared in baseball. All those home run hitters, Gary Sanchez, Aaron Judge, Giancarlo Stanton, and the rest, must stay healthy.
Most don’t believe that happens. Also, outside of Gerrit Cole, questions linger over the starting rotation. Will Corey Kluber take a time machine back to 2016 when he dominated?
Can James Taillion live up to his potential? Does Jordan Montgomery have anything left? Questions about the rotation are why, at 5-to-1, the Yankees are a play against. But if Kluber does dominate, New York could become more of a favorite than the Yankees.
New York Mets
As soon as the Mets acquired Francisco Lindor, their World Series odds plummeted to below 10-to-1. Although New York should play well during the regular season, they must beat some good teams in the NL East to win the division.
One of those teams, the Atlanta Braves, has a real shot to take the World Series. NYM may struggle even to stamp their postseason ticket.
Lindor is a lifetime .285 hitter. If he returns to that form, he will help the Mets score runs. If he doesn’t, Lindor could hurt the Mets’ .272 first-ranked 2020 team batting average.
Jacob deGrom leads the rotation. He’s one of the best starters in baseball. But there’s no telling if Carlos Carrasco throws a 2.91 ERA this season like he did last season. Marcus Stroman posted a 3.22 ERA. If he repeats that in 2021, NYM will win a lot of games.
Postseason baseball is different than regular season baseball. Everyone knows that you must have great starting pitchers and a fantastic bullpen if you want to win the World Series.
The Mets may have a great rotation. We’ll have to wait and see.
The bullpen is likely to struggle. In 2020, the Mets ranked eighteenth in BP ERA. The pen allowed 132 walks, the third-worst in MLB last season.
Counting on NYM to win regular-season games is one thing. Depending on them to beat the best teams in the league in the postseason is another. Without a solid bullpen, it won’t happen unless the Mets sign a middle-reliever like Shane Greene.
Padres and White Sox have great shots to make the World Series
One National League and one American League team made enough moves during the offseason to quality as World Series contenders. The San Diego Padres and Chicago White Sox look like real Fall Classic challengers.
San Diego Padres
Hitting gets teams to the postseason. Pitching wins baseball teams a pennant and World Series.
Padre starters and relievers get to throw at Petco Park, one of Major League Baseball’s friendliest pitching parks. It’s difficult to hit home runs at Petco.
Knowing this, the Padres acquired Yu Darvish to head their rotation. With the Chicago Cubs last season, Darvish struck out 93, went 8-3 with a 2.01 ERA, and posted a .93 WHIP.
The Pads also added former Tampa Bay pitcher Blake Snell. The former Ray went 4-2 with a 3.24 ERA in 2020.
San Diego didn’t end by adding Snell and Darvish. They also signed one of the best closers in baseball, Liam Hendriks.
But as great as adding Darvish, Snell, and Hendriks to the pitching staff is, the Padres’ best move was handing Fernando Tatis Jr. one of the largest contracts in MLB history. San Diego locked up the fastest rising star in baseball for 14-years.
It cost the Padres $340 million, but it will be worth it. Tatis, Darvish, Snell, and Hendriks will ensure San Diego finds success in the postseason.
Chicago White Sox
The White Sox added Lance Lynn to what was already an excellent starting rotation. Last season, Chicago White Sox starters posted a 3.81 team ERA.
Lucas Giolito had a 3.48 ERA. Dallas Kuechel posted a 1.99 ERA. Lynn’s ERA with the Texas Rangers ended up at 3.32.
Opposing scouts love the idea of making Kuechel and Lynn co-aces. Lynn had a great ERA last season playing for a team that didn’t give him much help. If the White Sox make it to the postseason, opposing managers must scramble to set their rotation to match Kuechel and Lynn.
2020 AL MVP Jose Abreu leads a batting lineup that produced a .261 batting average, eighth-best during the regular season. Short-stop Tim Anderson batted .322.
Anderson could improve his BA in 2021. Catcher Yasmani Grandal should be ready by the start of the regular season.
Adam Eaton is towards the end of his career. Anything the Dub-Sox can get from Eaton is a bonus.
All-in-all, the Chicago White Sox look like a more reliable play than the Yankees to represent the American League in the 2021 World Series. Outside of the Los Angeles Dodgers, the Padres look like the NL’s best team to win Major League Baseball’s championship this season. No doubt, the White Sox and the Padres are better choices than the Mets or Yankees. Look for value when playing World Series futures. Both San Diego and the Chicago White Sox offer value while the New York Yankees and New York Mets don’t.
