There have been several moves this offseason that have shaken the baseball world. While the 2024 World Series odds board has the usual suspects up top, there have been acquisitions by a few of these teams that have made them even stronger favorites. Because of that, it makes this season a whole lot more interesting heading into 2024. The regular season is on the horizon and that means taking a look at who has the best odds coming into the year.
*Odds via FanDuel as of 3/15/2024
Odds to Win 2024 World Series
Los Angeles Dodgers (+320)
There is no surprise whatsoever that the Los Angeles Dodgers are the clear favorites to win the 2024 World Series after what they did in the off-season. It started on December 11th when they signed the most coveted free agent in MLB history, Shohei Ohtani, to a massive 10-year, $700M contract. Then the Dodgers traded for Tyler Glasnow and extended him to a four-year, $110M contract. That wasn’t enough as they signed yet another coveted player to a massive deal in pitcher Yoshinobu Yamamoto, inking him to a 12-year, $325M contract.
Los Angeles also sprinkled in the signings of guys like Jason Heyward, James Paxton, and Teoscar Hernandez while re-signing Clayton Kershaw. This is with already having a loaded lineup staring Mookie Betts and Freddie Freeman. They have an even more lethal lineup now and a stellar rotation. The Dodgers were already favorites but have now locked themselves up to be for years to come.
Atlanta Braves (+450)
The Atlanta Braves won 104 games in 2023, marking the best record in baseball. Unfortunately for them, they got ousted by their rival Philadelphia Philiies in the divisional round. The club looks to put that behind them and with the amount of talent this squad has in the lineup and on the mount, the Braves are the closest to challenging the Dodgers in the NL.
Speaking of the talent on offense, the Braves have one of the best lineups in the majors. It’s led by reigning NL MVP Ronald Acuna Jr., who won the award unanimously. Following him in the lineup are guys like Ozzie Albies, Austin Riley, Matt Olson, Michael Harris, Marcell Ozuna, and Sean Murphy. On the pitching side, they have a strong rotation led by Spencer Strider and Max Fried. They also added Chris Sale in a trade with Boston. The Braves have term and money locked up in their core and will be top players for the World Series for years to come.
Houston Astros (+700)
Since winning their first World Series in franchise history in 2017, the Houston Astros have been in the discussion to win it every year since. They made it back to the fall classic in 2019 and 2021 before winning it again in 2022. Big-name players have left over the years but yet they’ve been the team to beat just about every time. This season, they have the best odds in the American League to do it again.
Houston has a great core of hitters that includes Kyle Tucker, Alex Bregman, Yordan Alvarez, and Jose Altuve, who signed a five-year, $125M extension last month. In addition to a good lineup is this pitching staff. The starting rotation, led by Justin Verlander, has the ability to be very good but health and performance are the keys to success. The bullpen is what has everyone excited. The Astros added star closer Josh Hader this off-season to a pen that already had guys like Ryan Pressly, Bryan Abreu, and Rafael Montero. They’ll be the team to beat out of the AL yet again.
New York Yankees (+900)
With a record of 82-80 last season, the New York Yankees finished with their worst record since 1995, when they finished 79-65. They haven’t made a World Series since 2009, when they won it, despite being among the favorites every season. The pinstripes enter 2024 with the agenda of finally changing that, feeling this year could be their most opportune one yet.
The Yankees decided to go out and correct the wrongs from last season, getting outfield depth like trading for Alex Verdugo and Trent Grisham. They also signed Marcus Stroman to pair with Gerritt Cole, who when he gets back from injury will headline a rotation that could be one of the best if all goes right. But they made the biggest splash in the trade market this offseason, as a part of that Grisham trade, acquired star Juan Soto from San Diego to hit alongside Aaron Judge. The Yankees have a great lineup and if their rotation can bounce back from a down year, they could be serious players for their first World Series in over a decade.
Texas Rangers (+1400)
In his first season as manager for the Texas Rangers, Bruce Bochy led them to their first World Series in franchise history. They slugged their way to the championship with a lineup that contained Corey Seager (WS MVP), Marcus Semien, and breakout star Adolis Garcia. When this offense is clicking on all cylinders, they’re a tough team to stop.
When their rotation had to rise up last year, that’s exactly what it did. The Rangers traded for Jordan Montgomery and he became the anchor for their run. They’ll lose him in free agency but if they can hold their ground until at least the summer, reinforcements will be coming with the likes of Jacob deGrom, Max Scherzer, and Tyler Mahle. With this offense and the pitching that could add those three arms later in the season, Rangers could have a chance to go back-to-back.
Next Best Odds:
Baltimore Orioles (+1400)
Philadelphia Phillies (+1500)
Toronto Blue Jays (+1800)
Seattle Mariners (+2000)
Minnesota Twins (+2100)
Tampa Bay Rays (+3000)
St. Louis Cardinals (+3000)
Main Image: Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports
