The reason every player goes through the strenuous 162 game season is for the days of October. Every team has the same dream and that is to win the World Series. It is the pinnacle of success. Complete proof that you are, in fact, the best team in baseball. The cold reality is that at least six teams have basically no chance at all of winning it. On the other hand, there is always a favorite. Below is a rundown of the teams with the best odds to win the World Series, and why. (These numbers are based on the Las Vegas gambling odds.)
The clear favorite to win the World Series is the Detroit Tigers, with 6/1 odds. They fell short of their goal last season, losing to the San Francisco Giants in only four games. When you have guys like Miguel Cabrera and Prince Fielder on your team, it’s hard not to be the favorite. They have an above-average pitching staff, glued together by Justin Verlander. The addition of Victor Martinez was expected to be a plus for everyone, but his bat has yet to heat up.
The second highest odds to win the World Series belongs to the Atlanta Braves at 8/1. They moved up quite a bit when they acquired Justin Upton from the Arizona Diamondbacks. He started the season on fire but has cooled off a bit as of late. The bullpen is what most consider the Braves biggest strength. Guys like Jonny Venters, Eric OFlaherty and Jordan Walden are the main reasons why. Then there is obviously Craig Kimbrel, who has been struggling as of late. He has blown three of his last five save opportunities, giving up home runs in all three of those appearances. The Braves and Kimbrel should be fine but it is something to keep an eye on.
The next highest odds to win the World Series belongs to the San Francisco Giants. They are tied for the third highest odds at 10/1. They have won the World Series two out of the last three years and are always a threat. Reigning MVP, Buster Posey has been doing just what you expect an MVP to do. He started the season in a home run slump but has been heating up at the plate as of late. Matt Cain has been very inconsistent all season, with a surprising ERA of 5.57. All signs indicate that he is just in a funk and has no serious injury. Hopefully that is the case for the Giants sake.
Along with the San Francisco Giants, at 10/1 odds is the New York Yankees, Washington Nationals and Cincinnati Reds. The Yankees are always going to be around because they have the money to put a winning ball club on the field, nearly every year. The Nationals have been a bit disappointing throughout the year but still remain two games over the .500 mark. The Reds have been playing great at home all year at a 13-5 tilt.
This is the top five teams with the highest potential to win the championship. As the season grows, the odds change slightly. Check back for updates!