Andrew Ortenberg
Show Bio
The Los Angeles Dodgers finally ended their drought, beating the Tampa Bay Rays in six games to win the 2020 World Series. We won’t have any MLB for a while but fear not baseball fans, the start of the 2021 campaign is right around the corner.
Even better, oddsmakers have already released 2021 World Series odds, giving us something to pore over while we wait. Let’s start with taking a look at the board before breaking down a couple of plays with value. Here’s every team’s odds to win the World Series next year, via DraftKings.
| LOS ANGELES DODGERS | +480 |
| NEW YORK YANKEES | +525 |
| ATLANTA BRAVES | +1000 |
| TAMPA BAY RAYS | +1200 |
| SAN DIEGO PADRES | +1300 |
| CHICAGO WHITE SOX | +1500 |
| MINNESOTA TWINS | +1500 |
| HOUSTON ASTROS | +1800 |
| OAKLAND ATHLETICS | +1800 |
| CLEVELAND INDIANS | +2200 |
| CHICAGO CUBS | +2500 |
| CINCINNATI REDS | +2500 |
| PHILADELPHIA PHILLIES | +3000 |
| NEW YORK METS | +3300 |
| ST. LOUIS CARDINALS | +3300 |
| WASHINGTON NATIONALS | +3500 |
| LOS ANGELES ANGELS | +4000 |
| TORONTO BLUE JAYS | +4000 |
| MILWAUKEE BREWERS | +4500 |
| BOSTON RED SOX | +5000 |
| MIAMI MARLINS | +5000 |
| COLORADO ROCKIES | +6600 |
| ARIZONA DIAMONDBACKS | +7000 |
| BALTIMORE ORIOLES | +7000 |
| SAN FRANCISCO GIANTS | +7000 |
| SEATTLE MARINERS | +8000 |
| TEXAS RANGERS | +8000 |
| DETROIT TIGERS | +10000 |
| KANSAS CITY ROYALS | +10000 |
| PITTSBURGH PIRATES | +10000 |
San Diego Padres +1300
The Padres are set up very well for 2021. If Dinelson Lamet and Mike Clevinger didn’t both happen to get hurt right at the end of the year, it’s possible their second-round playoff series against the Dodgers goes a lot different. Those two should be back and better than ever in 2021, forming a dominant starting pitching duo. The Padres still have more talent in their farm system than most teams, and their young guys are only starting to hit their stride.
If Fernando Tatis Jr. can play at the level he did this season at the age of 21, then it’s scary to think about what he’s going to look like next year with a full offseason to improve. Trent Grisham and Jake Cronenworth were both rookies this year. Wil Myers and Manny Machado still aren’t even 30 yet. This core is set up very well for years to come, and they were still crushing opponents for most of the year despite only having Clevinger for four years. If they make a couple of smart moves this winter, they could easily push the Dodgers for the mantle of the best team in the National League.
Los Angeles Angels +4000
If you’re looking for a little bit more of a long-shot with a big payout I think the Angels are the play. They had sky-high expectations entering the 2020 season, then fell flat on their faces. I think they were victims of the abridged campaign more than anything else, as they just got off to a slow start that was impossible to recover from due to the season only being 60 games. They quietly played well down the stretch, going 14-9 in their last 23 games.
The lineup has as much star talent as any in the league, with Anthony Rendon, Mike Trout, and Shohei Ohtani forming a trio that’s pretty hard to beat. Dylan Bundy was an excellent addition to the rotation as he finished with a 3.29 ERA, and I expect Los Angeles to once again be aggressive this offseason after signing Rendon to his massive deal last cycle. Everybody talks about how the Angels have been wasting Trout’s career, and I think next year they finally put it all together and turn into a contender. If Ohtani bounces back from his down year, which he should, then this team has all the pieces necessary to make a real run.
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