Ricky Dimon
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Ladies and gentlemen, the first week of Major League Baseball season is here. Okay, it’s only a half-week because Opening Day isn’t until Thursday. But baseball is pretty much upon us. The marathon that is a 162-game slog for each team will take us from late March all the way to early October, so buckle your seatbelts and strap in for the long haul.
Which teams will capture division titles and secure automatic spots in the playoffs? We won’t find out for a while, of course, but we can start talking about it now.
Here is my 3-team MLB division winner mega parlay.
AL Central: Minnesota Twins (+180)
NL East: Atlanta Braves (+105)
NL West: San Diego Padres (+120)
MLB parlay odds: +1163
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Minnesota Twins to win AL Central (+180)
Carlos Correa’s offseason was an absolute circus show. He signed with the Giants, then he signed with the Mets and then he re-signed with the Twins. He didn’t sign with anyone else after that, so a Twin he remains. Assuming Correa’s knee is good for at least one more full season, Minnesota can compete in the AL Central. In fact, it can win the AL Central.
The upstart Guardians were ahead of the curve as they dominated the division last year, but I am nowhere near convinced that they are built for sustained success. The White Sox have never lived up to expectations in recent seasons and both the Tigers and Royals are terrible. Multiple veteran additions were made to the Twins’ pitching staff, so if Correa and Byron Buxton can stay healthy then this has all the makings of a well-rounded team. You have to be good to win the AL Central; you don’t have to be great.
Atlanta Braves to win NL East (+105)
What is thought to be the best division in baseball might as well be a triage unit at the moment. For the Phillies, Bryce Harper is expected to miss the first half of the season due to elbow surgery. The Braves are beginning the year with starter Kyle Wright and closer Raisel Iglesias on the injured list. Nobody, however, has it worse than the Mets. Closer Edwin Diaz got hit with a knee injury while celebrating a Puerto Rico win in the World Baseball Classic and he is out for the entire season. Even before that, I already liked Atlanta’s chances in the NL East.
This Braves team won the World Series in 2021 and captured the division title again last year despite spotting New York a 10.5-game lead in June. With Wright, Max Fried, Spencer Strider, Ronald Acuna, Austin Riley, Matt Olson and more, the Braves arguably boast the best combination of pitching and hitting in baseball.
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San Diego Padres to win NL West (+120)
The Padres took down the division-rival Dodgers in the divisional round of the playoffs (after beating the Mets in the wild-card round). Now the question is if San Diego can get the best of L.A. over the course of 162 games. The best team doesn’t always win in the postseason – especially not in baseball. It almost always wins, however, when you have 162 games with which to work. Are the Padres the best in the NL West? It’s certainly possible.
On paper they are absolutely loaded with Juan Soto, Manny Machado and Yu Darvish, just to name a few. The Dodgers are still stacked, too, but Trea Turner is gone (as is Cody Bellinger) and Clayton Kershaw is 35 years old with a smorgasbord of physical problems in his past. Give me San Diego to win its first division title since 2006.
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