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Major League Baseball on Thursday reached a tentative agreement on a new collective bargaining agreement, salvaging a full, 162-game season. With the 2022 campaign now in sight, the schedule figures to play out as a race to the top between annual contenders.
There is always the surprise along the way, with a rise from few teams with impressive young talent.
The Los Angeles Dodgers (+700), New York Yankees (+900) and Houston Astros (+900) stand out as the three top favorites to win the World Series, based on DraftKings futures markets. With a combined 19 playoff appearances over the last seven seasons, this isn’t a difficult equation to solve.
Then there are young guns, the up-and-comers, who have already started to make a mark and look prepared to take the next step like the Toronto Blue Jays (+1100), Chicago White Sox (+1100) and San Diego Padres (+1200).
There is another class lined with intrigue. The Los Angeles Angels (+3500) have a pair of MVPs in Mike Trout and Shohei Ohtani, while the San Francisco Giants (+2200) came out of nowhere last season to set a franchise record with 107 regular-season victories. The club dates back to 1883. And don’t forget the defending champion Atlanta Braves (+1200), who won without the franchise top talent, Ronald Acuna Jr., in the lineup.
Ohtani (+300) won last year’s American League MVP during an unprecedented season when he was productive as a hitter and pitcher, while Trout (+350) will make a return from injury. The National League’s youth movement will be led by Juan Soto (+350), Fernando Tatis Jr. (+350) and Acuna Jr. (+900).
Cy Young Award favorites have a distinct Big Apple feel. They include the New York Yankees’ Gerrit Cole (+400) in the American League and the New York Mets’ Jacob deGrom (+250) in the National League.
Lining up the AL pennant contenders
The Astros still appear to be the class of the AL, with the Yankees again are extremely talented with more left to prove. The loss of Carlos Correa in Houston is expected to take a toll. The White Sox have made the playoffs just three times since winning the World Series in 2005, but two of those have been in the last two seasons.
The White Sox appear to have an ideal balance of youth to go along with veteran leadership from players like Tim Anderson and Jose Abreu. After top-10 Cy Young finishes in 2019, 2020, Chicago right-hander Lucas Giolito took a slight slight step back last season.
Our pick: White Sox to win the AL pennant (+550)
The National League pick
The Braves roared to the forefront, getting hot late in the season when it counted, yet don’t necessarily rise above the fray this season in a top-heavy NL. The Dodgers have been to the World Series three times in the past five seasons, while the Mets figure to make noise thanks to the commitment being made by new owner Steve Cohen.
The Dodgers won 106 regular-season games last season to tie a franchise record but appeared to run out of gas in the postseason after trying to chase down the Giants for the division title. Los Angeles lost star shortstop Corey Seager in free agency but can still plug All-Star Trea Turner into the position. The pitching staff remains talented despite Max Scherzer’s departure.
Our pick: Dodgers to win the NL pennant (+275)
World Series pick: Dodgers (+700) over White Sox (+1100)
Cy Guys
The NL pitcher with arguably the most talent is deGrom, while new teammate Scherzer (+600) has a proven track record. The Milwaukee Brewers have a pair of notables in 2021 Cy Young winner Corbin Burnes (+800) and Brandon Woodruff (+1200). At 27, though, it is the Dodgers’ Walker Buehler (+1000) that looks poised to deliver the goods in the NL.
Cole just missed out on the 2021 AL Cy Young Award to the Blue Jays’ Robbie Ray (+800), with a pair of White Sox teammates in Giolito (+1000) and Dylan Cease (+1800) in the mix. But if 2020 AL winner Shane Bieber (+600) stays healthy after a shoulder injury last season, he looks the pitcher to beat.
Angels in the OF
Ohtani and Trout could put the Angels on a magical ride in the shadow of Disneyland, while up north, Blue Jays teammates Vladimir Guerrero Jr. (+350) and Bo Bichette (+2000) will shine. The Yankees’ Aaron Judge (+1500) has a chance to bash his way to the AL’s top award. But in a season to celebrate youth, the Tampa Bay Rays’ Wander Franco (+1500) could be ready to deliver.
Soto and Tatis Jr. figure to put on a two-man show for the NL’s top award, with Soto using the benefit of four prior seasons to finally nab MVP after a second-place finish last season. Turner (+1500) and Mookie Betts (+700) will make their presence known in Los Angeles.
View all MLB odds for the World Series, MVP race and CY Young winners.
Editor's Note: This story was updated to reflect a tentative agreement on a new collective bargaining agreement between Major League Baseball and the players association.
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@FieldLevelMedia Doug Padilla has been on the MLB beat for more than two decades, covering the betting angles for the past five seasons.
