One week has passed since the start of the second half of the season and we take a look at the three teams that are favored to win the World Series. These squads have the best chance to play in October based on their talent and their current place in the standings, but don’t forget that the trade deadline is on July 31, so these teams, as well as other contenders can improve their rosters, which in turn will change their odds to win the Fall Classic.
America’s Bookie updates the odds to win the World Series daily, but they get taken off once the first game of the day starts, so keep that in mind. Here are the three teams to watch.
Oakland Athletics (61-38, 1st place in the AL West)
The Athletics are thriving once again because they haven’t abandoned their “Moneyball” approach, trusting in a core that includes players that have been overlooked by other teams like Scott Kazmir, Brandon Moss, Josh Donaldson and Sean Doolittle while adding Jeff Samardzija and Jason Hammel to bolster their starting rotation.
An area for improvement has been their defense, as the A’s have made 66 errors as a team this season, ranking 14th out of 15 American League teams. This issue hasn’t taken them down but it’s something that has to be improved if they want to keep the best record in the American League, which is very important in the postseason. As usual, this team has stadium issues and payroll concerns but they still find ways to win. Right now they have the best record in the Majors and they’re well-equipped to win the World Series.
Detroit Tigers (55-42, 1st place in the AL Central)
Reaching the World Series will not be as easy as it was in previous years but the Tigers are still favored to make a postseason run because of the middle-of-the-order combination of Miguel Cabrera (.313, 14 HR, 61 RBI) and Victor Martinez (.322, 21 HR, 56 RBI). According to Baseball-Reference, Cabrera and Martinez could become the first pair of teammates to each post seasons with at least a .320 batting average and 100 RBI since the 2011 season. Justin Verlander (9-8, 4.84 ERA) needs to improve his numbers in order to give the Tigers a dominant starting rotation along with Max Scherzer, Anibal Sanchez, Rick Porcello and Drew Smyly. If Verlander can be dominant again the Tigers could run away with the division and fight for the World Series as they have enough star power.
Los Angeles Dodgers (56-46, 2nd place in the NL West)
The Dodgers have been carried by a deep, dynamic starting rotation and an overwhelmingly talented lineup. Led by Clayton Kershaw (11-2, 1.92 ERA), Hyun-Jin Ryu (11-5, 3.39 ERA) and Zack Greinke (11-6, 2.90 ERA), the starting rotation has been superb and Yasiel Puig (.308, 12 HR, 52 RBI) and Adrian Gonzalez (.259, 15 HR, 65 RBI) supply the offense, helping the Dodgers keep pace with the Giants in the National League West. This team can play even better baseball, they have the ability to dominate and run through the National League, all they need is to stay healthy.
Below are the complete odds to win the 2014 World Series at America’s Bookie:
Atlanta Braves +1250
Baltimore Orioles +1250
Boston Red Sox +4500
Chicago White Sox +25000
Cincinnati Reds +3000
Cleveland Indians +4500
Detroit Tigers +450
Kansas City Royals +5000
Los Angeles Angels +850
Los Angeles Dodgers +450
Miami Marlins +30000
Milwaukee Brewers +1550
New York Mets +25000
New York Yankees +1250
Oakland Athletics +350
Philadelphia Phillies +30000
Pittsburgh Pirates +2500
San Diego Padres +30000
San Francisco Giants +850
Seattle Mariners +2500
St. Louis Cardinals +950
Tampa Bay Rays +5000
Toronto Blue Jays +1750
Washington Nationals +850
