It’s been a tough stretch for both the Los Angeles Dodgers and New York Yankees. The two were heavy pre-season favorites to make the World Series, with the Dodgers adding several star pitchers and even bolstering their already powerful batting order. While the Yankees lost superstar Juan Soto to the crosstown Mets in the offseason, they added several pieces designed to make up for his absence. So what does this mean to the rest of the teams in each league when it comes to oddsmakers?
Dodgers Doldrums
The Dodgers have lost 10 of their last 13 games as of July 23. Mookie Betts is in a horrific slump, deepening a disappointing start to the year. He’s only batting .189 in July with a sub-.700 OPS. Since July 4th, the Dodgers have the third-worst batting average and fourth-highest strikeout rate in MLB. They have also scored fewer runs than all but the Pittsburgh Pirates during that period.
The injury bug has hit the Dodgers since the start of the year. Shohei Ohtani wasn’t able to pitch until early July, and he’s been limited to a few innings each start. Blake Snell, who came over from the Giants in the offseason, got hurt almost immediately. Tyler Glasnow, always injury-prone, was put on the IL in May after an encouraging start to the year. While Freddie Freeman recently avoided a hit-by-pitch injury, Max Muncy went down last month, and the team lost Teoscar Hernandez for an extended period in the spring.
Yanks Slump
As of July 23, the Yankees had lost six of their last seven games and 19 of the last 30. They were bounced from first place in early July by a four-game sweep at the hands of the Toronto Blue Jays, who currently occupy the top of the division by four games over the Yanks.
Pitching has been an issue all year for the Bronx Bombers. Gerritt Cole went down for the year, and Clark Schmidt, their second-best pitcher, was recently added to the IL for Tommy John surgery, out for the year. The bullpen has also been ravaged by injuries. As of right now, a total of eight pitchers are on the shelf.
Outside of Aaron Judge, who is having another MVP-caliber season, the team’s offense is spotty. Offseason acquisitions Cody Bellinger and Paul Goldschmidt are helping out, but year-long slumps by Anthony Volpe and Austin Wells torpedoed any hope for stability at those key positions—shortstop and catcher.
AL Also Rans Running Strong
So, where does this leave the rest of the teams in both leagues that were supposed to have been left in the dust?
In the American League, a recent slump by the Detroit Tigers, losing eight of the last 10 but dominant for much of the year, has brought them back down to earth. But the mediocrity of the AL Central almost guarantees them a playoff spot.
The Blue Jays are currently on top in the AL East, but the Boston Red Sox are getting hot at the right time, meaning even more trouble for the Yankees. But the Jays never seem to have enough to push it all the way.
In the AL West, the Houston Astros heated up at the right time and currently hold a five-game lead. But are the Seattle Mariners the team to watch? They have the most exciting player in baseball currently, switch-hitting catcher Cal Raleigh, who clubbed his 39th homer this week to lead all of baseball.
NL Movers Ready
Luckily for the Dodgers, their slump has not coincided with a hot streak by any of the NL West rivals. Only the San Diego Padres picked up some ground, but they are still four games shy of the Bums. The San Francisco Giants have cooled off, and the Arizona Dbacks and Colorado Rockies never were even warm.
The NL East is where the excitement lies. The Philadelphia Phillies and New York Mets have been swapping the top spot in that division all year. But each has some deficiencies and will sputter and start through the end of the year, most likely. Some experts picked the Atlanta Braves to have a good year, but they are trailing the Miami Marlins for third place in the East.
Like the AL, the mediocrity is centered in the Central. The Chicago Cubs and the Milwaukee Brewers are tied for first at this writing, but their battles are keeping hopes alive for the Cincinnati Reds and St. Louis Cardinals. Pete Crow Armstrong has kept all eyes on the Cubs, but the Brewers have an amazing pitching staff, with Jacob Misiorowski breaking out and making the All-Star roster after only five starts.
What Has Changed?
So has anything changed? Yes, the odds on the Dodgers and Yankees have fluctuated a bit, but this is baseball. It’s a long season, and we’re barely just past the halfway point. History tells us that the hottest teams at the end of the season often make trouble for the favorites.
Check out the latest odds, courtesy of ESPNBet. Not much has changed in terms of the favorites to win either their division, the league, or the World Series. If you want to get some value for your bet, consider the current first-place Blue Jays or Brewers. Or how about the Padres? Could they get hot and overtake a slumping Dodgers team at the wire? It’s happened before.
But once again, shop around! The odds can vary widely from sportsbook to sportsbook, especially in regional books where local teams get more action. Don’t get stuck on any individual book.
| TEAM | World Series | League | Division |
| Los Angeles Dodgers | +240 | +140 | -2500 |
| New York Yankees | +700 | +300 | -110 |
| Detroit Tigers | +750 | +260 | -10000 |
| Philadelphia Phillies | +850 | +500 | -150 |
| Chicago Cubs | +900 | +500 | -230 |
| Houston Astros | 10-1 | +400 | -270 |
| New York Mets | 12-1 | +600 | +120 |
| Toronto Blue Jays | 18-1 | +750 | +140 |
| Milwaukee Brewers | 18-1 | +900 | +170 |
| Seattle Mariners | 25-1 | 10-1 | +260 |
| Boston Red Sox | 30-1 | 12-1 | 10-1 |
| San Diego Padres | 30-1 | 15-1 | 15-1 |
| Tampa Bay Rays | 40-1 | 15-1 | 15-1 |
| San Francisco Giants | 40-1 | 25-1 | 20-1 |
| Texas Rangers | 60-1 | 20-1 | 13-1 |
| Minnesota Twins | 100-1 | 50-1 | 50-1 |
| Kansas City Royals | 100-1 | 50-1 | 100-1 |
| St. Louis Cardinals | 100-1 | 60-1 | 60-1 |
| Arizona Diamondbacks | 100-1 | 60-1 | 100-1 |
| Cleveland Guardians | 150-1 | 60-1 | 40-1 |
| Cincinnati Reds | 150-1 | 75-1 | 75-1 |
| Atlanta Braves | 250-1 | 150-1 | 100-1 |
| Baltimore Orioles | 300-1 | 100-1 | 100-1 |
| Los Angeles Angels | 300-1 | 150-1 | 80-1 |
| Las Vegas Athletics | 500-1 | 250-1 | 100-1 |
| Miami Marlins | 500-1 | 500-1 | 500-1 |
| Pittsburgh Pirates | 1000-1 | 500-1 | 500-1 |
| Washington Nationals | 1000-1 | 500-1 | 500-1 |
| Chicago White Sox | 1000-1 | 500-1 | 500-1 |
| Colorado Rockies | 1000-1 | 500-1 | 500-1 |
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