Every MLB Team's Playoff and World Series Odds For the 2024 Season

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Every MLB Team's Playoff and World Series Odds For the 2024 Season

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Matthew Grimes Jr./Atlanta Braves/Getty Images

The San Diego Padres and Los Angeles Dodgers facing off in South Korea last week gave us a taste of MLB action.

However, the opening series was overshadowed by reports of a gambling scandal involving Shohei Ohtani's former interpreter, and the conversation returning to the U.S. was hardly about baseball.

Here's our chance to change that. With the other 28 MLB teams debuting Thursday, we've taken an updated look at the playoff and World Series odds for every team this season.

We break it down by division, from highest odds to lowest, and offer some analysis for each team. The odds, courtesy of DraftKings, are current through the start of play Thursday.

AL East

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Baltimore Orioles (-220 to make the playoffs, +1100 to win the World Series)

The Orioles are widely considered a division favorite after returning most of a squad that won 101 games last season and adding Corbin Burnes to the top of their rotation.

Kyle Bradish should return from a right UCL sprain at some point in the first half of the season, while John Means should do the same in recovering from a left elbow injury, according to Jake Rill of MLB.com.

Top prospect Jackson Holliday could turn into their best player, and we won't even see him to start the season after the controversial decision to send him to Triple-A.

It should be one of the best lineups in baseball with added pitching reinforcements to make the Orioles a real threat to win the World Series.

New York Yankees (-240 to make the playoffs, +1100 to win the World Series)

Even with the odds seemingly stacked against the Yankees, they still have enough to endure.

Gerrit Cole not being available at the top of their rotation takes some life out of them, which means they will need the best from Nestor Cortes, Carlos Rodón and Marcus Stroman.

The betting odds are leaning toward the fact that this lineup employs one of the best combos in baseball between Aaron Judge and Juan Soto. If the lineup stays healthy, it should be one of the deadlier ones in baseball after such a disappointing 2023.

But it is critical the Yankees get Cole back before mid-June, otherwise it signals his injury is worse than feared. It is hard to imagine them winning the World Series without him.

Toronto Blue Jays (-125 to make the playoffs, +2000 to win the World Series)

While the Blue Jays had an underwhelming offseason, it's not like they are far off from contending for a World Series. It may seem that way, since they were the final AL Wild Card by a half-game over the Seattle Mariners, before getting swept by the Minnesota Twins.

But the Blue Jays remain a well-built team with high expectations in a competitive division. Similar to the Yankees, they will need more from their rotation with Alek Manoah sidelined by a shoulder issue to start the season, but the quiet offseason was a clear bet on the potential of what is already in place.

Tampa Bay Rays (+120 to make the playoffs, +3500 to win the World Series)

The Rays enter this season with a lot of questions. How their rotation responds to missing Shane McClanahan for the entire season, plus three more important pitchers for a large chunk of the season will be telling.

Shane Baz is starting the season on the 15-day injured list with a right elbow issue and oblique strain, and it's unclear when they will get him back. Jeffrey Springs will miss the first half of the season while still recovering from Tommy John surgery last year. Drew Rasmussen is also recovering from UCL surgery last year and isn't expected back until later in the season.

All of this is before we get to the obvious loss of Wander Franco. This might be a year, more than ever, the Rays have to make the most out of minimal.

Boston Red Sox (+285 to make the playoffs, +6500 to win the World Series)

There is an intrigue of the unknown with Boston. Its only proven starter is Nick Pivetta, while everyone else in the rotation is an intriguing young arm to some degree, led by Opening Day starter Brayan Bello.

Boston's pitching wasn't good enough last year, hence the signing of Lucas Giolito, who will miss the entire season to repair his UCL.

Given this was the biggest move made to a team that wasn't good enough last year, it stands to reason that the Red Sox are a long shot to win anything, much less the World Series.

AL Central

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Carlos CorreaBrace Hemmelgarn/Minnesota Twins/Getty Images

Minnesota Twins (-170 to make the playoffs, +1900 to win the World Series)

This is the only team in this division that oddsmakers are giving the slightest chance of winning it all. It seems fair, considering the talent gap between the bulk of this division and others around baseball.

The Twins should not be overlooked, though. If key players such as Byron Buxton, Carlos Correa, Royce Lewis, Alex Kirilloff and Chris Paddack are healthier than they were the previous year, this could be a 90-win team. That's just a big ask, considering their history.

It will also be important how they fill the voids left by Sonny Gray and Kenta Maeda. If Paddack and Louie Varland are solid on the backend with Pablo Lopez, Joe Ryan and Bailey Ober stepping up, this can be an intriguingly scrappy group.

Detroit Tigers (+185 to make the playoffs, +6000 to win the World Series)

Here is one of your dark-horse candidates to make some noise in the AL. The Tigers haven't done nearly enough to boldly claim an arrival, but between the way they ended last season and some of the upgrades to the roster, they clearly have something cooking.

The Twins deserve the benefit of the doubt in this division, but Detroit appears to be the biggest threat. The other two AL divisions have much deeper teams, but the Tigers should be on their heels, too.

Colt Keith enters with a ton of hype as a rookie. If he even comes close to living up to it, this is a much different team than what we've grown accustomed to.

Cleveland Guardians (+185 to make the playoffs, +6000 to win the World Series)

The Guardians have some talented players, but as a whole, it's largely underwhelming outside of José Ramírez. The question in Cleveland for years has been whether it can score enough runs. By not making an aggressive move, the answer continues to be "no" despite what appears to be a strong pitching staff.

They could piece together a good enough campaign to make things interesting in a weak Central, but it would shock the world if they made it past the Wild Card Series.

Kansas City Royals (+425 to make the playoffs, +13000 to win the World Series)

The Royals are a candidate for most improved team this season, even if they are not really a candidate to win the World Series. Their long odds make sense, considering they are still behind the Twins in terms of proven players.

But watching the young players such as Bobby Witt Jr. continue their development will be worthwhile. The additions of Seth Lugo and Michael Wacha should also add some credibility to this rotation that it did not previously have.

Chicago White Sox (+2200 to make the playoffs, +30000 to win the World Series)

Now that the full rebuild is happening on the South Side, there is no reason to set high expectations on the White Sox. From 2020 until the beginning of last season, they seemed like a real threat to win the AL Central.

Since then, they've allowed shortstop Tim Anderson to leave in free agency and traded ace Dylan Cease to the San Diego Padres. Winning 70 games would be an accomplishment for the White Sox this year. Winning the World Series is beyond the imagination.

AL West

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Kyle Tucker, left, and Yordan AlvarezBrian Fluharty/Getty Images

Houston Astros (-450 to make the playoffs, +750 to win the World Series)

Despite losing to a division-rival wild-card team in the ALCS, the Astros are again the favorite to win the AL West for the seventh time in eight years.

That's because they got better despite a fairly quiet offseason. The Astros did not need a ton of improvements, but they still added closer Josh Hader to fortify their bullpen. The bullpen trio of Bryan Abreu, Ryan Pressly and Hader looks like the best in the game on paper.

Yordan Alvarez and Kyle Tucker are perennial All-Star players and MVP candidates as long as they are healthy, while Alex Bregman remains one of the game's elite third basemen. Jose Altuve is also still really good.

They could have added an arm to the rotation with Blake Snell and Jordan Montgomery available so late into spring training, but if you're going to essentially run it back, this is the group to do it with.

Texas Rangers (-160 to make the playoffs, +1500 to win the World Series)

We are looking at the same team that won the World Series but strengthened its bullpen and added two AL Rookie of the Year candidates for an entire season.

Adding David Robertson and Kirby Yates to the bullpen is essential for a group that struggled throughout the regular season. José Leclerc and Josh Sborz hope to continue their success from the postseason.

The rotation will have to get by without Jacob deGrom, Max Scherzer and Tyler Mahle while they nurse their way back from injuries, but then there's the lineup.

They had the highest OPS in the AL last year. Now they have rookies Wyatt Langford and Evan Carter for the entire season. This should be one of the more impressive offenses in the game.

Seattle Mariners (-155 to make the playoffs, +1900 to win the World Series)

Seattle is one of the more interesting cases because it has elite pitching but a new-look lineup with some fair questions.

A rotation headlined by Luis Castillo, George Kirby and Logan Gilbert, and Julio Rodriguez as your best position player, are enough to start a conversation.

Mitch Garver, Mitch Haniger and Jorge Polanco are the notable additions with injury history. Are these the moves to put the Mariners over the top?

They built this team on a budget and made some tough choices, following a season in which the offense was average or worse in nearly every relevant category.

Seattle, perhaps more than any other team, will spend the season trying to prove itself.

Los Angeles Angels (+900 to make the playoffs, +17000 to win the World Series)

There is no good-faith argument in favor of the Angels' 2024 season. They are coming off a 73-89 campaign and lost Shohei Ohtani, the best player on that team.

This Angels season is just as much about learning more about the future as it is the present. It's the first full season for Logan O'Hoppe, Zach Neto and Nolan Schanuel. They are hoping for health with highly paid stars like Mike Trout and Anthony Rendon.

The Angels just don't have the pitching to really compete.

Oakland Athletics (+2500 to make the playoffs, +50000 to win the World Series)

Anyone who bets on the A's to win the World Series deserves their fate. Last year, they won 50 games, the fewest in the big leagues.

Oakland is projected to again be the worst team in the AL after making no significant improvements in the offseason. It has Alex Wood and Ross Stripling to make a decent combo at the top of its rotation, but the big story to watch is No. 2 prospect Mason Miller's move to the bullpen.

NL East

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Chris SaleDavid J. Griffin/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images

Atlanta (-1400 to make the playoffs, +450 to win the World Series)

Don't let Atlanta's early exit in the postseason allow you to forget this was the best team in baseball last season with all of its key parts returning.

Not only does the 104-win team remain largely intact, but it added high-ceiling performers like Chris Sale, Reynaldo López and Jarred Kelenic.

A healthy Sale and López on the back end put this Atlanta rotation into a different dimension. Kelenic batting ninth in a lineup largely composed of the players who set records in slugging percentage and home runs last year seems unfair.

Atlanta is going to do it, though. It will score a lot of runs and strike out a lot of batters, just as it did in 2023. This is a rightful World Series favorite.

Philadelphia Phillies (-235 to make the playoffs, +1400 to win the World Series)

The Phillies accomplished their main offseason goal, which was to re-sign Aaron Nola. Whenever your top offseason priority is retaining one of your own, it's clear you have a really good team.

That is the case in Philadelphia, where it should make a run at its second World Series appearance in three seasons.

A lineup starting with Kyle Schwarber, Trea Turner, Bryce Harper and J.T. Realmuto can rival any in the big leagues. Whatever the Phillies get from Johan Rojas will be a bonus if he plays the elite defense in center field that he's capable of. The floor of their starting pitching is top half in baseball.

New York Mets (+190 to make the playoffs, +5500 to win the World Series)

The Mets look like an average team looking up at Atlanta and Philly. Their offense finished 20th in runs scored last season, and the only upgrade they made was signing designated hitter J.D. Martinez.

How does the offense compete with NL juggernauts like Atlanta, Philly and the Los Angeles Dodgers? It does not appear the Mets have the answer.

They also have questions in their rotation, where they struggle to stay healthy. Kodai Senga has a right shoulder injury that will sideline him into May, and Luis Severino has an extensive injury history. We will see how reliable of a group this is.

Miami Marlins (+250 to make the playoffs, +8000 to win the World Series)

It's not just the betting odds that are stacked against the Marlins. This line is informed by the fact that the strength of the team is ravaged by injuries.

Sandy Alcántara (out for the season), Edward Cabrera, Braxton Garrett and Eury Pérez are all starting the season on the injured list. That does not bode well for a team whose identity lies in its pitching.

Even if those pitchers were healthy, it would still be a questionable offense compared to its division counterparts and the better teams around the majors.

Washington Nationals (+1800 to make the playoffs, +25000 to win the World Series)

The Nationals are more of a showcase for trade bait at the deadline than they are World Series contenders.

Only one other NL team has worse odds to win the Fall Classic. Still, it's worth monitoring how soon their young players develop into everyday major league players.

The names to watch here are Dylan Crews, James Wood, Brady House and Robert Hassell.

NL Central

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Shōta ImanagaChris Coduto/Getty Images

Chicago Cubs (-115 to make the playoffs, +2800 to win the World Series)

These are the lowest odds for any team picked to win its division. The Cubs bring back Cody Bellinger and add Craig Counsell as manager.

Swapping Marcus Stroman for Japanese league star Shōta Imanaga should keep their starting rotation intact. Their biggest question is how 24-year-old Christopher Morel fits into the lineup, whether at third base where he worked almost exclusively in camp, or as a designated hitter.

Third base seems like the best opportunity, but leave it to Counsell to make it work either way.

Expect the Cubs to be a competitive and sneaky contender in the NL.

St. Louis Cardinals (+105 to make the playoffs, +3500 to win the World Series)

Here's another fun line if you like betting on pedigree and organizational success.

The Cardinals made a valiant effort to upgrade their pitching this offseason, albeit some older arms in 36-year-olds Kyle Gibson and Lance Lynn.

The biggest addition is Sonny Gray, giving this St. Louis staff an entirely different look from the one that failed last season. The 34-year-old is going to spend the start of the season on the injured list while rehabbing a hamstring, but he should be back early enough for it not to sting.

The Cardinals will need continued growth from younger players such as Jordan Walker and Nolan Gorman, but they are in a good position to throw a wrench in the plans of others.

Cincinnati Reds (+155 to make the playoffs, +4500 to win the World Series)

As good as the Cubs and Cardinals appear on paper, this division is up for grabs (unless you're the Pirates). The Reds have bad early injury luck with Matt McLain, TJ Friedl and Nick Lodolo on the shelf.

But it will still be fun watching Elly De La Cruz, Spencer Steer and the Reds' collection of young talent develop.

Picking them to win the World Series does not seem wise, but being frisky in a winnable division is not too much to ask.

Milwaukee Brewers (+280 to make the playoffs, +9000 to win the World Series)

It would have been hard to predict just a couple of years ago that the Brewers would take this significant step back in their pitching. But that's exactly what has happened.

With the departure of Corbin Burnes, Brandon Woodruff out for the year and a stress fracture sidelining closer Devin Williams, Milwaukee now looks to Freddy Peralta as its ace and a collection of characters pitching the ninth inning.

Adding Rhys Hoskins should provide some thump in the lineup, but the Brewers could have used that more when their pitching was still elite.

Pittsburgh Pirates (+475 to make the playoffs, +17000 to win the World Series)

Don't laugh at or sleep on the Pirates. OK, maybe as World Series contenders, but as a watchable baseball product, count them in.

There is all of the hype surrounding Oneil Cruz and whether he can live up to it by playing defense and staying healthy throughout a season. If he is healthy, he should be a 30-30 threat because of his elite power and speed.

Adding Martín Pérez and Marco Gonzales should also improve the Pirates' rotation. It just won't be enough to overcome much more talented opposition.

NL West

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Shohei Ohtani and Mookie BettsBrian Rothmuller/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images

Los Angeles Dodgers (-2500 to make the playoffs, +350 to win the World Series)

The Dodgers are one of the few teams in baseball who do not appear to have any weaknesses.

And among those few, they are arguably the best. They have the highest odds to win the World Series, in large part because they spent a lot of money this offseason and in no small part due to the talent they already had.

Yoshinobu Yamamoto is going to have to pick it up and the Tyler Glasnow trade was another aggressive move to strengthen their pitching staff to superhero levels. But we saw the depth of this staff last year when injuries hit.

We know the lineup with Shohei Ohtani added to Mookie Betts and Freddie Freeman is one to be feared.

Bet on the Dodgers to win it all and you're not exactly going out on a limb.

Arizona Diamondbacks (+105 to make the playoffs, +4000 to win the World Series)

Why not more respect for the defending NL champs? Because they still play in the Dodgers' division and there are at least four NL teams that appear better than them.

The last-minute Jordan Montgomery signing makes this more interesting, but just not enough to move the needle past the Dodgers, Atlanta, Philly or the Cubs.

But a rotation with Zac Gallen, Merrill Kelly, Eduardo Rodríguez and Montgomery is one way to fight back. The big question is whether Arizona's bullpen can replicate its late-season success from 2023.

San Francisco Giants (+145 to make the playoffs, +4500 to win the World Series)

How much of a boost will the short-term free-agent signings of Blake Snell and Matt Chapman give the Giants. Outside of these moves, it's still mostly a mediocre squad in a division where, unlike the Centrals, mediocre won't be good enough.

KBO star center fielder Jung Hoo Lee is the X-factor after signing a $113 million deal. If he is the leadoff hitter and outfielder they bargained for, the Giants could find themselves in the wild-card mix.

San Diego Padres (+155 to make the playoffs, +5000 to win the World Series)

The Padres are one of the more interesting MLB bets because it's clear that somewhere along the way, the public lost faith in them. Yet the roster is riddled with talent that should surprise no one if it all comes together.

Adding Dylan Cease to a rotation that includes Joe Musgrove and Yu Darvish should keep San Diego competitive. Fernando Tatis Jr., Manny Machado and Xander Bogaerts are tough to count out.

Winning the World Series is a long shot, but not out of the question.

Colorado Rockies (+2500 to make the playoffs, +50000 to win the World Series)

The Rockies are not winning the World Series. That's not the boldest claim made in this piece, but it is one you can take to the bank.

Don't bet on them. They are comfortably the worst team in the NL, with their most redeeming quality being a constantly injured star in Kris Bryant. Hopefully he stays healthy this season, but nothing about Colorado's operation is reliable.