The Los Angeles Dodgers’ recent success has put an end to their struggles, as they swept the Washington Nationals on the road and won two out of three games against the Toronto Blue Jays during a six-game winning streak. On the other hand, the New York Yankees experienced some setbacks against the struggling Oakland Athletics team, raising concerns about Aaron Judge’s health. Despite this, I still believe that the Dodgers require significant changes to their flawed roster in order to be deemed a contender for the World Series championship.
In contrast, the Atlanta Braves and Baltimore Orioles continue to dominate atop my rankings of baseball teams despite Spencer Strider’s injury and Jackson Holliday’s forgettable debut with the major leagues. Here are my top 10 clubs in baseball right now along with their odds from FanDuel Sportsbook:
10. Seattle Mariners (Record: 30-16, Previous Ranking: Unranked) – World Series Odds: +1900
Two weeks ago, I labelled these same Mariners as the most disappointing team in baseball due to their struggling starting pitchers. However, Seattle’s ERA now ranks second-best in MLB and leads the league in WHIP after George Kirby showed signs of being a Cy Young candidate with more starts than walks allowed. The lineup behind Julio Rodriguez leaves much to be desired for the Mariners, but they are currently leading the AL West division despite their recent struggles last season.
9. Kansas City Royals (Record: 34-17, Previous Ranking: 10) – World Series Odds: +9000
The Royals have won five out of their past ten games while the Minnesota Twins continue to struggle at the start of this season. However, Kansas City will need to perform better than a .500 record if they want to compete with the division-leading Twins over several months.
8. Chicago Cubs (Record: 32-16, Previous Ranking: 8) – World Series Oddings: +3900
Shota Imanaga has been a standout player for the Cubs this season, but Cody Bellinger’s injury from colliding with the Wrigley Field wall is concerning as he was starting to heat up at the plate.
7. Milwaukee Brewers (Record: 32-15, Previous Ranking: 7) – World Series Oddings: +4800
The Brewers have been doing well recently but still fall short in comparison with more talented teams within their division.
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6. Cleveland Guardians (Record: 34-12, Previous Ranking: 6) – World Series Oddings: +3000
The Guardians’ impressive start this season is unexpected as their former MVP and starting pitcher Shane Bieber will be out for the year. However, Josh Naylor has been performing exceptionally well at the plate while Stephen Vogt could potentially win Manager of the Year.
5. New York Yankees (Record: 36-10, Previous Ranking: 3) – World Series Oddings: +600
While still an exceptional team overall, some cause for concern is starting to surface regarding the Bronx Bombers after a rocky start against the Oakland Athletics. The Yankees have moved down a few places because of their initial game-play issues and being surpassed by more talented teams.
4. Philadelphia Phillies (Record: 35-12, Previous Ranking: 4) – World Series Oddings: +1300
The Phillies have been doing exceptionally well lately with eight wins in their last ten games and four consecutive victories entering Monday’s game.
3. Los Angeles Dodgers (Record: 35-18, Previous Ranking: 5) – World Series Oddings: +360
The Dodgers won six straight games following a string of three losses in succession at home after dropping their previous series against the Giants and Padres. Freddie Freeman is finally starting to heat up as he bats third behind Mookie Betts and Shohei Ohtani, who have been excelling offensively for quite some time.
2. Baltimore Orioles (Record: 34-15, Previous Ranking: 2) – World Series Oddings: +1100
Despite being in second place behind the Yankees within their division standings, I still believe that the Orioles are a better team overall and will ultimately surpass them over time.
1. Atlanta Braves (Record: 38-9, Previous Ranking: 1) – World Series Oddings: +470
The lineup for this exceptional team is incredibly strong from number one through nine. The Braves have been performing exceptionally well with eight wins in their last ten games despite being without their ace pitcher.
Out: New York Mets (Previously ranked 9th, World Series Odds: +6000)
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