Players have reported to the league’s 30 spring training sites and Cactus League and Grapefruit League games are just around the corner. Let’s take a look at the MLB futures board and identify some sleepers worth a bet to win the 2020 World Series.
2020 World Series bets: New York Mets (+2000)
Odds via BetMGM; access USA TODAY Sports’ betting odds for a full list. Lines last updated Wednesday, Feb. 19 at 10 a.m. ET.
This is a nice price on a club that played .639 baseball (46-26) after the All-Star break last season. The Mets averaged a robust 5.2 runs per game over those final 72 games. Most of the pieces of that run-scoring puzzle are back — the biggest piece is 2019 NL Rookie of the Year Pete Alonso – and the offense is supported by solid pitching. A starting rotation which includes NL Cy Young Award winner Jacob deGrom, Noah Syndergaard, and Marcus Stroman is supported by a decent bullpen, and one that added Dellin Betances this offseason.
Analytics reveal a Mets squad whose 86 wins in 2019 don’t reflect a talent base which was closer to a 90-win level. More can be expected this season. A tough NL East is somewhat buoying these odds, and that’s fair, but in most permutations of a 2020 season playing out, something like a +1500 price would be more on target.
2020 World Series bets: Cincinnati Reds (+3000)
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All except the Pittsburgh Pirates could win the NL Central in 2020. Cincinnati’s offseason could best be described as shrewd and sneaky-aggressive with an eye toward winning ball games this season. Cincinnati was among the most active clubs this offseason. Free-agent additions Mike Moustakas and Nicholas Castellanos should help the Reds offense, and pitching is a team strength.
A ball club which under-performed on its runs and runs allowed won 75 games a year ago. A moderate amount of luck and some momentum playing out differently, and the Reds could well have won 84 games. Eighty-two or 83 wins is the real starting point for analyzing 2020, and that’s a solid base in an even division with a bottom feeder. In other words, those extra wins aren’t unattainable. St. Louis and Milwaukee won 91 and 89 games last year, respectively. Expect both to fall back a bit, and the Reds can be there to pick up the pieces and move forward.
2020 World Series bets: Minnesota Twins (+1400)
The Twins head into this season as the favorites to win the AL Central, but with the juggernaut Houston Astros and New York Yankees expected to continue their winning ways, Minnesota’s odds get squeezed a bit. A year ago, the Twins won 101 games and won the Central by eight games. Expect more of a challenge from the Cleveland Indians this season (they were a consideration for this slot but their +2200 price doesn’t bake in as much value).
The Twins were a bit too far over their skis in winning 101 games in 2019, but an otherwise quiet offseason was highlighted by the addition of 3B Josh Donaldson. Signing Donaldson moves another big bat — Miguel Sano — to first base, and it gives the Twins a solid, balanced lineup. The bullpen should be solid. It’s the starting rotation that brings the most question marks. José Berríos and Jake Odorizzi front a group that can at least get the Twins to the postseason. Having to get by the Astros or Yankees is what lifts the odds up over 10-1.
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