The wait is over, and the MLB is finally back after a great season in 2022. There are a lot of outstanding teams this season and a lot of trades, so anything could happen. Houston Astros are the current champions after six games against Philadelphia Phillies in the World Finals 2022 last season.
The World Baseball Classic ended just in time for the MLB to start and gave us some new baseball emotions after the national teams’ performances. However, every baseball fan knows what event is pure quality and joy – Major League Baseball.
The MLB this season will consist of 30 teams, as usual. The spring training will end on Wednesday, and the regular season will start on Thursday. The MLB season will be played from March 30 to October 1, while the postseason is set to start on October 3. The Houston Astros came all the way back from a 1-2 deficit to beat the Phillies 4-2, winning the World Series last season.
| Tournament: | 2023 Major League Baseball (MLB) Season |
| Venue: | Venues across the United States |
| Dates: | 30 March – 1 October 2023 |
Here’s a look at the latest odds of the top favorites to win the AL this year, according to baseball bookmakers.
The Houston Astros are the favorites in the AL this season, looking unbeatable in the last playoffs. They are the current champions and have gone to the World Series finals for the last two years. The Yankees made some great off-season moves and are not far behind the Astros. The Toronto Blue Jays added Varsho and Belt to their offense, which was good already, and they are always a good underdog to pick.
Just behind the top-3 leading pack are two interesting teams. The Seattle Mariners are probably the most improved team this season, and they have made some good moves and traded for Teoscar Hernandez. Tampa Bay Rays are much better than last season, but they are always competing in the American League.
According to the MLB betting sites, here’s a look at the latest odds of the top favorites to win the NL this year.
The Los Angeles Dodgers dominated the National League in last year’s regular season and finished first with 111 wins. The New York Mets have a great batting team, and they will be competing for first place this season. Those two are regarded as major competitors in NL 2023 but with tight competency from the other sides as well.
Thus, the Atlanta Braves, the 2021 World Series winner, will try to win their sixth division title in a row, as they have a very solid team this year. The San Diego Padres signed Xander Bogaerts, and they have a very strong offense that could lead them to a great season, having their odds also pretty close. The Philadelphia Phillies had such a great run last season and went to the World Series, but they lost in six games to the Astros, and they will give it another go this year.
The MLB regular season will run from March 30 to October 1. The postseason will start on October 3 and potentially end on November 4 if the World Series goes to a game seven. Each team plays a total of 162 games in the regular season. The Houston Astros are the current champions after beating the Philadelphia Phillies last season, which is their second title. The team with the most titles is the New York Yankees, with 27 titles.
The League has introduced some new rules for this season. A pitch clock will now be used in MLB games, as now we will have a timer with a specific time between pitches and half innings, for example. The size of the bases will increase from 15 to 18 inches as well.
The New York Yankees had a great regular season in 2022, as they were second with 99 wins, only behind the Houston Astros. The Yankees also lost 0-4 to the Astros in the semifinals of the playoffs. New York added a great player in Carlos Rodon, and now they have a much more solid pitching side. Aaron Judge and Anthony Rizzo are looking good this off-season as well.
The Mariners will be looking to build on last year’s success. Seattle made the playoffs last season for the first time in 21 years. The expectations from the Mariners are very high in 2023 after they added a lot of good players. Teoscar Hernandez, AJ Pollock, and Kolten Wong will all be great additions to this Seattle team and will make them compete.
The San Diego Padres had a good run last season. They beat their rivals, the Los Angeles Dodgers, in the quarterfinals of the playoffs before losing to the Phillies in five games in the semifinals. If there’s a season where the Padres take the National League title, it will be this year.
The Padres signed Xander Bogaerts this off-season with a big contract, which will be great for them with their current roster. They have one of the best offenses right now, with Manny Machado, Juan Soto, and Fernando Tatis Jr leading the team.
The Dodgers have dominated the West in the last period. They have won the West Division title 20 times, nine of which were in the last ten years. The Dodgers grabbed first place in the National League last season with 111 wins, which is the most by any team in the NL since 1906. Julio Urias will be the key player for the Dodgers’ success this season, as he has been great in the last two years and should lead the team to another success.
The Bronx Bombers are arguably one of the best teams in the history of the MLB, if not the best. The New York Yankees have the most World Series titles (27). Their most recent win was in 2009, and with their current roster, they should be able to get a good run this season. Aaron Judge signed a new contract, and they signed Carlos Rodon this off-season, which greatly increased their chances.
Shohei Ohtani had one of the best seasons for a baseball player in history last year, but it wasn’t enough, as Aaron Judge won the MVP award in the end. Shohei was the runner-up last season and has a great chance of winning this time. Ohtani has just won the World Baseball Classic with Japan and won the MVP award for that as well.
Corbin is the clear favorite to win the Rookie of the Year Award this season. He had an impressive start with the Arizona Diamondbacks last season. Carroll played a total of 32 games in 2022, but Daulton Vasrsho has been traded, so that will increase the playing time for Corbin Carroll this year.
Alek Manoah is a pitcher for the Toronto Blue Jays, and he had such a great season in 2022. Alek finished third in last year’s Cy Young Award votes. Manoah finished last season with a 16-7 record with a 2.24 ERA, which is an elite number for pitchers in general. He plays for a team that competes for the League every season, and that’s why his team winning will enhance his chances.
This should be a great MLB race, especially with the great off-season moves. We will be going with Shohei Ohtani to have a good season alongside the Yankees and Padres. Make sure you use our 2023 MLB tips and predictions, and bet them at the US Sportsbooks and sports betting apps to have more fun watching an enticing season.
