MLB Futures: 3 Best Bets to Win the AL Pennant (2020)
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The 2020 MLB season has been pushed back due to COVID-19 but there is hope across the league that there will be professional baseball season this year. It will probably be a shortened season and it will start without fans but any baseball is better than no baseball.
That being said, FanDuel Sportsbook has posted a whole host of futures for the 2020 season. Taking a look at the betting lines on the board to win the American League pennant, which teams are a good bet? We’ve got three from you from three different tiers. Here’s a look at my choice from the favorites, my choice from the mid-tier, and my choice from the longshots.
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The Favorites
New York Yankees
Odds To Win American League: +165
From the favorites group, I’m looking at the Yankees. I have this group down to the Yankees and the Houston Astros, and I think the Astros cheating scandal will still end up weighing heavily on the season and their team.
With the Yankees, not only will they be bringing back a lineup that led the league in runs scored last season (they were second in home runs and RBI’s), they have now added one of the best pitchers in baseball in Gerrit Cole, who went 20-5 and posted a 2.50 ERA.
I also think that this team is in much better shape now physically. Had the season started on time, they would have been banged up. They’re arguably one of the biggest to benefit from the break as they’ve been able to heal up.
The Mid-Tier
Minnesota Twins
Odds To Win American League: +750
Minnesota already had an incredible offense that led the league in home runs and RBI’s, but they might be about the same (or not drop-off a lot) after adding slugger Josh Donaldson. Not to mention they were able to bring back Michael Pineda and Jake Odorizzi to the rotation, as well as solidify the staff by bringing in Rich Hill, Homer Bailey, and Kent Maeda. Those are staff aces but they should help chew up some innings.
The Twins have stellar hitting top to bottom, a solid pitching staff, and recent success that suggests they are poised for another postseason run. If Minnesota can recreate that magic, or better, they could potentially win themselves the AL Pennant.
The Longshots
Los Angeles Angels
Odds To Win American League: +1800
The Angels have been attempting to build around superstar Mike Trout for nearly a decade but it seems they have just now brought in enough talent to make a run. Bringing in Shohei Ohtani in 2018 was a step in the right direction but the additions this offseason could really elevate them. The centerpiece of the free agency additions is All-Star third basemen Anthony Rendon, who hit .319, 34 home runs, and 126 RBI’s while helping the Washington Nationals win the World Series. He will be a huge addition to Los Angeles. Him, Trout, and Ohtani should anchor a solid offense that will perform well if they help from a few youngsters.
They struck out on bringing in an ace this offseason but were able to bring in Dylan Bundy and Julio Tehran. The Angels still will need to put all these moving parts together, but if they can figure it out, they just might cash in as a decent value play at 18/1.
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Dave Golokhov is a featured writer at BettingPros. For more from Dave, check out his archive and follow him @davegolokhov.