The MLB All-Star Break is two weeks away, which means the final push for playoff seeding and individual awards is just around the corner. Now that we’ve reached the midway point of the season, we’re previewing what we expect down the stretch. Check out the latest MLB Futures Odds and the three bets we’re suggesting as October baseball draws closer.
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MLB Futures Odds for 2023
Best Bet #1: Atlanta Braves to win the NL (+170 on FanDuel Sportsbook)
The Braves make an appearance on several leaderboards for pitching and batting. They are second in the league in batting average, second in the hits, third in runs batted in, fourth in strikeouts, eighth in ERA, and they lead the league in home runs. It doesn’t get more well-rounded than the Braves. Atlanta was in a position to make some noise last year but ultimately fell to the red-hot Phillies in the National League Division Series.
Spencer Strider played in Game 3 against the Phillies after missing nearly a month but ran out of gas in his one start, and they were forced to play without Ozzie Albies due to injury. Both are back and are contributing to a stellar season for the Braves. Additionally, Ronald Acuna Jr. is the odds-on favorite to win the NL MVP award.
Acuna has registered a hit in all but three of the Braves’ 24 games this month. He also drove in 18 runs, hit six home runs, and is batting .337 during the month. With a bat like his leading the way, it’s hard to bet against them.
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Best Bet #2: Framber Valdez to Win AL Cy Young Award (+350 odds on BetMGM Sportsbook)
Tampa Bay’s Shane McClanahan owns the lowest odds (+260) to take home Cy Young honors in the American League. Houston’s Framber Valdez is on his heels and in a position to steal the award. Between the two, McClanahan has the better ERA, record, and batting average allowed. However, Valdez has thrown nearly 1,000 more pitches and faced almost 50 more batters, and still has a better slugging and on base percentage than McClanahan.
That is why McClanahan must maintain his level of play. In the Rays’ remaining 81 games, they have the second-highest strength of schedule. That includes eight games with the Orioles, who own the head-to-head this season 3-2, as well as a series with the Braves, Astros, and Rangers. That’s a lot of firepower that McClanahan must overcome late in the season.
He was pulled mid-game last week due to back tightness, which is the biggest damper on his Cy Young Award hopes. Although it isn’t expected to sideline him long, if at all, it’s an injury that could linger and become something more. In June, his strikeouts are down, and he has allowed three home runs in four outings. That’s concerning considering he is primarily a fastball pitcher with reports of back problems.
At +350, it wouldn’t hurt to take a chance on Valdez as he is already getting out of innings more efficiently than McClanahan.
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Best Bet #3: Baltimore Orioles to Win the AL East (+850 on Caesars Sportsbook)
After a dominating season so far, the Rays still find themselves only four games up on the Orioles with just a couple of weeks until the All-Star break. With the recent news about McClanahan’s back and the injuries they already endured to Jeffrey Springs and Drew Rasmussen, the Rays pitching depth could suffer significantly.
McClanahan’s next start or two are worth keeping your eyes on. If he falters down the stretch with all the pitching injuries the Rays are ailing from, the Orioles have a great chance at stealing the division. Tampa has already hit a rough patch with McClanahan playing, having not won a series since June 11 against the Rangers.
They have played 13 games since then and have lost or tied each series, including against the Kansas City Royals, Athletics, and the first game of their current series with the Diamondbacks. If this slump continues, they may not have the pitching to battle out of their slump in a timely fashion given the firepower headed their way in the coming months. At +850, this is a low-risk, high-reward option to consider. You can also get +1100 odds at FanDuel.
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