Before last season, the last time a team won back-to-back World Series titles was 1998 and 1999. That team was the New York Yankees. The Yankees followed that with a third straight title in 2000. The Los Angeles Dodgers, winners of the 2024 and 2025 World Series, look to join the Yankees on the short list of teams to win three consecutive titles. The only team other than the Yankees to have won (at least) three World Series in a row is the Oakland Athletics, who won the Series in 1972, 1973, and 1974. With spring training well underway, the betting odds favor the Dodgers to win the 2026 World Series.
Los Angeles won the 2024 World Series in five games over the New York Yankees. In 2025, it took the Dodgers seven games to dispatch the Toronto Blue Jays in one of the most exciting World Series ever, with two games going into extra innings, including game three, which went 18 innings and is the second-longest World Series game (by time) in MLB history. The Blue Jays were in the Series for the first time since they lost back-to-back championships in 1992 and 1993.
The 2026 MLB season begins on Wednesday, March 25, with the New York Yankees playing the San Francisco Giants at night. Opening Day on Thursday, March 26, finds 22 teams competing.
Below, we look at the preseason odds, picks, and predictions to win the 2026 World Series.
| To Win 2026 World Series | ![]() | ![]() | ![]() |
|---|---|---|---|
| Los Angeles Dodgers | +210 | +225 | +225 |
| New York Yankees | +1000 | +1000 | +1000 |
| Seattle Mariners | +1100 | +1100 | +1200 |
| New York Mets | +1250 | +1200 | +1300 |
| Toronto Blue Jays | +1300 | +1600 | +1400 |
| Boston Red Sox | +1600 | +1600 | +1600 |
| Philadelphia Phillies | +1600 | +1600 | +1400 |
| Atlanta Braves | +1800 | +1800 | +1600 |
| Chicago Cubs | +2000 | +2000 | +1800 |
| Baltimore Orioles | +2100 | +2500 | +2200 |
| Houston Astros | +2300 | +2500 | +2200 |
| Detroit Tigers | +2500 | +2500 | +2200 |
| San Diego Padres | +2800 | +2800 | +2800 |
| Milwaukee Brewers | +3000 | +3300 | +3000 |
| Texas Rangers | +3000 | +3300 | +3000 |
| Kansas City Royals | +3500 | +4000 | +4000 |
| Cincinnati Reds | +4500 | +4500 | +4000 |
| Cleveland Guardians | +5000 | +6000 | +5000 |
| San Francisco Giants | +5500 | +5000 | +6000 |
| Pittsburgh Pirates | +6000 | +6600 | +8000 |
| Arizona Diamondbacks | +7000 | +8000 | +6000 |
| Tampa Bay Rays | +8000 | +10000 | +9000 |
| Minnesota Twins | +9500 | +10000 | +10000 |
| Athletics | +10000 | +12500 | +8000 |
| Miami Marlins | +18000 | +20000 | +15000 |
| Los Angeles Angels | +20000 | +20000 | +15000 |
| St. Louis Cardinals | +20000 | +25000 | +25000 |
| Chicago White Sox | +42500 | +15000 | +50000 |
| Washington Nationals | +45000 | +50000 | +50000 |
| Colorado Rockies | +50000 | +75000 | +50000 |
If you’re a bettor looking for value, you won’t find it in the two-time defending World Series champs. The Los Angeles Dodgers have the shortest preseason odds to win the World Series since the 2003 New York Yankees. While the Yankees did make it to the Fall Classic that year, they fell to the Florida Marlins in six games. The Dodgers were the preseason betting favorites to win the World Series in 2024 and 2025.
In early March, MLB insider Jeff Passan said of the Dodgers, “I’ve been covering baseball for almost 25 years now and I don’t know if there’s a team that I have covered that has been as distinct a favorite to win the World Series as the Dodgers are this year.“
The Dodgers added right-handed reliever Edwin Diaz in free agency and re-upped World Series hero Miguel Rojas, who tied Game 7 in the ninth inning. But the biggest signing for Los Angeles was Kyle Tucker, who inked a monster deal worth $240 million over four years.
Some might balk at the Dodgers’ 2026 payroll of around $400 million, but team management is willing to spend the money necessary to build a dynasty in Los Angeles.
The last time the New York Yankees won the World Series was 2009. The franchise made it back to the World Series in 2024, losing to the Dodgers in five games. Last year, the Yankees finished the regular season in second place in the AL East with a 94-68 record. New York downed the Boston Red Sox in the Wild Card series, but lost to the Blue Jays in the ALDS (3-1).
The Yankees did not make major moves this offseason. They re-signed Cody Bellinger, Paul Goldschmidt, Amed Rosario, and Trent Grisham, while adding pitcher Ryan Weathers. No longer with the team are relievers Devin Williams and Luke Weaver.
While the club didn’t make much noise over the winter, the Yankees did make numerous moves at last year’s trade deadline that improved the team. General Manager Brian Cashman clearly wants to see what those players: Ryan McMahon, Jose Caballero, David Bednar, Camilo Doval, and Rosario can do in the Bronx from the start of the 2026 campaign. And if it doesn’t work out, expect Cashman to be busy looking to make trades for a team that only measures success in World Series titles.
The Seattle Mariners were back in the playoffs last year for the first time since 2022, when the club made it to the ALDS only to be swept by the Houston Astros in three games. The Mariners postseason went much better in 2025, as the team went to the ALCS, winning the first two games against the Dodgers before dropping games six and seven to miss their chance to play in the World Series for the first time in franchise history.
Seattle made some important moves over the winter, inking Josh Naylor to a five-year deal, while adding Brendan Donovan and Jose A. Ferrer by trade and Rob Refsnyder via free agency. The one notable loss for the club was Jorge Polanco, who left for the New York Mets as a free agent.
Pitching depth might be a concern for the Mariners, but Kade Anderson, the No. 3 pick in last year’s MLB draft, has been impressive in spring training and could get the call if one of the team’s starters falters this year.
The Mariners finished the 2025 regular season in first place in the AL West with a 90-72 record, and should, at the very least, be the top team in the division again. However, with how close they got to the World Series last year, don’t expect a divisional title to be enough for Seattle fans, who just watched the Seattle Seahawks win the Super Bowl.
When it comes time to make your MLB picks, you will find that everything you need to know about MLB betting odds is right here at Vegas Betting. With the 2026 MLB regular season about to get underway, don’t forget to check out the best betting site bonuses and prime Vegas MLB online betting sites.
Trent is a professional sports journalist specializing in UFC, MMA, and esports coverage. His work has been featured in prestigious publications such as USA Today Sports, Vice, Bloody Elbow, Fight! Magazine, UFC 360, and Narratively. Trent's connection to MMA dates back to the early days when he and his friends pooled their resources to purchase the pay-per-view broadcast of UFC 1. He also has extensive experience in esports, particularly League of Legends and Counter Strike, dating back to the game's launch.