Believe it or not, the midsummer classic is almost here. That’s right, the MLB All-Star Game is right around the corner, with some clubs recording some truly memorable first parts of the season. How about the Houston Astros and Los Angeles Dodgers? In this piece, we have our MLB futures picks leading up to the All-Star break, with several clubs standing out as true contenders.
Because of their strong pitching and outstanding hitting, the Dodgers remain favorites to win the World Series this year. Could the NL West powerhouse do the unthinkable and go back-to-back? LA of course got over the hump last year when they beat the Tampa Bay Rays to take home the title. The Dodgers had gotten so close the previous years, but were finally able to get the job done.
With the MLB All-Star Game set for July 13, Los Angeles has loads of momentum going into the break. Heading into the season, the rotation got even stronger with the addition of 2020 NL Cy Young winner Trevor Bauer. With the usual suspects playing so well too, like Kyle Seager, Justin Turner, Mookie Betts and others, it’s easy to see why LA holds the No. 1 MLB odds to win the World Series.
| World Series odds |  |  |  |  |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dodgers | +400 | +400 | +400 | +400 |
| Astros | +650 | +650 | +650 | +650 |
| White Sox | +800 | +800 | +800 | +800 |
| Mets | +900 | +900 | +900 | +900 |
As things stand, the Dodgers have been set by the Las Vegas Sportsbooks at +400. There’s going to be several other teams in contention, though. Houston is +650, the Chicago White Sox are +800, the New York Mets are +900, while the San Diego Padres are also +900. Despite the Dodgers having the top odds, we’re actually not going with them as our pick to win it all this upcoming fall.
That’s because we’re actually going to rock with the Houston Astros. The AL West club has been incredible this year. Despite them being such big villains thanks to the 2017 sign-stealing scandal, the players have stepped up in a massive way. We could potentially see the Dodgers and Astros face off in the World Series. In this case, we’d go with Houston. Agree with us? Check out our betting sites, including Bovada, and get a wager in.
We’ve seen a complete turnaround over at Fenway Park, and now the Boston Red Sox feel like a lock to win the AL East this season. With Alex Cora back as the manager of the club, the Red Sox indeed are back to playing some fantastic baseball. They’ve been able to provide us with entertaining ball both at the plate and with their starters putting together solid performances.
As of this writing, the Red Sox hold -170 odds to win the division. Behind them, Tampa Bay is +270, Toronto is +700 and the Yankees are +1000. Speaking of the Yankees, it’s been a complete and total disappointment of a season for the Bronx Bombers. Unlike Boston, New York’s pitching and hitting has been atrocious this year. They entered the season with World Series hopes, but now it’s up in the air if they’ll even make the playoffs.
For the Red Sox, how about the play of JD Martinez too? The standout slugger is in the middle of a brilliant season, as he’s hitting .303 with 17 homers and 56 RBI. Those are the kinds of numbers that the Boston faithful love seeing out of him. With his incredible amount of power, he surely has the potential to leave the yard whenever he’s at the dish. That’s what makes him so special.
Looking ahead to the rest of the year, it’s going to be tough for any team to catch the Red Sox in the AL East. We’re 100 percent rocking with them as our pick to win the division. They keep finding ways to win ball games and nothing is going to stop them this summer or in the fall. Boston has the potential to go on a serious postseason run as well. Fans should be excited.
On a individual basis, New York Mets hurler Jacob deGrom has what it takes to win NL MVP. Normally, you don’t see a pitcher take home MVP honors, but deGrom has been absolutely incredible this season for the Mets. While he’s battled injuries during the year, that hasn’t stopped deGrom from being without question the best hurler in the entire sport.
As of this writing, the superstar righty is 7-2 with a 0.95 ERA. On top of that he’s posted a mind-boggling 136 strikeouts and 0.54 WHIP. He’s been an absolute nightmare for opposing hitters. What makes him so dangerous is his ability to mix in pitches. The standout pitcher also had a fastball that can top 100 MPH. Because of that, he’s simply unhittable at times.
Right now, deGrom holds the top odds at +115 to win NL MVP, while Padres slugger Fernando Tatis Jr. checks in at No. 2 with +160 odds. It will be a battle between the two to come out on top. For us, though, we think deGrom is going to be just as good in the second half of the season and continue to help New York in the NL East. He’s our pick to win NL MVP this year.
