Stanton makes Yankees World Series favorites
What a difference a player makes. After slugger Giancarlo Stanton rejected a deal that would have sent him to the San Francisco Giants, the Florida Marlins traded him to the New York Yankees, and the Yankees’ odds of winning the World Series went from 11-to-1 to 5-to-1.
That means the Yankees are now the favorite to win Major League Baseball’s championship, more than twice as likely to win the title, in oddsmakers’ view, as they were before the Stanton deal.
And Stanton is a 2-to-3 favorite (bet $3 to win $2) to hit more home runs than his slugger teammate, Aaron Judge, who hit 52 homers as a rookie during the 2017 season. Stanton, the American League MVP, hit 59 homers last season. In cozy Yankee Stadium, he has a shot at hitting 60 or more this season.
The over/under on Stanton’s home-run total is 44.5, according to the online betting site Bovada.lv.
An interesting proposition bet on Bovada asks: “Will Giancarlo Stanton and Aaron Judge combine for 100 or more home runs?” The odds on Yes are 5-to-1; a No bet is 1-to-10. Topping 50 homers is rare for any player, but both players had extraordinary years last season and could continue to improve, so betting the over could be an intriguing wager.
Following the Yankees on odds to win the World Series are the reigning champion Houston Astros and the National League pennant-winning Los Angeles Dodgers, both at 6-to-1. Next are the Cleveland Indians at 7-to-1; the Washington Nationals and Boston Red Sox, both at 10to-1; and the Chicago Cubs at 12-to-1.
The St. Louis Cardinals are 18-to-1, and the Arizona Diamondbacks, a division rival of the Giants, are 22-to-1.
The Giants, though they don’t appear to be contenders, are 25-to-1. The Oakland Athletics, with some up-andcoming young talent, are 100to-1. I wouldn’t take either bet, but if I had to pick a local team, I’d roll the dice with the A’s.
The Los Angeles Angels, after signing Japanese pitcher Shohei Ohtani, who can also handle a bat, are 25-to-1 to win the title. The New York Mets are 28-to-1, and the Seattle Mariners are 33-to-1.
Of course, baseball is notoriously capricious — teams often come out of left field to win the World Series. Just look at what happened this year: The Houston Astros were 14-to-1 shortly before the season to win MLB’s title, but they won the American League pennant, then beat the favored Dodgers to win it all.