Will There Be A First-Time World Series Winner in 2022?
Tampa Bay May Be the Best Bet
Our long national nightmare is over. The MLB lockout has ended and the 2022 MLB season is a few weeks away. It’s a time of great optimism for a lot of teams, indifference for some, and maybe dread for others.
But, there are a lot of teams in that first group who think they have a real shot to be legitimate contenders this season. Whether it’s because of free agent pickups, blockbuster trades, or the return of strong cores, many teams are justified in their thinking that they can compete for a championship.
Now is also a good time to ask an intriguing question: Will any teams that have yet to hoist the Commissioner’s Trophy in the history of their respective franchises do so in the Fall? The BetUS sportsbook has odds for that exact situation and it’s an interesting one to look at in tandem with all the other MLB picks currently on the board. Let’s break it down:
Yes (+325)
The MLB teams that have yet to win a World Series are the San Diego Padres, Tampa Bay Rays, Milwaukee Brewers, Texas Rangers, Colorado Rockies, and Seattle Mariners. Of that group, the most likely teams to be contenders are San Diego, Tampa Bay, and Milwaukee, all expected to be in the playoff mix in 2022.
San Diego looked like a postseason lock until a crazy late-season collapse pushed the Padres under .500. The Padres are still loaded with talent — led by Fernando Tatís, Jr. and Manny Machado — and have plenty of high-end rotation arms, but they’ll be without Tatís, Jr. for a few months with a wrist injury and have a bunch of other health concerns. Plus, San Diego has to contend with the Los Angeles Dodgers and San Francisco Giants in the NL West. The Padres have potential but they aren’t the likeliest World Series pick.
The Rays won 100 games last season, easily winning a loaded AL East behind ludicrous pitching depth and a really balanced lineup. But, Tampa Bay lost 3-1 in the AL Division Series to the Boston Red Sox and will likely be without Tyler Glasnow for a good portion of the season. Tampa Bay always finds a way to piece together innings and at-bats — and will have a full year of Wander Franco — so the Rays have a good shot to make a playoff run.
Milwaukee won 95 games last season but, like Tampa Bay, lost in the Division Series (to the eventual champion Atlanta Braves). The Brewers might have the best rotation in baseball yet their offense is pretty underwhelming. They were shut out twice by Atlanta in the NLDS and will have to contend with the tough St. Louis Cardinals and improved Chicago Cubs in the NL Central.
No (-450)
Most of the teams with the best MLB odds to win the World Series are teams that have already won rings at some point. The Los Angeles Dodgers are +550 favorites while the Houston Astros (+1000), New York Yankees (+1000), and Toronto Blue Jays (+1000) aren’t far behind. Then, there’s the Braves (+1100), New York Mets (+1100), and Chicago White Sox (+1100).
The potential first-time winners with the best odds are the Padres (+1200) and Rays (+1600) with the Brewers (+1800) falling in behind. So, even though the value on “Yes” is pretty good if you’re betting online, it just isn’t that great of a pick. Still, though, it’s definitely worth a dart in the sense that it’s a bet which lumps in multiple teams and gives you a bunch of franchises to root for this season without much risk.
However, the only potential first-time winner to be favored in its division based on the MLB lines is the Brewers and they would need to contend with the likes of the Dodgers, Braves, Mets, and San Francisco Giants to even get out of the National League. That’s a tough deal.
