No team since the 2000 Yankees has successfully repeated as World Series champions. After winning the title in 2024, the Los Angeles Dodgers have the shortest odds at +285 to win the World Series again, according to the MLB odds at BetUS Sportsbook.
There was a time when a team had to win a division title to make it into the MLB playoffs. However, after seeing some of the best teams fail to make it into the postseason despite gaudy records, there was a call for change.
The 1993 season was the last time that every team in the MLB postseason consisted of division champions. That year, the Toronto Blue Jays represented the American League in the World Series to face the National League champion Philadelphia. At that point, there was nothing like MLB Wild Card Series prices to consider.
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A Look at MLB Wild Card History
MLB Playoff Expansion Has Been a Gradual Process
Beginning with the 1995 MLB playoffs, the postseason field expanded from four to eight teams. There was also a move from two divisions in both the American and National League to three divisions, with the team with the best record among the non-division winners making the playoffs.
The Yankees and the Colorado Rockies were the first wild-card teams, but both were eliminated in the division series.
The 1996 Baltimore Orioles were the first wild-card team to win a playoff series.
A second wild-card team in each league was added in 2012 with those teams meeting in a winner-take-all game. That format was used from 2012 to 2021 with the exception of the 2020 season when eight teams from each league made the playoffs. That move was the result of a shortened season because of the global pandemic.
The 2022 MLB postseason was the first to feature three wild cards from the American League and the National League. That opened the door for more MLB prop bets as well.
With the new format, the division champion with the worst record from each league would be a part of the wild card series along with the three wild cards.
How the 1994 Strike Brought Changes to the MLB Playoff Format
There were no playoffs in 1994 because of a strike. The following season was historic, as the MLB playoffs included teams that did not win their division.
It actually could have happened in 1981 because of another strike by players. that expanded beyond the division champions. That year, the season was split into a first and second half. If the same team in either the American League or National League won both the first and second-half titles, the second playoff spot would go to the team with the best combined record. However, there were different winners in the first and second halves in both the American League and the National League.
Which Team Has the Best Wild Card Odds?
The Yankees (AL East), the Minnesota Twins (AL Central), the Houston Astros (AL West), the Atlanta Braves (NL East), the Chicago Cubs (NL Central) and the Dodgers (NL West) are all favorite MLB picks to win division titles.
For the sake of looking at the teams with the best MLB odds to secure the wild card spots, we’ll go under the assumption that each of those six teams will earn playoff spots as division champions.
When looking at MLB lines, the New York Mets, priced at +1000 to win the World Series, have the best odds among non-division winners followed by the Philadelphia Phillies (+1100) and the San Diego Padres (+2000).
The Texas Rangers (+2500) and Seattle Mariners (+3000) have the best World Series title odds among American League teams not favored to win division titles.
How Many Wild Card Teams Have Won the World Series?
The Florida (now Miami) Marlins made history by becoming the first wild-card team to win the World Series in 1997. Six years later, the Marlins did it again.
From 2002 to 2004, the winner of the World Series was not a division-winning team with the Anaheim Angels taking the championship in 2002 followed by the Marlins in 2003 and Boston Red Sox in 2004.
The 2011 St. Louis Cardinals, 2014 San Francisco Giants, 2019 Washington Nationals and the 2023 Rangers also captured the World Series as wild card teams.
In 2002, 2014 and 2023, both teams to reach the World Series were wild card squads.
Which Franchises Have Been a Wild Card the Most Often?
The Red Sox and their AL East rival, the Yankees have made the playoffs seven times as a wild card team. The Rockies led all NL teams with five wild-card appearances.
It won’t be a surprise to see either the Red Sox or the Yankees add to that total. However, the MLB odds show that the Rockies have the longest odds at +20000 to win the NL title.
How Does the Wild Card Round Work?
The division champions receive a bye into the division series. The other eight teams will play a best-of-three series with the two winners from each league advancing to the next round.
The division series has a best-of-five format. The AL and NL Championship Series will continue to be a best-of-seven as is the World Series.
Let’s Look at Pennant Odds
When looking at MLB futures odds, it is interesting that three of the four teams with the shortest odds of winning the AL pennant come from the East with the Yankees (+300) followed by the Orioles (+600) and Red Sox (+850).
In the National League, three of the four front-runners are projected to be division champions with the lone exception being the Mets at +550 to represent the NL in the World Series
