Baseball is one of the most unpredictable sports you’ll find.
There are countless variables (weather, bad umpires, injuries and more) that are out of the players’ control, making it a wild 162-game ride.
It can be even harder to predict which of the most talented teams and players in the world will rise to the top from year-to-year, but what’s the fun in not trying?
The FanSided betting team has put together our best bets for the World Series winner and major award winners, including the MVP, Cy Young and Rookies of the Year for both leagues.
AL MVP Odds and Predictions
Shohei Ohtani (+200)
Yes, this is the chalkiest pick possible, but it is the right one.
Ohtani had a legitimate argument to win the league’s MVP award last season, and it took Aaron Judge breaking the American League single-season home run record to stop him.
Unless someone can come up with a performance to match Judge’s last season, Ohtani may run away with this award.
The two-way star has a leg up on everyone in the field since he’s also the Angels’ pitching ace, and Ohtani has the momentum off his incredible World Baseball Classic showing on his side entering this season.
It has become widely accepted that he is the best player in baseball, so as long as the numbers are there, I can’t see Ohtani falling short again in this award race. – Peter Dewey
Shohei Ohtani +200 – Vinnie Portell
Julio Rodriguez +800 – Iain MacMillan
Yordan Alvarez +1200 – Josh Yourish
Yordan Alvarez +1200 – Reed Wallach
NL MVP Odds and Predictions
Manny Machado +1200
When you’re looking for MVP candidates, it helps to have a player who is good at the plate and in the field (check), in the heart of a loaded lineup (check) and on a contending team (check).
Machado finished second in NL MVP voting to Paul Goldschmidt last season with a phenomenal regular season, but I think he could be even better this year.
Consider that Machado is batting behind Juan Soto and ahead of Xander Bogaerts and that’s even before slotting in Fernando Tatis Jr. after he returns from suspension! Of course, Machado might not even be the best MVP candidate on his own team (Soto), but I think he’s a complete player who’s in the best position of his career. At +1200 odds, that’s worth the gamble. – Vinnie Portell
Juan Soto +550 – Josh Yourish
Mookie Betts +900 – Iain MacMillan
Austin Riley +1600 – Peter Dewey
Francisco Lindor +2500 – Reed Wallach
AL Cy Young Odds and Predictions
Shane McClanahan +1200
McClanahan finished sixth in voting last season as an injury derailed the final month of his season. But it’s undeniable that the hard-throwing lefty from Florida is one of the game’s most talented pitchers.
The Rays’ ace was an American League All-Star last season, finishing with a 12-8 record, a 2.54 ERA, a 0.926 WHIP and 194 strikeouts across 166 ⅓ innings.
Now with a fully healthy defense and lineup behind him, including the return of shortstop Wander Franco, second baseman Brandon Lowe and outfielder Manuel Margot, McClanahan will be in an even better spot to pitch more effectively and win more games.
If health isn’t an issue, these +1200 odds are going to look like a steal in a few months. – Vinnie Portell
Dylan Cease +900 – Josh Yourish
Shohei Ohtani +1000 – Reed Wallach
Shane McClanahan +1200 – Iain MacMillan
Luis Castillo +1700 – Peter Dewey
NL Cy Young Odds and Predictions
Aaron Nola +1300
One of the worst things is betting a future and then losing that player to injury for most of the season.
With Nola, his history of reliability suggests that’s not going to happen. He’s made over 30 starts in four of the last five seasons with the only exception being the shortened 2020 campaign. Last year, he finished fourth in NL Cy Young voting, owning a 3.25 ERA across 32 starts and 205 innings, but just an 11-13 record. Pitcher’s win-loss records aren’t looked at much for these awards anymore, but I’m sure he would have gotten a few more votes had he finished with even 15 wins. That could happen this season with an even better lineup backing him up.
Nola certainly should have gotten more luck for the season he had last year. He had a 2.75 expected ERA, which was in the 90th percentile in the MLB (better than the 2.92 xERA of Sandy Alcantara, the 2022 NL Cy Young). You can expect some regression in both directions this year: Nola’s ERA shrinking and Alcantara’s growing. Nola was also in the 85th percentile in strikeout percentage and 99th in walk percentage. His chase rate was in the 90th percentile and his hard-hit percentage was 31.6%, the best of his career and in the 92nd percentile.
Nola’s a true workhorse and was frankly one of the most dominant starting pitchers in the game last year. Hopefully this season his traditional numbers reflect that more and he gets more love from the voters. – Josh Yourish
Yu Darvish +2200
Darvish is fresh off a stellar campaign in which he posted a 3.13 ERA and a FIP less than a half run greater, indicating he was steady and didn’t receive a ton of help from his teammates in the field. He was top-10 in strikeouts per nine innings in the NL and also top-10 in innings pitched.
The Padres made a surprise run to the NLCS last season and continued to build around the core of Manny Machado and Juan Soto by signing Xander Bogaerts, only helping the upside of the Padres’ roster. If the team is able to surpass the Los Angeles Dodgers in the NL West, they will need a complete effort and Darvish headlines the pitching staff.
It also helps that Darvish has been healthy for most of his career. He has started 30 games in four of his last five full seasons.
There’s plenty of names around 10-to-1, but I’d rather look down the board at someone like Darvish who has a lot going for him heading into 2023. – Reed Wallach
Zack Wheeler +1200 – Peter Dewey
Max Fried +1200 – Iain MacMillan
Julio Urias +1800 – Vinnie Portell
AL Rookie of the Year Odds and Predictions
Hunter Brown +900
An under-appreciated factor about winning Rookie of the Year is that much of it simply comes down to opportunity. Some of the game’s most talented young players never have a chance to win because they don’t play enough to catch up to the wire-to-wire everyday players or they’re not on a good enough team.
This is where Brown comes in.
A well-regarded prospect, Brown lived up to the hype last season with the Astros in his brief stint with the team, going 2-0 with a 0.89 ERA, a 1.082 WHIP and 22 strikeouts across 20 ⅓ innings. I definitely don’t expect Brown to record season-long numbers like those this year, but he’s lining up to be a reliable starting pitcher for a good Astros team this year. If he can hang on to that role all season, he’s going to have a huge leg up on most of the competition. – Vinnie Portell
Gunnar Henderson +300 – Reed Wallach
Anthony Volpe +650 – Peter Dewey
Triston Casas +1200 – Josh Yourish
NL Rookie of the Year Odds and Predictions
Jordan Walker +375
Let’s not get too cute here. Walker is looking like the early makings of a face-of-the-franchise type of player that St. Louis can transition to after Paul Goldschmidt and Nolan Arenado.
Turning 21 years old in May, the 6-foot-5, 220-pound Walker is ranked as the No. 4 overall prospect in baseball by MLB Pipeline.
Walker is an all-around player who has the potential for exceptional contact, power, speed and arm strength. Putting a young player like that in a lineup with last year’s NL MVP in Goldschmidt and second runner up in Arenado is a good recipe for a great first season. Don’t overthink it because of the short odds. Just take Walker. – Vinnie Portell
Jordan Walker +375 – Peter Dewey
Kodai Senga +1000 – Josh Yourish
Francisco Alvarez +3300 – Reed Wallach
World Series Odds and Predictions
Los Angeles Dodgers +800
I don’t know if it’s because people are experiencing Dodgers burnout, or if their lack of postseason success has caused people to give up on them, but Los Angeles is somehow underrated heading into this MLB season.
This is a team with the likes of Mookie Betts, Freddie Freeman, J.D. Martinez, Julio Urias, Clayton Kershaw, etc., yet nobody is picking them to win the World Series. They have a very good chance of winning the NL West and a solid chance of having the best record in the National League, but yet you can get them at almost 10/1 to win it all.
I’m willing to look past their lack of consistent postseason success. They’re just too talented not to. – Iain MacMillan
Atlanta Braves +750 – Peter Dewey
New York Mets +900 – Reed Wallach
San Diego Padres +900– Josh Yourish
Tampa Bay Rays +2000 – Vinnie Portell
Game odds refresh periodically and are subject to change.