MLB Betting News This Month | Aaron Judge Hurt, Odds Shift & Market Analysis | October 2026

by Braulio Perez

Updated: October 1, 2026

The MLB postseason is underway, and the Wild Card round has already produced major movement. The New York Yankees, Chicago White Sox and San Diego Padres have advanced to the Division Series, while the Los Angeles Dodgers remain among the leading World Series contenders.

With that, anything can happen during the playoffs and now is the best time to take a deep dive into the latest MLB betting trends to see what people have on their minds, along with which bets are the ones that are standing out the most to certain people. In this piece, we take a deep dive into all of that, along with some of our latest MLB betting analysis.

Top MLB betting storylines

With the postseason here, there have been plenty of MLB betting talking points with the action about to reach another level. This includes some top storylines for teams both in the American League and National League who are still alive, while some disappointing news arrived in Seattle after this team was just one win away from a World Series trip last year.

1. The Los Angeles Dodgers are working towards a three-peat
2. The New York Yankees have swept the Red Sox and advanced to face Tampa Bay
3. The Phillies and Braves are battling for a place in the Division Series
4. Aaron Judge remains sidelined with a calf injury
5. Kyle Schwarber remains one of Philadelphia’s biggest offensive threats
6. The White Sox have advanced after sweeping Houston
7. Seattle is searching for a new manager after Dan Wilson’s departure
8. The Padres have advanced after sweeping the Cubs

World Series odds remain focused on the LA Dodgers

Now that we’ve reached the start of the postseason, it’s time to separate the contenders from the pretenders. With that, it should not be a shock at all that the Los Angeles Dodgers are the favorites to win the title this year, as they have the best World Series betting odds. On top of that, the oddsmakers seem to be quite confident they’re going to get the job done.

LA is currently listed at +200, which is pretty dang eye-opening. Behind them, though, the Milwaukee Brewers continue to be on the rise, as they are listed at +500. A lot of people think that the Brewers and Dodgers could go on to play in the NLCS, which would be a fun series – that series could potentially go seven games as well.

Meanwhile in the American League, the Yankees aren’t going away. Despite Aaron Judge’s calf injury, the Bronx Bombers swept Boston in the Wild Card round and advanced to face the Tampa Bay Rays in the Division Series.

Will this be the year where Aaron Boone is able to help NY get over the top? That remains a bit up in the air, but the fantastic pitching sure has people talking, while Giancarlo Stanton, Ben Rice, and other sluggers will need to step up their games as well. With all of that said, it should be a super fun postseason.

Aaron Judge’s injury continues to hang over the Yankees

One of the Yankees’ biggest postseason storylines remains Aaron Judge’s calf injury. The captain was left off the roster for the AL Wild Card Series against the Red Sox, which New York swept in two games, and he continues to rehab in hopes of returning for the Division Series.

The Yankees have avoided rushing Judge back into action while he recovers from the calf strain. New York has already advanced beyond the Wild Card round, and the focus now turns to whether he can be activated for the Division Series against Tampa Bay.

For now, it remains unclear whether Judge will be able to suit up for the Division Series. Any update on his availability could have a significant impact on the MLB betting odds as the postseason progresses.

Aaron Boone on the decision to leave Aaron Judge off the Wild Card roster

“[Taking BP yesterday was] a significant step for him and a sign he’s shown real improvement over the last couple of weeks. We had an honest conversation last night. I just felt like he wasn’t quite ready” pic.twitter.com/lWcnl8Kokc

— SNY Yankees (@snyyankees) September 29, 2026

Seattle moves on from Dan Wilson after disappointing 2026 season

In terms of a team not in the postseason hunt anymore, what on earth happened to the Seattle Mariners? At this point last year, the Mariners took down the Detroit Tigers in the ALDS to advance to the ALCS for the first time since 2001. However, the Mariners lost to Toronto in Game 7 and hearts back home were broken.

There was significant pressure on manager Dan Wilson to build on Seattle’s 2025 ALCS run, but the Mariners finished 76-86 in 2026. President of Baseball Operations Jerry Dipoto announced on September 27 that Wilson will not return as manager in 2027.

Seattle’s next managerial hire will be worth monitoring during the offseason, particularly for bettors evaluating the Mariners’ 2027 futures. For now, no replacement has been confirmed.

Yordan Alvarez and Pete Crow-Armstrong are the leading MVP candidates

When taking a look at individual awards, Yordan Alvarez and Pete Crow-Armstrong enter awards season as the leading candidates for AL MVP and NL MVP, respectively. MLB.com’s final MVP poll placed both players first in their leagues. Ballots are submitted before the postseason, so playoff performances do not affect the voting.

Alvarez and Crow-Armstrong both finished the regular season as clear frontrunners in the MLB MVP betting conversation. Crow-Armstrong capped a historic season with 45 home runs and the first 40-40 campaign in Cubs history, while Alvarez led the majors with a .316 batting average.

For most of the year, the assumption was that Shohei Ohtani was going to be named NL MVP, but injuries got in the way of him really making a claim for the honor. Meanwhile for Alvarez, he was a slugger for the Astros, helping Houston record a regular season to remember. Now, both players will hope to make a splash with the postseason taking center stage.

Cam Schlittler remains the leading AL Cy Young candidate

Cam Schlittler continued his outstanding season in Game 1 against the Red Sox in the Wild Card Round, striking out 10 over 6 1/3 innings while allowing just two hits in New York’s 9-0 victory.

Throughout the regular season, Schlittler was a total force on the bump and he was also so much fun to watch whenever he took the mound for Boone. In order for the Yankees to potentially win the World Series, he’s going to have to keep pitching at a high level for this team and dominate the way we’ve gotten used to seeing.

Schlittler’s regular-season performance made him the leading AL Cy Young candidate before the postseason began. He received every first-place vote in MLB.com’s final Cy Young poll, although the official award result has not yet been announced.

Cam Schlittler on the MVP chants at Yankee Stadium:

“We’ve already got an MVP in this locker room (Aaron Judge), he’s won three of them. It’s a good feeling, I wouldn’t say I am an MVP but it’s good to embrace that from the fans” pic.twitter.com/tnMFcdYYYI

— SNY Yankees (@snyyankees) September 30, 2026

MLB odds and news updates from the past

• [September 2026]: Aaron Judge was left off the Yankees’ Wild Card roster because of a calf injury, while Cam Schlittler entered the postseason as the leading AL Cy Young candidate. The Brewers finished the regular season with a franchise-record 103 wins.
• [August 2026]: The Tarik Skubal trade made by the Dodgers turned the MLB upside down, with LA becoming even bigger favorites to win the World Series. 
• [July 2026]: With Aaron Judge out injured with the New York Yankees, it has opened the door for Astros star Yordan Alvarez to make a claim for the AL MVP honor. 
• [June 2026]: Thanks to great play, the Seattle Mariners saw their AL West and World Series odds rise. In the NL, Kyle Schwarber became the new favorite to be the 2027 home run king. 
• [May 2026]: Things really heated up in May, with Aaron Judge and the Yankees taking a step forward, while Paul Skenes was the clear favorite to win the NL Cy Young. 
• [April 2026]: With a full month of MLB action underway, several favorites are emerging in divisional titles, plus individual awards. That list includes league MVPs, Cy Young races and more.
• [March 2026]: Major League Baseball early sharp action targets undervalued teams, especially those with strong bullpen depth, creating value on underdog moneylines in the first week of the season.
• [March 2026]: MLB Opening Day drives heavy betting volume, with public money backing favorites and causing odds to shorten by 20–30 points across multiple matchups.
• [March 2026]: Major League Baseball injury reports impact early lines, with starting pitcher setbacks moving opening day spreads by up to 1.5 runs and adjusting moneyline prices significantly.
• [February 2026]: Major League Baseball spring training markets begin to take shape, with World Series futures shifting as key offseason signings push contenders from +1800 into the +1200 range.

Braulio Perez

Braulio Perez is a sports journalist with more than a decade of experience covering major US sports leagues and international soccer. Since beginning his journalism career in 2011, he has covered a wide range of topics, including college football, recruiting, the NFL, and global soccer, developing a strong understanding of the teams, players, and storylines ...

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