Peter Lewis
It’s almost here. That’s what Major League Baseball fans are thinking right now, as Opening Day really is right around the corner. Leading up to the action, fanbases across the globe are thinking about their favorite team making it to the World Series. This has what it takes to be a campaign for the ages. Entering play, the Astros are expected to win the AL, but the Dodgers are slight favorites to win the NL this season. Will Los Angeles be able to get the job done?
That’s what plenty of people in California are hoping for, as the Dodgers really looked poised to make a monster splash in 2023. It goes without saying, but countless eyes are going to be on Mookie Betts, Justin Turner, Clayton Kershaw and more. With Betts, he’s one of the best outfielders in the game, and he has high MLB betting odds to win NL MVP. If Betts can catch fire this season, it’ll be a problem for opposing pitchers. He’s also been a mentor for young infielder Miguel Vargas.
| MLB NL odds |  |  |  |  |
| Dodgers to win | +400 | +400 | +400 | +400 |
| Mets to win | +420 | +420 | +420 | +420 |
| Braves to win | +450 | +450 | +450 | +450 |
| Padres to win | +480 | +480 | +480 | +480 |
“It’s been incredible for me to have him,” Vargas said of working closely with Betts leading up to Opening Day. “Since the first day I got here, he just kind of took me under his wing. Not only that he’s helped me, but just the way he’s gone out of his way to do that for me, I’m just honored and proud to be able to call him a teammate and friend.”
There’s high expectations for Vargas, Betts and the rest of the playmakers for this loaded Dodgers squad. According to the best-rated sportsbooks, the Dodgers hold +400 odds to win the NL and then go on to play in the World Series. They sure have the talent to get that done. However, something tells us that a different team will be the ones to come out on top of the NL and play in the Fall classic.
The Mets are our pick to win the NL this season
Believe it or not, the Mets are our pick to win the NL this season, as the front office did a fantastic job of re-tooling the squad during the offseason. The big addition for the team was without question starting pitcher Justin Verlander. Verlander, when healthy, is one of the top hurlers in the game and he enters the new campaign with strong NL Cy Young odds. Verlander and Max Scherzer will look to be one of the best duos in the bigs.
“I’m just trying to figure it out,’’ Verlander said at spring training after making his first appearance for his new club. “A lot of fun comes with that. It’s a bit nerve-racking, but new challenges help you write new, fun chapters in your life book. Hopefully this can be one of them.”
2 more strikeouts for Justin Verlander 🔥 pic.twitter.com/Ab2IhK60Gj
— SNY (@SNYtv) March 10, 2023
With Verlander now in Queens, along with Scherzer, the Mets are a team to be taken seriously in terms of pitchers. At the dish, Francisco Lindor, Pete Alonso and others have incredible power – those two guys in particular are a ton of fun to watch. With so much excitement around Flushing, this feels like it could prove to be a year to remember for the Mets. The NY supporters think they have what it takes to win the NL.
Per the oddsmakers, the Mets have +420 odds to win the NL. They have strong World Series betting odds as well, which is amazing to see. Teams like the Dodgers, Braves and more will look to make things tough for NY, but the New York Mets betting odds are high for a reason – they have an unreal amount of skills all over the place. We think the Mets surely have what it takes to make history next fall.
Plenty of experts are high on the San Diego Padres as well
With all of that said, plenty of experts are high on the San Diego Padres as well this season. San Diego has a fantastic lineup, of course headlined by Juan Soto and Manny Machado. These are two of the best sluggers out there. With Machado, he just finalized his monster deal with the club, and he’ll be there for the long haul. Next up for them will be finalizing things with Soto, which could come sooner than later.
Oh, and don’t forget about Fernando Tatis Jr., who will look to remind people of how great he can be in 2023. With Yu Darvish poised to have a big season for the NL West powerhouse as well, things really are trending in the right direction for the Padres. They’ll be a team to watch for sure.
This season, it’s time to bring the passion, bring the noise.
Bring The Gold. pic.twitter.com/2a5ETVilBx
— San Diego Padres (@Padres) March 3, 2023
While we are standing strong with the Mets as our pick to win the National League, it wouldn’t surprise us to see San Diego go on a deep run as. well. They have strong pitching and plenty of talented players in the field and at the plate as well. It could prove to be a 2023 to remember for Soto, Darvish, Tatis, Machado and more.
