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No one should be shocked by this. Entering the new campaign, there are going to be a ton of eyes on the Los Angeles Dodgers, as they had a memorable offseason. The NL West powerhouse is looking to have a memorable season in 2024, as the fanbase can’t wait for them to take the field for Spring Training and the Opening Day. Having said that, the Dodgers are the World Series favorites after signing Shohei Ohtani to his massive contract this offseason.
There were countless teams hoping to win the Ohtani sweepstakes during his free agency, with teams like the Yankees, Red Sox, Angels and more linked to the incredible player. However, the Dodgers put a 10-year, $700 million deal on the table and Ohtani had no choice but to accept. It’s tough to imagine any other organization was able to put anything close to that in front of Ohtani. He also feels he has a great chance to win with the Dodgers.
| World Series odds |  |  |  |
| Dodgers to win | +350 | +350 | +350 |
| Braves to win | +450 | +450 | +450 |
| Astros to win | +750 | +750 | +750 |
| Yankees to win | +900 | +900 | +900 |
Los Angeles was considered a major threat to win it all last year, but the team blew it in the postseason. Because of that, there was a lot of extra pressure on the team to be aggressive in free agency to improve the roster. They did just that by signing Ohtani, as he’s considered one of the best players in the bigs. Ohtani has the ability to make a massive difference for this team moving forward.
According to the best-rated sportsbooks, which includes the reliable Bovada review, the Dodgers hold +350 MLB betting odds to win the World Series next season. Those odds surely went up as soon as it was announced that Ohtani would be putting the pen to paper with the team. While a lot of people think the Dodgers will be the ones to win it all, we’re going in a different direction for our pick.
Los Angeles Kings. pic.twitter.com/u8ItlEoZVN
— Los Angeles Dodgers (@Dodgers) January 5, 2024
The Yankees are our pick to win the World Series in 2024
Believe it or not, the Yankees are our pick to win the World Series in 2024. The 2023 season could not have gone much worse for the Bronx Bombers, as they missed out on the postseason. Because of this, a lot of people thought that perhaps manager Aaron Boone would end up getting fired. That didn’t happen and the pressure is going to be on for him to perform this upcoming season.
Luckily for Boone, the team was able to make some impressive moves in the offseason, highlighted by the blockbuster trade to land Juan Soto from the San Diego Padres. With Soto now getting ready for his first year with the Yankees, NY supporters think that he, Aaron Judge and Giancarlo Stanton will be a three-headed monster for the offense. That’s a lot of home-run power for the heart of the lineup.
Once a day or so I smile remembering the Yankees literally traded for JUAN SOTO pic.twitter.com/YQBBfSO2g4
— Max Mannis (@MaxMannis) January 7, 2024
“It significantly upgrades us without a doubt,” Cashman said following the trade. “And the great thing about the ‘crazy 8s’ is that one is right-handed and one is left-handed and so that creates a tougher lineup to navigate for the opposing pitchers… We still have more work to do and we know that, but we are really excited by what this acquisition can do for both balance and impact and certainly excited for the opportunity to bring him here.”
Per the oddsmakers, the Yankees hold +900 World Series betting odds with the start of the season still a few months away. There are going to be a lot of questions surrounding the team’s starting rotation, but the hope is that Gerrit Cole can stay healthy, while lefty Carlos Rodon can impress while on the bump as well. It’s not going to be easy for the Yankees to make a splash, but something tells us it will be a memorable year for the AL East side.
Shohei Ohtani is the early favorite for NL MVP
As you might have been able to guess, Shohei Ohtani is the early favorite for NL MVP now that he’s going to be suiting up with the Dodgers. Ohtani took home AL MVP honors this past season while with the Los Angeles Angels, as he was tremendous both as a slugger and a starting pitcher. Ohtani would have made history had he not suffered an elbow injury late in the campaign. Regardless, he was still a beast with the bat in his hands.
Looking ahead to 2024, though, Ohtani should still be tremendous as a hitter for the Dodgers. He’s not expected to pitch this season, but that doesn’t take away from the fact that he’s going to provide opposing pitchers with a ton of problems whenever he’s at the dish.
The Dodgers broke the bank to land Ohtani for a reason: he’s arguably the best player in the game and he’s going to certainly live up to the hype now that he’s going to be with the Dodgers. Only time will tell if Ohtani will get the Dodgers back to the World Series, but early on this year, we’re going with him as our pick to win NL MVP.
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