As many sports are in full swing, baseball is not. Players across the world are gearing up for the 2023 World Baseball Classic as we speak. It seems like it was just yesterday that the Houston Astros won the World Series, but our focus has moved to the new season. There are 30 MLB teams in the league but stick around for the MLB best teams 2023.
The 2022 season could not have been written any better. Aaron Judge AL record for home runs, and Albert Pujols hit his 700th career home run. The Seattle Mariners ended their 20+ year playoff drought as well. Magic was in the air in 2022, and we all hope it will be once again in 2023.
Best of the Best
This article will dive into the MLB best teams 2023 and will also share some insight on other key teams to keep an eye on. It is oftentimes easy to predict the best teams; however, picking the hidden gems like the 2022 Philadelphia Phillies is not always easy.
Looking at the MLB odds, there are only five teams with triple-digit odds to win the MLB World Series. Follow along to see the teams projected to have a lot of success in 2023.
Houston Astros Runnin’ it Back
The calendar flipped to a new year, but the Houston Astros are still the favorite to win the World Series. Even after losing Justin Verlander, who had the best MLB player stats among pitchers, they have +100 odds to win a ring. With a scary offensive and an unhittable rotation, Houston certainly does not have a problem.
After losing the Cy Yong winner in the AL, you would not expect that team to still be the favorite to win it all. Houston is proving that narrative wrong. With a rotation led by Cristian Javier and Framber Vasquez, there is a reason this was the best rotation in baseball last year. Verlander got a lot of the love, but these guys are going to turn some heads this season. Do we have to even mention their offense?
The Astros are stacked with guys like Yordan Alvarez, Jose Altuve, Alex Bregman, and Jeremy Pena. Houston may very well go back-to-back.
Bronx Bombers
Life as a New York Yankees fan must have been an emotional rollercoaster last year. They were projected to have the best MLB team stats of all time and break the regular season win record before going on a massive slump. New York went from almost losing the AL East to almost losing the best player in baseball. Baseball in New York is fun right now, and the Yankees look to get back to the promised land.
Sure, the pitching for the Yankees is good, but who cares? They have a guy named Aaron Judge who smashes baseballs for a living. Get ready to add Judge winning MVP to your MLB picks and parlays because Judge is a man on a mission. He got paid, and now he looks to repay the Bronx with their 28th title.
The Other Team in New York
The New York Mets have always been perceived as the little brother of the New York Yankees, but that has a great shot at changing in 2023. After many people expected the Mets to represent the NL at the end, they had shortlived postseason. Expect big things from the Big Apple.
Even though the Carlos Correa deal fell through, the Mets might be the most talented team in the league. Imagine facing Max Scherzer and Justin Verlander on back-to-back days. The Mets have the best pitching staff in all of baseball and got so much better this offseason.
All of this comes after winning over 100 games in 2022. The Mets are no longer second-fiddle to their neighbors. This may be the most anticipated Subway Series on the MLB schedule in years.
Do Not Forget the Dodgers
You cannot make a MLB best teams 2023 list without the Los Angeles Dodgers. Their spot on these lists are almost guaranteed at this point in time.
After winning the most games out of any team last season, the Dodgers want to do just the same this year. The majority of MLB matchups go the way of Los Angeles, but they have their eyes on a bigger prize this year.
The two-headed monster of Julio Urias and Clayton Kershaw is very scary for opposing hitters. It has been a quieter-than-usual off-season for the Dodgers. Even with that being the case, they still have the fourth-best odds to win the World Series at +800.
Teams to Not Overlook
All eyes are on the top of the league in terms of talent, but there are numerous teams that are very dangerous in their own right. Nobody expected the Philadelphia Phillies to make a run, yet they almost won it all. Keep a very close eye on these two teams, who could definitely surprise you.
Philly is Not Done Quite Yet
We have mentioned the Philadelphia Phillies numerous times in this article, and for very good reason. They shocked a lot of teams by even making the postseason. Philadelphia was supposed to be the first team from the stacked NL East to be eliminated, and instead, they made the World Series. The Phillies are just getting started.
The Phillies were one of the most well-coached teams last season. Small ball and timely hitting won them many games. You rarely see small ball in today’s MLB, but the Phillies embraced it.
Philadelphia also added perhaps the best shortstop in baseball Trea Turner. If the Phillies get another reliable arm to pitch behind Aaron Nola and Zach Wheeler, they may very well find themselves playing baseball deep into October once again.
No Pujols, No Problem
It is hard to imagine the St. Louis Cardinals being in an okay spot after losing Albert Pujols and Yadier Molina, yet they are. St. Louis was shocked and defeated in the Wild Card Series when they had the win in their grasp; it was so close they could taste it. Poor decisions and bad coaching booted the Cardinals from the playoffs.
St. Louis started their offseason by keeping Nolan Arenado around. After a near-MVP season, the third baseman looks to continue to dominate on both sides of the ball. On top of that, they added Willson Contreras behind the plate.
St. Louis may be one of the most balanced and potent offenses in the league. If the Redbirds can gain another quality arm, their +1900 odds to win the World Series would skyrocket.
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