As Major League Baseball season continues into summer, West Virginia sportsbooks deliver updated odds for all of the sport’s major markets.
Just when you think you know how a specific year might go, things tend to go the other way. There’s been no shortage of surprises so far, making a lot of yearly futures quite interesting as the calendar turns to July.
Some thought the Los Angeles Dodgers would run through the regular season with minimal resistance thanks to some additions to an already loaded roster. Yet, they hold just a slim lead in the NL West right now.
Others were high on the Toronto Blue Jays, thinking the New York Yankees might struggle with this campaign. After nearly three months, the Yanks are on pace to set some records and sit more than 10 games ahead of the Blue Jays in second place.
Some of the player futures at West Virginia sportsbooks include a variety of different names as well.
Updated MLB futures at WV sportsbooks
The World Series odds typically don’t move too far very quickly, but there’s been some jockeying thus far.
While the Dodgers have seen their odds to win it all technically improve at DraftKings WV Sportsbook, the Yankees’ incredible start helped them leapfrog the Dodgers. The online sportsbook lists New York at +425, with the Dodgers right behind at +450.
Los Angeles began the season at +500, a good level above the Yanks’ odds of +900 from before April.
Sportsbooks aren’t sure who should be atop this market, though. FanDuel WV actually still shows the Dodgers (+440) just above the Yankees at +450.
It’s possible this trend will continue for a while. Both sides feature amazing lineups on a daily basis. Neither is worried about locking up a playoff spot.
Since New York is off to such a historic start, DraftKings inserted a new market that allows you to bet on a regular-season wins mark. It set the most wins by any team at 105.5, with the over available at -115, compared to the under at -105.
With 52 victories in their first 70 contests, the Yanks are currently on pace to win 120 games. New York’s team record all-time is 114 wins from 1998, while the 1906 Cubs and 2001 Mariners each notched 116 for the MLB best.
Betting on the NL MVP
Aaron Judge has taken over the title of favorite for the AL MVP with his incredible performance through June; however, the NL race looks completely new.
Early-season chalk like Bryce Harper, Mookie Betts, and Ronald Acuna Jr. are still in range at FanDuel. The Cardinals’ Paul Goldschmidt occupies the No. 1 spot at the moment, shown at +170.
Other new players include San Diego’s Manny Machado (+550) and the Mets’ Pete Alonso (+650). Machado’s odds improved after about a month, but Alonso just reached this top tier.
He provides solid power numbers and leadership for another New York franchise in the first place.
Naturally, all three are crushing it at the plate. Goldschmidt and Machado are each hitting over .325, with Alonso among the league leaders in homers at 20.
A statistic lots of baseball enthusiasts like to analyze these days is OPS. That measures a player’s on-base percentage combined with their slugging.
The MLB average in 2022 is just above .700, although it’s usually closer to .740. All three of the top NL candidates showcase an OPS above .910, and Goldschmidt’s 1.048 is second in baseball.
This could end up being an exciting race in October. An MVP is usually on a team that’s at least competing for its division title, and all three of these players fit that mold. The Padres and Machado are the only ones not in possession of first, just one back of the Dodgers.
Pittsburgh’s Oneil Cruz leads NL ROY
Local baseball fans who turn their attention to the Pittsburgh Pirates aren’t having the worst time this season. Despite sitting more than 10 games under .500, they’re in third in the NL Central, only 9.5 games out of first.
Their 29-40 start is four games better than where they found themselves this time a year ago.
There’s also hope because of the young talent on the roster. Shortstop Oneil Cruz is at the top of that list and is showing why after only a few games with Pittsburgh.
In four games since receiving the call to the big leagues, Cruz recorded four hits, including two for extra bases. His hits are timely, too; he has knocked in seven RBI already.
Besides his speed, the massive shortstop (6’7”, 215 lbs) owns an arm worthy of a professional pitcher. In his first game with the Pirates this season (he appeared in two in 2021), he threw out a runner with a fastball measured at 96.7 mph. That’s the fastest thrown ball for an infield assist this season, and it was awfully impressive.
Cruz isn’t necessarily flying under the radar. FanDuel displays him tied for the lead for National League Rookie of the Year honors at +450.
He’s tied with San Diego pitcher MacKenzie Gore and Atlanta outfielder Michael Harris. This is a very competitive market this season, with a total of nine players at or inside of +2000.
So even though Pittsburgh supporters aren’t likely to be rooting for a postseason team just yet, Cruz and a few others are providing a reason to believe.
