By Mayer Fink
The 2021 baseball season recently concluded with the Braves winning the World Series for the first time since 1995. But before baseball fans head into the long winter until spring training, now is actually a great time to place a bet on the 2022 World Series champions and receive a great payout, especially if the team is overlooked following the recent season.
The Dodgers have the best roster and the highest payroll in baseball, and understandably so, they are the odds-on favorites to win the World Series. The Dodgers fell short this past season in the NLCS against the Braves and will hope to return to the top after they won the World Series in 2020.
Some of the key players returning are power hitter Max Muncy, starting pitchers Walker Buehler and Julio Urias, five-tool right fielder Mookie Betts, and one of the deepest rosters in the game. The only questions surrounding the Dodgers are if they will retain some key free agents, including shortstop Corey Seager and veteran starter Max Scherzer.
Congratulations @Max_Scherzer on being named a finalist for the NL Cy Young Award! pic.twitter.com/qdyzF74I6v
— Los Angeles Dodgers (@Dodgers) November 8, 2021
The Braves are fresh off a World Series title and will look to run it back next season. The last time there was a repeat champion was the New York Yankees, winning in 1999 and 2000, but the Braves have the talent to repeat.
The Braves are led by one of the best infields in the game with Austin Riley, Dansby Swanson, Ozzie Albies and Freddie Freeman, and they will also bring back MVP candidate Ronald Acuna, who missed the second half of the recent season to injury. The only two obstacles for the Braves’ quest to repeat will be re-signing Freeman, who is a pending free agent, and finding starting pitching on the backend of the rotation, which falls off drastically following Max Fried and some of the top arms on the team.
THE ATLANTA BRAVES ARE WORLD SERIES CHAMPIONS FOR THE FIRST TIME IN 26 YEARS ‼️ pic.twitter.com/WWCscFx2Zs
— SportsCenter (@SportsCenter) November 3, 2021
The Padres have one of the most talented teams in baseball, but after a disappointing 79-83 season, the front office fired manager Jayce Tingler and will be looking to make some major changes in the offseason.
The Padres’ roster is led by one of the best young players in the game in shortstop Fernando Tatis Jr., as well as a star-studded lineup including Manny Machado and Jake Cronenworth. The major issue for the Padres is their depth both in the pitching staff and in the lineup, and the front office will have to fill those gaps in the offseason or at the trade deadline to put this team over the top.
40 home runs for Fernando Tatis Jr. pic.twitter.com/xlH7lO098i
— MLB (@MLB) September 23, 2021
The Cardinals were the best team in the second half of last season, winning 46 of 82 games following the All-Star break to earn a spot in the wild-card game. The incredible second half wasn’t a fluke either, as the Cardinals had a powerful lineup led by Tyler O’Neill, Paul Goldschmidt and Nolan Arenado while also possessing depth in the pitching staff.
The Cardinals will return their core and the majority of their key contributors but will have to replace manager Mike Shildt, who was fired at the end of the season. Ultimately, the Cardinals provide great odds as an outside team that can take a big leap this season.
On their 17th consecutive win, the St. Louis @Cardinals have officially clinched a spot in the 2021 MLB postseason.
— The Athletic (@TheAthletic) September 29, 2021
The Cardinals had a 2.8% chance of making the playoffs before this 17-game win streak 🤯
🎥 @MLB pic.twitter.com/28skVrjRSO
It wasn’t long ago that the Nationals won the World Series, defeating the Astros in seven games in 2019. However, since the championship run, the Nationals have lost many of their key contributors including Anthony Rendon, Max Scherzer, Trea Turner and Adam Eaton, resulting in a last-place finish in the National League East last season with a 65-97 record.
That being said, the Nationals are a great long-shot bet to win the World Series for a few primary reasons. For starters, the Nationals have shed a lot of salary in recent years and could make a few big off-season additions this year. In addition, the Nationals have a strong, young core of talented players highlighted by 23-year-old outfielder Juan Soto, who might already be the best hitter in the National League. The Nationals are a long shot to win the World Series at the moment but can be a dark-horse team with a big bounce-back season.
Juan Soto is an MVP finalist.
— Washington Nationals (@Nationals) November 9, 2021
(…and is only 23.)@JuanSoto25_ // #NATITUDE pic.twitter.com/D0CfPNXLIu
Picture Credit: Wikimedia
