Preseason World Series odds for every team: Who is the best bet to win the 2023 Fall Classic?

Before opening day of the MLB season, we’d like to take a close look at the preseason World Series odds in 2023.

For anyone who’s thinking of placing a future bet before the start of the season, now is the time to take a close look at key offseason moves, preseason player position rankings, and preseason MLB futures odds before drawing any conclusions about your favorites for the 2023 World Series.

Preseason World Series odds 2023

All odds taken March 07 at FanDuel Sportsbook

Fortunately, we’ve done a lot of the leg work for you. We’ve checked out the preseason World Series odds for 2023 and done a deep dive to break down all of the serious contenders.

Let’s take a closer look at the leading favorites for the 2023 World Series and give you our pick for who will win it all this season.

Astros, +600

The reigning champion Astros have the shortest preseason World Series odds in 2023, which speaks volumes about the organization.

Obviously, they lost Cy Young winner Justin Verlander in free agency. But Houston’s rotation is nearly as good as it was a year ago with Lance McCullers and Framber Valdez leading the way.

Plus, young pitchers like Luis Garcia and Cristian Javier now have October experience. Equally important, the Astros have focused on building one of the best bullpens in baseball, which always comes in handy during the postseason.

Meanwhile, the Astros have at least a handful of position players who are capable of performing at an all-star level. It’s tough to find a lot of flaws on this roster heading into the season. It also helps that the Astros have been to the ALCS in six straight seasons and played in four of the last six World Series, so their track record is undeniable.

Yankees, +800

For years, it seems that the Yankees have been nipping at Houston’s heels, only to fall short. Pitching-wise, Carlos Rodon was a great offseason addition to a rotation that includes Gerrit Cole and Nestor Cortes.

In fairness, this may not be the most intimidating lineup the Yankees have had in recent years. They’ll either need some young players to emerge or veterans like Aaron Hicks and Josh Donaldson to be consistent.

However, Aaron Judge is still around to anchor the lineup while Anthony Rizzo and Giancarlo Stanton will provide plenty of power as well. Between Judge and a strong rotation, the Yankees are still the team to beat in the AL East and the most likely team to unseat the Astros atop the American League hierarchy.

Braves, +800

On the heels of five straight division titles, the Braves are one of the best bets to make a deep postseason run, even in a loaded National League.

Just think of the success they’ve had over the last few seasons while struggling to get Ronald Acuna Jr. and Ozzie Albies healthy at the same time. Those injuries have led to the emergence of youngsters like Vaughn Grissom and Michael Harris II. Obviously, those young players need to keep performing at a high level.

But the Braves still have a strong backbone with Sean Murphy, Matt Olson, and Austin Riley. It’s not as if the Braves will need to be offensive juggernauts with the quality rotation and deep bullpen they’ve assembled. While the competition will be stiff, the Braves figure to field a championship-caliber team in 2023.

Dodgers, +800

For the first time in several years, the Dodgers aren’t the clear-cut favorites in the National League. The Los Angeles roster has undergone some notable changes during the offseason, and the loss of shortstop Gavin Lux in spring training doesn’t help.

That being said, the Los Angeles rotation is absolutely loaded. Even if Walker Buehler doesn’t pitch this season, Clayton Kershaw might only be the fourth-best starter on the roster. Meanwhile, the Dodgers have Mookie Betts and Freddie Freeman to anchor the lineup with J.D. Martinez, Will Smith, Max Muncy, and Chris Taylor providing support as well, so don’t expect the Dodgers to be irrelevant, even if they’ve fallen a bit closer to the pack in the National League.

Mets, +800

With the highest payroll in baseball, the Mets certainly expect to win a championship in 2023.

Despite losing Jacob deGrom in free agency, the Mets have Max Scherzer and Justin Verlander to lead their rotation with Japanese transplant Kodai Senga being a huge wild card for them.

They also have the best closer in baseball, Edwin Diaz, leading what should be a competent bullpen. Offensively, there are few worries for the Mets with Pete Alonso, reigning batting champ Jeff McNeil, and Starling Marte in the middle of the lineup and Brandon Nimmo still leading off after re-signing with New York. The question is how much the Mets will get from some of their youngsters, as they have a few highly-rated prospects like Brett Baty and Francisco Alvarez who could end up becoming difference-makers this year.

Padres, +950

The Padres have surely shown a commitment to winning in recent years by virtue of their aggressive spending and trades. That has contributed to creating perhaps the best lineup in baseball.

If Juan Soto bounces back from a sluggish second half in 2022 and Fernando Tatis Jr. can get going after missing all of 2022, the San Diego lineup will be insanely good.

The Padres already had Manny Machado and then added Xander Bogaerts during the offseason.

Keep in mind that Jake Cronenworth has been an all-star in back-to-back seasons and San Diego added veterans Nelson Cruz and Matt Carpenter to provide even more depth. Pitching shouldn’t be a problem with Yu Darvish and Joe Musgrove leading a deep rotation. Finally, Josh Hader and Robert Suarez might be the best 1-2 bullpen punch in baseball. In other words, the Padres might have the highest ceiling in the majors this year.

Phillies, +1400

Fresh off last year’s trip to the World Series, the Phillies were aggressive during the offseason, believing that they are close to winning it all.

The tandem of Zack Wheeler and Aaron Nola at the top of the rotation is certainly among the best in baseball. The Phillies also did a lot of work this winter to improve what was a problematic bullpen a year ago.

The caveat is that second base remains a mystery, there are defensive holes all over the field, and Bryce Harper figures to miss a big chunk of the season. In fairness, Philadelphia had those same problems last season and found a way to overcome them to win the National League pennant, so it’s far from impossible to think they can do it again this year.

Blue Jays, +1400

We’d be remiss not to take Toronto’s championship hopes seriously. The Blue Jays have assembled a nice group of veterans to complement their young core. Over the winter, they brought in Brandon Belt, Kevin Kiermaier, Chris Bassitt, and young slugger Daulton Varsho.

In fact, with Bassitt on board and Hyun Jin Ryu potentially returning for the second half of the season, Toronto’s rotation could be among the best in baseball, especially if Jose Berrios can have a bounce-back year. In all likelihood, the Blue Jays won’t have to worry too much about scoring runs, making them a dangerous sleeper in the American League, which looks wide-open outside of the Astros and Yankees.

Best Bet

After examining the preseason World Series odds in 2023 for all of the top contenders, our choice for the best bet to win the World Series this year is the Padres.

San Diego reached the NLCS last year and could take another step this year. Granted, the competition to get to the World Series will be much tougher in the National League. But the Dodgers and Phillies are both vulnerable and the Padres beat the Mets in last year’s postseason.

As mentioned, San Diego’s roster arguably has the most high-end talent in the majors, even if there are some question marks. But given their upside and their value at +950, the Padres are the best preseason World Series bet.