The 2023 MLB season is creeping ever closer, and soon the wait will be over. For now we have the preseason horse trading to keep us occupied, but the craving for the real action is growing as we get ever closer to that opening pitch. The franchises are going about their business, as you would expect. But one franchise in particular, the New York Mets, have been making a lot of headlines lately. Here we look ahead to their prospects in the new season in our latest look at the MLB futures betting markets.
The Mets owner Steve Cohen has been attracting a lot of attention lately. Since taking over the franchise in 2020, Cohen has made no secret of his desire to win the World Series.
Last season after a promising start, the Mets fell away quite badly. To try and prevent a repeat of this in 2023, Cohen has invested heavily in his roster, with his franchise now having a reported payroll of just under $370 million, the highest in MLB history.
Make no mistake, Cohen means business. He’s invested heavily to recrute Justin Verlander, Kodai Senga and Jose Quintana to his rota. And he also ensured that he kept hold of both Edwin Diaz and Brandon Nimmo, by handing the pair lucrative contracts.
This huge payroll of the Mets has seen Cohen receiving a lot of criticism, but the Mets’ owner doesn’t seem to be overly concerned with what his fellow owners have to say about things. He’s clearly only bothered and focused on what his own franchise is doing.
So where does all this investment leave the Mets in the MLB futures betting markets for the 2023 season? Let’s take a look.
The Houston Astros are the current champions, and as a result they are the betting favorites to win the World Series again in 2023. But from an MLB betting perspective, the Astros have the two New York franchises breathing down their necks as we head towards the new season.
Things can still change before the new season starts, but at the moment the Astros are +600 to win the World Series again in 2023. They are followed by the New York Yankees at +700, and the New York Mets at +750. Long time favorites to win the World Series in 2022, the LA Dodgers, are next at +850. The San Diego Padres at +900 make up the top five in the betting.
The above odds are taken from BetOnline. You can read more about how to claim their new customers’ welcome bonus – which, incidentally can be used to bet on MLB with – in our BetOnline sportsbook review. More odds from the best MLB World Series betting sites can be found below on our odds table.
| 2023 MLB World Series Winner Betting |  |  |  |
|---|---|---|---|
| Houston Astros | +600 | +600 | +600 |
| New York Yankees | +700 | +700 | +700 |
| New York Mets | +750 | +700 | +750 |
| LA Dodgers | +850 | +800 | +600 |
| San Diego Padres | +900 | +900 | +900 |
| Atlanta Braves | +1000 | +900 | +1000 |
| Philadelphia Phillies | +1200 | +1200 | +1200 |
| Seattle Mariners | +1600 | +1500 | +1500 |
| Toronto Blue Jays | +1600 | +1600 | +1600 |
| Tampa Bay Rays | +2000 | +1900 | +2200 |
| St Louis Cardinals | +2500 | +2500 | +2500 |
| Chicago White Sox | +3300 | +3300 | +3000 |
| Cleveland Guardians | +3300 | +3000 | +3300 |
| San Francisco Giants | +3300 | +3500 | +3500 |
| Texas Rangers | +3300 | +4000 | +4000 |
The beauty of the MLB Pennant system is that it keeps the two New York franchises apart, which means we always have the prospect of the two clashing in a World Series final, rather than a Championship Series final.
And that’s exactly what happened in 2000, when the Yankees defeated the Mets four games to one in the World Series finals. With both the New York franchises expected to do well this year, are we on course to get another Subway Series final?
Well, the top MLB betting sites are giving it a chance. They are favoring the Mets to win their Championship and qualify for the 2023 World Series finals. The Mets are +350, just ahead of the Dodgers (+375) to win the National League Pennant.
The betting in the National League looks far more open than it does in the American League. Closely following behind the Mets and the Dodgers is the Padres at +450, and the Braves at +550. The Phillies are next at +650, and then there’s a bit of a gap before we come to the Cardinals at +1200.
Over in the American League, the Yankees are second favorites at +350. That’s not far behind the Astros who are the favorites at +325. Third in the betting is the Toronto Blue Jays, who are a fair distance away at +800. The top best MLB betting sites see the American League as just a two-horse race.
In the divisional futures market the MLB betting sites have it down as a three-way battle between the Mets (+125), the Braves (+140), and the Phillies (+300).
Last season the Mets were running away with the division for the first half of the season. Then a combination of the wheels coming off a bit in New York, and the Braves going on an exceptional second half of season run saw Atlanta pipping the Mets by the finest of margins to take the division.
Did the pressure placed on the Mets by the Braves cause them to crack? Possibly. But with that experience now in the bank, put in the same position again, the Mets would surely complete the job.
The NL East should be a great battle. And it could well go all the way down to the wire again this year. It’s hard to make a call now. The best way to make money here could be to wait for the Mets to go on a bad run, and then back them to win the division. Doing that will all three of the leading contenders could be the best way to profit on this division.
About the Author
Over the last 10 years, Dean has sharpened his expertise in crafting and revising content for his soccer and cricket betting platforms. Driven by his passion for sports betting and writing, he embarked on a journey of writing about sports wagering. Although Dean's preferred areas of focus are the English Premier League and cricket, his extensive sports knowledge enables him to tackle nearly any sport. Gone are the days of traveling the world to witness events like FIFA World Cups and Ashes cricket, as Dean now prefers the comfort of his own home while enjoying sports.
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