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MLB betting: Mets, Yankees are among World Series favorites

Pete Truszkowski
·3-min read

If Major League Baseball and the players association can figure out their labor dispute, 2022 has the potential to be a very fun season for fans of New York baseball. In fact, both the Mets and Yankees have the third best World Series odds of any team in the league. While we wait for the lockout to end, are these teams legitimate World Series contenders?

Mets have had a big offseason

Way back before the league locked the players out, the MLB offseason got underway. The Mets were one of the more active teams during that time period.

The Mets signed Max Scherzer, which is by far the biggest move any team has made to this point in the offseason. Despite his older age, Scherzer is still one of the best pitchers in the league.

The hope for the Mets is that Jacob deGrom returns to health and that he and Scherzer form one of the best 1-2 rotation duos in recent memory. Carlos Carrasco and Taijuan Walker are solid middle rotation options.

In terms of the lineup, the Mets added Starling Marte, Eduardo Escobar and Mark Canha. They're also hoping for a much better second season from Francisco Lindor. Pete Alonso is one of the best power hitters in the sport.

NEW YORK, NY - SEPTEMBER 02: Pete Alonso #20 of the New York Mets in action against the Miami Marlins during a game at Citi Field on September 2, 2021 in New York City. (Photo by Rich Schultz/Getty Images)
Pete Alonso and the Mets are amongst MLB World Series favorites. (Rich Schultz/Getty Images) (Rich Schultz via Getty Images)

All these moves have the Mets at 11-to-1 to win the World Series. These are the second-best odds in the National League behind only the Dodgers. Owner Steve Cohen has proven he's willing to spend, so the Mets might not be done either.

Yankees were quiet, but they are the Yankees

While the Mets lit the world on fire prior to the lockout, the Yankees were quiet.

To be fair, the Yankees made the postseason last year and had another 90-win season. They've made the playoffs for five straight seasons. This team has been consistently good so they didn't need the revamp the Mets did.

Nevertheless, their fans aren't happy. Consensus opinion says the Yankees need a shortstop so they can move Gleyber Torres to second base. This was a big offseason for shortstops, and Carlos Correa and Trevor Story are still free agents who can be signed once the lockout ends.

Fans also want to see the pitching bolstered. Some want a new catcher. It's hard to believe the Yankees won't make a move before the games start back up again. Don't forget that Luis Severino will be back in the rotation this year.

Even if they don't make a major move, the Yankees will still probably have a 27-year old career bench bat come out of nowhere and become a very good player. We've seen it with Luke Voit, Gio Urshela and Aaron Hicks. That's just what the Yankees do.

Despite the shortcomings that many fans see, the market still believes in the Yankees. Just like the Mets, the Yankees are 11-to-1 to win the World Series. Only the Astros have better odds in the American League.