The long regular baseball season is over and it is time for the playoffs. How long was the 2017 baseball season? It was so long that three different teams had time to put together headline-catching historic runs. The Houston Astros were 42-16 in early June and recording some of the largest run differentials in the game’s history. Then the Los Angeles Dodgers lost only three games in the month of July and got as many as 55 games over .500. The Dodgers were being compared with the greatest teams of all time. Finally, the Dodgers were shoved aside by the Cleveland Indians who won 22 games in a row – the second most ever.
The Astros, Dodgers, and Indians all won over 100 games in 2017. Accordingly, bet365 has installed the trio as favorites to win the World Series: Dodgers (13/4), Indians (17/5), and Astros (5/1). The trick for bettors is that teams built for the long haul of the regular season are not always built for the rigors of a short postseason playoff season.
2017 MLB World Series Winner Odds
※ Current Odds Date & Time: October 2, 4:00 a.m. (GMT)
Latest Odds: MLB (courtesy of bet365)
The Dodgers ended with the best record in baseball at 104-58. Los Angeles went into a tailspin after playing at a .700 winning percentage for four months. They lost baseball’s best pitcher, Clayton Kershaw, for a month. Kershaw came back to start six games in September but allowed three earned runs in three of them; he had allowed that many only four times in 21 starts before his back injury. Number two starter Alex Wood also had his worst month in September with a 4.03 ERA. The Dodgers third lefty stalwart, Rich Hill, had a stellar final month, however, with a 1.86 ERA and 0.76 WHIP.
On offense the Dodgers finished with six players with more than 20 home runs, led by transcendent rookie first baseman Cody Bellinger who swatted 39. Third baseman Justin Turner finished runner-up in the batting race at .322 as Los Angeles led the league in run differential. Kenley Jansen had the bullpen covered as the 30-year old saved 41 games in 42 opportunities. In his career the league has batted only .171 versus the Dodgers closer. The Dodgers have won five consecutive NL West Division crowns but have seen none of those crowns translate into post-season success. bet365 has listed this year’s version as 13/10 favorites to make the World Series this go round.
One team that knows about long waits for baseball success is the Chicago Cubs who won their first title last year after 110 years of futility. The Cubs were heavy pre-season favorites to repeat in 2017 but mostly slogged through five months of play before finally taking control of the Central Division and vanquishing the Milwaukee Brewers in September. The Cubs received sub-par seasons almost across the board from its stars and talk of a World Series hangover has dogged the team all season. On the positive side, the Cubs have played their best baseball at season’s end and have that World Series experience. Chicago is posted at 7/2 to make it back to the World Series and 15/2 to defend their championship.
Almost everything about the Los Angeles Dodgers in 2017 could be said about the Washington Nationals. The Nationals won their third division title in four years and are still trying to figure out a way to reach the World Series. Star pitcher Stephen Strasburg was lost in mid-season and forced to come back in September. The Nationals finished second to the Dodgers in run differential at +147.
There are significant differences, however. When Strasburg came back for five September starts his ERA was a microscopic 0.83 and he allowed zero earned runs in four of them. While Kershaw led the league in ERA, Max Scherzer and Strasburg were 2-3 and Gio Gonzalez was fifth at 2.96. Washington not only possesses the strongest trio of starting pitchers in the National League but the core of its lineup is best as well with Daniel Murphy (.322), Bryce Harper (.319), Ryan Zimmerman (.303), and Anthony Rendon (.301). That quartet also combined for 107 home runs. The two biggest obstacles for the Nationals are the health of superstar Harper who came back cautiously from a knee injury only in the season’s final week and the bullpen. Sean Doolittle came over from Oakland in midseason and saved 21 of 22 games and has proved a savior. If Harper’s legs are sound and Doolittle is not a mirage, Washington will pay its backers 7/1 as World Series winners.
Cleveland and Houston battled down to the final weekend for possible home field advantage with the Indians prevailing, 102 wins to 101. Both teams finished strong, Cleveland winning seven of its last 10 and Houston eight of ten. The Indians overwhelmed all of baseball with a +254 run differential. The starting rotation of Corey Kluber, Carlos Carrasco, Mike Clevinger and Trevor Bauer may be baseball’s best. The same can be said of the bullpen, led by Andrew Miller and Cody Allen. Online bookmaker bet365 has established Cleveland as the 33/20 favorite to win the American League pennant and return to the World Series.
2017 MLB American & National League Winner Odds
※ Current Odds Date & Time: October 2, 4:00 a.m. (GMT)
The Houston line-up is led by batting champion and MVP candidate Jose Altuve, Carlos Correa, and George Springer. The pitching staff is a notch below Cleveland but Houston swung a major deal before the post-season by acquiring former league MVP and Cy Young award winner Justin Verlander from the Detroit Tigers. The veteran Verlander, now 34 years old, was believed to have seen his best days but in five starts with Houston all he did was win five games and allow only 17 hits and four runs in 34 innings. Verlander will no doubt get the starting post-season assignment with the Astros and he alone could bring backers that 12/5 price for Houston to make the World Series.
The last division winner is the Boston Red Sox who are 17/5 to win the American League pennant and 15/2 to capture the World Series title. The offense has not been intimidating with Xander Bogaerts hitting a team leading .273 and Mookie Betts pacing the Sox in home runs with only 24 in a record-setting season for the long ball. Chris Sale, with 308 strikeouts, may be the game’s best starter and Craig Kimbrel, with 126 strikeouts in 69 innings, may be the game’s best reliever but there just does not appear to be enough top-rank performers in Boston this year.
