2023 MLB Playoff and World Series Odds: The AL East

Image ©Vincent Carchietta-USA TODAY Sports

✍️ Written by :

Frank Weber

🗓 Updated :

Aug 8th 2023

Good morning, baseball fans–the Houston Astros are still the reigning World Series winners. I know, it’s horrible. They’ve been a part of four of the last six Fall Classics and will look to make that five of the last seven in 2023. Unfortunately for them, though, is that 29 other teams are determined to stop them–and we’re going to break down the league, division by division, to see who has the best chance.

AL East Division Winner Odds

We’re going to start today in the AL East, which is home to the Yankees, Blue Jays, Rays, Red Sox, and Orioles. According to DraftKings Sportsbook, here are the current division winner odds:

New York Yankees +105
Toronto Blue Jays +210
Tampa Bay Rays +350
Boston Red Sox +1600
Baltimore Orioles +2500

Unsurprisingly, the Yankees are on top. After a 99-win campaign grabbed them the AL East crown in 2022, the Yankees will surely be looking to repeat that magic here in 2023–and considering how much money they’re spending to make this a reality, they better make it happen. While the Yankees are surely the odds-on favorite, don’t let Vegas trick you into thinking this will be some cakewalk for the Bombers. The Blue Jays have sneakily acquired one of the best starting rotations in baseball, and the Rays, somehow, always manage to be a thorn in the Yankees' side. While the Red Sox and Orioles shouldn’t pose much of a threat to the Division Title crown, they must be taken seriously. The Orioles, who have seemingly been collecting prospects like infinity stones, are still one of the more exciting teams in the entire league. And the Red Sox…well…they’ll at least show up.

If you plan on placing an AL East Division winner future bet through any of these online sports betting apps, the Yankees are your safest bet. However, don’t let those shiny shaved faces blind you–the Blue Jays have some great value sitting at +210.

AL East League Winner Odds

If you want to take things a step further and bet on one of these teams from the AL East winning the entire league, this is how the current League Winner odds shape up. The Teams from the AL East will be bolded:

Houston Astros +280
New York Yankees +360
Toronto Blue Jays +700
Seattle Mariners +800
Tampa Bay Rays +1200
Chicago White Sox +1200
Cleveland Guardians +1500
Texas Rangers +2000
Los Angeles Angels +2200
Baltimore Orioles +2200
Minnesota Twins +3000
Boston Red Sox +3000
Detroit Tigers +5000
Kansas City Royals +7000
Oakland Athletics +20000

What’s most interesting about this is the placement of the Orioles and the Red Sox. The Red Sox, who have better odds to win the division than the Orioles, have worse odds to win the league than the Orioles. Not sure how that math adds up, but it does kind of hint at the Orioles being better than a lot of people are giving them credit for. Or, and cover your eyes, Bostonians, that’s just how bad the Red Sox will be this year.

I think if you are leaning towards giving an AL East the nod this year and think one will make it to the World Series, your only real options are the Yankees and the Blue Jays. That said, I would hold off on making this bet for now, because the Astros continue to be a juggernaut.