2024 MLB Sleepers: Long-Shot World Series Pick From The AL

Spring training is already underway, and the 2024 MLB season will be here before we know it. Now is the time to start looking at the MLB futures market to see if we can find any value on teams heading into the year. The key is to find a team that we think is valuable at their current odds, one we think will have their odds drop as the year moves on. These can be sleepers or favorites, value is everywhere as long as you have good reasoning behind it.

BetQL will have you covered all season long on a game-by-game basis to keep you winning money all summer. Let's take a look at a sleeper team below that I think has some good value to win the World Series at the current price in the MLB futures market.

2024 World Series Sleeper Pick: Tampa Bay Rays (+3500, DraftKings)

Before the last MLB season began, I gave you the Texas Rangers to win the World Series at a huge number, and I hope you listened. You cashed in huge, and we are going to try to run it back this season as I release some of my favorite futures bets for the upcoming 2024 season.

While everyone is still focused on basketball and hockey right now, we will look ahead to baseball, where the market is still a bit soft with the lack of attention. One team that caught my eye right off the bat is the Tampa Bay Rays, who are around +3500 odds to win the World Series.

I've given out the Yankees at 9/1, and they are my favorite MLB future bet right now in terms of the World Series at the number. But if you're looking for more of a longshot sleeper pick, Tampa is an intriguing option.

The Rays always seem to be undervalued almost every season. If you look back at their win total PECOTA projections over the last five years, Tampa Bay has had an average win total projection of 85.3 wins. Over those five seasons, they have finished with an average of 94.2 wins, by far exceeding expectations every season. I think the same thing will likely be said about this team at the end of this season as well.

They lost a lot of one-run games last season, and if you flipped the result of those games, they would have won the AL East last season by 14 games. That kind of bad luck is devastating to any team, and they are due for some positive regression coming their way in that department. If they get it, this is a team that has some serious potential to be one of the best teams in the American League.

Many people don't like the Rays because their payroll isn't that of the Dodgers or Yankees -- or anyone that spends a lot of money, to be honest. That just isn't what Tampa Bay does because the Rays don't have that kind of money. However, they have still managed to be one of the better teams in the AL for years without spending, and that is because they have been exceptional at drafting and developing young players.

They have a very underrated core of players, starting with Yandy Diaz, who had one of the highest wRC+ figures in baseball last season. Guys like Brandon Lowe, Josh Lowe, Junior Caminero and, of course, Randy Arozarena make up a group that has had more success than most in the last couple of years. Even with the loss of Wander Franco due to his current legal issues, they have the depth that is required to be a serious contender, and they play excellent defense as well. Defense is always underrated when it comes to projecting a World Series winner, but it is extremely important.

The pitching rotation will look very different, but I still like how the Rays develop their arms. Ryan Pepiot is certainly worth taking a look at here as a future star. I would expect them to get Drew Rasmussen and Jeffrey Springs back midseason, which would be a huge boost down the stretch. The bullpen was concerning last season, but I think they bounce back this season with a couple of young arms on the way to help out.

Overall, I think getting 35/1 odds on Tampa Bay is a very good value on a team that a lot of people don't believe has a chance to win due to their payroll. This would be an excellent spot for a no-sweat first bet using the DK signup offer below!