2023 World Series Champion Odds & Picks

2023 World Series Champion Odds

The 2023 baseball season is almost here, and all year long we will be pondering who is going to take home the championship at the end of the season. In this article, we will give out 2023 World Series picks and keep it updated as the season rolls on.

Last Updated: Spring Training

World Series Favorites

Matt Horner: Padres +950. Out of the group of favorites here with under +1000 odds, I'll take a shot with the Padres here during Spring Training. Their biggest challenge will be the Dodgers, who have owned them now forever. The Padres have gone a combined 16-32 against the Dodgers in the regular season over the last three years.

However, they slayed the dragon last season in the NLDS. Xander Bogaerts is the latest dude they have signed to a massive contract, and he brings a force to a lineup that already features Manny Machado, Fernando Tatis Jr. and Juan Soto.

Dan Karpuc: Braves +950. The Braves made one splashy move this offseason when they acquired catcher Sean Murphy (.250, 18 HR, 66 RBI in 148 games last season) from the Oakland Athletics in a deal that sent William Contreras to the Brewers in a three-team trade. Atlanta arguably has the best lineup in baseball from top to bottom, even though they lost shortstop Dansby Swanson to free agency.

There are no holes in the lineup that I expect to look something like this: superstar Ronald Acuna, reigning NL Rookie of the Year Michael Harris, All-Star Austin Riley, elite first baseman Matt Olson, Murphy, switch-hitting second baseman Ozzie Albies, the powerful Marcell Ozuna, a healthy Eddie Rosario and promising young shortstop Vaughn Grissom. 

This team is also loaded on the mound. Max Fried, Mike Soroka, Spencer Strider, Charlie Morton and Kyle Wright will make up the starting rotation when all are healthy while Raisel Iglesias, A.J. Minter, Joe Jimenez, Nick Anderson and Collin McHugh make up a solid bullpen. Pitching prospects Bryce Elder and Jared Schuster will provide important depth at the back-end of the rotation. This is a very complete team that will be a contender from Day 1.

World Series Values

Matt Horner: White Sox +3000. Maybe I'm a homer but as a Chicago fan, I'm almost always down on my teams. Still, at 30/1 odds, it's hard to pass up that kind of value. The White Sox have all the talent in the world, and even more to come like Oscar Colas, but they disappointed majorly last season.

The good news is that manager Tony La Russa is gone, and with him goes all the bad judgment and drama that caused cancer in the clubhouse during his tenure. A whole new staff that actually knows how baseball operates in 2023 is a breath of fresh air, and that could be a huge lift for this talented roster.

Dan Karpuc: Cardinals +2000. After signing Willson Contreras to take over for the retired Yadier Molina, St. Louis’ lineup is going to be dangerous from top to bottom. Reigning NL MVP Paul Goldschmidt and star Nolan Arenado will produce in the middle of the order while Tommy Edman, Brendan Donovan, Juan Yepez, Lars Nootbaar and Dylan Carlson are young productive players with upside. Tyler O’Neill is coming off of a down year and if he rebounds, he can vault this above-average lineup into an elite one. St. Louis ranked 5th in runs scored last year and there are some top prospects (most notably Jordan Walker and Alec Burleson) who could produce in 2023. This should be one of the most productive offenses in baseball.

On the mound, Adam Wainwright will return for his final season while Miles Mikolas, Jordan Montgomery, Jack Flaherty and Steven Matz will likely round out the rotation. I also expect youngster Matthew Liberatore to enter the rotation at some point this year. With Ryan Helsley, Giovanny Gallegos, Jordan Hicks and Andre Pallante in the bullpen, I’m confident that this team will be able to navigate and handle their competition. If they make some in-season moves, expect an impact arm or two, but I expect this team to emerge as a contender pretty quickly.

World Series Sleepers

Matt Horner: Rangers +5000. I'll take a shot with Texas here as a long shot to win the 2023 World Series. I think the Astros take a step back this season, and that can open things up for the Rangers in that division. Houston lost several key pieces like Justin Verlander, and their stars aren't getting any younger. Texas signed Corey Seager, Marcus Semien, and Jon Gray to long-term deals last offseason, as well as Jacob deGrom, Andrew Heaney and Nathan Eovaldi this offseason. The Rangers also have some very talented young players like Adolis García, who had 27 home runs, 25 stolen bases and 101 RBIs last season, and Nathaniel Lowe, who slashed .339/.399/.566 in 72 games after the All-Star break.

Dan Karpuc: Rangers +5000. The Texas Rangers franchise dates back to 1961 when they launched as the Washington Senators. After posting losing seasons in 10 of 11 seasons in Washington, the team moved to Texas, where they have won just four total postseason games in just eight berths since 1972. With two World Series losses in 2010 and 2011, the Rangers are one of six MLB teams that haven’t won a championship and after a 68-94 record last season, those who bet their futures in a positive way were disappointed once again. However, it’s clear this club is in win-now mode after some splashy offseason moves. 

Last offseason, the Rangers spent a combined $500 million on middle infielders Corey Seager and Marcus Semien, but found out the hard way that a lack of pitching can prevent success. This winter, the team has already signed perennial Cy Young candidate Jacob deGrom, talented lefty Andrew Heaney, proven veteran Nate Eovaldi and re-signed Martin Perez to bolster a new-look starting rotation. Also, it’s important to mention that all-time great (and World Series winning) manager Bruce Bochy was lured out of retirement to take over. With Jack Leiter and Kumar Rocker waiting for their call-ups as top prospects, I love the potential of this team at 50/1.