World Series Futures: Dodgers the favorite after trade deadline

With the trade deadline now over, there’s only a couple of months left in the 2024 MLB regular season before the playoffs begin. The Los Angeles Dodgers, who did a nice job of strengthening their roster at the end of July, sit as the current favorite to win the Fall Classic, but not by much. The Philadelphia Phillies, New York Yankees, and Baltimore Orioles are all right on their heels. Below, we’ll discuss a handful of ball clubs, including these four, who could contend for a championship.

LA Dodgers

The Dodgers sit at the top of the NL West with one of the better records in the big leagues at 66-49. LA just acquired Jack Flaherty at the deadline to help their rotation. Yoshinobu Yamamoto is nearly healthy again while Tyler Glasnow is now back, too. Meanwhile, Mookie Betts is on the verge of a return. Los Angeles will be a force to be reckoned with in the playoffs. They have +325 World Series odds at Sports Interaction.

Philadelphia Phillies

The Phillies have been a regular in the depths of the postseason in recent years and truly look like they could go all the way in ‘24. Philadelphia is 68-46 and has a stranglehold on first place in the NL East. This club is brilliant on both sides of the ball, ranking fifth in runs scored and third with a 3.60 ERA. While the Phils are just 3-7 in their last 10 games, this is still a scary team. Their Fall Classic odds are second-best behind LA at most MLB betting sites.

New York Yankees

The Bronx Bombers haven’t been playing great since the All-Star break, which has resulted in a fair share of criticism thrown their way. That being said, the Yanks are turning it around as of late, posting an 8-2 record in the last 10 contests. Aaron Judge is absolutely tearing the cover off the baseball with a .324 average of 41 home runs. Juan Soto is also doing his part with a .306 average and 28 long balls. If Gerrit Cole can start to find his best on the mound, it will help New York a lot. They already own the fourth-best ERA in the Majors.

Baltimore Orioles

The O’s aren’t playing around. They went out and acquired Eloy Jimenez, Trevor Rogers, and Zach Eflin at the trade deadline. The American League East leaders just called up Jackson Holliday and he’s raking since being promoted, slashing nearly .500 with four homers already. Baltimore has something to prove after losing in the Wild Card Round last year. This organization is built to contend, it just remains to be seen if they can make it happen when it matters most in the playoffs. 

Atlanta Braves

It has not been a great year for the Braves, a team who are typically in the World Series conversation. Ronald Acuna Jr’s second ACL tear put a damper on the campaign early and the Atlanta offense hasn’t been able to recover. They rank 17th in runs scored and 19th in average. The Braves are currently in the midst of a five-game losing streak. Atlanta has to turn things around in a hurry.