The postseason is finally here, and now it’s time to preview each team that has a chance to win the World Series.
I’ll list the MLB odds on every team to win it all while also giving you some insight to every clubhouse.
I'll also be covering the postseason with more baseball articles on a weekly basis.
Philadelphia Phillies: (+225)
A $100 wager would profit you $225 if the Phillies were to win it all.
This team is the favorite to take down their second World Series title in the past three years.
That’s because they went out and loaded their pitching staff by trading for Roy Halladay at the beginning of the season and also snatching up Roy Oswalt midway through this year.
With the three-headed monster of Halladay, Oswalt, and Cole Hamels, there’s no question this is the best starting staff in the league.
Not to mention they have one of the best lineups in the game with Jimmy Rollins, Shane Victorino, Chase Utley, Ryan Howard, and Jayson Werth leading the way. Philly has scored 5.6 RPG since the start of September.
New York Yankees: (+300)
A $100 wager would profit you $300 if the Yankees were to win it all.
Despite knowing that they won’t have home-field advantage in any series if they were to make the World Series, the Yankees are still one of the top dogs.
New York won the championship in 2009, and with their lineup, they are fully capable of getting back there again. Everyone is healthy, and Derek Jeter, Mark Teixeira, Alex Rodriquez, Robinson Cano, and Jorge Posada will spearhead an offensive attack that is unmatched by any other in baseball.
But after C.C. Sabathia, there is some serious question marks with their starting rotation.
Andy Pettite and Phil Hughes are expected to be in the rotation as well, but each was shaky in the second half. If the Yankees can ever get the ball to Mariano Rivera, it will be lights out.
Tampa Bay Rays: (+300)
A $100 wager would profit you $300 if the Rays were to win it all.
Tampa Bay won the AL East Division and finished with the best record in the American League, which gives them home-field advantage—that could be a big factor here as opposing teams will have to deal with the cowbells inside a packed house at Tropicana Field.
Tampa will be starting David Price, who is certainly an AL Cy Young candidate and went 9-2 with a 1.96 ERA at home in 2010. After that, it’s Matt Garza and Wade Davis, two guys that are hit or miss. Davis did finish the season strong, though he allowed eight runs over his last 28.2 innings of work.
Though Tampa ranked last in the American League this season with a .247 batting average, they did finish third in the majors in runs scored thanks to speed at the top of the lineup in Carl Crawford and BJ Upton.
Evan Longoria hasn’t played since September 23 due to a strained quad, and though Joe Maddon said the rest was precautionary, Tampa Bay needs him at 100 percent if they are to make a run.
Minnesota Twins: (+800)
A $100 wager would profit you $800 if the Twins were to win it all.
Minnesota plans to go with a four-man rotation for the postseason.
With the exception of Brian Duensing, this rotation has been pretty shaky. Francisco Liriano is their ace, but he’s just 1-3 with a 6.98 ERA in his last four starts. Carl Pavano had a surprising resurgence this season, and Nick Blackburn is hit or miss.
The Twins title hopes took a major blow when they announced that Justin Morneau would miss the entire postseason; that said, they still have Joe Mauer, Jim Thome, and Delmon Young. Mauer has hit .373, and Thome is hitting .313 with 15 homers since the All-Star break. Young’s 54 second-half RBI’s ranked third in the American League.
San Francisco Giants: (+900)
A $100 wager would profit you $900 if the Giants were to win it all.
San Francisco has a starting rotation that rivals what the Phillies have.
With Tim Lincecum, Jonathan Sanchez, and Matt Cain leading the way, the Giants have the best ERA (3.36) in baseball.
The one thing that has held the Giants back in the past has been their offense, but they are at least in the middle of the pack this year averaging 4.3 RPG. Aubrey Huff is quietly having a solid season, hitting .290 with 26 home runs in the middle of their lineup. Without rookie Buster Posey and midseason acquisition Pat Burrell, there’s no way the Giants would be where they are at today.
But because of their pitching alone, San Francisco certainly has a chance to win it all.
Texas Rangers: (+1200)
A $100 wager would profit you $1,200 if the Rangers were to win it all.
Texas made a huge move before the trade deadline by going out to get Cliff Lee. The lefty was unstoppable in the postseason last year for the Phillies, going 4-0 with a minuscule 1.56 ERA in five postseason starts. Lee is 12-9 with a 3.18 ERA this season, and his presence in the rotation alone gives Texas a chance.
He’ll be followed by C.J. Wilson and Colby Lewis, two of the more underrated starters in the American League. With Josh Hamilton back and healthy, the Rangers have a dangerous lineup. Vladamir Guerrero was a huge offseason addition as well, hitting .300 with 29 homers and 115 RBI.
Texas leads the majors with a .276 batting average, and unlike year’s past, they have the fourth-fewest strikeouts in baseball (986).
Atlanta Braves: (+1400)
A $100 wager would profit you $1,400 if the Braves were to win it all.
Atlanta is the feel-good story in the postseason. They are trying to win it for manager Bobby Cox, who has already stated that this will be his last season on the job even before their 2010 campaign got underway.
This team has an underrated starting staff with Tim Hudson, Derek Lowe, and Tommy Hanson leading the way. Hudson had 17 wins this year to go along with a 2.83 ERA and 1.15 WHIP. Their 3.57 ERA as a team was the third-best mark in the majors.
Trading for Derek Lee and Alex Gonzalez really gives this lineup the extra pop it needed to go along with the likes of Brian McCann, Omar Infante, and Jason Heyward.
Cincinnati Reds: (+1600)
A $100 wager would profit you $1,600 if the Reds were to win it all.
With Edinson Volquez, Bronson Arroyo, and Johnny Cueto leading the rotation, this is one of the worst starting staffs in baseball. The Reds have been making their money at the plate and will have to do so again in the postseason if they are to advance.
Cincinnati leads the National League in batting average (.271), home runs (187), and runs per game (4.9). Joey Votto spearheads the attack, hitting .324 with 37 home runs and 113 RBI.
The Reds are hitting .278 with runners in scoring position, also the best mark in the National League.
Jack Jones has been solid all season on the bases, currently sitting as the No. 7 Ranked MLB Handicapper in 2010. If you want advice you can count on this postseason, then sign up for a premium package from him or the rest of our handicappers at Betfirms to get the best MLB picks around. If you want to find out which team Jack thinks will win it all, then check out his 2010 MLB Playoffs Predictions.
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