It’s March, and that can only mean one thing.
Well, it can mean several things for sports fans, including the NCAA men’s and women’s basketball tournaments, but in this case, it means one thing.
Spring training. Green grass. The crack of the bat.
The boys are summer are almost here, which means brighter days are ahead weather-wise in New York. Our beloved baseball is almost here.
For New York Yankees fans, 2024 brings higher expectations after a disappointing 2023 season that saw the Bronx Bombers miss the playoffs entirely.
The big acquisitions for the Yankees included slugger Juan Soto in a trade with San Diego. Soto is only under contract for this year, but NYY hopes that he will enjoy his time in the Bronx and decide to re-sign this offseason.
The other key move was adding pitcher Marcus Stroman to a two-year deal. The team is clearly hoping for rebound performances from Carlos Rodon and Nestor Cortes to round out the rotation.
Let’s look at three best bets when it comes to the New York Yankees odds in 2024.
New York Yankees Odds to Win the World Series
Going into the 2024 MLB season, the New York Yankees’ odds to win the World Series are at +1000 at NY sportsbook DraftKings. That puts them as co-favorites with Houston in the American League. The Los Angeles Dodgers (+450) are the overall favorites, followed by Atlanta (+650).
While the Yankees have remained largely competitive since their last championship in 2009, this is the second-longest drought in franchise history between titles (1978-96) and tied for the longest stretch without a World Series appearance (1981-96). New York reached the ALCS in 2022 but was swept by Houston. Last year, the Yankees finished 82-80, missing the playoffs by seven games.
Aside from Rodon and Cortes’s injuries, Aaron Judge also missed a good chunk of the season with a foot injury.
While we will address threats in the division later, the question is: do the Yankees have enough to surpass AL West giants Houston and Texas, who have won the last two World Series?
Gerrit Cole is obviously a playoff-proven ace, and Stroman is largely reliable. But if Cortes or Rodon miss, pitching depth will be a problem. The team is also hoping for several bounce-back seasons for the likes of Gleyber Torres, Anthony Rizzo, and Giancarlo Stanton. When Judge missed time last year, the offense was very weak. It was stunning to see the Yankees sitting 24th in runs at the end of the season, especially since they were ninth in home runs. Run production will have to improve greatly.
Will Soto and Stroman get the Yankees back into the playoffs? Yes. Will those acquisitions solve all of their problems? No.
In Bonus Bets!
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Yankees Are Favorites to Win American League East
The Yankees have won the AL East twice in the past five years but finished in fourth last season. New York will have to jump Baltimore, Tampa Bay, and Toronto if they want to regain the division crown in 2024.
Based on the acquisitions that were made, the Yankees are favored to win the division at NY sportsbooks. Currently, their best odds are at BetMGM, where they sit at +145 to win the AL East.
Last year, the Orioles vastly exceeded expectations to win 101 games but were quickly swept by Texas in the playoffs. The Rays won 99 games but were also given the boot by the Rangers in short order.
Baltimore (+275) picked up an ace in Corbin Burnes, but there’s always the risk of a regression to the mean. Tampa Bay started white hot last season with pitchers Tyler Glasnow, Shane McClanahan, and Jeffrey Springs. In typical Rays fashion, they will have zero out of three starting for them in April. Glasnow is with the Dodgers, and the other two are recovering from Tommy John surgery. Tampa Bay has a good offense, but pitching depth could keep them in the wild card hunt and not competing for the division title.
Toronto returns essentially the same team (swap Matt Chapman for Justin Turner). It was enough to reach the playoffs last year, but they were 12 games behind the Orioles. Perhaps the Jays will put it together.
Your bet here likely depends on how you feel about the Orioles. If they pick up where they left off last year but with a chip on their shoulder after the early playoff exit, they will be tough to beat. But did everything just fall into place last year for the O’s? If so, then the Yankees probably are the favorites. Your thoughts there will guide your bet, and we feel a slight regression for the Birds is natural.
