The 2024 MLB season seems to be sprinting, with some teams surging ahead while others lag. With every club having played at least 20 games, we have a modest amount of data to assess. Reflecting on the preseason rankings, significant shifts have occurred, and certain leaders initially overlooked are now making their presence known.
Amidst this dynamic landscape, identifying the
MLB best bets becomes crucial for fans and bettors. With the best odds, bettors get to bet on their favorite team while enriching their pockets.
Below are the revised top 5 rankings:
1: New York Yankees
The New York Yankees are currently the second-best team in terms of wins in the league, only behind the Cleveland Guardians, which has a 16-6 score. The team is performing exceedingly well, with a .652 winning percentage, which is a massive improvement compared to its .506 last season.
Everything is great in the Bronx, except for the fact that the Yankees have had a horrendous amount of players go down with an injury so early into the season. The most significant loss was that of the arm pitcher
Gerrit Cole, who was injured in his elbows, causing nerve inflammation. Thankfully, it will not require surgery.
Given the tests and reviews done on Cole, he is expected to make a comeback in early May. His comeback will definitely bring an upgrade to the Yankees' rotation, which was desperately needed.
2: Atlanta Braves
Even though the Braves have lost their former top position to the Yankees, Atlanta continues to demonstrate its resilience as a battle-tested team known for delivering elite performances when it truly matters. Without their best player,
Spencer Strider, the Braves were unfortunately already shocked at such an early season stage. However, they still have high hopes for the rest of the season.
The club tops the NL East with 15 wins and six losses, including its home series against the Texas Rangers, in which the team won two out of three games. Meanwhile, Second baseman 2B Ozzie Albies is back next weekend after suffering a fractured right big toe, so he was added to the 10-day injury list.
The three-time All-Star was cleared to bat practice before the April 22 game against the Marlins. His anticipated coming back is April 26, and a series of three matches with the Guardians in Atlanta will be starting.
3: Los Angeles Dodgers
The Los Angeles Dodgers are having problems with their bullpen rotation, and their current batting line-up does not make it easier to win games. But we still expect the team to prevail over the majority of the games this season. One downside is that the team has lost three series in a row against the San Diego Padres (1-2), Washington Nationals (1-2), and New York Mets (1-2).
Dodgers manager Dave Roberts expressed that he believes it's simply a rough week. Despite that, even during tough weeks, they typically manage to secure a couple of wins. However, they haven't been able to do so this week. They usually win at home, but this week has been an exception.
The fact that dedicated Dodgers fans are not shocked by the team's lack of consistency isn't surprising, but it's still quite disappointing. However, it does not make the situation better. Did the millions of dollars invested during the offseason fail to catapult LA into excellence? Is Shohei Ohtani not the solution to all their difficulties? Only time will reveal the answers.
4: Baltimore Orioles
The Orioles are led by the former top pitcher Corbin Burnes. Once again, they enter the season with a top-five bullpen, hoping to continue their great performance and finish in the top 10 without losing a single winning streak.
The newest addition to the MLB, the top prospect Jackson Holliday, the son of the previous MLB outfielder Matt Holliday, is the next person called up to the majors on April 10 against the Boston Red Sox. However, his first appearance did not meet his fans' expectations, and he went on with an abysmal .033 average.
In many cases, an organization's strength is measured by its weakest link. In Baltimore's situation, despite the rookie's underperformance, weak links seem scarce, as their culture reflects readiness and a cultivated sense of professionalism.
5: Cleveland Guardians
The Cleveland Guardians are off to a hot start this season, with a record of 16 wins and six losses. However, the record is still an early one. This unforeseen success comes as a total shock; the Guardians were nowhere to be seen in the top 10 of most preseason rankings.
As Sports Illustrated outlined, the team held the No.21 position in November. As we move forward, the evolution of these rankings will be closely monitored, with Cleveland aiming to demonstrate that it can sustain the momentum generated by its spicy start to the season.
