The Houston Astros have been the best team in the American League for the last six years.
Since 2017, they have played in every American League Championship Series with no exception, and have made it to four World Series, winning two of them.
Talent, roster construction, scouting, player development…nobody comes close in the last six seasons.
They are better than the field at all the aforementioned areas.
Fresh off winning the 2022 Fall Classic in six games against the Philadelphia Phillies, they have undergone a winter of changes.
General manager James Click is no longer with the team, and neither is Cy Young winner Justin Verlander.
They did re-sign Michael Brantley and add Jose Abreu, though, so they remain a powerhouse.
Unsurprisingly, they will open the 2023 campaign as the odds favorites to win the AL pennant again.
No surprise that the Astros are the favorite to run it back 🏆 pic.twitter.com/b22LkYe9Mt
— The Game Day MLB (@TheGameDayMLB) February 9, 2023
Framber Valdez, Cristian Javier, and Lance McCullers Jr. are all good enough to take over as team aces in lieu of Verlander, and Hunter Brown is ready for prime time.
The New York Yankees have the second-best odds and the Toronto Blue Jays are third.
The Seattle Mariners, who made several impactful additions to their lineup, are fourth; while the up-and-coming Cleveland Guardians are fifth.
The Los Angeles Angels, led by Mike Trout and Shohei Ohtani, are tenth while the new-look Texas Rangers are eighth.
So now you know it: if you are going to bet on the American League winner, keep these odds (brought to us by the DraftKings Sportsbook) in mind at the time of making your decision.
