Yankees Enter 2018 with Short World Series Odds
- The Yankees have the third shortest odds to win the World Series behind the Astros and the Dodgers. Can they win it all in 2018?
- Will Giancarlo Stanton win back-to-back MVP awards during his first season in the Bronx?
- Can Greg Bird get his career back on track after another injury setback?
Baseball is back, and so are the Yankees! The Bronx Bombers have the third shortest odds to win the World Series following a busy offseason in which they added NL MVP Giancarlo Stanton, acquired infielders Brandon Drury and Neil Walker, and re-signed six-time All-Star CC Sabathia.
Those moves have the potential to push New York over the top after winning 91 games in 2017 and nearly going the distance against the Houston Astros in the American League Championship Series. The Yankees are as short as +500 at some sportsbooks and have average World Series odds of +540 across a collection of top online betting sites.
The Yankees’ new players acquitted themselves well in Spring Training as the club went 18-13 in Grapefruit League action. Stanton looked especially sharp, clubbing three home runs and ten RBI, and should provide AL Rookie of the Year Aaron Judge with plenty of protection in New York’s lethal line-up.
The Yankees also got excellent production from youngsters Miguel Andujar, who had four homers and 10 RBI, and Billy McKinney, who had five home runs and 13 RBI. The dynamic duo will begin the season at Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre, but could be called up soon if they continue to tear the hide off the ball.
The only thing that didn’t go the Yankees’ way this spring was the health of Greg Bird, who underwent surgery to remove a bone spur on his right ankle.
The only thing that seemingly didn’t go the Yankees’ way this spring was the health of Greg Bird. The 25-year-old first baseman underwent surgery to remove a bone spur on his right ankle on Tuesday and is expected to miss up to eight weeks. It’s just the latest setback for the young slugger, who missed 114 games in 2017 due to soreness in his right foot. Walker and Tyler Austin are expected to share first base duties until Bird returns.
Ryan worked as an Editor and resident Lead NBA and MLB Writer for SB from 2017-19. He has authored his own weekly columns for Fox Sports and AskMen, and has created successful campaigns for the WWE, the NHL, and the NFL. Ryan's critically acclaimed stories have been published in 20 books.
