A new MLB season is here, and with it comes renewed postseason hope for all 30 MLB teams. Well, maybe not the Athletics.
Obvious postseason locks like the Yankees and Dodgers have expectedly high playoff odds, but there are some interesting mid-tier squads fighting for spots. Below, we’ll break down those 2023 MLB playoff odds and some of our best picks from the bunch.
If you’re looking for other ways to get in on the MLB futures markets, check out our 2023 MLB win totals or updated World Series odds.
2023 MLB Odds To Make Playoffs
| Team | Odds To Make Playoffs | Odds To Miss Playoffs |
|---|---|---|
| Arizona Diamondbacks | +450 | -750 |
| Atlanta Braves | -550 | +375 |
| Baltimore Orioles | +325 | -450 |
| Boston Red Sox | +300 | -400 |
| Chicago Cubs | +325 | -450 |
| Chicago White Sox | +110 | -140 |
| Cincinnati Reds | +1400 | -3000 |
| Cleveland Guardians | -150 | +120 |
| Colorado Rockies | +2000 | -10000 |
| Detroit Tigers | +1200 | -2500 |
| Houston Astros | -800 | +500 |
| Kansas City Royals | +1000 | -2000 |
| Los Angeles Angels | +180 | -220 |
| Los Angeles Dodgers | -900 | +550 |
| Miami Marlins | +375 | -550 |
| Milwaukee Brewers | +110 | -140 |
| Minnesota Twins | +130 | -160 |
| New York Mets | -500 | +350 |
| New York Yankees | -500 | +350 |
| Oakland Athletics | +2000 | -10000 |
| Philadelphia Phillies | -250 | +195 |
| Pittsburgh Pirates | +1400 | -3000 |
| San Diego Padres | -500 | +350 |
| San Francisco Giants | +185 | -225 |
| Seattle Mariners | -165 | +135 |
| St. Louis Cardinals | -220 | +180 |
| Tampa Bay Rays | -170 | +140 |
| Texas Rangers | +190 | -230 |
| Toronto Blue Jays | -270 | +210 |
| Washington Nationals | +2000 | -10000 |
Odds as of March 21, 2023
Best Bets To Make The Playoffs
Cleveland Guardians (-150 To Make)
The Guardians won the AL Central by 11 games last year and were six wins clear of the final wild-card spot, too. Maybe the Twins break out or the White Sox bounce back, but the Guardians are better on paper.
They didn’t have a flashy offseason, but the signings of Josh Bell and Mike Zunino filled Cleveland’s positions of need and brought some required thump to the lineup. I’ll take a pitching core of Shane Bieber, Cal Quantrill and Triston McKenzie against almost any rotation in baseball, and the Guardians have a great bullpen and some solid depth arms to fill in behind them. This Cleveland team isn’t built to outslug opponents, but they’re built to win.
Texas Rangers (+190 To Make)
By added WAR, the Rangers had the best offseason in baseball. Last winter, they splashed on Marcus Semien and Corey Seager and this offseason they added the pitching.
All three of Texas’ signed starters (Jacob deGrom, Nathan Eovaldi, Andrew Heaney) have heavy injury risk. But, if they get healthy seasons from the entire rotation, the Rangers could have the sneaky-best staff in the league. I don’t want to downplay how big a question mark health is for this team, but if things break right, they’ve got 90-win potential.
Best Bet To Miss The Playoffs
Milwaukee Brewers (-140 To Miss)
The Brewers were my World Series pick last year. Hand up, I was wrong. Things just didn’t go right in Milwaukee, and injuries and underperformance pushed the Brew Crew out of the postseason altogether.
What really doesn’t give me confidence in the Brewers bouncing back is the fact that they’re heading for a retool. Basically Milwaukee’s entire core is heading for free agency after 2024 (Willy Adames, Rowdy Tellez, Corbin Burnes and Brandon Woodruff). If things go south in the first half of this season, there’s a real chance of a Brewer fire sale.
