We asked PressBox’s Phil Backert, Stan “The Fan” Charles and Glenn Clark and 105.7 The Fan’s Jeremy Conn to share their favorite World Series futures bets.

All odds are from FanDuel entering play June 14.

Phil Backert: New York Mets (+750)

The new MLB playoff format gives a clear advantage to the top two division winners in each league. The Mets are leading the National League East and they are doing it without their top two aces in Max Scherzer and Jacob deGrom. The two should return this season and throw enough innings to be at the top of their game in October, provided they stay healthy. This will bode well for a team with a strong bullpen and a great offense.

The Los Angeles Dodgers, New York Yankees and Houston Astros are strong picks as well, but their division races should be tighter down the stretch, which could factor into where they are slotted in the playoff race. Mets manager Buck Showalter is a World Series title away from being a strong contender to end up in Cooperstown one day. This could finally be the year he gets over the hump.

Stan ‘The Fan’ Charles: New York Mets (+750)

The Yankees busted out of the gate so strongly early on that they are +500. The Dodgers have gotten off to a better start than a year ago, but that has just as much to do with San Francisco showing a lot of warts early as the Giants plot life after Buster Posey.

While the big three in the Blue Jays’ rotation — Kevin Gausman, Jose Berrios and Alek Manoah — give me goose bumps at +950, I am not sold on manager Charlie Montoya pulling off a 2022 version of the Braves’ Brian Snitker.

That leaves me with the Mets (+750). The combination of the richest owner in baseball in Steve Cohen and perhaps the Rodney Dangerfield of managers in Buck Showalter is just too good a combination to pass up on. It doesn’t hurt that the Mets should have both Max Scherzer and Jacob deGrom back in July, and they got off to a big early lead against a weakened NL East.

Glenn Clark: San Diego Padres (+1500)

I should know better, but I have to get a ticket for the Padres to win the World Series at +1500. Manny Machado is playing some of the best baseball of his career this season, and the Padres have held up well despite significant pitching injuries. They’re slated to get Fernando Tatis Jr. back, have proven to be aggressive at the deadline and while they’ve regularly come up short against the Dodgers in the biggest spots, I can’t help but like the odds just enough to want a piece of the action.

Jeremy Conn: New York Yankees (+500)

It pains me to say this, but I think this could be the Yankees’ year. They have a great lineup and at least two aces. Gerrit Cole, Nestor Cortes and Luis Severino are getting better with each start. They have a really good bullpen and a well-stocked farm system they can use to make trades to better the team for this year.

Photo Credit: Kenya Allen/PressBox

Issue 275: June/July 2022

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